What a one really means

A common thread that’s been coming up from listeners to the Titan AE podcast is that the film didn’t deserve the very low rating that I gave the film. Granted it’s not often that a film cops such a low score, it’s usually reserved for films that both Dan and I have been severely burnt over.

In this case Dan didn’t dislike the film, at all, which despite our on-air bluster is perfectly acceptable and it should be noted that everyone’s opinion is equally valid. I feel I justified why I didn’t like the film in the podcast however I think it might be an opportunity for me to chat about how a film can get a one.

Also I don’t think it was my giving Titan AE a low score that’s the issue here either, I think it’s more the extreme aspect and the surprise that I reached right into the back of my bag and pulled out a one which in this arena is the nuclear option.

The science behind the ten point rating system that Dan and I agreed on is more of an art than a science, in that there is absolutely no scientific method behind it in any shape of form. One thing to remember though is that the scores don’t related to others given when comparing to each other at all and on any given day the scores would probably differ, in fact they differ by the hour sometimes.

So how the hell do I come up with a one?

Well first off the technical quality of the film has very little to do with the score, I can watch a competently put together film that could be considered successful in its ambition to tell a story in a certain way and still prefer a film knocked together by kids in their backyard. The reason being is that the score has everything to do with me and less to do with the film.

I’ll score a film on things such as how it makes me feel, what I take from the film and does the film inspire me at all. And the thing about me is that given such random elements as my mood, what I had for lunch, who I’m watching with and the fickle thing I call an attention span the experience that I might have will influence that score.

So as we’ve mentioned before on the podcast a five from me generally means that I was unmoved. The film is neutral. A ten is good, on a scale that means that I’m probably trying to work out how to form a religion around the teachings of the film. The controversial one means that I disliked my entire experience around the film, that I derived little to no inspiration from it and as long as I live I probably will never seek this film out ever again.

This has of course all the accuracy of a blind goat hogtied in the bottom of an apple barrel listening to the best of Motley Crue with a crossbow made out of breadsticks.

So why score at all?

Well hopefully over time and many many visits to the Midmoclub podcast you’ll get a feel for what I like or dislike, this will help guide you around films that we might share a liking for or for that matter a disliking. The opposite is also true, if you love films that I seem to hate then you might be encouraged to watch Cannonball Run or Titan AE and all I can say is good luck with that.

This might smack of defensiveness, it’s truly not, I thought it might be interesting to share with you guys some of my inner workings on how I pass judgement on these films. Dan may have another process, it’s probably flawed as some of his choices seem suspect at best.

What’s a film that you hate that no one else seems to? Let us know in the comments!!

Other episodes you might like :

Titan AE