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Over and over: Which movies do you watch most?
Film fanatics compile “best-of� lists all the time, but I want to try something a little off the beaten path and wonder:
“Which films have you seen so many times that you’ve lost count?
Everyone has those films they’ll watch over and over and over again even if they have the dialogue memorized. They’re not necessarily the best movies ever made, but they’re the ones we always finish watching if we happen across them on TV.
Here are six of mine:
Citizen Kane: OK, so this is one of the best films of all time, and when I tell people that, I too often get quizzical looks. But have you watched it, and I mean really watched it? I find something new every time.
GoodFellas: A brutal and bloody film about being a gangster may not seem like a likely candidate for repeat viewing, but I always get a charge out of Martin Scorsese’s electrifying direction and the dark humor of the movie.
Some Like It Hot: Many people’s vote for the funniest movie ever made (mine included) simply never gets old. I laugh out loud repeatedly every time I see this. Maybe “nobody’s perfect,� but this film comes pretty close.
That’s Entertainment: I can hardly resist a good clip-fest, and this bonanza of the greatest MGM musical numbers makes for the most compulsive viewing, whether it’s Astaire dancing on the ceiling or Kelly dancing with a mouse. Even the sound of Jimmy Stewart singing is sweet in this context.
To Catch a Thief: Many would cite Casablanca as the romance they’d watch again and again, and who could blame them? Certainly not me. But as much as I love Ingrid Bergman (We’ll always have Paris), I prefer Grace Kelly in Technicolor, matching wits with Cary Grant in this Hitchcock thriller. No woman ever looked better on film. Classic exchange: Kelly (eating chicken): “Do you want a leg or a breast?â€? Grant: “You make the choice.â€?
Yellow Submarine: Last but not least, this is my all-time champeen of repeat viewings, with at least 30 under my belt. Small wonder since it combines two of my favorite things: movies and the Beatles.
Your turn: Which movies have worn out your VCRs or DVD players?
Permalink | Comments (5) | Categories: Lists
Comments
By Kelle
April 27, 2006 6:58 PM | Link to this
Movies I’ve watched so many times I’ve lost count. I agree that this is a great topic Eric. I’m a real movie buff so you asked for it (in no particular order)… Twister, The American President, The Hunt for Red October, Dante’s Peak, Volcano, Armageddon, Deep Impact, Independence Day, Signs, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The original Star Wars trilogy, Dune, The Big Easy, Space Camp, Wizard of Oz, Sound of Music, and I’m sure I missed some. I’m embarrassed there isn’t a wider array of classic movies. Never been an old movie fan. Silly, I know. But can you tell there is a real disaster movie theme here? I cannot wait to see Poseidon next month.By Hillary McNabb
April 27, 2006 5:13 AM | Link to this
‘Clueless’, ‘Dirty Dancing’, ‘Scream’, ‘License to Drive’ ‘Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story’ …to name a few. I can watch and recite those word for word.By Allie D.
April 26, 2006 1:45 PM | Link to this
Geez and I totally forgot to add two of my most frequently watched “chick flicks”: IQ with Meg Ryan and Tim Robbins (I absolutely adore this movie) and You’ve Got Mail. More Meg Ryan. lolBy Allie D.
April 26, 2006 1:44 PM | Link to this
Good topic, Eric! I’d have to say the movies I have seen so many times I know them all by heart would include: Cinderella (the original Disney version), The Big Lebowski, Office Space, Braveheart, Pretty in Pink, Terms of Endearment, Terminator 2 (that was more true when I was younger than now since I haven’t seen it in about 10 years), The Matrix, The Wizard of Oz, Pulp Fiction.By Barb =:)
April 26, 2006 8:54 AM | Link to this
The movies I watch the most … and pretty much know word for word … are Young Frankenstein, The Princess Bride, To Catch a Thief, Evita, Phantom of the Opera, and Star Wars. I catch It Happened One Night, Meet Me in St. Louis and Twister just about every time they are on TV, but I don’t watch them on DVD. I find I tend to watch comedies and musicals over and over again. I put the musicals on while doing housework just for the music and I’ll catch a scene here or there while passing by the TV or taking a break.