Now Playing: THE WHITE SHADOW
449. That's the number of movies I watched in 2005. Sounds like a lot, but it's actually way down from 2004, when I saw an astounding 588! Maybe I had more of a life this year, as unlikely as it sounds. I can partially attribute the decrease to the growing proliferation of TV shows on DVD. I spent a lot of time this year plowing through episodes of THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO, THE BOB NEWHART SHOW, THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW, THE WHITE SHADOW, COLUMBO, DANGER MAN, DRAGNET, THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN and who knows how many more. I've got several TV DVD sets lying around that I've barely even cracked, including four seasons of TWILIGHT ZONE, T.J. HOOKER, BOOMTOWN, KOJAK, L.A. HEAT, LOVE THAT BOB, THE PRISONER...whew.
Of the 449 movies I saw, I watched 252 of them for the first time. As far as the count goes, only feature films count, no matter whether I saw them in a theater, DVD, VHS or on TV.
TV shows don't count, unless they were presented in a format resembling a feature film (for instance, the VHS tape DOUBLE JEOPARDY, which consists of two episodes of DAN AUGUST edited together to form a single, albeit sloppy, narrative).
Made-for-TV movies count.
Documentaries count.
I didn't count short subjects or feature-length making-of documentaries included as DVD extras (for instance, the 2 1/2-hour docu on the KING KONG DVD).
Movie serials count as one long-ass feature.
Multiple viewings each count as a separate movie (for instance, I watched FOR YOUR HEIGHT ONLY three times, so I marked it down as three "different" movies).
These are my rules; your mileage may vary.
Just for fun, a few stats:
First film of 2005: DELTA FORCE 2
Last film of 2005: NEW YEAR'S EVIL
From the 1930's: 3 (KING KONG, WEST OF SHANGHAI, PRIVATE DETECTIVE)
1940's: 7 (includes two serials: DRUMS OF FU MANCHU and THE CRIMSON GHOST)
1950's: 20
1960's: 40
1970's: 114
1980's: 126
1990's: 72
2000-2004: 47
2005: 20
20 has got to be an all-time low for me, but I just am not so willing anymore to visit a theater to endure 20 (or more if you get there early) minutes of ads, high prices, obnoxious crowds, poor theater conditions, bad sound, shoddy projection and uncomfortable seating, when I can Netflix the same movie a few months later. Or even buy the damn thing for nearly the same price it would cost to buy a ticket and some concessions. Outside of B-Fest in January, I went to the theater only nine times this year. And not since June 25 (BATMAN BEGINS). As much as I used to love the theater-going experience--and back in the '80s and early '90s, I was going once or twice a week, every week--it has deteriorated to the point where I don't care if I ever go back. If someone calls and says, "Hey, let's go to the movies," sure, I'll go, but it's hard for me to drag myself out.
Most in one month:
March: 55
Least in one month:
October: 21 (last year's least was also in October)
Some of the films I saw more than once:
BLACK SHAMPOO
THE CANDY SNATCHERS
CHALLENGE OF THE TIGER
CREATURE
DINOSAUR ISLAND
ENTER THE NINJA
FOR Y'UR HEIGHT ONLY (three times)
FRIDAY FOSTER
THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO (2-hour pilot)
HAROLD AND KUMAR GO TO WHITE CASTLE
HOLLYWOOD COP (three times)
KARATE BEAR FIGHTER
KING KONG VS. GODZILLA
KING KONG ESCAPES
MAMA'S DIRTY GIRLS
MUTANT HUNT
NIGHTMARE AT NOON
THE OCTAGON
ONE MAN ARMY
RAPE SQUAD
RAW FORCE
ROCK ALL NIGHT
SAMURAI COP
SLEEPAWAY CAMP 2
STUNT ROCK
TENEMENT
VAMPIRE CIRCUS
THE WOMAN HUNT
Least comprehensible title:
THE ADVENTURES OF TAURA: PRISON SHIP: STAR SLAMMER (yes, two colons in one title)
Runner-up:
2+2=5: MISSION HYDRA
Others with numbers in the title:
1941
3 DEV ADAM
3 NINJAS: HIGH NOON ON MAGIC MOUNTAIN
AMITYVILLE II: THE POSSESSION
AMITYVILLE 3-D
AMERICAN KICKBOXER 1 (!)
ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13
BOUNTY HUNTERS 2: HARDBALL
BREAKIN' 2: ELECTRIC BOOGALOO
CHINESE SUPER NINJAS 2
DEATH WISH 3
FIREBALL 500
THE FIVE MAN ARMY
FIVE MINUTES TO LIVE
HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH
KICKBOXER 2: THE ROAD BACK
LEPRECHAUN 4: IN SPACE
THE MAN WITH TWO BRAINS
MILANO CALIBRO 9
MURDER AT 1600
ONE DOWN TWO TO GO
ONE CRAZY SUMMER
ONE MAN FORCE
PIRANHA PART TWO: THE SPAWNING
PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE
SLEEPAWAY CAMP 3: TEENAGE WASTELAND
THREE O'CLOCK HIGH
THREE THE HARD WAY
TREKKIES 2
U.S. SEALS II: THE ULTIMATE FORCE
WILD GEESE II
WILD THINGS 3
The most films in any one 24-hour period:
14, when I attended Northwestern University's annual B-Fest January 28-29
Same title, but different movies:
THE LONGEST YARD (1974 & 2005)
Shitty Steven Seagal movies:
SUBMERGED
INTO THE SUN
Kickass Steven Seagal movies:
OUT FOR JUSTICE
2005 Releases:
WHITE NOISE
INTO THE SUN
WILD THINGS 3
SPRING BREAK SHARK ATTACK
ONG-BAK
SIN CITY
LOCUSTS
UNLEASHED
THE LONGEST YARD
SUBMERGED
DIRECT ACTION
BE COOL
LAND OF THE DEAD
BATMAN BEGINS
HOSTAGE
TARGET OF OPPORTUNITY
SAHARA
MAYDAY
MINDHUNTERS
THE DUKES OF HAZZARD
Above-Average 2005 Releases:
ONG-BAK
SIN CITY
LAND OF THE DEAD
BATMAN BEGINS
HOSTAGE
SAHARA
How many movies did you watch this year?
Posted by Marty
at 1:22 PM CST
