Can You Watch and Re-Watch Something?

[mrbrownstone]

This thread is inspired by a debate of sorts i'm having with my mum. Basically the question is can you watch an episode of a TV show or a movie more than once and still enjoy it?

Her stance is no, once she has seen it she has seen it and no matter how good it was or how much she enjoyed it she will only watch it once because and I quote "she knows the plot" basically she knows what is going to happen and it is no longer interesting to her. The only exception to this is if she watches a movie again say 10 years later after forgetting the plot.

I'm the exact opposite, I can and do watch movies and TV shows more than once, one the stance that if they were good the first time they will still be good the second or third time, if I found it funny the first time I will find it funny the second time. Don't get me wrong if I have seen a movie perhaps 10 or so times I will start to get sick of it but I can certainly watch something more than once and still enjoy it.

What is your stance on this, can you watch things over and over again or once you have seen something and know the plot can you never watch it again, no matter how good it was?

 

[LitasRevenge79]

I'm with you on this one. I am someone who will watch shows and movies I like no matter how many times I've seen them. For example, I'm a HUGE fan of the series, ROSEANNE, ANGEL, LEVERAGE. I don't care that they are still re-running, or ended, or in between new seasons. I will watch them purely for the entertainment value. Sometimes you are so enthralled when you watch it one time, that you then see another detail you may have missed out on a previous time you watched it. Other times its strictly for the nostalgia (more on the ROSEANNE and ANGEL series.) For LEVERAGE, its more for the action and actors in it, I just think those actors were suited for that show. In terms of a movie I could watch over and over, I'm not so hip to a particular movie, I'm more a series kind of girl.

 

[Tired0FthePeople]

I can watch, watch and watch Inglorious Bastards over and over again. Same thing with There's Something About Mary. Those are the only two movies I own and get the urge to just watch them over and over and I dont know why because I like The Dark Knight better than There's Something about Mary but dont get the urge to Watch TDN over and over again. As far as TV shows, I can watch them again after some time has passed. I just started watching The Sopranos over again on demand, and have no problems with it. I can also do that with The Boardwalk. Then there are other programs I enjoyed but have no urge to re-watch them...so Im not sure how the formula actually works lol.

 

[INDYjon22]

Of course you can watch and re-watch something. That is a silly question posed by your mother, no offense. The fact of the matter is that it is much more likely that you can catch subtle things when you re-watch a film or show. I own hundreds of movies and I have re-watched all of them and can pretty much say that I have found something I haven't seen before in all of them. The more you watch something the better you can find the little hints and clues that the director or writers put in the film to help move the movie along while not being obvious.

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

BlackAdder 2, 3 and 4

Have watched it numerous times already, solely because the cast is brilliantly funny and the jokes are very well done. It's my kinda humour. It's not about the plot for me it's about the lulz. Same goes for Friends actually.

Movies are tricky, because once I've seen them, I seldom watch them again. Unless it's a good comedy or I have time to kill. Suspense, thrillers no, never again for sure.

 

[darkharlequin]

I watch the entire series of Red Dwarf from beginning to end at least twice a year. We even have a name for it at my house. Red Weekend which incidentally does not start at Red Dawn cause I don't get up that early.

 

[Phoenix]

Everyone's answered correctly here because you can watch and re-watch something because naturally the entertainment value can be retained from your previous experience, and as films are a device means of escaping reality, revisiting a certain film can provide you that experience you felt once again.

The other element that has been overlooked is how watching the same film/show a couple of times can open up new possibilities, feelings and meaning. One of my favourite films is Cruel Intentions because there are so many layers to it and can be open to interpretation, some of the best films provide that little something extra that you may have not picked up on the first time.

So in short, anything is rewatchable unless you absolutely didn't like the film, like I will probably will not watch No Country For Old Men a second time because I felt it was an atrocious film.

 

[Davi323]

A: CDs, DVDs, MP3s, Blu-Rays, music radio

Q: What are things we all own that by their very nature, assume we can watch or listen to something more than once?

I think the vasy majority of people are going to fall into the repeat viewing category, entire industries are built upon this classification of people. I would ask the OP whether or not his mom owns any CDs. What is the difference between listening to a song more than once and watching a movie or TV show more than once? She has already heard the music and lyrics, how is that different from already knowing a plot? Same thing with listening to any radio station that plays music. They repeat songs all the time, if she listens, she is hearing a lot of repeat stuff. Basically, how consistent is she with the whole "non repeat" thing? If she owns CDs, DVDs or any of that stuff, call her out for the lack of consistency.

 

[Aeon Mathix]

Hell ya we I can watch and re-watch something. I have over a hundred movies and around 20 plus WWE shows on my hard drive. Where I'm at right now I really have no choice but to watch them over and over again. I've probably watched WrestleMania 17 at least 50 times through. Just something that never gets old. Plus you have the comedy flicks that you may like watching with your buddys on a friday night. Thats why people have favorite movies I don't think you can have a favorite movie and not want to watch it more than once. Its like Davi above me said, we have these things to own so that we can enjoy them more times than one. If we don't want to watch movies or listen to music more than once we could just use netflix and rent it or just look up the song on youtube.

 

[Trill Co$by]

I can understand your mom's side of the story with the no shock value cause it's like reading a smackdown spoiler... it's just pointless to watch anymore, sometimes.

However, I can not stand going a week without watching a star wars movie... sometimes even a day... It's just that great to me, all six of them actually. Yeah 1-3 aren't as good as the originals but they still get me very interested in them. Plus, I can easily go back and rewatch every single Psych episode and come out laughing, especially ones where Gus bails out on Shawn.

 

[Chardee Macdennis]

Certainly you can. I've seen the movie "Stand by Me" well over 50 times and still enjoy it. Also, "Wedding Crashers" never gets old to me. There are fart too many for me to list them all, but a ton of movies and tv shows get better with age.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

I have a pretty regular stock of "re-watch" items. In fact, overall, I prefer to watch something I've already seen tons of times vs. watching something new. When I'm cleaning the house or just lounging around, I'd rather watch something I know by heart and not have to intellectually involve myself too much.

1. My mob flicks. Casino is #1, Goodfellas is #2, and Godfather is #3. Bronx Tale and Mobsters are also on the list. I love to just have those on in the background because I know every line anyway and they're entertaining to no end.

2. My inspiration. I firmly believe certain films should be re-watched because of their motivational value. Usually sports flicks. Rudy is #1, Rocky is #2, Vision Quest is #3. Remember the Titans can make the list, but everytime that's even on, I'm glued to it.

3. My comedies. Just for a lighthearted laugh and for the quoatable lines. #1 Ghostbusters, #2 Wedding Crashers, #3 tons of others

4. Everything else. Overall great films I love to have on. #1 A Few Good Men, #2 the Star Wars films, #3 Willow, #4 my horror and slasher flicks.

5. TV Show DVDs. Scrubs and Friends.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

The amount of good taste on this thread so far is amazing!

Of course you watch things you love over and over. A movie like Twelve Monkeys you have to watch again because it takes repeat viewings to fully understand the plot. Airplane - if you got all the jokes on one viewing, you weren't laughing hard enough. The Usual Suspects and The Sixth Sense - hold on a second, how'd I miss that? Anything by James Cameron or George Lucas - how did they do that?

The comparison with music couldn't be more apt - if you love a movie it has the same resonance. Grease, the Blues Brothers, Rocky Horror, Pulp Fiction, Monty Python etecetra - lovers of these films can almost 'sing along' to every single bit of dialogue. The fact that some of these are musicals reinforces this idea.

Here's a question - how many of you, when given the choice of watching a film they want to see or a personal favourite will ignore/ record the unseen movie and watch the beloved?

TV shows? Anyone who can remember all of a long running TV show ala Friends, Frasier, Roseanne must be a frickin genius - even on repeated viewings you will find hidden gems you either missed or forgot about.

Everytime I'm under the weather I watch the Princess Bride - despite the fact that I'm now 37, I'm still able to put myself in Fred Savage's place (I've gotten to the age that I don't mind the kissing parts so much now).

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I do not have a problem in rewatching films if I have seen them, and enjoyed them. If you didnt do this, then your DVD collection would either be pretty small (as you wouldnt buy anything you had seen previously, or would be very hit and miss (as you would buy unseen films and probably wouldnt enjoy alot of them). If you enjoy something and have the urge to see it again, to witness that legendary scene, or your favourite funny moment again, then why not??

My girlfriend is of the opposite opinion. She rarely wants to watch a DVD or episode of TV show again, after seeing it once. This irritates me a bit, as I want to watch The Simpsons on Sky 1 for example, and she moans and complains that she has already seen it! So what? Its fucking funny so I wanna see it again, and yeah I may not LOL as much as the 1st time I saw it, but I will still find it funny.

Films I have seen many many times and never get bored of include

Training Day
Superbad
Independence Day
Pulp Fiction
Rock N Rolla
Terminator 2
The Departed

and TV shows I can watch again and again include

The Simpsons
Family Guy
Friends
Two and A Half Men
Only Fools and Horses
Top Gear

 

[JGlass]

Despite being a film major, I actually sometimes struggle to make it through watching the same movie twice. That said, I can easily do it for some of my favorites.

The Princess Bride- It's just an all around amazing film. I could probably watch this movie once weekly without getting bored of it. My favorite scene is probably when Andre the Giant is rhyming everything the Sicilian dude says, though Billy Crystal's Miracle Max gets a big nod as well.

V for Vendetta- I love this movie, it's a perfect blend of action and ideological debate, almost like a modern 1984. The acting is fantastic, and this is the film that gave me a huge celebrity crush on Natalie Portman (before she was bald (and maybe even a little after)). The action sequences are phenomenal as is the dialogue, and those two things help for the rewatchability of a movie.

The Epic Trilogies- I'm fan of Star Wars and Lord of The Rings, and I can watch any of those movies over and over again. I haven't watched the Indiana Jones movies in years (since I was in elementary school I believe), so I can't really comment on those, and while I love Back to the Future, I was not a fan of either sequel. But when it comes to Star Wars and LotR, I can watch that shit all day long.

Certain Comedies- Wedding Crashers, Wayne's World, Anchorman, Dodgeball, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Big Daddy, Waiting, Dogma... plenty others as well.

Big- My favorite Tom Hanks. Watching this movie is, for whatever reason, one of my earliest childhood memories (Possibly because I was mesmerized by how awesome his loft is. What 5 or 6 year old kid wouldn't want an apartment full of toys?). Since watching it as a child, I have learned to appreciate some of the other aspects of the movie that went right over my head, and I still love it.

The Warriors This is a movie that I watch and become lost in their world. I've compared it to professional wrestling, in that every gang has their own costume and gimmick, and the plot is a phenomenal allusion to The Odyssey. In my opinion this is one of the greatest films that many people will never see.

 

[Kashagi]

Of course, as stated already with every great film you will always catch little things and understand various parts of the film with every rewatch. This week alone I have found myself watching Vertigo 3 seperate times with different people. Though I must have seen the film around 50 times myself, I still do not get tired of it, and find I appreciate it more with every viewing. Of course this isnt the only film this applies to, just a recent example for me.

 

[SorgFamily]

Yeah, do I even have to say where I stand given every other answer here. Not only can I watch movies more than once but some movies like Dumb and Dumber or Austin Powers, I still find new things to laugh at. Could be as simple as a face they make or a joke I never caught and I've seen those movies well over fifty times - at least - each. Some TV shows that I have on DVD, I'll agree with your mom (ha, your mom), I may never watch again. Mostly the dramas like House or maybe even 24 and I can't really say that with certainty because now that I typed that I want to watch the first season of 24. Comedies like HIMYM or Scrubs, forget about it. I'll watch those over and over until I wear the DVD down to nothing.

 

[jacdnwarrior]

Star Wars the original trilogy. I can watch that over again and over again. The Matrix, I went to see over and over again.

 

[Tap or Snap]

I can watch and re-watch things a lot. I've even watched my wrestling DVDs over and over again. So the answer is yes you can watch and re-watch things. It's not a problem.