I’m definitely a re-reader and re-watcher. I’ve read almost all of Stephen King many many times. Especially The Stand and the Dark Tower series.
I have tons of favorite movies. Stuff I can quote while the movie is playing. Like The Breakfast Club, Toy Story, Pulp Fiction - it’s all so comfortable, or something…
I’ve read the Harry Potter books 4 times each. I’ll watch X-Files reruns if they’re on. I’ve watched Twister 3 times in a weekend, I can’t seem to get enough of that movie.
I don’t watch TV, but barring that, I re-read or re-watch everything that’s good. I also feel if it wasn’t worth at least one re-read it wasn’t that good in the first place. Or was interesting but not precisely my cup of tea, you know?
I have Life in the Freezer. preens You wanna come over and watch?
I like rereading a well-written book. Anything from Dick Francis through Isaac Asimov to Rex Stout. 
However I have only read the Lord of the Rings twice in 36 years, because it moved me so much.
But I have enjoyed Peter Jackson’s extended film version several times, e’g’ using a different commentary each time.
And ‘The Usual Suspects’ is worth watching more than once. :eek:
I like reading books aloud to kids. It doesn’t matter how often I repeat that. [hissing voice ON] ‘Precious! Where’s my precious?!’ [hissing voice OFF]
I’m re-reading “Otherland” right now. There are so many parts that I don’t remember (especially in book 2) that it’s again new to me. I had to pick up all 4 at once so that I’m able to go straight through this time (unlike the years wait for the end of the tale).
I’ve read all of Martha Grimes Detective Jury novels a few times each. I love them.
I can pick up “Araminta Station” and the 2 sequels or anything by Joan Vinge and re-read as well. Or Dune or… almost any scifi I own.
I read Pride and Prejudice annually - I think it’s my favorite.
I’ll re-watch some things, but not others. For example, I recently got some X-Files box sets, and I’m really enjoying watching them again after 10 years. However, once I’ve made my way through the series, I probably won’t go back to watch them again (well, maybe in another 10 years). However, I’ve seen Southpark the Movie 1,000,000 times (approx.).
I used to read anything and everything, until I found the Discworld. Now I (almost without exception) read and re-read Discworld novels, too scared to try anything by other authors in case they’re not as good. Damn you Pratchett!!!
I agree with Mangetout - there’s nothing wrong with re-reading a book even though you know the butler did it. I get more out of a book or film the second time I experience it (normally), by spotting things I didn’t originally see, or that only make sense once you know the end.
Definitely a re-watcher, only sometimes a re-reader. I own quite a few television DVDs and watch them all the time (since I don’t have cable, they’re all the TV I have). I’m sure there are some Simpsons episodes I have seen over 100 times and they still make me laugh. Movies I re-watch less often, and usually only after a gap of a year or so. I find that comedies are better for re-watching than dramas–dramas don’t have the same emotional impact the second time around, but I still laugh at Office Space despite having seen it probably 10 times. The in-between medium is, of course, MST3K, and that’s a show that’s wonderful for re-watching. I have probably seen some episodes (off the top of my head, Space Mutiny and Mitchell) over a dozen times and they are still funny, and I still get new stuff out of them. (I just realized that I have seen Space Mutiny more times than I have seen Citizen Kane. I wonder what that says about me.)
I don’t re-read books super often, because I’m a slow reader (bad eyes, hello) and have a lot of stuff I still want to read. But I do re-read them sometimes; this past year I re-read three “classics” that I hadn’t read since high school because I had mostly forgotten the plots.
I am a dedicated re-reader, which is one of the reasons I can’t use the library. (Bastards want the books back.)
I re-watch some TV and movies as well. I’ve noticed that sometimes, I won’t like a show, or a particular episode, but after re-watching, I’ll like it. (Took a long time for “Family Guy” to grow on me.)
In general, I won’t actively re-watch movies more than about once. That said, if The Rock or Wayne’s World happens to be on, I’ll definitely leave that on in the background while I’m online.
TV shows, on the other hand, I’ll watch quite a bit. I’ve watched Firefly, Wonderfalls, Undeclared, and Arrested Development several times over. I think it may simply be that any two hours will get repetitive after a few viewings to me, but TV show will usually have at least six or seven hours of material, so it’ll last longer.
I’m not much of a re-reader – there’s so much good stuff I haven’t gotten to and I’m running out of time.
I watch episodes of Deadwood multiple times – you almost have to, to really appreciate it.
When I’m channel surfing and run across Keeping Up Appearances, I’ll stop and watch. Poor Richard.
I’ll re-watch favorite movies, but only after some time has passed.
I’m a re-reader, although not to the extreme that some of the other respondants seem to be. I like visiting the library and finding new things to read (or old favorites to re-read). Often if I re-read, I will skip over parts of the book–but not always, and I do tend to find that I get more out of rereading if I don’t skip much. It’s the journey, not the destination which is important.
I’m not a re-watcher. Once in a while I’ll view something again, but in general, I’m not much of a watcher of TV or movies in the first place, so I usually want to watch something new if I’m going to watch something.
I used to re-read books quite often, but in the last few years I’ve really put an effort into finding new stuff. There are several books I intend to re-read at some point, and there are a few particular books I will probably re-read every few years for the rest of my life.
Sometimes if I’m feeling moody I will pick a book off the shelf and skim it, or read my favorite parts.
I will re-watch my favorite movies, and a handful of TV shows. If I own it on DVD, it’s because I like it enough to watch it repeatedly.
I both re-read and re-watch. There are a number of reasons, not all of which overlap or apply to everything that I revisit.
Detail–Whenever I revisit something, I look for new details and interpretations. There’s always something that gets overlooked as the story carries you along. (If not, the story probably isn’t compelling enough to revisit.)
Production–Usually, this is for wiz-bang, effects-laden movies and TV shows, but it can apply to productions that simply have a distinctive look to them. I occasionally develop a fascination with certain effects, and will watch repeatedly, trying to figure out how it was achieved.
Immersion–When I read, I tend to immerse myself in the setting. I visualize as much of the action as possible, and “hear” the voices of characters in my head. The more familiar I am with the story, the more attention I can devote to the visualization. As a result, the experience is much more vivid when I re-read.
Comfort–Just as people have “comfort food”, I have “comfort stories” that I return to when I’m tired or stressed. They’re not necessarily nice or light-hearted stories, just familiar ones that hold my attention. It’s a bit like eating chocolate, as Mangetout said, or pulling on that old, worn t-shirt you can’t bear to throw out. It’s comfortable, and sometimes that’s all you really need.
Damn the intervening oceans…
oh, wait, that reminds me, the last bit I recorded of “Blue Planet” is still to be watched. So that’s me settled.
Never- there are hundreds of thousands of movies out there- why watch one you’ve already seen when you can watch one you haven’t :rolleyes:
I have a few movies that I watch over and over and over again when I have nothing else to watch. Or even when I do. Not for any artsy reason but I just plain like them. Grease. Silence of the Lambs. Scent of a Woman. Any of the Star Wars movies. (Yes, including the prequels) Among others.
TV shows. Any and all Simpsons episodes. I watch reruns of Moonlighting and Golden Girls when I come across them.
Books. Same. I have a few whose pages are worn from re-reading.
I always seem to notice something new with each replay/reread.
Then again, my friends think something is wrong with me.
Books, definitely. If I buy them it’s because they’re worth re-reading. I don’t understand people who buy books (other than paperbacks to read on the plane) with the intention of only reading them once; have they never heard of libraries.
As for movies, it depends on how much I like it; the touchstone of a good movie is the desire to see it again. Life as a House, for instance, and Signs, and Down With Love, I not only watched twice, but twice in the same day. (I did, on the other hand, think the girl I dated took to see The Two Towers with was nuts to have watched Fellowship of the Ring nuts because she had seen it–in theatres–THIRTY-FIVE TIMES But she was cute enough to overcome that bit of insanity.
TV shows? Well, I only watch what I tape these days, and I don’t tape it unless it’s worth rewatching, so yes. I record over tapes multiple times though.
Ditto. And of the books I own, many of them have been read so many times I can practically recite them. We belong to each other.
I hardly ever watch movies unless I’ve already seen them. That way I already know if they’re good! It’s very hard for anyone to get me to watch something new. “It’s a great movie, you’ll love it!” Yeah right…someone says that to someone else about every piece of crap that comes down the pike.
But…but…by that rule, you should never have seen a movie in your life!
I know. I’ve only seen about fifty. And lots of them weren’t good! 