476

476. That's the number of movies I watched in 2007. That’s thirteen more than last year, which surprises me, because it seemed like I saw fewer this year. Thankfully, it’s still way behind 2004, when I saw an astounding 588! It doesn’t include all the television series on DVD I’ve been digging through this year, including MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW, THE MOD SQUAD, THE ROCKFORD FILES, THE BOB NEWHART SHOW, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, ARK II and a few others.

Of the 476 movies I saw, I watched 281 of them for the first time. Here are my rules. 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 two pilot episodes of HARRY O, which aired as full-length made-for-TV movies)
• 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, all of the incredible extras on the James Bond Ultimate Collection DVD sets)
• Movie serials count as one long feature
• Multiple viewings each count as a separate movie

These are my rules. Your mileage may vary.

Just for fun, a few stats:
First film of 2007: A BULLET FOR PRETTY BOY (Fabian is Pretty Boy Floyd)
Last film of 2007: BLOOD, BOOBS & BEAST (documentary about Baltimore filmmaker Don Dohler)

From the 1930's: 0
1940's: 8 (including 1 Tarzan, 4 Michael Shaynes and THE DEVIL BAT)
1950's: 32
1960's: 48
1970's: 106
1980's: 146
1990's: 61 (oddly, I saw nothing from 1999 and just 1 1998 film)
2000-2006: 46
2006: 29

I’m still not going to theaters very much. Outside of January’s annual B-Fest at Northwestern University, I saw a theatrical film only fourteen times this year, which is a slight increase over 2006 and 2005. Three of them I saw in one day (THE TRIPPER, FRACTURE, PERFECT STRANGER), BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS showed at Roger Ebert’s annual Overlooked Film Festival, and I caught HELVETICA at a Parkland College screening, so I actually visited a real theater a mere eight times. As I wrote last year, I am still not willing 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.

Most in one month:
January & May: 52
Least in one month:
April: 25

Some of the films I saw more than once:
2020 TEXAS GLADIATORS
ABOMINABLE
BIGFOOT: THE MYSTERIOUS MONSTER
BLOODFIST 2050
THE CHEERLEADERS
DEVIL’S DEN
DRIVE
ERIK THE CONQUERER
EYE OF THE TIGER
THE FOOD OF THE GODS
FROM BEYOND
THE GIANT CLAW
GOING TO PIECES: THE RISE AND FALL OF THE SLASHER FILM
THE KING OF THE KICKBOXERS
LETHAL FORCE
A LIFE OF NINJA
LUNCH WAGON
THE MAN FROM HONG KONG
THE MANITOU
MOONTRAP
NIGHT WARNING
NO RETREAT NO SURRENDER II
PAROLE VIOLATORS
RAW JUSTICE
RAW NERVE
SHOGUN ASSASSIN
STREET TRASH
STRIKE COMMANDO
UNDEFEATABLE
VAN NUYS BLVD.

The most films in any one 24-hour period:
14, when I attended Northwestern University's annual B-Fest January 26-27

Same title, but different movies:
3:10 TO YUMA

WTF is this?:
THE CLONES OF BRUCE LEE
DINOCROC
GATOR BAIT
IF YOU MEET SARTANA, PRAY FOR YOUR DEATH
INSEMINOID
THE KINKY COACHES AND THE POM POM PUSSYCATS
KISS MEETS THE PHANTOM OF THE PARK
MR. HERCULES AGAINST KARATE
NEUTRON THE ATOMIC SUPERMAN VS. THE DEATH ROBOTS
RISE: BLOOD HUNTER
THE SAGA OF THE VIKING WOMEN AND THEIR VOYAGE TO THE WATERS OF THE GREAT SEA SERPENT
SHAKMA
SKI LIFT TO DEATH
SNAKES ON A TRAIN
STEPHEN TOBOLOWSKY’S BIRTHDAY PARTY
TRANSMORPHERS

2007 Releases:
28 WEEKS LATER
3:10 TO YUMA
BLACK SHEEP
BLACK SNAKE MOAN
BLOOD, BOOBS & BEAST
CROOKED
DEVIL’S DEN
DOA: DEAD OR ALIVE
D-WAR: DRAGON WARS
FRACTURE
GRINDHOUSE
HELVETICA
HOT FUZZ
KNOCKED UP
LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
OCEAN’S THIRTEEN
PERFECT STRANGER
RISE: BLOOD HUNTER
SICKO
SUPERBAD
TRANSMORPHERS
THE TRIPPER
UNDISPUTED II: LAST MAN STANDING
UNTIL DEATH
WALKING TALL: LONE JUSTICE
WALKING TALL: THE PAYBACK
ZODIAC

My Top Ten of 2007:
3:10 TO YUMA
GRINDHOUSE
HOT FUZZ
KNOCKED UP
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
OCEAN’S THIRTEEN
SICKO
SUPERBAD
UNTIL DEATH
ZODIAC

My Bottom Five of 2007:
28 WEEKS LATER
CROOKED
PERFECT STRANGER
RISE: BLOOD HUNTER
TRANSMORPHERS

How many movies did you watch this year?