Hello, fellow horror enthusiasts! Today I'm going to bring you an explanation of the 80shorror.net rating system, henceforth known as the "Scar Scale." The Scar Scale (SS) was developed as a way to provide a quick method to convey my general feelings about a movie. I'm often asked to recommend movies to people, and it's sometimes difficult to come up with titles off the top of my head. Therefore, the SS serves as a convenient way to represent movies I might recommend (or insist people avoid). It is, however, not perfect.

Different people have different preferences for essentially everything, and horror is certainly no different. Some don't want comedy with their horror. Some don't want gore. Some want psychological scares, while others want jump scares. I can only rate films given my own subjective preferences and hence, my ratings may differ drastically from yours. In other words, take my ratings as a general guide rather than as gospel.

The 80shorror.net Scar Scale:

5 Scars

The rating of "5 Scars" denotes a film which has been realized to its absolute full potential. A 5-scar film is, for all intents and purposes, perfect. That is, given the genre and the intentions of the filmmaker, the film could not have been improved in any significant way. Only a handful of films receive a 5 Star rating and represent less than 1% of horror films released in the 80s. An absolute must see film.

4 1/2 Scars

The rating of "4.5 Scars" denotes a film which is, generally speaking, a masterpiece of 80s horror, but with one (or a few) minor faults which prevents it from achieving a perfect score. Often times a 4.5 Scar-rated film could reach 5 Scar status given that the viewer is in the right frame of mind for the particular film in question. A 4.5 Scar film is still designated as an obligatory "must see" film for any horror enthusiast.

4 Scars

The rating of "4 Scars" denotes a film which is, in a word, excellent. The rating of 4 Scars isn't entirely rare, but 4-Scar films aren't plentiful, either. Generally, films which achieve 4-Scar ratings are highly enjoyable, very well done, and represent some of the better films of their respective sub-genre. 4-Scar films come highly recommended, but are not necessarily considered must see films.

3.5 Scars

The rating of "3.5 Scars" denotes a film which is not entirely noteworthy, but still quite good. 3.5-Scar films are quite common and represent films that might be considered above average, yet not great. If a viewer is particularly fond of a sub-genre and a film within that sub-genre receives a 3.5-Scar rating, the film is highly recommended. Otherwise, a 3.5-Scar film comes with a modest recommendation.

3 Scars

The rating of "3 Scars" denotes a film which, in a word, can be summarized as "okay" or "decent". A film which hovers around the 3 scar range is generally considered quite average, but could potentially appeal to a fan of the sub-genre the film in question happens to be a part of. The rating of 3 scars is the most common rating on 80shorror.net.

2.5 Scars

The rating of "2.5 Scars" denotes a film which is slightly below average. The film, for whatever reason, failed to provide adequate entertainment value to justify a viewing. If a viewer is bored and no other films are available, a 2.5 scar film might be worthy of watching. Generally, films in the 2 - 2.5 scar range feature at least a few scenes which provide value, but, as a whole, are lacking in quality.

2 Scars

The rating of "2 Scars" denotes a bad film. And, to clarifiy, not a good bad film. 2 scar films, unlike their enjoyably bad counterparts, receive their rating due to the fact that they failed to provide entertainment value for the vast majority of their running time. Poorly made, poorly executed, and bland, 2 scar films should be avoided, even if the viewer has no other options. Read some H.P. Lovecraft instead.

1.5 Scars

The rating of "1.5 Scars" denotes a film which is beginning to make its way into the realm of the terrible. Films receiving ratings in the 1-1.5 scar area rarely offer anything positive to the viewer. Further, films receiving this rating often represent some of the worst in the 80s. Don't watch these films.

1 Scar

The rating of "1 Scar" denotes a film which is abysmal by essentially every definition of the word. Films don't often receive the rating of 1 scar, but when they do, you ought to avoid them at all costs. Occasionally, watching a 1-scar rated film might be necessary, if only to remind the viewer that films this bad DO exist and, relatively speaking, other films might not be so bad.

0 Scars

The rating of "0 Scars" denotes a film which... Is difficult to explicate, given the horrendous nature of the film. A film so inexplicably terrible that words cannot describe just how bad it is. The rating is essentially non-existent, but it should go without saying that if a 0-scar rated film is encountered, the viewer should run away as quickly as possible.