The MNLD rating scale is, admittedly, pretty subjective. But here's how I approached my final ratings:
5.0: The best of the best. If you're new to the genre and aren't necessarily interested in a history lesson, just find a bunch of 5-star films and start there. You won't be disappointed.
4.5: The best of the rest. If a film is getting 4.5 stars from me, it's still a pretty incredible movie and a "must see." But there's usually just one or two things holding it back from "perfection" and a 5.0.
4.0: Excellent stuff. 4.0's are the A-minuses and B-pluses of the zombie universe. These are great movies with tragic flaws like ill-advised zombie babies or completely gratuitous violence/profanity/nudity/whatever.
3.5: Good enough to own, though I'll probably never call it a "classic" without also using the word "cult." 3.5ers are fine films, but are not among the elite few 4's and 5's.
3.0: Good enough to watch more than once, but probably not good enough to own unless you're me (or of my ilk).
2.5: Good enough to watch. In fact, I'm likely glad I watched it. And if I see it in the bargain bin at [insert favorite multimedia store here], I may just pick up a copy. But I won't be going out of my way.
2.0: I'm not specifically unhappy to have watched this movie. I'm not specifically happy, either. But I watched it, so here we are.
1.5: I'm very specifically unhappy to have watched this movie.
1.0: I'm very specifically angry that I watched this movie.
0.5: I'm reasonably certain that there is a special level of hell reserved for movies this bad. I'm not entirely certain how that level would work. Would the figurative spirit of the film be given literal form and then be tormented unceasingly until the end of all things? In this reviewer's opinion...yes.
