# Movies worthy of repeat viewing **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 27, 2013, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-worthy-of-repeat-viewing/674890 "2013-11-27T03:49:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2013, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-worthy-of-repeat-viewing/674890/41 "2013-11-28T21:42:48Z")
\*\*1776 Singing in the Rain \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Silvorange](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Silvorange](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silvorange)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-worthy-of-repeat-viewing/674890/42 "2013-11-29T00:54:24Z")
I’m going to try not to repeat any that others have listed, because there’s a lot of overlap. The Bad Seed What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? The Mark of Zorro (the Tyrone Power version) Muriel’s Wedding Cabin Boy Psycho One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Clueless To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-worthy-of-repeat-viewing/674890/43 "2013-11-29T03:39:17Z")
A lot of picks already mentioned, so I’ll try not to do too much “Me too!” on my list. My rewatchables: John Carpenter’s _The Thing_ - the tension, paranoia, etc, never gets old. I really like the 2011 prequel, too, warts and all. _The Big Lebowski_ - “Nihilists? _Fuck me._ I mean, say what you will about the tenets of National Socialism, Dude, at least it’s an ethos.” That line alone is worth the price of admission. John Goodman got robbed of a Best Supporting Actor award. _Raising Arizona_ - Hang on Junior, we’re going to get Daddy! _O Brother, Where Art Thou, No Country for Old Men, Burn Before Reading, Miller’s Crossing, True Grit,_ and _Fargo_ (yah, you betcha!) all go on the list. The Coens are just great film makers. _Buckaroo Banzai_ - crazy zany wacky fun every time I see it. _Alien & Aliens_ - Aliens especially can still elevate my pulse during the fight scenes. _Master and Commander: FSOTW_ - as a Patrick O’Brian fan, this movie is not only a spot-on perfect adaptation, it’s maybe one of the best “Wooden Ships/Iron Men” movies ever. _Open Range_ - I’m not a big Westerns fan, but this is one of my few; good plot (even if it is recycled), great dialogue, great chemistry, and a final showdown that’s epic. That’s about all I can think of at the moment. ---
**Author:** ![turtlescanfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@turtlescanfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/turtlescanfly)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-worthy-of-repeat-viewing/674890/44 "2013-11-29T03:39:55Z")
All good suggestions so far… a little light on the “why” so far, which is what I was most interested in (re-reading my OP yeah it looks like a throwaway comment). I agree with **Namekcalb** that movies with a good twist make good for repeat viewing (seems counter-intuitive since the twist is no longer a surprise) because you can look to see what clues are subtlety dropped early on. So suppose I was a writer/director/producer (I’m not) and was making a movie and I decided for some reason that my main goal was to make a movie that people want to watch over and over again. What elements should I include? Or is it more of a _je ne sais quoi_ property of the final product that can’t be planned? Oh and, _Dances with Wolves_ _Eight Crazy Nights_ ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-worthy-of-repeat-viewing/674890/45 "2013-11-29T03:51:09Z")
As for the “reason(s) why,” they include great story, wonderful dialogue, and perfect casting. All of the movies I mentioned (and many more I can think of) were far greater than the sum of their parts, and therefore memorable. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-worthy-of-repeat-viewing/674890/46 "2013-11-29T03:54:55Z")
_Twister_ _Groundhog Day_ _National Lampoon Christmas_ Most of the Marx Brothers movies The Monty Python films ---
**Author:** ![Donegal\_Dragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Donegal\_Dragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donegal_Dragon)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-worthy-of-repeat-viewing/674890/47 "2013-11-29T04:27:25Z")
I’ll add: Ronin The American The Professional Blade Runner ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-worthy-of-repeat-viewing/674890/48 "2013-11-29T09:31:26Z")
Goodfellas Heathers The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover and Bambi ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2013, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-worthy-of-repeat-viewing/674890/49 "2013-11-30T00:41:06Z")
**Rope**. The why is on the second and subsequent viewings you can enjoy Hitchcock’s unique long takes. It really is like watching a play and it is one of Hitchcock’s finest films, in my opinion. **The Bridge on the River Kwai**. It is well worth a second watch simply to enjoy the great cinematography. This assumes you’re watching it on a large tv and preferably on blu ray. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2013, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-worthy-of-repeat-viewing/674890/50 "2013-12-01T02:24:55Z")
Primer ---
**Author:** ![ASanders](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asanders/32/3367_2.png) [@ASanders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASanders)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2013, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-worthy-of-repeat-viewing/674890/51 "2013-12-01T03:16:34Z")
Many of my favorites have been mentioned already, but not my very favorite: **The Sting.** I saw that five or six times when it was in theaters as a first run (paying 75 cents each time), and I’ll watch it again whenever the opportunity presents itself. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2013, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-worthy-of-repeat-viewing/674890/52 "2013-12-01T03:41:19Z")
I just saw **Gosford Park** for the fourth or fifth time. On repeated viewing, you start to pick up clues about the later events in the film and a better understanding of the relationships among the characters. Actually, many mysteries/whodunits are interesting to watch a second time, to see if you can pick up clues. ---
**Author:** ![Precambrianmollusc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/precambrianmollusc/32/63_2.png) [@Precambrianmollusc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Precambrianmollusc)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2013, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-worthy-of-repeat-viewing/674890/53 "2013-12-01T04:17:00Z")
The Shawshank Redemption Apollo 13 Saving Private Ryan LOTR trilogy Goodfellas and Casino ---
**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2013, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-worthy-of-repeat-viewing/674890/54 "2013-12-01T16:09:26Z")
Rewatch reasons: **Really good or classical actors “slumming it” in otherwise silly plots or hammy dialogue, but still applying their craft at the highest level:** Clue Avengers/Thor/Iron Man Galaxy Quest Princess Bride Legend (for Tim Curry as Darkness, pretty exclusively) Any of the Harry Potters with a high Snape quotient **My Own Classics - I know them so well that they’re like comfort food for the mind - just lay back and quote the movie as it goes along.** Star Wars (original trilogy only) Clue again Fantasia Labyrinth Dark Crystal Blazing Saddles The Producers (either old or new - I like both for different reasons) Beauty and the Beast (disney animated) Robin Hood (disney animated) Princess Mononoke Laputa, Castle in the Sky Howl’s Moving Castle Spirited Away Babe (the pig movie) Oceans 11 (but only 11) The Incredibles (animated) Anything with Shirley Temple (I’m not proud of this, but it is what it is) **Mindless Action with Pretty People:** Transporter (any of them, really) Thor, Thor Dark World James Bond (mostly Pierce Brosnan, but I won’t turn down Connery or Craig either) Oceans 12 and 13 Riddick movies Zorro duo (with Antonio Banderas) **I’m a Sucker for Apocalypses:** Independence Day Armageddon (the “nuke an asteroid” movie) The Day After Tomorrow 2012 Pacific Rim **"Bad" movies I imprinted on, and I really don’t have an explanation:** Tron (not the reboot, the original) Logan’s Run The two live-action Ewok movies (I hate myself _every time_, but I can’t stop…) Zorro: the Gay Blade The Stepford Wives Princess Diaries [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-worthy-of-repeat-viewing/674890.md?page=2)