Stories,books and movies that bear re-telling more than a dozen times without complaint

[GettingTooOld]

There are some stories you might read once, there are some you can read twice, what can you still be excited to read more than a dozen times.

I noticed some time ago that I can tolerate and enjoy watching 'Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)' even though it was repeated a great deal one of only a few movie channels I had access to some years ago. I ended up watching this movie more than 50 times. Usually the way some jokes are told, like jokes with the audience where an actor beaks character after a silly joke and looks to camera at the audience to push home the point, and that only ever works once, if at all. watch it again and it's flat and straining. Although master and commander has some humor here and there it's delivered deadpan more or less and doesn't irritate on repetition.

I don't think of it as a favorite movie, but it would be a good choice on a desert island with only 1 DVD. (a situation which comes up rather often I know), then again in a way such things make good gifts.

What bears retelling, or re-watching, more than a dozen times.?

[mightyfelix]

Joe Versus the Volcano. Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, 1990. An absolute work of art.

And I've certainly read Watership Down more than a dozen times.

[GettingTooOld]

Joe Versus the Volcano. Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, 1990. An absolute work of art.

watched a little so far, I was like, is that her again? and looked to the credits, but accidentally saw someone very much alive quite close to the credits and thought, darn, rip-off, considering what was supposed to happen. Hmph.

I haven't watched the rest yet, so I'm not sure if it will be as much of a disappointment as the time I paid to see batman forever and it ended after 90 minutes, and the time I paid to see the never-ending story and I'll let your imagination fill in the rest there. I picture Tom hanks character with his boxing trunks and gloves on going head to head with the volcano. If that's not it, better be something just as good.

still tom and meg are so delightful and consistent that disappointment would be a rare treat in itself. Is there a Tom hanks film we can complain about ?
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ok, now I've seen almost all of it, it rather grows on you, although I have to object to the cultural disrespect shown to hammerhead sharks, it is one of the very best wedding ceremonies and proposals I've yet seen. excellent.

[norahnelson]

And I've certainly read Watership Down more than a dozen times.

Watership Down is one of my favorite books ever!

[KatLouise]

I love Watership Down, too, but it's been years since I read it.

For movies - Harold and Maude and Fiddler on the Roof. I'm sure I've seen them both 15+ times. With H&M, I just start crying as soon as it starts, haha!
Ah, Love!

[redrun]

Ah, Fiddler on the Roof! It's about time to watch that again...
Tevye: I'll get in on all the toast-proposals by proposing a toast to myself. In all the confusion, nobody will notice.

[MaryinArkansas]

One of my favorite books/movie is “The Yearling”. I haven’t actually read it that many times (three, maybe). I may have seen the movie four times. There is a very nice YouTube video from 2021 about the movie with Claude Jarman, Jr., who played Jody in the film.

[barbara2]

There are some stories you might read once, there are some you can read twice, what can you still be excited to read more than a dozen times.

I noticed some time ago that I can tolerate and enjoy watching 'Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)' even though it was repeated a great deal one of only a few movie channels I had access to some years ago. I ended up watching this movie more than 50 times.

[snip]

What bears retelling, or re-watching, more than a dozen times.?

Well, "anything by Jane Austen" was my immediate response. I can almost recite "Emma" backwards.

Then I looked more closely at your post. Yes, I love the film of "Master and Commander". I have the whole series of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin novels and they are too tattered by now to display on the book shelves.

And who was O'Brian's favourite author? Jane Austen - he had first editions of all her novels.

Barbara

[michellewilloughby]

For me, Pride and Prejudice is the best novel I have ever read. I read it three times. It perfectly captures how I feel about this book to quote Jane Austen from Sense and Sensibility: "if a book is well written, I always find it too short." It's no wonder she named this "my own darling child" since, in my opinion, Pride and Prejudice is perfect in every imaginable manner. It's the type of book that tempts you to pick it back up as soon as you've done reading.

[Jazbees]

I have yet to read a book more than once. There are some that I read in high school that I've considered revisiting because of the impact that they made on me at the time, but for the most part there's no draw to re-read something I've already read. I enjoy the discovery of new stories more than reliving "old" ones.

The same mostly goes for movies. There are plenty that I've watched multiple times, but mostly because they just happened to be playing and I didn't feel like doing anything else. I can't think of any film that I've watched more than maybe five or six times total. I think "The Princess Bride" and the original "TRON" are in that category, maybe one or two of the original "Star Wars" films, and perhaps "Raiders of the Lost Ark". Beyond those nothing is readily coming to mind.

[txphred]

I recognized the films you mentioned. I've read the fictional naval history (Aubrey/Maturin novels) series by Patrick O'Brian many times. Here are a few more books from the series:

The Unknown Shore
Post Captain
The Fortune of War
The Hundred Days
The Wine Dark Sea
Desolation Island

Over the decades I've read the Cambridge Medieval History more times than I can remember.

As to movies: All of The Thin Man movies (Nik & Nora), The Maltese Falcon, Sergeant York, Mister Roberts, Ninotchka, My Man Godfrey, both versions of The Big Sleep and To Have And Have Not.

[lightcrystal]

I'd happily watch The Dark Crystal another eleven times.
Can I count gamebooks? If so I'd read the Warlock of Firetop Mountain 12 times.