Screenwriting : How many times you can watch you favorite movie? by Stevan Šerban

Owen, if you only date people who think exactly as you do, you will get bored very quickly! Stevan, for me it depends on what type of film it is. Something really heavy, like "Schindler's List", I may only watch once. (Brilliant film, but once was enough, even though I would rate that film 4 out of 5 stars.) A very funny film with non-stop laughs is often enjoyable again. (My guilty pleasure is "The Hangover", which is hilarious no matter how many times I watch it! And "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" is still as hilarious after a dozen views.) A film that's mind-bending, like "The Matrix", begs to be watched multiple times! (I had to watch it three times to realize that everything the Oracle said came true, for instance.) And many of us have a favorite Christmas film that we want to watch every year in December.

Well, Owen, it might be because we don't think alike! Which made you smile!

Here is an article regarding Novelty and the Brain: http://lifehacker.com/novelty-and-the-brain-why-new-things-make-us-feel-... It seems our brain rewards us for finding new things. Now you would assume this would make you want to watch only new things, except when a film is truly great, you will spot new unique moments that you missed or had not retained in your long term memory. =REWARD. For example, most recently, my boys were watching The Lego Movie for the umpteenth time - which means by proxy, I have seen it many times, too - and yet there it was, before Emmett had begun his quest, I noticed that the builders of Brickburg were all perfectly walking in sync while Emmett jumped around trying to find acceptance. He was always different form the crowd. BRAIN=REWARDED.

I watch my favorite movies a dozen times and each time I enjoy as the first time. Some of my favorites are blockbusters, Star Wars, The Fifth Element, Men In Black..., when I watch this movies for second, third or tenth time, I watch to learn how to write a great screenplay!

Hi Ardua! Have you watched "Blade Runner"?

I'm a once-only guy. I'll watch a movie and then think about it for the next 3 or 4 days in my head while I go about my business. I'll only watch it again if it has a commentary, or maybe years later if a friend wants to watch it.

When I rewatch a film, it's partially because I enjoyed it the first time, but I also love to look for things like continuity errors and gaffes!

I loved Lincoln, but it's one of those I'll only watch once. There are classics, sci-fi and movies with favorite actors that'll I'll watch more than once. It just really varies as to what movies I'll watch more than once. Those are the ones I'll buy.

I find that I go through a large list of movies as "Favorites" but they end up being played a few times in a week or month (depending on the film) as the mood suites me. Lots of great movies out there, lots of great ones yet to be made.

Yes, "Blade Runner" was terrific--worth more than one watch!

I have so many of them that I watch over and over countless times. I will say a couple of them "Hush" and "The Devils Advocate"

Some movies i enjoyed when the first came out but can't watch...yes. First and foremost "The Andromeda Strain". After 35 years in Public Health; I find myself almost unable not to correct the obvious "mistakes".

Not really a mistake per se, and I realize we were at the forefront of the computer age; and i realize it was an important plot point. But you have a "computerized" plate reader that doesn't have a backspace key...there are also others but since it's been a while since I've seen it I don't want to go too far out on a limb. Also in Michael Crichton's defense most of the problems of the film later on had to do with the horrible editing for television.

I've watched some films I like 100's of times always for pleasure, but then saying that...ahem...whenever I watch something I'm analysing it somewhere in the background... comes from studying media to degree level... not that it helped me get a job LOL. I hope that by actively watching a variety of films I'm learning.

Did you learn something about screenwriting watching you favorite movie again and again?