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April 1995, Week 1

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Subject:
From:
Bjorn Aas <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Film and TV Studies Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Wed, 5 Apr 1995 15:54:46 CDT
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----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>
>Of late,however, I have been noticing more 5-star ratings than before. My
>question to you,then, is what do you think, how do you feel/react to the 4
>vs the 5 stars. And BTW, what would be the best method if most reviewers
>could agree on one.
>
>Edwin Jahiel, Cinema Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
>
 
Sadly, reviewers here in Norway have agreed on using a dice! Anything from
films to books to records to wines and politicians are judged on a dice from
1 to 6. Fast and easy, but not neccessary trustworthy. (How do they know
that the dice should stop there? Did they actually use one?)
 
The trouble is that 1 is the lowest. When a film isn't worthy of that, what
should a reviewer do? One of this winters norwegian premieres on the screen,
"Dis", actually *started out* as a cult turkey film, with packed cinemas
laughing before the film began. They audience read out loud the worst parts
of the dialogue, almost like a "Rocky Horror" event. The film even managed
to earn money, mostly because the cost was $60.000. (No, there are no
missing zeros!) But the critics gave the film zero points from the dice.
Quite an achievement.
 
Four stars is plenty, as long as the full range from no stars at all is
used. Film reviewing is not an exact science, and needs a fuzzy scale.
 
 
Bjorn Aas, TV-lecturer, Danvik Folkehogskole, N-3046 Drammen, Norway
             (Danvik School of Media and Communication)
Tel: ..47 3283 1290  Fax: ..47 3289 1245 E-mail [log in to unmask]

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