297

297. That's the number of movies I watched in 2008. That’s an astounding 179 fewer than I saw last year, and my lowest total since I began keeping track in 2003. My all-time record is 588 in 2004, which I hope I never equal. The number also doesn’t include all the television series on DVD I’ve been digging through this year, including SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, GET SMART, MANNIX, and others.

One reason for the low total this year is the petering-out of weekly Crappy Movie Nights, where friends would gather at my place for crappy double features. It’s happened only once since June, I’m sad to say, but I hope to revive that long-standing tradition in 2009. Also, I bought a house last year, and some time that I would normally spend watching movies, I was doing something responsible instead.

Of the 297 movies I saw, I watched 203 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, the 25 YEARS OF HALLOWEEN DVD)
• Movie serials count as one long feature
• Multiple viewings each count as a separate movie

These are my rules. Your mileage may vary.

DVD: 190
HDTV (my new favorite channel is MGM HD): 42
Theater: 26
TV: 20
Blu-ray: 15
VHS: 4 (while burning them to DVD-R: THE AROUSERS, SUDDEN DEATH, DEATH DRIVER and WOLFMAN)

First film of 2007: BEYOND THE DOORS (Larry Buchanan’s ridiculous biopic of Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix)
Last film of 2008: RETROACTIVE

From the 1930's: 2 (CHANDU THE MAGICIAN and DRACULA’S DAUGHTER)
1940's: 8 (same total as last year)
1950's: 8
1960's: 21
1970's: 72
1980's: 73
1990's: 26
2000-2007: 45

Even though I stopped going to theaters regularly a few years ago, I still managed to see 42 2008 releases, mostly on cable or on DVD. Outside of January’s annual B-Fest at Northwestern University, I saw a theatrical film only 12 times this year, one of which was MY NAME IS BRUCE at the Avon in Decatur, where star/director Bruce Campbell performed an entertaining Q&A afterward.

Most in one month:
January: 42
Least in one month:
July and October: 13

Films I saw more than once:
D-WAR: DRAGON WARS
HOT MOVES

The most films in any one 24-hour period:
14, when I attended Northwestern University's annual B-Fest January 18–19

Numbers in the title:
976-EVIL II
POPULATION/436
U.S. SEALS 2: THE ULTIMATE FORCE
DEATH WISH 4: THE CRACKDOWN
WHITE NOISE 2
15 MINUTES
HIGH NOON, PART II: THE RETURN OF WILL KANE
SECRET AGENT X-9
THE INCREDIBLE 2-HEADED TRANSPLANT
SHARK ATTACK 3: MEGALODON
BARBARIAN QUEEN II: THE EMPRESS STRIKES BACK
DEATH RACE 2000
THE PHANTOM FROM 10,000 LEAGUES
THE RELENTLESS FOUR
100 MILLION BC
CLOUD 9
FINAL DESTINATION 3
LOVE CAMP 7
F/X 2
DEATHSTALKER IV: MARCH OF TITANS
TIGER CLAWS III
UNDER SIEGE 2: DARK TERRITORY
HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY
24: REDEMPTION
SWEET SIXTEEN
JOY RIDE 2: DEAD AHEAD

Direct-to-Video Releases You Haven’t Heard Of, But You Should See:
THE AMATEURS (played 2 weeks on 4 screens)
BONE DRY
MISSIONARY MAN
THE SHEPHERD
WIND CHILL (played 1 week at 42 theaters…in April—nice work, Sony)
MR. WARMTH: THE DON RICKLES PROJECT (premiered on HBO)
CLOUD 9 (Burt Reynolds coaches a beach volleyball team of strippers)
POPULATION/436 (reminiscent of TWILIGHT ZONE)
BLOWBACK

Dolph Lundgren movies:
DIAMOND DOGS
MISSIONARY MAN

Steven Seagal movies:
KILL SWITCH
PISTOL WHIPPED
URBAN JUSTICE
THE ONION MOVIE
UNDER SIEGE
UNDER SIEGE 2: DARK TERRITORY

Steven Seagal movies that sucked:
KILL SWITCH
PISTOL WHIPPED
URBAN JUSTICE
THE ONION MOVIE

They Exist, and I Watched Them:
AMERICAN PIE PRESENTS BAND CAMP
AMERICAN PIE PRESENTS BETA HOUSE
AMERICAN PIE PRESENTS THE NAKED MILE

Most Delightful Surprise:
SUPERMAN REDEEMED, a fan re-edit of SUPERMAN III and SUPERMAN IV: THE QUEST FOR PEACE that’s not only better than they, but also much better than SUPERMAN RETURNS
Runner-Up: THE KING OF KONG: A FISTFUL OF QUARTERS

2008 Releases:
100 MILLION BC
24: REDEMPTION
THE AMATEURS
BLACK OPS
BONE DRY
CHASING GHOSTS: BEYOND THE ARCADE
CLEANER
CONSPIRACY
CYBORG SOLDIER
THE DARK KNIGHT
DIAMOND DOGS
DOOMSDAY
FLOCK, THE
FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL
HAROLD & KUMAR ESCAPE FROM GUANTANAMO BAY
HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY
IN THE NAME OF THE KING: A DUNGEON SIEGE TALE
INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL
IRON MAN
JOY RIDE 2: DEAD AHEAD
KILL SWITCH
LEATHERHEADS
MISSIONARY MAN
THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR
MY NAME IS BRUCE
THE ONION MOVIE
PINEAPPLE EXPRESS
PISTOL WHIPPED
RAMBO
RED
RELIGULOUS
RETURN TO SLEEPAWAY CAMP
ROGUE
ROLE MODELS
SHEPHERD, THE
TROPIC THUNDER
UNTRACEABLE
VANTAGE POINT
WHITE NOISE 2
WRESTLEMANIAC
THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE
ZOMBIE STRIPPERS!

I live in Illinois, so the best films won’t get here for awhile. I saw THERE WILL BE BLOOD, for instance, in February—too late to qualify for my 2007 Top Ten.

My Top Ten of 2008:
FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL
HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY
IRON MAN
MY NAME IS BRUCE
PINEAPPLE EXPRESS
RAMBO
RED
ROGUE
ROLE MODELS
THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE

My Bottom Five of 2008:
INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL
KILL SWITCH
THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR
RETURN TO SLEEPAWAY CAMP
WRESTLEMANIAC

How many movies did you watch this year?