A Bit About Grading Films
Since I have been doing reviews, on and off now for nearly a dozen years, I have always used the 1,2,3,4 Star Rating system to grade film or other content. As I have been going through previous reviews, I find myself wishing I had done more of a grading scale to help make it a bit easier to understand why I felt the way I did in giving the review.
It is with that thought in mind that I am going to start reviewing films and other content with the following grades:
'A (+/-)' - this will generally mean that this is a film that is superior in all ways, a film that cries out to be enjoyed in a cinema and perhaps even more than once! Does this mean that I think you will give it the same or similar rating? No. But I hope that it does mean that it will be something worth your hard earned shekels!
'B (+/-)' - this will generally mean that this is a film that is just short of superior but still outstanding in its own right. Again, do I dare suppose that you will feel the same way? Probably not; the beauty of film and any content created for that matter, is that it is subjective to the viewer. That being said, it is my hope that when you see a 'B' rating, you'll give it a chance in the intended format it is meant to be in.
'C (+/-)' - this will generally mean that this is a film that you could take or leave. A film that might have a made a good effort but fell just short of meeting the expectations that may have been set in the trailer or by the star power behind it. Generally, these types of films are best left to the budget showing or $1.00 theaters (if they still exist).
'D (+/-)' - you would think a 'D' is something that is worthless and a waste of time as well as movie. Sometimes it is, but there are times when a 'D is passable as a Redbox rental or waiting for it to surface on any of the streaming providers. Often times, a 'D' graded movie can be a very funny (although usually not intended to be funny) 'B Movies' like a 'Sharknado' or the classic 'Plan 9 from Outer Space' that embraced its garbage. Ed Woods 'Plan 9 from Outer Space' became such a cult classic that an Australian remake can be found on DVD or online!
'F (+/-)' - this is generally reserved for those films that are a complete waste of celluloid or digital storage. In most cases, I only go to see them in order to warn others away from them! Any recent Adam Sandler film as an example. If you choose to watch any film with any 'F' rating, you do so at your own risk!
So there you have it; an brief explanation of how i will be rating films going forward! As always, I welcome you all to share your thoughts or comments on each and every review I post! One of the best thing about film is the discussions it generates!