"But these go to eleven..."

A quick description of the rating system I use:

0 to 4 - "The horror...the horror..." These are horrible, awful, terrible movies. I would describe these kinds of movies as 'complete wastes of my time' or 'a sickening offense to my senses and my home theater system'. There haven't been any of these movies reviewed on this site yet and there probably won't be many in the future. There certainly aren't any of these movies in my personal collection.

5 to 6 - These are average-and-below movies. They have some high points but overall they don't have much going for them. There is a slim chance I might own a 5 or 6 movie in my collection, but rarely would this be by my own choosing. Some of these movies are worth seeing once, but mainly they aren't that great and certainly wouldn't be worth repeated viewings.

7 to 8 - These are above average movies. Though they might have some low points here and there, they are generally good movies and are definitely worth a look, depending on your genre preferences. Most of the movies in my collection are 7 or higher and I like to say that if it's a movie I own, then it's a good movie. I'll rewatch movies with a 7 or 8 rating and will recommend them to most people.

9 to 10 - "Impressive. Most impressive." These are the cream of the crop. These movies must be seen and, in my case, must be owned. Fantastic, brilliant, wonderful, delightful, hilarious, thrilling, dramatic, intelligent and sensational - these films are why I love watching movies.

So what's the difference between a 9 and a 10? They are both exceptional, but a 10 rated movie has to be among my favorite movies of all time. It's a short list, but I'm always hoping another 10 will come along. They are rare though. In the end the only major difference between a 9 and a 10 is my personal preference. The 9s are my favorites. The 10s are my absolute favorites. How's that for ambiguity?