7,714 Movies, and Counting

Reading Ansen's article is like looking in the mirror. I have been keeping a movie list in the same manner (listing the film, what it was rated, who starred in it and what I gave it on a scale of 1 to 10) since I was 12.Compulsive? Okay, I"ll admit to that. I can remember going to the movies all day with one other friend who was almost as nuts as me, but not quite. We saw Gandhi, then My Favorite Year, then The Seven Samurai in one day in New York City, hopping from theater to theater.

I never thought there was anyone else who did this (especially starting at the age of 12). I have seen 2, 977 movies as of today. It's nice to know I'm not alone!

I am using All My Movies program to keep my movies thoughts. My collection consists of 769 movies at the moment and keep growing. You can find All My Moves in Google or use this link:
http://www.bolidesoft.com/allmymovies.html

I am using All My Movies program to keep my movies thoughts. My collection consists of 769 movies at the moment and keep growing. You can find All My Moves in Google or use this link:
http://www.bolidesoft.com/allmymovies.html

I just recently started a list of my own, about two months ago. I'm 19 and I'm at about 1,000 that i can think of so far, but my goal before i die is to have 10,000 met.

Wow! I didn't keep a journal, but I have been a movie fan from the moment I saw my first drive in from the backseat of my parents car. When I was in elementary school I would take my quarter and walk to town where I bought Karamel Korn from the store next door and wiled away the hours watching Elvis movies; I was going to grow up and marry him. As a college student, I would spend my last $3.00 on escaping to the flicks. I am 56 and I just went to see Across the Universe. Wow! Movies stimulate, question authority, force you to reexamine yourself, take you away from "real life", show you the world from the corner theater. I am not in love with stars or directors (although I admire many) -- I love the word, the scene, the shot. I think there are many of us who understand what you shared, Mr. Stevens. Thanks.

Thanks for a wonderful article and trip down memory lane. I came to Boston about the same time you did (I'm still here!) and fondly remember all the great movie houses where it was possible to see non-mainstream films as well as the studio releases. They're all gone now, save for the Brattle and the Coolidge Corner. I especially loved your reference to the Screen World books. I think I may be the only person left who faithfully buys the new edition each year; I have an almost complete set dating from Volume I (1947, I think) to the present. I'm missing a few, but slowly filling them in. They're great books, and I still refer to them all the time. I wish I had started a list like yours!

What a wonderful journey through cinema history. While reading each title, I found myself saying repeatedly, ???yes, I saw that??? and that one???, and realized my zeal for movies was genuine and I had been quite privileged and fortunate to have been so enriched. I too sat in Avery Fisher Hall in NYC in 1970 and watched Francois Truffaut walking onto the stage to deserved applause. And I too, beginning my journey on graduating college in 1967, avoided ???plastics??? and all like products as I grew my hair long and took off for parts unexplored, including Berkley and Marrakech.

I am surprised that you left out what must have been one of the most early of cult films, ???El Topo??? by Alejandro Jodorowsky. This movie played every midnight at the Elgin theater in Chelsea (circa 1969) for over two years (I finally scored a copy of it recently through Netflix).

Thank you. One of the most entertaining articles I???ve read in Newsweek in a while.

What a wonderful journey through cinema history. While reading each title, I found myself saying repeatedly, ???yes, I saw that??? and that one???, and realized my zeal for movies was genuine and I had been quite privileged and fortunate to have been so enriched. I too sat in Avery Fisher Hall in NYC in 1970 and watched Francois Truffaut walking onto the stage to deserved applause. And I too, beginning my journey on graduating college in 1967, avoided ???plastics??? and all like products as I grew my hair long and took off for parts unexplored, including Berkley and Marrakech.

I am surprised that you left out what must have been one of the most early of cult films, ???El Topo??? by Alejandro Jodorowsky. This movie played every midnight at the Elgin theater in Chelsea (circa 1969) for over two years (I finally scored a copy of it recently through Netflix).

Thank you. One of the most entertaining articles I???ve read in Newsweek in a while.

Oops! I apologize for posting twice. I didn't know the first had gone through. T

Thank you for the brilliant article, David Ansen! You have always been the one movie reviewer I trust (though I occasionally disagree with you on one film or another), and in this piece you have shown us why you excel at this job. Your film diary explains alot. It is clear that you come by your knowledge through years of work and that it was a true calling for you. You correlate the history of film with history itself, and give us an understanding of how film reflects and influences contemporary lives and attitudes. You hit the nail on the head with every point in this article.

I remember seeing "The Graduate" and zeroing in on the "plastics" comment as an important moment in the course of our social and political history.

My big question is...when are you going to publish a book which will include not only your film diary from start to finish, but your view of political and social impact on film and vice versa? I will be first in line to buy it.

This is an absolutely brilliant piece. David Ansen has always been the movie reviewer I trust (though I occasionally disagree about one film or another), and he is showing the roots that make him "superior" (ref to article), to other reviewers. He also shows that he is able to take a broad view, not only in film and the history of the films which reflect and shape our lives, but of their relevance to history itself. I fervently hope that he is going to publish a book that includes his entire film diary. I will be first in line to buy it!

"teenagers were calling the commercial shots, and we were now easing into our 30s"

One the one hand thanks for bearing witness to the fact that those of in in our teen years back then are not Boomers, and screw you for the backhanded commercial cheapshot -- MASH on TV vs."cinema"

Congratulations on being able to keep your list in one collection. I started a similar list at 17 when I started film school at the U. of Iowa in 1970.

Sometimes I wanna be a lion but Im just a cat!
http://www.seniorwoo.com/blog?thatsme

Great article for any movie fanatic. I've found imdb to be a great way to share movie lists with others: http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=177811

I noticed that your list does not have one of the greatest genres included, and I would like to know if you had viewed some of the most important works ever filmed, like Psycho, The Birds, Slaughterhouse 5, Frankenstein, Dracula, Metropolis, The Lodger, King Kong, Clockwork Orange, and Halloween to name just a few. Is there a reason why you left these classics and others like them off your list? I find that the Horror / Sci-Fi genre for the most part is always left off of the greatest movies lists that are compiled, yet they are some of the best and most important movies ever to be made.

I couldn't believe what I was reading- It was as if it were exactly my story! I grew up in Bombay (now Mumbai) India where my father, in addition to being a cinema-owner, also owned a studio and was a producer and distributor. My uncle was an actor and director in addition to owning his own studio. We grew up with movies in our blood. My earliest memory of watching a film is in our preview theatre at the studio where every Sunday morning there would be a preview for us kids and our friends, followed by lunch at home. Later we 'graduated' to being allowed to watch the previews at night with the adults!
We must have seen almost every single movie that was imported into India in the 50s and 60s, before their release in the theatres and UNCENSORED (censorship was quite strict in those days)!
I, too started making a list of all the movies I saw when I was about 13 or 14. And, amazingly enough, I too got my rating system from the Motion Picture Herald. (I had lots of 'very goods" and 'excellents' and I do remember giving 'My Fair Lady' a Superior rating! I would pore over every issue of The Motion Picture Herald which was airmailed to my father's office along with many other trade journals and papers, mainly from the US.
Unfortunately, I stopped the list when I was around 24 and , sadly,now don't even know where my book is My brother maintained a similar list (We even noted at which theatre we saw each film.) I think he still has his notebook. I just WISH I had mine!

Is it possible for you to share your list? I assume you might have it on your computer by now?? I am a movie freak myself but just started keeping my list about 15 years ago. I have seen most of the movies you mentioned in your article. Do you have your own webpage? If you can share, please post on your webpage or answer my question on this discussion post at Newsweek. Thanks.

Can I have a copy of your list? I assume (??) you have put it on your computer? I am a movie freak myself and have seen most of the movies you mention in your article, but I only started keeping my list five years ago. Please share it if you can by posting it on this website or on your own webpage if you have one, or let me know if it's possible to send it to me via email by posting that information on this discussion page. Thanks.

I totally enjoyed your article. I too enjoy movies, I am the same age as you and have seen most of the movies you have mentioned and some I wonder if you saw. I love the movies from the thirties and forties and watch TCM al the time. Back then the women were women and the men were men. If you grew up in Los Angeles did you ever watch a program on Saturday Nights- The Fabulous 52" It played during the early sixties. That is where I was first introduced to the great movies that I hold near and dear to this day.