There was a thing going around Facebook this week - Name a movie you've watched over 5 times that you're still entertained by. I thought 5 was a low number (heck, I've watched Vertigo and Skyfall at least 3 times apiece and I don't even like them), so I've opted to go with the number 10. Now, be aware that some of the movies I list on here might not meet these rigid restrictions (I think I've seen Lawrence of Arabia 8 times, but 7 of those times were in the theater, so I'm rounding up), but in other cases, I'm pretty sure I've seen King Kong and Jaws well over 20 times each. It all balances out.
So, I've broken these movies up into little categories of my own design -
My favorites:
King Kong
Jaws
Silence of the Lambs
North by Northwest
These four movies represent numbers 1, 2, 4 and 5 on my all-time favorites list. Number 3 is Taxi Driver, and while I love it, it doesn't lend itself to multiple viewings. It's just too bleak. The other four, however... I never get bored of them.
The trilogies:
Star Wars
The Empire Strikes Back
Return of the Jedi
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Do I need to explain why these six movies are eminently watchable? No making fun of the Ewoks or Kate Capshaw here.
The Bond Movies
Dr. No
Goldfinger
Thunderball
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Live and Let Die
For Your Eyes Only
Octopussy
The Living Daylights
Goldeneye
Casino Royale
I've seen them all multiple times, but these 10 are far and away the ones I've seen the most. I'm tempted to drop Diamonds are Forever in the mix as well, because I know I've watched that one a bunch, too.
The tape:
The Naked Gun: From the files of Police Squad
Heathers
Streets
I had one videotape in college that had these three movies on it, and I watched the whole tape a lot! The Naked Gun satisfied my craving for absurdist comedies, Heathers filled my need for snark, and Streets reminded me that even if you had the tiniest of budgets and a purely b-level script you could still make gritty magic.
The tape part 2:
Robocop
Monty Python The Meaning of Life
Two of the most extreme and eye-opening films I have ever seen. I never get bored watching them. "I'd buy that for a dollar!"
The animated movies:
A Bug's Life
Finding Nemo
Kung Fu Panda
Because of Dennis Leary, Ellen Degeneres, and Dustin Hoffman respectively.
The Martial Arts flicks:
Drunken Master 2
Police Story
Jackie Chan's First Strike
The Deadliest Art: The Best of the Martial Arts Movies
I can watch Jackie Chan a lot and never, ever be bored. And The Deadliest Art introduced me to his compatriot Sammo Hung, for which I'll be forever grateful.
The Cusacks:
Better Off Dead
The Sure Thing
Sixteen Candles
Yeah, I know John Cusack is only in a little bit of Sixteen Candles, but it fit my category, so in it stays. These three movies are my version of comfort food.
The classics:
The Wizard of Oz
Rear Window
Stalag 17
Charade
Lawrence of Arabia
If you've never seen any of these, well shame on you.
Comedy classics:
Hold That Ghost
Monkey Business
Way Out West
Abbott and Costello, The Marx Brothers, and Laurel and Hardy all represent!
Action classics:
Die Hard
Die Hard 2
Speed
Dirty Harry
Yes, I like watching Die Hard 2 just as much as I like watching the first one. Even William Sadler, who played the bad guy in part 2 thought that was weird.
Sports flicks:
Tin Cup
The Natural
Those are my two go-to sports flicks. I have never been bored watching them.
The videotapes:
Watch It
Get Crazy
Virgin High
Hot Under the Collar
Four movies that have never made the transition to DVD (sadly). I have copies of them on VHS and am happy to have them. Watch It is one of the best movies you've never heard of. Get Crazy has Malcolm McDowell, Lou Reed, Daniel Stern, Ed Begley Jr and others in a madcap musical comedy. Virgin High and Hot Under the Collar are two b-movies from director/actor Richard Gabai. They make me laugh.
The 90's nostalgia:
Clerks
Mallrats
Pulp Fiction
True Romance
Kevin Smith and Quentin Tarantino are my heroes.
3 more:
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Murder by Death
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
If Spielberg had never made Jaws, he would still be one of my favorite directors because of Close Encounters. Murder By Death has my favorite Peter Sellers role. And while I love everyone in Mad, Mad... Jonathan Winters is by far my favorite.
What?
She's All That
The Matrix Reloaded
So the final two on my list... yeah. What can I say? I like She's All That and I watch it more than is probably acceptable. And I will defend my love for the second Matrix movie till I pass from this mortal coil. It's not my fault that the third movie is so terrible. I simply want lots and lots of cool action with ideas that make me think (and if any of my theories about what was actually going on in that second Matrix movie had panned out, then people probably would've liked that one, too). I just pretend the third movie never existed and make up my own end to the saga. It's just better that way.
Final tally - 62 movies that I've (probably) seen more than 10 times each. I'm sure there's even more that I've forgotten, but it's a good starter list. A lot of classics that others would have on their own lists aren't here (cough*Ghostbusters*cough), and I understand that. Heck, give me a few years, and I'm sure I could add a few more. Heck, I was just glancing at my collection, and I could probably add Predator and Pump Up the Volume to this list, but maybe I'll just watch them again, instead.
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