Extracting a date from a file name.

Clever solution

Originally Posted by Phuocam

=LOOKUP(2,1/SEARCH(ROW($1925:$2016),A1),ROW($1925:$2016))

Though it's not bulletproof.
If there happens to be another number (besides the desired year) between 1925 and 2016 within the given string.
For Example:
2001: A Space Odessy (1968).whatever

But I can't imagine if there is a bulletproof method either, given the various inconsistent formats of the string.
So your formula is probably as good as it can get.