# Most rerun movie **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 25, 2004, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-rerun-movie/270993 "2004-10-25T04:08:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-rerun-movie/270993/1 "2004-10-25T04:08:45Z")
I swear Urban Cowboy is on at LEAST once a day on my cable system. (Having trouble deciding which forum this belongs to. GQ because there may be a factual answer. IMHO, because it may depend on your cable system. CS because it deals with TV.) ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-rerun-movie/270993/2 "2004-10-25T06:14:50Z")
Well, since “It’s a Wonderful Life” is in the public domain and nobody has to pay to broadcast it anymore, a lot of stations play it on a continual loop around Christmastime. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-rerun-movie/270993/3 "2004-10-25T12:02:16Z")
Moving this from IMHO to Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-rerun-movie/270993/4 "2004-10-25T12:05:35Z")
> [@ccwaterback](#): > > I swear Urban Cowboy is on at LEAST once a day on my cable system. > > (Having trouble deciding which forum this belongs to. GQ because there may be a factual answer. IMHO, because it may depend on your cable system. CS because it deals with TV.) Too funny. I was gonna say this and even write a pit thread about it at one point. It’s absolutely incredible. That movie is on all the fucking time. Worse yet, I always get Urban Cowboy and Midnight Cowboy confused for the first second so I always get excited that MC might be on. ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-rerun-movie/270993/5 "2004-10-25T12:06:37Z")
**ccwaterback** do you also get a lot of Shawshank Redemption? Not as much as Midnight Cowboy but a lot just the same. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-rerun-movie/270993/6 "2004-10-25T12:15:36Z")
_Midway_ is also on constantly. By now, I know by heart the fate of every single attacking airplane, American and Japanese for the entire battle. ---
**Author:** ![Roseworm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df788c/32.png) [@Roseworm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roseworm)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-rerun-movie/270993/7 "2004-10-25T12:26:21Z")
I do not know if this sort of thing is a regional phenomenon, but, where I live, Schwarzenegger films are currently in heavy rotation on syndicated TV. The five favorites seem to be \*The Terminator \* (1984), _Predator_ (1987), _Total Recall_ (1990), _Terminator 2_ (1991) and \*True Lies \* (1994). I also recall periods in the past when _Zulu_ (1964), \*Where Eagles Dare \* (1968) and \*The Beastmaster \* (1982) seemed to run endlessly. Especially _The Beastmaster_. I know this film has a devoted following, but I think that is due mainly to overexposure. Who _hasn’t_ seen it? Love the ferrets, though. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-rerun-movie/270993/8 "2004-10-25T12:48:38Z")
The newest rerun king is > [@](#): > > Bruce Almighty . Its got a long way to go to beat > [@](#): > > Shawshank . ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-rerun-movie/270993/9 "2004-10-25T13:14:25Z")
Over the years, I’ve noticed The Outlaw Josey Wales is on a lot on various premium and non-premium channels. Just One of the Guys has been in heavy rotation on the Comedy Channel for over a decade, too. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-rerun-movie/270993/10 "2004-10-25T13:20:19Z")
> [@Sublight](#): > > Well, since “It’s a Wonderful Life” is in the public domain and nobody has to pay to broadcast it anymore, a lot of stations play it on a continual loop around Christmastime. _…In 1993, Republic Pictures (whose predecessor, National Telefilm Associates, originally bought key rights to the film, including the original television syndication rights, the original nitrate film elements, the music score, and the story on which the film is based The Greatest Gift) scored a landmark court victory restoring the film’s copyright. As a result, the film is no longer shown as much on television (NBC is currently licensed to show the film on U.S. network television), the colorized versions have been withdrawn, and Republic now has exclusive video rights to the film (under license with Artisan Entertainment)…_ > **[It's a Wonderful Life](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It's_A_Wonderful_Life)** > > It's a Wonderful Life is a 1946 American Christmas family fantasy drama film produced and directed by Frank Capra, based on the short story and booklet The Greatest Gift, which Philip Van Doren Stern self-published in 1943 and is in turn loosely based on the 1843 Charles Dickens novella A Christmas Carol. The film stars James Stewart as George Bailey, a man who has given up his personal dreams, in order to help others in his community, and whose suicide attempt on Christmas Eve brings about th... ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-rerun-movie/270993/11 "2004-10-25T15:06:02Z")
The Wikipedia article on _It’s a Wonderful Life_ is misleading. Neither Republic Pictures nor any other company was ever involved in a “landmark court victory” regarding _It’s a Wonderful Life_. Instead, Republic Pictures relied on an existing U.S. Supreme Court ruling, [_Stewart v. Abend_](http://www2.tltc.ttu.edu/Cochran/Cases%20&%20Readings/Copyright-UNT/abend.htm), which concerned the movie _Rear Window_ and the Cornell Woolrich story “It Had to Be Murder” from which it was adapted. (And yes, the Stewart in this case is James Stewart.) ---
**Author:** ![Chastain86](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Chastain86](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chastain86)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-rerun-movie/270993/12 "2004-10-25T15:12:18Z")
I have no cite, but I have to believe that _National Lampoon’s Vacation_ is up there somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![yellowval](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/919ad9/32.png) [@yellowval](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowval)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-rerun-movie/270993/13 "2004-10-25T15:19:08Z")
**Sixteen Candles** has to be up there. I swear it used to be on every single weekend at least once. The other Brat Pack movies are on a lot, too. ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-rerun-movie/270993/14 "2004-10-25T15:32:15Z")
> [@KidCharlemagne](#): > > **ccwaterback** do you also get a lot of Shawshank Redemption? Not as much as > Midnight Cowboy but a lot just the same. Yeah, that one is on at least once a week. Also The Breakfast Club is on at least once a week too. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-rerun-movie/270993/15 "2004-10-25T15:41:41Z")
Around Christmas time, A Christmas Story is on a lot possibly competing with It’s A Wonderful Life. It’s a fun movie though, have to watch it at least once a season so there’s plenty of opportunities to see it. ---
**Author:** ![JoeSki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b487fb/32.png) [@JoeSki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeSki)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-rerun-movie/270993/16 "2004-10-25T16:22:43Z")
I’d say the first two Austin Powers movies, and Shawshank. Sout PArk the movie is becoming a common repeat on Comedy Central. > [@Sublight](#): > > Well, since “It’s a Wonderful Life” is in the public domain and nobody has to pay to broadcast it anymore, a lot of stations play it on a continual loop around Christmastime. You know, I’ve never ever seen this movie, and I have cable. And I’d love to see it to since I’m a huge fan of holiday movies. I don’t know what the deal is, but I really wish they’d play the damn thing over here at least once. ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-rerun-movie/270993/17 "2004-10-25T16:27:19Z")
I was going to say THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION. They advertised a deluxe DVD package coming out and I thought, “Why buy the DVD? You can see it on TNT at least seven times a day.” A few years back it seemed they showed THROW MAMA FROM THE TRAIN over and over again on Comedy Central. If you get digital cable, there are times when it seems like THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS plays on several channels over and over again. Once I noticed the movie being featured on _five_ channels at once. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-rerun-movie/270993/18 "2004-10-25T16:28:58Z")
> [@Agrippina](#): > > A few years back it seemed they showed THROW MAMA FROM THE TRAIN over and over again on Comedy Central. There was a period where they played Cadillac Man over and over again. Death to Smooch also. When CC gets a hold of a movie, they always beat it to death. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Sayid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@Jack\_Sayid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Sayid)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-rerun-movie/270993/19 "2004-10-25T16:35:29Z")
**Dirty** F-ing **Harry** Air Dates = 5,145 (and counting) \* - = WAG 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f0a364/32.png) [@Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rube_E.Tewesday)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-rerun-movie/270993/20 "2004-10-25T16:43:49Z")
It seems to me that _Groundhog Day_ is always on somewhere. If Bill Murray ever did SNL again, they could probably do a skit where he thinks he’s really going through a _Groundhog Day_ experience, because every morning, he wakes up, turns on the TV, and the movie’s playing. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-rerun-movie/270993.md?page=2)