Introduction by Jonathan Ross

Spies, soldiers, sharks, aliens, nannies, wizards, soldiers, strippers, hooligans, heroes, villains, insects, dinosaurs and doctors…

It would be impossible not to enjoy this fascinating book. The bfi has found the top 100 films that people have gone to see in Britain - ever. It's the only list based on bums on seats instead of box office receipts. It's the only list that's chosen by the people and not by the critics.

And of course, what's popular isn't always the critics' choice. While The Third Man, which topped the bfi's own poll of the best British films ever made, is on the list, it is joined by unlikely bedfellows such as Carry on Nurse and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason. Although Bridget's charms have never really won me over, if people want to see Renée Zellweger perform Madonna's 'Like a Virgin' in a Thai prison then who am I to spoil their fun?

So here they are, the 100 most popular movies. Each entry is illustrated from the bfi stills collection - the largest such archive in the world - with reviews for each film from when it was released, allowing you to compare what critics said at the time with what they think now. There are classic quotes, scenes that stand out and snippets of gossip about the films that always leave you wanting more.

Just as the book is a celebration of British cinema going, it is also a celebration of British cinema talent - six of the top ten films have British leading ladies. For the men it's not just Roger Moore keeping the British end up. Alec Guinness and Green Cross Man David Prowse are there in the top five, but the actor with most appearances of all is Bernard Lee - best known and loved for his role as Bond's M but appearing in several more besides. Behind the camera David Lean and Lewis Gilbert prove themselves to be great and popular British Directors.

The 1940s dominate the list with 20 films, while the introduction of video in the 1980s sees only four from that decade scraping into the lower echelons. The times though are a changing. We're only halfway through this decade yet already 18 films have made the top 100. The new golden age of cinema going is now and I'm delighted to be involved in it.

The most recent addition is Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. The original Star Wars is sometimes said to have saved the film industry back in the late 1970s. The sequels and prequels haven't always saved George Lucas from the wrath of reviewer, myself included. The intelligentsia may mock, but old friends Scorsese and Coppola still turn up at Skywalker Ranch most Wednesdays for a hearty breakfast - and if that isn't a seal of approval from the industry's great and good, you tell me what is.

So have the hobbits beaten Harry Potter? Is Mary Poppins more popular than The Wicked Lady? Everything is here from Azkaban to Dr Zhivago, via South Pacific, Arabia, Middle Earth and Tatooine. Read on if you want to know what the most popular film, The Ultimate Film, of all time in the UK is. And if you've got money on it being Confessions of a Window Cleaner I'll warn you now - it was close, but sadly not to be.

Jonathan Ross