The sky isn't falling, but there won't be any more stars at Cinemablographer. I'm going to try to do something new this year by omitting star ratings from reviews. This choice comes partly as an influence from my ongoing work with POV, which doesn't use star ratings in its assessment of films. I find the clear skies allow for more openness and flexibility. Similarly, star ratings have value when they enthusiastically endorse a
film or offer an obvious warning sign, but they can also overwhelm a
review and prevent, say, a 3.5 star rating from acknowledging the strengths of a film. It makes more sense to encourage dialogue, whether it's in the comments or on social media, rather than cap a review with a few stars that act as a full stop.
Here's to starry skies in 2016 with a more open and inclusive review system!
Do you like this forecast, or do you prefer star ratings at the end of reviews?
