An actionable rating system
In my quest for a rating system which is less arbitrary than the usual 4- or 5-star system, my friends and I first came up with the Speed rating system. But that proved even more problematic. So, back to the drawing board, I thought that a system based on the actions that I actually recommend would be more grounded. Even if there is a skew in this system, I can at least justify it.
Here's how it works with movies:
5 stars means: I recommend owning this movie as part of your permanent library
4 stars means: I recommend seeing this movie in the theater. (Note that okay action movies are more likely to get 4 stars than good dramas or comedies.)
3 stars means: I recommend renting this movie or borrowing it from a friend.
2 stars means: I recommend watching this movie if it happens to be on TV.
1 star means: I do not recommend watching this movie under any circumstance.
