# I'll probably never see as many movies in the theater as I did in 1999 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 2, 2015, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ill-probably-never-see-as-many-movies-in-the-theater-as-i-did-in-1999/714000 "2015-03-02T11:25:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ill-probably-never-see-as-many-movies-in-the-theater-as-i-did-in-1999/714000/1 "2015-03-02T11:25:45Z")
Here’s what I saw, based on this link: > **[1999 in film](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999_in_film)** > > The year 1999 in film included Stanley Kubrick's final film Eyes Wide Shut, Pedro Almodóvar's first Oscar-winning film All About My Mother, the science-fiction hit The Matrix, the animated works The Iron Giant, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut and My Neighbors the Yamadas, the Best Picture-winner American Beauty, the well-received The Green Mile, the Pixar sequel film Toy Story 2, and the Deep Canvas-pioneering Disney animated feature Tarzan. Other noteworthy releases include M. Night Shyamalan... For some reason, _Drive Me Crazy_ wasn’t in the list, so there could be others for me or you that aren’t there. - = Movies I remember and still think are good \*\* = Movies I think are outstanding 1. The Thin Red Line\* 2. Payback\* 3. Rushmore\* 4. Office Space\*\* 5. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels 6. Wing Commander 7. EDtv\* 8. The Matrix\*\* 9. Election\* 10. The Mummy 11. Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace 12. Notting Hill\* 13. The Thirteenth Floor 14. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me\* 15. Wild Wild West 16. American Pie\* 17. Eyes Wide Shut 18. The Haunting 19. The Blair Witch Project 20. Runaway Bride 21. Mystery Men\*\* 22. The Sixth Sense\*\* 23. The Thomas Crown Affair 24. Detroit Rock City\* 25. In Too Deep\* 26. Dudley Do-Right 27. The Muse 28. Blue Streak\*\* 29. American Beauty\* 30. Double Jeopardy 31. Fight Club 32. Bringing Out the Dead 33. Drive Me Crazy\*\* 34. Toy Story 2\* 35. The Green Mile 36. Galaxy Quest\*\* 37. Magnolia 38. The Talented Mr. Ripley Have seen since on TV or video: 1. She’s All That\* 2. Blast from the Past\* 3. 200 Cigarettes\* 4. The Mod Squad 5. Go\* 6. The Straight Story\* 7. Dick\* 8. Teaching Mrs. Tingle So, 38 movies. I think that’s a lot by non-movie-critic standards! And I saw a lot more in the theater than I have since on TV or video (but I saw a good percentage of the year’s output in the theater anyway…). Why did I see so many? I was in grad school at the time. I was hella busy but I guess movies were one stress-relieving outlet. Then, during my summer internship in New Jersey, I lived within walking distance of a theater and would basically see whatever was playing. That was my attitude pretty much throughout the year: go and see anything playing. This was not a bad strategy, since 1999 is now recognized as one of the greatest years for movies ever. I wasn’t necessarily conscious of how good things were at the time, but it never seemed to hurt to take a chance on a movie. The surprise masterpiece of the year for me was _Drive Me Crazy._ Yes, it’s a teen romance. But some movies have _it_, and this has it. The funny thing is that I shared it with my best friend, and it has turned into one of his favorites as well, so it’s not just me. You might want to give it a watch. Another thing to talk about is why 1999 was so good. I don’t really have a good answer. Luck may be one factor. Some years are bound to be better in others just by chance. But there may be some other factors as well: 1. The mood in the country was good, which may have inspired more fun movies like _American Pie._ 2. For whatever reason, a lot of great teen comedies were coming out in this era, which have almost become a genre unto themselves. There may be real demographic reasons for this, or it may have just been a trend. 3. The acting talent of the time was in the zone, with good actors being the right ages to play the parts they did. I don’t necessarily think things are worse today, but the time was definitely right then. Any other insights? And can anyone beat my total? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ill-probably-never-see-as-many-movies-in-the-theater-as-i-did-in-1999/714000/2 "2015-03-02T12:46:03Z")
Don’t have a list, but sure, I would beat your total most years. Here’s what I saw in theaters in 2014 (looking at Box Office Mojo list to explain the order), just from the top 200 moneymakers. Would be several others, docs probably, if I went through all 600 or so movies released in 2014): 1. The Hunger Games - Mockingjay Part 1 2. Guardians of the Galaxy 3. American Sniper 4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier 5. The LEGO Movie 6. The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies 7. Maleficent 8. X-Men: Days of Future Past 9. Big Hero 6 10. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes 11. Godzilla 12. 22 Jump Street 13. Interstellar 14. Gone Girl 15. Divergent 16. Neighbors 17. Into the Woods 18. Lucy 19. Unbroken 20. The Equalizer 21. Edge of Tomorrow 22. Non-Stop 23. The Imitation Game 24. Fury 25. The Monuments Men 26. Hercules 27. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day 28. The Grand Budapest Hotel 29. RoboCop 30. The Hundred Foot Journey 31. Muppets Most Wanted 32. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit 33. Selma 34. St. Vincent 35. Need for Speed 36. A Million Ways to Die in the West 37. John Wick 38. Birdman 39. The Expendables 3 40. Wild 41. Million Dollar Arm 42. The Theory of Everything 43. The Gambler 44. Nightcrawler 45. Chef 46. A Walk Among the Tombstones 47. Top Five 48. Transcendence 49. Bears 50. A Most Wanted Man 51. Big Eyes 52. Whiplash 53. Foxcatcher 54. Sabotage 55. Bad Words 56. Obvious Child 57. The Raid 2 58. Under the Skin 59. Locke ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ill-probably-never-see-as-many-movies-in-the-theater-as-i-did-in-1999/714000/3 "2015-03-02T14:56:40Z")
For me the big movie-watching concentration was the summer of 1982. I had lots of spare time and the funds, because I was working a job in a new city. Also, I didn’t know many people there. It was a fine summer for science fiction and fantasy movies. And a couple of musicals. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ill-probably-never-see-as-many-movies-in-the-theater-as-i-did-in-1999/714000/4 "2015-03-02T15:07:32Z")
In 1999, I saw the following movies in a theater: The Thin Red Line The Matrix Go The Phantom Menace South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut The Blair Witch Project Dogma Toy Story 2 Galaxy Quest Fantasia 2000 ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ill-probably-never-see-as-many-movies-in-the-theater-as-i-did-in-1999/714000/5 "2015-03-02T15:16:12Z")
Dating = seeing movies in theaters. Married/living with someone = trying to squeeze in TV viewing so the DVR doesn’t get up to 100% full. I can easily chart my movie watching by looking at my relationship status. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ill-probably-never-see-as-many-movies-in-the-theater-as-i-did-in-1999/714000/6 "2015-03-02T16:03:14Z")
I forgot _Being John Malkovich_! ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ill-probably-never-see-as-many-movies-in-the-theater-as-i-did-in-1999/714000/7 "2015-03-02T16:09:36Z")
I was getting divorced in 1999 and had two small children. I didn’t see any of those 1999 movies in the theater. I saw only Galaxy Quest and South Park since then. Never seen the others. ---
**Author:** ![Meltdown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Meltdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meltdown)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ill-probably-never-see-as-many-movies-in-the-theater-as-i-did-in-1999/714000/8 "2015-03-02T20:36:17Z")
I saw 184 Movies in the theater in 1999. Some of them were seen in repertory theaters, so not all were 1999 releases. I’m spoiler-boxing my list so as not to fill up the screen. Shakespeare in Love Hurlyburly A Civil Action The Thin Red Line Dr. No From Russia with Love Goldfinger The Thin Red Line Hurlyburly Prospero’s Books Still Crazy Hilary and Jackie Affliction Anatomy of a Murder Downtown Torpedoes Beyond Hypothermia Preaching to the Perverted The General The Swindle Elizabeth Rushmore My Name is Joe Blast from the Past She’s All That Playing by Heart 200 Cigarettes Office Space Private Confessions Another Day in Paradise Day of the Beast Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels The Corruptor Swingers Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas The Virgin Spring Analyze This True Crime The Long Goodbye Shaft Ravenous The Harmonists Life on Earth The Book of Life 10 Things I Hate About You EDtv Lawrence of Arabia The Matrix The Dreamlife of Angels From Here to Eternity Go The School of Flesh Cookie’s Fortune Twin Dragons Wild at Heart eXistenZ Metroland Hideous Kinky Perdita Durango The Apple SLC Punk Dry Cleaning Mighty Peking Man Lovers of the Arctic Circle Open Your Eyes The Winslow Boy The Mummy The Empty Mirror Election Entrapment The Black Mask Pushing Tin A Walk on the Moon Three Seasons A Midsummer Night’s Dream This is My Father The Phantom Menace Jules and Jim The Phantom Menace Notting Hill The Loss of Sexual Innocence Xiu Xiu: The Sent-Down Girl Limbo Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels Two English Girls Bed and Board After Life Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me Southie Besieged Twice Upon a Yesterday The Last Metro Love on the Run The Red Violin Tarzan Tea with Mussolini The Love Letter Eternity and a Day The General’s Daughter South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut Desert Blue An Ideal Husband Summer of Sam The King of Masks Run Lola Run The Third Man My Son the Fanatic Wild Wild West American Pie Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! Eyes Wide Shut Lake Placid The Lovers on the Bridge The Dinner Game Arlington Road The Blair Witch Project Dick The Sixth Sense Mystery Men The Haunting The Thomas Crown Affair Twin Falls Idaho Autumn Tale Illuminata Cabaret Balkan Portland Street Blues The Buena Vista Social Club Late August, Early September King of Comedy Bowfinger The Muse Mickey Blue Eyes The Muse My Life So Far Stop Making Sense American Beauty Mumford The Minus Man Sugar Town The Acid House Splendor Three Kings Guinevere Mystery Men Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train Black Cat, White Cat Mystery Men Fight Club Romance Breakfast of Champions The Source Grand Illusion Boys Don’t Cry Bringing Out the Dead Julien Donkey-Boy Princess Mononoke The Straight Story The Insider The Limey Being John Malkovich Dogma Being John Malkovich Sleepy Hollow Last Night West Beirut Sleepy Hollow The World Is Not Enough Dogma Happy, Texas Felicia’s Journey Lucie Aubrac Mystery, Alaska Tumbleweeds Rosetta It’s a Wonderful Life Anywhere But Here Toy Story 2 Man on the Moon American Movie All About My Mother Sweet and Lowdown The Talented Mr. Ripley Anna and the King Mansfield Park Liberty Heights My biggest year, however, was the year before – I saw 302 movies in the theater in 1998. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ill-probably-never-see-as-many-movies-in-the-theater-as-i-did-in-1999/714000/9 "2015-03-03T02:23:02Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Dating = seeing movies in theaters. Married/living with someone = trying to squeeze in TV viewing so the DVR doesn’t get up to 100% full. I can easily chart my movie watching by looking at my relationship status. I’ve been married for 10 years. I only watch kids’ movies. When I was “dating,” I went to a lot of movies but didn’t watch many. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ill-probably-never-see-as-many-movies-in-the-theater-as-i-did-in-1999/714000/10 "2015-03-03T05:29:05Z")
Wish I’d been around back in 1939. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ill-probably-never-see-as-many-movies-in-the-theater-as-i-did-in-1999/714000/11 "2015-03-03T11:12:34Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Wish I’d been around back in 1939. Why is that? To see _The Wizard of Oz_ and _Gone with the Wind_ in the theater? ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ill-probably-never-see-as-many-movies-in-the-theater-as-i-did-in-1999/714000/12 "2015-03-06T12:53:08Z")
> [@Aeschines](#): > > Why is that? To see _The Wizard of Oz_ and _Gone with the Wind_ in the theater? Yup. And also… The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Beau Geste Confessions of a Nazi Spy Dark Victory Dodge City Drums Along the Mohawk Gulliver’s Travels Gunga Din The Hound of the Baskervilles The Hunchback of Notre Dame Intermezzo: A Love Story Million Dollar Legs Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Ninotchka Of Mice and Men The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex The Roaring Twenties Stagecoach Union Pacific Wuthering Heights Young Mr. Lincoln And those are just American films I figure people would have reasonable chance of at least hearing about. Wiki has a [list](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1939_in_film#Notable_films_released_in_1939) of notable films much longer than that and if you scroll to the top of the article, you’ll find 1939 is considered by many as Hollywood’s greatest year. My personal high was 172 movies (seen in a theater) set in 1979. I was just out of the Navy where movies are hard to come by, and was living in San Jose California. Besides the first run movies everyone has access to, there were three repertoire or art theaters plus another being run as a club that showed only the really old stuff, which means I’ve seen almost all of my little list on the big screen. That one alone was good for two a week as they were almost always double-bills.\* Nowadays between discs from Netflix, streaming, and actually going to a theater, I see somewhere between 150 and 200 movies a year, but I don’t keep count any more. \*I discovered it when I drove past the place in Saratoga and on the marquee was _The Treasure of the Sierra Madre_ and _White Heat_. This caught my attention. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ill-probably-never-see-as-many-movies-in-the-theater-as-i-did-in-1999/714000/13 "2015-03-06T13:01:08Z")
> [@Meltdown](#): > > I saw 184 Movies in the theater in 1999. Some of them were seen in repertory theaters, so not all were 1999 releases. > > I’m spoiler-boxing my list so as not to fill up the screen. > > Shakespeare in Love > Hurlyburly > A Civil Action > The Thin Red Line > Dr. No > From Russia with Love > Goldfinger > The Thin Red Line > Hurlyburly > Prospero’s Books > Still Crazy > Hilary and Jackie > Affliction > Anatomy of a Murder > Downtown Torpedoes > Beyond Hypothermia > Preaching to the Perverted > The General > The Swindle > Elizabeth > Rushmore > My Name is Joe > Blast from the Past > She’s All That > Playing by Heart > 200 Cigarettes > Office Space > Private Confessions > Another Day in Paradise > Day of the Beast > Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels > The Corruptor > Swingers > Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas > The Virgin Spring > Analyze This > True Crime > The Long Goodbye > Shaft > Ravenous > The Harmonists > Life on Earth > The Book of Life > 10 Things I Hate About You > EDtv > Lawrence of Arabia > The Matrix > The Dreamlife of Angels > From Here to Eternity > Go > The School of Flesh > Cookie’s Fortune > Twin Dragons > Wild at Heart > eXistenZ > Metroland > Hideous Kinky > Perdita Durango > The Apple > SLC Punk > Dry Cleaning > Mighty Peking Man > Lovers of the Arctic Circle > Open Your Eyes > The Winslow Boy > The Mummy > The Empty Mirror > Election > Entrapment > The Black Mask > Pushing Tin > A Walk on the Moon > Three Seasons > A Midsummer Night’s Dream > This is My Father > The Phantom Menace > Jules and Jim > The Phantom Menace > Notting Hill > The Loss of Sexual Innocence > Xiu Xiu: The Sent-Down Girl > Limbo > Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels > Two English Girls > Bed and Board > After Life > Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me > Southie > Besieged > Twice Upon a Yesterday > The Last Metro > Love on the Run > The Red Violin > Tarzan > Tea with Mussolini > The Love Letter > Eternity and a Day > The General’s Daughter > South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut > Desert Blue > An Ideal Husband > Summer of Sam > The King of Masks > Run Lola Run > The Third Man > My Son the Fanatic > Wild Wild West > American Pie > Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! > Eyes Wide Shut > Lake Placid > The Lovers on the Bridge > The Dinner Game > Arlington Road > The Blair Witch Project > Dick > The Sixth Sense > Mystery Men > The Haunting > The Thomas Crown Affair > Twin Falls Idaho > Autumn Tale > Illuminata > Cabaret Balkan > Portland Street Blues > The Buena Vista Social Club > Late August, Early September > King of Comedy > Bowfinger > The Muse > Mickey Blue Eyes > The Muse > My Life So Far > Stop Making Sense > American Beauty > Mumford > The Minus Man > Sugar Town > The Acid House > Splendor > Three Kings > Guinevere > Mystery Men > Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train > Black Cat, White Cat > Mystery Men > Fight Club > Romance > Breakfast of Champions > The Source > Grand Illusion > Boys Don’t Cry > Bringing Out the Dead > Julien Donkey-Boy > Princess Mononoke > The Straight Story > The Insider > The Limey > Being John Malkovich > Dogma > Being John Malkovich > Sleepy Hollow > Last Night > West Beirut > Sleepy Hollow > The World Is Not Enough > Dogma > Happy, Texas > Felicia’s Journey > Lucie Aubrac > Mystery, Alaska > Tumbleweeds > Rosetta > It’s a Wonderful Life > Anywhere But Here > Toy Story 2 > Man on the Moon > American Movie > All About My Mother > Sweet and Lowdown > The Talented Mr. Ripley > Anna and the King > Mansfield Park > Liberty Heights The amazing thing about that list is that you actually had time to see some movies twice. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ill-probably-never-see-as-many-movies-in-the-theater-as-i-did-in-1999/714000/14 "2015-03-06T13:02:18Z")
Isn’t equipose or someone on the Dope going to win? One Doper sees as many movies as a professional critic. I do believe Roger Ebert once saw and reviewed a ludicrous amount of movies. It was in the final decade of his life and he chose to increase his productivity while ill instead of decrease it. I have no cite handy, but I believe it was 350+ movies one year, I believe all in the theater. Then again, he was paid to review movies, so it was both his job and passion. He was older and ill and was showing younger critics what work ethic really was. I miss him.