OK, let’s be honest. It’s not going to be Godfather or Raging Bull. I get it. Those are great movies, and you’ve seen them many times. But, there is no way on Earth that you’ve seen them more times than anyone else. I thought about this, and I think there are two movies that I’ve seen more than anyone else, and they both fall into the same category: terrible movies that I loved as a child for no apparent reason. Only a child can watch a terrible movie over and over and over!
First. I’m reasonably certain that I saw Solarbabies more than any other person on Earth. It is, literally, at 0% on Rotten Tomatoes, as you can see. It has a surprisingly decent cast. Now, it’s true that I have not seen this movie in at least 30 years, but I’m fairly sure that I watched this scifi lacrosse movie well over 100 times, and I can’t imagine even it’s stars, Jason Patric or Jami Gertz could stomach watching it that many times. I loved this goddamn movie as a kid, and I can never watch it again because I assume that it would be absolutely terrible now that I’m an adult.
Second. Maybe less confident that I sawIce Piratesmore than any other person living (or dead). A scifi/comedy sort of Spaceballs but without any of the humor or charm, it comes in at a whopping 9% on Rotten Tomatoes. I can maybe imagine this having obtained some degree of campy cult status, but I’ve never heard anyone ever mention this movie that I watched daily for months when I was ten. Similar to above, I have not seen it since I was a kid, and I would prefer to keep it in my memory rather than watch it again and ruin that.
I genuinely believe that I have seen these movies more than any other person.
I’ve seen *The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T * at least four times. Granted, it’s a cult favorite, but it’s simply not on very often, and I don’t know if it’s on DVD or even videotape.
“Another time, he became obsessed with the 1968 film Ice Station Zebra, and had it run on a continuous loop in his home. According to his aides, he watched it 150 times.[107][108] Feeling guilty about the commercial, critical, and literal toxicity of his film The Conqueror, he bought every copy of the film for $12 million, watching the film on repeat. Paramount Pictures acquired the rights of the film in 1979, 3 years after his death.[109]”
When I graduated from college and got my own apartment and some disposable income, I tuned my TV to HBO and left it there as the default channel. For reasons I no longer recall, I must have watched Inside Moves a couple of dozen times. It was an obscure 1980 film about basketball, with David Morse and John Savage. I really don’t recall the plot at all, but it was somehow entertaining at the time. I’m sure the vast majority of viewers never saw fit to watch it more than once.
I’ve seen Fantasia at least seven times.
I’m pretty sure I saw Running Man at least a dozen times.
I saw Fantastic Planet at least three times.
I saw Suburban Commando once.
Sad to say, it’s probably Roller Boogie. I’ve seen Fantasia maybe 30 times, but so have a lot of people.
Madame Pepperwinkle LOVED the movie when we were newlywed, and we must have seen it at least 10 times. It was on TV last year and I made her sit through it again. She found it as awful as I did the other 10 times.
I used to watch The Flamingo Kid (1984) at the beginning of every summer (I had a VHS copy and now I have a DVD); while I don’t do that anymore, I’ll probably watch it again soon. I’ve probably seen it 12-15 times.
I’ve probably seen *Boogie Nights *(1997) at least a dozen times, but it’s not hard to imagine that other people have seen it more than that.
Kiss the Blood Off My Hands (1948) and Rancho Notorious (1952) the better part of ten times each.
Strange Cargo (1940) at least a dozen times.
Casino Royale (1967) more than 20 times.
All are among my 17 all-time favorite movies.
I saw Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) three times in one day when it first came on cable, after having already seen it in theaters. I am sure that’s not a record, but if it is, it’s not one I’d be proud of today.
I’ve got to be in the running for '80s “classic” Overboard. Not out of any sort of affection, but because my dad wired up an old portable TV and a VHS player in the back of our minivan when I was a kid, but, for some reason, the only tapes we ever had in there were Overboard and a recording of the episode of The Simpsons where Bart tries to jump over Springfield Gorge on his skateboard.
Dang near any car trip longer than a half hour was accompanied by a chunk of Overboard for at least a couple years.
Fonda and Stewart cowboy buddy movie with some of the best actresses around playing the ladies of said social club. Shirley Jones, Sue Ane Langdon and Elaine Devry together in one movie. Throw in Dabs Greer and you’ve got a classic.
Directed by Gene Kelly. Yes, that Gene Kelly.
I always record it when it comes on TCM or whatever.
I’ve seen* Fellowship of the Rings *more than 100 times. When the extended edition came out on DVD, I used to watch it every Saturday afternoon while folding the laundry–so often that I still associate the Last Alliance of Men and Elves with sorting and matching socks.
