You’re channel surfing and you come upon that special or documentary or movie that you’ve seen a million times, or that you know you can skip (because you can just rent the movie or watch the copy you have). But you have come compelling need to watch it again. Have one? For me it’s:
*Throw Mama From the Train: I don’t know what it is about this movie, but whenever I find it on a movie channel or Comedy Central I must watch it until the end.
*That Sideshow special on TLC that’s 2 hours long, and narrated by Jason Alexander. I’ve seen it six times, mostly late at night so far. For some reason, I love Jason Alexander’s narration.
*Discover Channel–The Elephant Man: There’s a special on John Merrick (The Elephant Man) on Discovery Channel I’ve seen a couple of times, which is narrated by John Hurt. I know that if I ever catch it again, I’ll watch it all the way through.
I myself don’t have one, but my husband must drop everything and miss several hours of his life whenever: The Blues Brothers, any of the Back to the Future movies or Mother, Jugs and Speed is on. (He was a hour and a half late for work once because of MJ&S. I have to say I watched it once and was APPALLED.)
The closest I come is Willy Wonka and maybe Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead but I’m perfectly capable of turning them off if there’s a pressing need to.
That cheesy-assed 1980 movie with Lee Majors and Burgess Meredith set in the far future!!! year of 2000 (in which shaggy hair and bell-bottoms have made a comeback) where cars are forbidden, and Lee, a former racer, and one of the goofy Laborteaux kids steal a race car and drive across America for some damned reason or another, pursued by Burgess in a jet, and they have adventures and Lee gets laid, IIRC.
It shows on my local independent station at least once a month during their SUNDAY CRAPPY MOVIE SPECTACULAR, hosted by some dude who owns a carpet store in Cincinnati, and I never can remember the name of the damned cheesy thing. “The Last Race,” “The Last Car,” something like that.
I never really intend to watch it, it just comes on when I’m too lazy to reach for the remote to change the channel.
For us it’s Christmas movies. Mr. Romans must watch the 1951 version of A Christmas Carol because he thinks Alastair Sim was the best Scrooge ever (I personally prefer George C. Scott). And we both watch A Christmas Story because for some reason we never fail to find it funny even though we’ve probably watched it 20 times by now.
25 Lame: Jon Stewart, Janene Garofalo and Dennis Leary tear apart the worst music videos MTV has ever offered. Entirely worth it just for the part where Vanilla Ice goes off like a landmine.
Mystery Science Theater 3000: Manos: The Hands of Fate. I have most of the MST episodes dating from the Larry Erhard season to the end of the Comedy Central years, but this is my absolute fave.
Ah! I love the M.C. Hammer one and have played that tape threadbare. How anybody in irridescent puffy pants could make 35 million is astounding enough, but to entirely blowall of it is a real accomplishment!
Singin in the Rain*
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Brigadoon*
The Shining (either version)
It’s A Wonderful Life*
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer*
The Wizard of Oz
Own these, and still stop slack jawed in front of the TV when they come on.
Well, I’ve found myself watching and grinning and getting caught up over and over again in the completely silly fantasy “Notting Hill” about a dozen times so far. I really loved that movie. No, I’m not saying it’s a classic brilliant film, just that it happens to be a marvelous fantasy starring two of the most appealing people on earth, plus the guy who plays Spike, and I just can’t resist it.
The only other ones that occur to me are * The Godfather I and II * and * Jaws. * I’m sure there are others but I know I always end up watching those. Have seen them both at least a couple dozen times.
Fright Night. Chris Sarandon, Amanda Bearse, Roddy McDowall. Columbia Pictures, 1985.
It’s my favorite movie of all time. I have seen this movie so many times. It’s just really well-written and lots of good acting and both funny and scary. One of these days I’ll buy the video.
This will sound odd - but there are a couple of John Stossel (20/20) specials that I must have seen a half dozen times each, I’d still watch if they came on. One was about swearing, and the other was on the death penalty.
Wonderful Life is compelling and still elicits tears. Actually, truth to tell, it elicits more tears as I get older and sadder about life.
Mind you, I never can actually see enough of Pottersville. I’d like just a glimpse in those rowdy bars that J. Stewart staggers past. Awful, I’m sure, but probably verry interesting.
I have a weakness for cheap, quick, easy entertainment. I love TBS. Where else can you see Road House one night and Dumb and Dumber the next? I’m also a sucker for The 'Burbs, Lethal Weapon, and The Blues Brothers.
Definitely RUDOLPH THE RED NOSED REINDEER. After 2 consecutive years of missing it, I bought it, but I still make every attempt to catch the annual tv airing.
Forgot another one: Duel. I saw the last half hour of it twice this week. Man, I hate the driver of the truck. Every jackass driver I’ve run into rolled up into one.
Every Christmas Eve I can not go to bed without watching
A christmas Carol with Alistair Sim. But I look for that.
If I’m flipping and come across that Train Wreck “An American Christmas Carol” I have to watch it no matter how much I think it stinks.
Other specials:
It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown
A Charlie Brown Christmas
A Year Without a Sanata Claus
Santa Claus is Coming to Town
All of the Simpson’s Halloween Specials
Rudolf the red nosed reindeer
Rudolf’s shiney new year
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
