American movie buff heads to cinema 3x a day for a YEAR to take title with 1,200 flicks

In the words of Nicole Kidman during the AMC movie theatre ads: “We come to this place for magic” – yet in the case of Glenwood Hoskin Jr. (USA)... it turns out you can also come to the cinema for world record titles.

After spending April 2024-2025 parked in the plush seats at his local Regal Cinema in York Haven, Pennsylvania, this 60-year-old managed to watch an average of 3.3 movies a day in theatres.

With a lifelong love of music and film, the lucky retiree absolutely smashed the previous record of 777 set by Zachariah Swope (USA) for the most films seen in a cinema in one year, after consuming a grand total of 1,207 flicks in 12 months. 

He told GWR that he would plan ahead each day by looking at the listings and try to see as many movies as possible each day, from early morning up until midnight.

“I really found it enjoyable being out of the house, and I always like a challenge and a goal to meet,” said Glenwood. “I am also an organized person, so the work I put into this also made it enjoyable.”

Glenwood remarked that he first discovered this challenge while exploring online, when his attention was drawn to the records for the most cinema productions attended of the same film and the most films seen in a cinema in one year. 

The former title is held by Ramiro Alanis (USA) – who saw Spiderman: No Way Home (2021) 292 times to retake his own record – and the retiree said wasn’t able to beat those numbers because most films at his cinema quickly moved on to streaming services. 

Nevertheless, he was able to compete for the latter record – and after becoming inspired by another cinema-lover at Regal who attempted a similar title, he knew at least he had to try.

“I found out everything that I would need to do beforehand, and planned to start in the spring so I would likely break the current record of 777 before winter,” he said. “I hate driving in the winter, so anything after that was just extra.”

Read more stories about record-breaking movies in our dedicated Arts and Entertainment section!

Luckily, Pennsylvania had a mild winter – and the retired tax officer was able to cram in a lot more films than he had ever expected.

Cartoon films were his favourite, perhaps because of their shorter length and inviting nature. He also had a blast watching comedies, and seeing the audience erupt into laughter upon hearing a joke he had already witnessed multiple times. 

“I was surprised by some of the movies I liked, such as The Wild Robot (2024), which was way better than expected,” Glenwood said. “I also enjoyed Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) – I can't say there were any really bad movies, or ones I did not like!”

Additionally, Glenwood said he also loved the routine and camaraderie that he experienced at the cinema. He got to know the theatre workers and management well, and they’d often help him determine which movies were the shortest so he could decide which films to watch that day.

“It’s nice to get out of the house and see movies, especially comedies,” he said, explaining why he prefers seeing movies in a cinema instead of at home. “They seem to be better in a theatre with people.”

And all things considered, the experience was not nearly as expensive as you’d think. The movie buff owns a Regal Unlimited card, which charges roughly $28/month (£21/month) for a seemingly infinite amount of films. He also would prepare food at home, and eat it between showtimes to save money – and he even got some use out of the grounds around the cinema, by going for his daily exercise between flicks. 

“The theatre workers and management were really helpful and I liked to get to know them,” he said. “In addition, between movies I walked around the theatre outside and inside, thus getting a really good experience.”

So even though it’s hard to know what the future will hold… if one thing’s for certain, this cinephile will be seated at the theatre, waiting for the lights to dim and the feature to begin.

Congratulations to the ultimate movie-lover – Glenwood, you are Officially Amazing!

Header image: Krists Luhaers / Unsplash