Wolfman’s Rating System Explained – We All Have A System Don’t We?

 

Do you do the thumbs up or down system?

With a fair few top marks to grace May’s monthly round up of what’s been beamed directly into Wolfman’s cerebral cortex, I thought it only right to explain my rating system.

I do try and work out what I will like before I go in, try not to take too many gambles, dare I say they are well educated viewing ventures. Though my ratings might be a little higher than some peoples, we all have a system on how we get there don’t we?

I like to use the trusted 10/10 system and will only divide them with point 5’s. I can be a bit over generous if a film really strikes that sweet spot, so as an equaliser I like to include the IDMB rating alongside my Wolfie rating to give you a more general sense of what you might think of it. Most times they are pretty close to each other mind.

The age of the film and originality to a story hits high for me, plus if my mind is thinking about the film constantly, it will jump up the ranking. Especially when you get that big buzz and that amazing feeling of seeing something special. Something new and original, poignant, controversial for the time or something with unseen shock value will no doubt hit big on the Wolfie meter.  Like The Swimmer with Burt Lancaster’s surreal dark journey through the pools of suburban sunny American, that film literally coshed me round the chops with a haddock!

Then there’s films that shock with real life brutalism, like the unforgiving true crime drama of In Cold Blood. Or there’s the crushingly deep emotion of a film like Killer Of Sheep that hits you to your very core with devastating sadness and sweet unconditional love and beauty at the same time. Another top rated film was last months The Incident that dares to be different in it’s shocking actions but not only just for dubious kicks, there’s a real deep message in there, films that make you think.

These films might not be for everyone but for me it’s that sweet hit that gives me such a high, a junky film fix. For something like The Incident to be extremely low budget, having to resort to guerilla style film tactics to get a few shots, the use of two young rookie actors, to be in your face shocking whilst making the most out of one set piece. And to add to all that, it has strong moral dilemma with twists and turns, not conforming to the rules. Honestly it smacked me full in the kisser with a Joe Frazier jab, jab, smash. Like The Incident and the above three other examples I really couldn’t have given them any less. Nothing like a film buzz when you realise you are watching something that is so damn exciting that you can’t keep your eyes off the screen.

So my spotlight article reviews mainly stay impartial and rarely rate them there. Just the fact that I felt compelled to do a post on them shows my love for that film, even though I do a few that maybe didn’t live up to my expectations. If you want to know what my score for a film will be? then the monthly round up What’s Been Watched This Month will have my personal rating to express my viewing experience.

Do you have a system? Do you review for yourself or more generally for others? Do you like a 4/4 rating system or maybe you follow the Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel two thumbs up, two thumbs down system? Whatever it is, the main objective is to have a good fun time.

Mikey Wolfenstein