Good question. I'm sure that personal rating systems vary widely amongst the site's members.

Despite that my TMDb ratings show me only giving 6 to 10 scores (hardly ever 6s, and mainly 7s and 8s), that doesn't at all mean I truly consider everything actually consistently and routinely quite so necessarily favourably, and that I never deem anything to be deserving of lower marks. Quite the opposite is sometimes the case, therefore only part of the story is being told: My TMDb Ratings Overview bar reflects that I early on made the decision to not at all rate anything I ever deem deserving of a score less than 6, whether I've watched whatever it is all the way through and hated it or not. That way my TMDb Ratings pages for Movies and TV productions remain solely listing and focusing upon, positively, worthwhile stuff (worthy of 6-10 ratings) that I either like or love enough to actually want to have permanent record/reminder of. I'm super-selective about what I watch, and about picking out good things, and fortunately most of the time "get it right", thus so many 7, 8, or higher ratings.

I'm relatively stingy about giving 9s and 10s and have to be crazy about something, and not be able to find anything wrong or disappointing about whatever it is, and there be no dud or miscast performances, to give so high of a rating; everything has to feel spot on and terrific/excellent. I have to be completely impressed, and either love whatever it is, or perhaps feel profoundly moved, impacted, etc.

I tend to rate most things 7 or 8, which is definitely good well-done movies, shows, documentaries, and specials, in the fully solid average to somewhat above-average range, that I like and/or enjoy, and that are well worth watching, that I have no problem with anything about, but that there's really nothing extraordinarily exceptional about that warrants a 9 or 10.

I'm like you, Harrison, that everything in my personal collection is stuff that I've carefully selected throughout the years as being movies (also some series and miniseries) that I'm crazy about and gladly will watch any number of times throughout the years. That's always my criteria when considering adding something to my collection, is will it be something I won't feel "done" with after watching just a time or two.

Very well said. I can understand completely why you rate movies the way you do.

Part of the reason why I started the topic was because I thought I was way too liberal in rating things I like a 10. Your explanation of your process shows that you know more about film then I do, or at the very least view them differently then I do.

Every time I have tried to be more conservative with my high ratings I realized all I was doing was parroting the professional critics or the consensus of those on IMDB. So I just gave up and went with a more emotional response. I do this especially with movies that I get lost in the story or with movies that star actors and actresses that I admire. Almost like I am rooting for them so much that I don't see the flaws.

I hope that makes sense. Thanks for your response.

I think rating "from the heart" - whatever that may mean in each case - is the perfect and right way to go. Some things will just get workaday "practical" type evaluations, thus ratings, whereas certain movies and shows that you feel personally enthusiastic about and a real connection to, and that in whatever way "speak" to you, it comes naturally to give them a high rating and it definitely, in such case, is the right way to go.

I'm with you, that I definitely don't always agree with critical evaluations by professional critics, whose comments often seem pretentious and out of touch, like they're wanting to show off that they're critical snobs. Fortunately, where Classic Films are concerned, IMDb user ratings, by age bracket and gender, seem normally completely legit and entirely credible. (Unlike with recent-years blockbusters, that have gotten a lot of IMDb ratings manipulation and abuse, Classic Films generally only get rated by actual "serious" voters who've watched them.) More often than not I agree with what shows on IMDb as being the average rating for voters in my rating demographic. If I don't agree, I vote whatever feels right.

@genplant29 said:

... Fortunately, where Classic Films are concerned, IMDb user ratings, by age bracket and gender, seem normally completely legit and entirely credible. More often than not I agree with what shows on IMDb as being the average rating for voters in my rating demographic. If I don't agree, I vote whatever feels right.

You are 100% correct about IMBD (and I hope TMDb). I was just telling a friend a couple weeks ago when looking up a movie on IMBD if it has a rating of 8.0 or above, it needs to be seen. Anything between 7.0 and 7.9 should be seen if the plot synopsis interest you. And anything between 6.0 and 6.9 watch if you are a big fan of the actor or actress. Below 6 buyer beware.

Unfortunately TMDb shown average ratings are quite off for certain titles, though that's steadily been improving, and more realistic seeming average ratings showing, as the site gets more users, not to mention more diverse and well-rounded users who are voting on types of things that not many people here had been paying attention to when the site's user base was smaller.

As is readily apparent from clicking on TMDb active regular message boards users' avatars and viewing their profile pages, for some reason (that I don't at all understand) seemingly a majority (most of the ones I've at whatever point spot-checked their profile) don't ever rate anything at all. If everyone - or at least more - would rate things that they watch, much more accurate and truly representative average ratings would show for titles, unlike if just one, two, or three people may have rated something.

I totally agree with you, that things warranting (legitimately) a rating in the 60% (60-anything %) range often have something very good and worthwhile about them (typically that "something" is a particular actor, actress, or two who "saves" whatever it is), even though otherwise the movie, show, etc. may be disappointing, poorly done, and/or mostly a dud.

Unfortunately currently shown TMDb average ratings are decidedly significantly off for numerous very good high-quality longstandingly well-regarded old movies that show on TMDb as below (in some instances way below) 60% average ratings, or otherwise ratings in the "passable" 60-something % to "pretty decent" 70-something % range that nonetheless are inappropriately, undeservedly low for the particular very good or excellent movie in question.

That doesn't bother me too much though (comes with the territory here), as TMDb seems to have a primarily young to youngish user base who I realize in large part isn't necessarily of the mindset to (many of those individuals) appropriately and/or knowledgeably rate old titles that they just don't "get", feel any personal connection to (therefore may view dismissively), or much "take" to anything about, that they may view as having been a waste of their time (which is their issue, not the movie's) to have watched.

I have rated 2422 movies on IMDb and my ratings breakdown like this: 1-1 2-3 3-6 4-27 5-154 6-490 7-964 8-632 9-128 10-17 I don't give out too many 10's and I give out a lot of 7's and 8's. I also tend to watch movies that I think will be good and I am usually right so it gets a 7 or 8. If anyone is wondering what movie scored the “1” it was Fun In Balloon Land.

@lassie said:

I have rated 2422 movies on IMDb and my ratings breakdown like this: 1-1 2-3 3-6 4-27 5-154 6-490 7-964 8-632 9-128 10-17 I don't give out too many 10's and I give out a lot of 7's and 8's. I also tend to watch movies that I think will be good and I am usually right so it gets a 7 or 8. If anyone is wondering what movie scored the “1” it was Fun In Balloon Land.

Thanks for your breakdown...do you mind sharing some of your 10 rated movies?

COOL HAND LUKE,CLERKS,PAPILLON,THE BIG LEBOWSKI,THE ROAD WARRIOR & SHAUN OF THE DEAD ARE 10/10 IN MY DIRTY LITTLE BOOK.

@VHS-VANDAL said:

COOL HAND LUKE,CLERKS,PAPILLON,THE BIG LEBOWSKI,THE ROAD WARRIOR & SHAUN OF THE DEAD ARE 10/10 IN MY DIRTY LITTLE BOOK.

I've seen three of those (Luke, Papillon , Lebowski) and loved all three. I keep threatening to watch the remake of Papillon but have yet to do so. I don't know why I haven't watched Clerks yet...I love dialogue driven films. Thanks for sharing.

Papillon (the original) is a movie I haven't seen since it first came out (went to see it with my older brother, who not long before had turned old enough to drive), that I've always remembered and definitely want to see again at some point. I also read the book during the same era and was thoroughly interested in both that and the screen version.

My "10's": Shane, Planet of the Apes (1968), The Silence of the Lambs, The Matrix, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Terminator, Blade Runner, First Blood, Jaws, In The Heat of the Night, The Verdict, The Usual Suspects, The Prestige, Star Wars (1977), The Martian, The Thing (1982) and Forbidden Planet. Cool Hand Luke and the Big Lebowski are 9's for me.

A smattering of my 10s (in alphabetical order): Anna Christie (1931 - German-language version); Battleship Potemkin (1926); Beau Brummel (1924); Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925); The Godfather (1972); The Godfather II (1974); Lawrence of Arabia (1962); The Lost Weekend (1945); The Miracle Woman (1931); The Passion of Joan of Arc (1929); The Prisoner of Zenda (1937); Rear Window (1954); Red Dust (1932); The Search (1948); The Third Man (1950); Waterloo Bridge (1931); The Wizard of Oz (1939)

@HarrisonHanksHackman said:

What drops it down to a 9 or 8 in your eyes?

Anything short of perfection. Which is extremely rare. And I've probably only rated one or two films a 10.

I'll only give a film a 1 if there is absolutely nothing positive to say about it at all. It has to be insultingly, insultingly bad. I think I've only given one film a 1 rating.

We have 10 different marks to choose from and all should be used. If everyone just used two or three different numbers then why are we using a ten point rating system?

Even if I've had an amazing time with a film and I think "9 out of 10! 9 out of 10!", I'll stop myself and think "Hang on, is it really a 9? Or a high 8?"

If we don't think realistically when marking films and excersize some restraint then the end mark for films are not going to be reliable.

@HarrisonHanksHackman said:

For me it is all about my enjoyment of the film and how many times I will watch it again, or more importantly for a 10, I must watch it again, and again, and again. I try not to let what the professional critics think affect or bother me one way or the other. I couldn't tell you if the cinematography of one film was better then another. And for me even knowing what is expert directing of a movie only comes down to did I like the movie or not. So my favorite directors are the ones who have directed a lot of my favorite movies.

All this is after all subjective. So many times with movies it comes down to a certain actor or actress as to why I watched the movie to begin with.

So are you conservative or liberal with your 10's? And if you feel like sharing, why?

Basically what you have said above. I sometimes will not see a movie (no matter how good it's supposed to be) if I don't like the actors). But, I also might give a movie a ten just because I love the star of the movie. As an example, William Powell's movies all get a 10! I have rated over 2,000 movies & TV shows, although I don't think all of my ratings from 'the site that must not be mentioned' to didn't all import (I have a CSV spreadsheet that listed all of my ratings on the aforementioned site, but I can't figure out how to put them in order by rating (high to low)). I have 23 ten's, 33 nine's, over one hundred 8's (I stopped counting after 110), the rest are spread out. I probably have more low ratings than some people here?

@JustinJackFlash said:

@HarrisonHanksHackman said:

What drops it down to a 9 or 8 in your eyes?

Anything short of perfection. Which is extremely rare. And I've probably only rated one or two films a 10.

I'll only give a film a 1 if there is absolutely nothing positive to say about it at all. It has to be insultingly, insultingly bad. I think I've only given one film a 1 rating.

We have 10 different marks to choose from and all should be used. If everyone just used two or three different numbers then why are we using a ten point rating system?

Even if I've had an amazing time with a film and I think "9 out of 10! 9 out of 10!", I'll stop myself and think "Hang on, is it really a 9? Or a high 8?"

If we don't think realistically when marking films and excersize some restraint then the end mark for films are not going to be reliable.

There is no way all marks will be use by most people simply because most people will not watch a movie they know is going to be horrible. I very, very rarely watch what I know will be an awful movie. Typically I watch movies that I know will be okay based on scores on IMDb or other rating sites. I don't think people mind giving a movie a 1 or a 2, I just don't think most people will watch a movie like The Garbage Pail Kids Movie which I did watch and gave a 2. I have given every score 1 through 10, but 85% of my ratings are 6's, 7's and 8's. I would guess that the majority of people do this as well.