Ultimate Film: The UK's 100 Most Popular Films

One of the most revealing snapshots of British cinema-going ever produced, "The Ultimate Film" is the definitive list of the all-time top 100 films based on UK cinema admissions. From the 1930s to the present, the chart shows the diverse tastes that come together to make up Britain's choice of film favorites. Is "Harry Potter" more popular than "The Lord of the Rings"? How does Bond compare with Bridget Jones? "The Ultimate Film" has the answers taking the reader from "Carry on Nurse" to "A Clockwork Orange", "South Pacific" to "Star Wars" and "Ben Hur" all the way to "Doctor Zhivago".Each film is looked at in turn. What did the critics think of it when it was released and, with the benefit of hindsight, were they right? Who were the stars and who directed the action? What happened behind the scenes? What other films were being lauded at the same time? What was happening in the country and the wider world that led the film to be made, and then made it so popular? Sure to provoke debate and discussion, this fascinating and lavishly illustrated book tells us much about our shared history, culture and attitudes.This is the first time a list has been compiled based on the films people have most wanted to see. Some of the results will come as a surprise and the list has much to tell us about how we once were, and how cinema going has played no small part in shaping our culture and helped make us the way we are today. "The Ultimate Film" contains a number of breakout sections - lists within a list to satisfy the most ardent film buff: leading ladies - dicusses the female stars who did and didn't make the list; my name's Bond - Britain's most successful film franchise explored; Missing Men - the male stars included and surprisingly absent; Ones that Got Away - Classic films not in the list; drawing the crowds - animated films and their continued popularity; Picture Palaces - The history and evolution of British cinemas; and the Film at War - How wartime affected film production and cinema going