Tuesday, January 01, 2013

346 Movies


346. That's the number of movies I watched in 2012. That’s well below my all-time record of 588 in 2004, and quite a bit below last year’s total of 474. I don’t have any explanation for the decrease.

Of the 346 movies I saw, I watched 192 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, Netflix, or on TV. For the first time, I watched complete features on YouTube and as AVI files on my computer, using the Xbox 360’s Windows Media Center app to stream from my desktop to my TV.

• TV shows don't count, unless they were presented in a format resembling a feature film (for instance, the pilot episodes of MAN FROM ATLANTIS, 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
• Movie serials and TV miniseries count as one long feature
• Multiple viewings each count as a separate movie

These are my rules. Your mileage may vary.

AVI: 4
DVD: 190
HDTV: 62
Theater: 24
TV: 8
Blu-ray: 32
VHS: 2
Netflix Instant Streaming: 15
YouTube: 9

First film of 2012: INTRUDER (1989)
Last film of 2012: THE TRIAL OF BILLY JACK

From the 1930s: 4 (DRACULA’S DAUGHTER, SH! THE OCTOPUS, THE PATIENT IN ROOM 18, MYSTERY HOUSE)
1940s: 22
1950s: 24
1960s: 42
1970s: 89
1980s: 67
1990s: 56
2000–2011: 22
2012: 20

Genres:
Action/Adventure: 116
Comedy: 47
Crime Drama: 23
Documentary: 5
Drama: 20
Horror: 40
Mystery: 23
Science Fiction: 35
Thriller: 26
Western: 11

Countries of origin:
Canada: 4
Great Britain: 11
Hong Kong: 8
Indonesia: 2
Italy: 7
Japan: 5
Philippines: 2
South Africa: 2
Spain: 2
Turkey: 1
United States of America: 302

Even though I stopped going to theaters regularly years ago, I still managed to see 20 2012 releases, mostly on cable or on Blu-ray. I saw only a handful of them theatrically: HAYWIRE, THE RAID: REDEMPTION, THE AVENGERS, PROMETHEUS, THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, and THE DARK KNIGHT RISES.

Also seen theatrically:
Double bill of THE FISTS OF THE WHITE LOTUS and MASTER OF THE FLYING GUILLOTINE at the Portage Theater in Chicago on worn but beautiful 35mm prints
BLACK CHRISTMAS at the New Art in Champaign, Illinois in 35mm

Most in one month:
January: 44
Least in one month:
October: 9

Films I saw more than once in 2012:
THE CAPE CANAVERAL MONSTERS
THE GREEN SLIME
ZOMBIE NIGHTMARE

The most films in any one 24-hour period:
15, when I attended Northwestern University's annual B-Fest January 27–28

The Best Films I Saw for the First Time in 2012:
THE EXPENDABLES 2
YESTERDAY’S ENEMY
DEADLY PREY
MONEYBALL
THE HUNTED (1995)
DEATH IN SMALL DOSES
THE HYPNOTIC EYE
THE RAID: REDEMPTION
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE: GHOST PROTOCOL
THE FISTS OF THE WHITE LOTUS
CONTAMINATION
CALL NORTHSIDE 777
THE CABIN IN THE WOODS

Some sequels:
AMERICAN NINJA 4: THE ANNHILATION
BEST OF THE BEST 3: NO TURNING BACK
CRITTERS, CRITTERS 2, CRITTERS 3, and CRITTERS 4
CYBERTRACKER and CYBERTRACKER 2
THE DELTA FORCE and DELTA FORCE 2: THE COLOMBIAN CONNECTION (in hi-def)
THE EXPENDABLES 2
FINAL DESTINATION 5
PREDATOR 2
PSYCHO III
PUPPET MASTER II
ROBOCOP 2 and ROBOCOP 3
SILK 2
A VERY HAROLD & KUMAR 3D CHRISTMAS

5 Stars:
ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN
ABOVE THE LAW
CADDYSHACK
THE CAPE CANAVERAL MONSTERS
DEADLY PREY
EUROTRIP
THE EXPENDABLES 2
FORTRESS
THE MARCUS-NELSON MURDERS
PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE
RITUALS
ROAD HOUSE
SAMURAI COP
SH! THE OCTOPUS
SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT
THE STABILIZER
STUNT ROCK
UNDER SIEGE
YESTERDAY’S ENEMY

1 Star:
THE ADVENTURES OF FORD FAIRLANE
THE BEAUTIFUL, THE BLOODY, AND THE BARE
FUTURE KICK
LASER MOON
MURDER AT THE WORLD SERIES
THE NIGHT OF THE CAT
NOBODY’S PERFEKT
PUPPETMASTER
RACQUET
ROAD OF DEATH
SIDESHOW
SPY SQUAD
STEEL SHARKS
STREET OF SHADOWS
TIFFANY JONES
TIM AND ERIC’S BILLION DOLLAR MOVIE
TO CATCH A YETI

Recent Direct-to-Video or Barely Released Films You Haven’t Heard Of, But You Should See:
THE CABIN IN THE WOODS
THE RAID: REDEMPTION
THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL
ABOMINABLE

Beach Party movies:
BEACH PARTY
MUSCLE BEACH PARTY
BIKINI BEACH
BEACH BLANKET BINGO
SKI PARTY
PAJAMA PARTY
HOW TO STUFF A WILD BIKINI
DR. GOLDFOOT AND THE BIKINI MACHINE
THE GHOST IN THE INVISIBLE BIKINI

Most Films by Director:
William Asher: 5
Andrew Davis: 4
Cirio H. Santiago: 4
Andrew L. Stone: 3
Fred Olen Ray: 3
Joseph Sargent: 3
Lew Landers: 3
Reginald Le Borg: 3
Sam Newfield: 3

Most Films by Star:
Frankie Avalon: 6
Annette Funicello: 6
Lon Chaney Jr.: 6
Arnold Schwarzenegger: 5
Chuck Norris: 5
Andy Griffith: 4
David Janssen: 4
Lloyd Bridges: 4
Robert Forster: 4
Steven Seagal: 4
Cameron Mitchell: 3
Christopher George: 3
Don “The Dragon” Wilson: 3
Jean-Claude Van Damme: 3
Leo Fong: 3
Nicholas Hammond: 3
Robert Culp: 3

Bowery Boys movies:
GHOST CHASERS
HOLD THAT LINE

Tarzan movies:
TARZAN AND THE LOST SAFARI
TARZAN’S HIDDEN JUNGLE

They Exist, and I Watched Them:
ANGEL OF H.E.A.T.
THE ASTRO-ZOMBIES
B.A.D. CATS
THE BEAUTIFUL, THE BLOODY, AND THE CARE
CALLING DR. DEATH
CHILDREN OF THE LOTUS EATERS
CODE 7 VICTIM 5!
DEATH BED: THE BED THAT EATS
THE DRAGON VS. NEEDLES OF DEATH
THE GONG SHOW MOVIE
THE SECRET SEX LIVES OF ROMEO AND JULIET
SORORITY BABES IN THE SLIMEBALL BOWL-O-RAMA
THERE’S A NOOSE WAITING FOR YOU…TRINITY!
TRUCKIN’ BUDDY MCCOY
WEREWOLF IN A GIRLS’ DORMITORY
WOLFGUY: ENRAGED WOLFMAN
ZAPPERS BLADE OF VENGEANCE
ZOMBIES OF MORA TAU

My Top Five of 2012:
THE EXPENDABLES 2
THE RAID: REDEMPTION
THE CABIN IN THE WOODS
HAYWIRE
THE AVENGERS

My Bottom Five of 2012:
TIM AND ERIC’S BILLION DOLLAR MOVIE
NATURE CALLS
GONE
MAN ON A LEDGE
JOHN CARTER

How many movies did you watch this year?

1 comment:

Brandon L. Summers said...

I saw 164 new films in 2012. I began with "The Golden Child" and ended with "Running Scared" ('86) and "Son of the Pink Panther."

In theaters: The Woman in Black, Ghost Rider 2, The Artist, The Avengers, Dark Shadows, Prometheus, Brave, Dark Knight Rises, Argo, Skyfall, and Django Unchained. (11)

The Best: "Moonrise Kingdom."

Great: Trollhunter, Flame & Citron, Dead Ringers and Naked Lunch, Little Girl Who Lived Down the Lane, Grizzly Man and My Son My Son What Have Ye Done, Disco Godfather and Human Tornado, The Holy Mountain, Black Swan, True Grit ('10), Vulgar.

Also enjoyed: BMX Bandits, Comic Book Confidential, Death Bed The Bed That Eats, Le Professionel.

I watched all of John Waters's films. New: Pink Flamingos, Female Trouble (highly recommended!), Polyester, Serial Mom, Hairspray. Revisited: Cry Baby, A Dirty Shame and Pecker.

I revisited many classics: Lawrence of Arabia, Citizen Kane, The Good The Bad and the Ugly, Nosferatu ('79), Bride of Frankenstein, Sleeper, Midnight Express, Glengary Glen Ross, The Muppet Movie, Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid.

All of Chaplin's films: The Kid, The Circus, City Lights, The Great Dictator, Monsieur Verdoux, King in New York, and my fave, Limelight.

The Worst: "Sherlock Homes Game of Shadows." I hated this film.

Sucked: Atrocious (found footage), Amityville Haunting (Asylum), Gymkata, 8 Crazy Nights, Groom Lake, Breaking Dawn pt 1, Bartleby, Paranomal Activity 3.

Special Camp Award: Catherine Hardwicke's "Red Riding Hood." I very much recommend this film to anyone who likes camp B-films. It will endure through the ages!

I'm not as avid a movie watcher anymore. I've even stopped writing about obscure films. I no longer have the patience for just any crap. I'd rather watch great and very good films, revisit classics and favorites, or just write my own stories.