My wife would say… “How many times can you rewatch that movie?” I guess I’m like a little kid who wants to reread an old bedtime story. Mine would be The Shawshank Redemption. It’s cathartic to my soul. Next would be Die Hard. Just for the sheer amount of one liners that is sooooo fun to listen and say… almost like a sing a long… but now it’s a swear a long. What’s your rewatchable movie?

DHH: For me, it’s The Godfather. I’m thinking about Part I, though Part II would qualify as well. (I didn’t even hate Part III, though I don’t have a strong impulse to watch it again.) Epic storytelling, family drama, unbeatable acting, social and historical commentary, all in a pulp fiction wrapper — what’s not to like? And since I’m a theatre person, I feel compelled to add my rewatchable musical as well: that would be Gypsy. Every time that show is revived, I rush to see the new production, which always leaves me an emotional mess. Even this strip tease, featuring Laura Benati as “Louise” from the 2008 Broadway production starring Patti LuPone, gets me all choked up.

ALFREDO: my cinematic comfort foods are Jaws – the perfect blend of man vs. nature, man vs. man, and, any actor vs. Robert Shaw (“Quint”) – the man chewed scenery like a pit bull left alone with a New York steak; and the balance of action and character? Spot on. Spielberg was 29 when he pulled this off. Ugh!

And for dessert: any episode of Columbo. They were ninety minutes long, and every bit as good as a feature film.

EMMIE: When Harry Met Sally. Billy Crystal & Meg Ryan are so great in that film.

Also, Spirited Away. I don’t re-watch movies much, but I did see this in the theatre twice in a row (something I’ve never do). Totally magical. I recommend the English dubbing over the original Japanese. Sounds weird, I know, but the voices of the main characters seem better in the English version. May I also use this opportunity to confess that I have a crush on the 13-yr-old-boy-looking dragon.

QUENTIN: Mine is Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead. I bought the movie on VHS when I was sixteen visiting Japan and I have watched that movie for at least 50 times, many of which I was showing my friends the fabulous picture. And believe it or not I still have the same VHS after all these years. I have to say I discovered Sam Raimi before anyone in the mainstream knew his name and years before he made The Evil Dead II. The Evil Dead was such a brilliant little gem and maybe I’m going to rewatch it again tonight!

PHILIP: There are movies I’ll sit and re-watch over and over if I’m switching channels and they happen to be on–The Godfather, Back to the Future, Caddyshack, The Apartment and Casablanca come to mind. But the movie I consistently come back to is Singin’ in the Rain. No matter what the mood that movie just works–it’s a musical for people who both love and hate musicals (and everyone in-between). One-and-a-half hours of pure cinematic exuberance is the best way to describe it and it’s the only film I know that everyone who watches it, loves it. And in the history of film musicals has there ever been a better number than this:

ROGER: Blue Crush – because it seems to capture the innocence of a tropical youth I wish I could have experienced. Trainspotting – because it allows me to exercise to my inner rebel within without having to risk prison time or overdosing on hard drugs. Love Actually – because I so envy Colin Firth’s language-challenged romance. The Sound of Music – mainly b/c it’s forced upon us yearly during the holidays and I’m too lazy to turn the channel or get off my butt.

JEROME: I’ve got a couple answers for this one, but most of them are exactly the ones you’d expect, from me or just people in general. So I’ll throw out Bronson. I put this on in the background recently, while working on a script, and I ended up watching the whole thing instead of getting any pages done.

Something about that movie is mesmerizing and hypnotic and it’s hard to pull away from its draw. Tom Hardy is magnetic and the musical choices are effective and eclectic.

ANDERSON: For me, rewatchable films depends if it passes my cable tv test, like if I am flipping channels and TNT or USA, where they are edited for foul language, etc. I usually hate that but if it is a film on my rewatchable list, I will still sit through it and usually watch the whole thing.

The usual films like the Indiana Jones series or Star Wars comes to mind, but there are 3 films that I will always watch no matter what because I discovered them on TV when I was younger (in high school and college) and I owned them on VHS and would watch them consistently with friends, usually drunk.

First film would be Major League because it is the ultimate sports movie. Every character is on point and I loved Wesley Snipes as Willy Mays Hays. Every joke is still hilarious.

Second, is Dazed and Confused. I’ve seen this film over 100 times. Whenever I watch it, UT becomes a quotathon for me. I dormed in college and that was my stoner movie, so yeah, you get the point.

(NOTE: Yes, Anderson clearly stated he’d pick three films, but there are only two listed here as you can see–dazed and confused indeed)

BEVERLY: I could watch Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind over and over. It KILLS me. I bawl my eyes out all the time.

But my favorite low-cal re-run films are: Titanic (even though I won’t pay to see it in 3-D, sorry), ANY Bruce Lee flick (just saw The Big Boss 2 nights ago, still as good as it was when I was 8 years old!), Pretty in Pink (love Ducky!), When Harry Met Sally (I totally understand, Emmie, I totally understand), Wizard of Oz (come on, that tornado is STILL scary!), and any sing-a-long flick (Little Mermaid, Sound of Music, etc) that they play at the Castro Theatre in SF for Sing-A-Long night. Freakin’ good time!!!!!

SUNG: I could watch Rocky everyday. I love the story and Stallone has a great performance. The music makes me want to work harder in life.