Film buff Zach Swope (USA) has broken the record for the most films seen in a cinema in one year after attending a total of 777 screenings between July 2022 and July 2023.
The previous record of 715 was set by Vincent Krohn (France) in 2018.
Zach, 32, says he is a “huge lover of film” and watches an average of 100-150 films at the cinema each year.
He watched a variety of different films for this record attempt, beginning with Minions: Rise of Gru and finishing with Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
In order to achieve this record, all films must be watched in their entirety and each one must be watched independently of any other activity, meaning that Zach could not take naps or look at his phone while in the cinema. He was monitored by cinema employees during each screening to ensure he didn’t break these rules.
Zach watched most of the films at Regal Cinemas, using his Regal Unlimited Membership which allows him to watch an unlimited number of films for $22 (£17) per month.
Zach undertook this challenge while working a full-time job. He worked every weekday from 6:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., after which he would visit the cinema to watch up to three films, and on weekends he would watch more.
He prioritised watching films with a runtime of two hours or less in order to fit as many as possible into a day.
He didn’t set himself a target number of films to watch per day, as sometimes he took a day off to “mentally recharge”, but he aimed to see 16-17 per week.
His initial goal was to see 800 films throughout the year, however, once he realized that he wouldn’t be able to reach that number, he decided to “end on lucky number sevens.”
The film Zach watched most was Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, which he saw 47 times. Some of his other most-watched movies were The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which he saw 35 times, and Thor: Love and Thunder, with 33 viewings.
Zach’s favourite film was Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. He was eagerly anticipating its release and decided to watch it as his 716th film of the year – the one that would take him past the previous record.
His least favourite film of the year was The Devil Conspiracy, which he watched only once. When discussing it on The Morning X radio show, Zach said: “That’s a movie I’d rather forget.”
As someone with Asperger’s syndrome, Zach attempted this record to raise awareness about autism.
He also used his attempt to raise money for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, as it is a cause close to his heart.
“I am a suicide survivor and have lost people I care about to suicide,” he shared.
“This was an amazing journey that I dedicated a year of my life to, and it was all for a good cause.
“Who knows, maybe I'll go back and try to break my own record?”
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