Rerun city: Films I watch over and over and over and over and...

While I was channel-surfing and trying to nimbly avoid all things Tea Party, John Mayer, and John Edwards, I came across back-to-back showings of the 2003 film Something's Gotta Give. I watched the tail end of the current showing and then watched the whole damn thing start to end. You so don't want to know how often I have seen this flick.

I love Something's Gotta Give, it is a sweet, charming and wise romance for adults, and includes the classic line, spoken by Jack Nicholson:"Schmucks are people too, you know."

Why do I enjoy this flick so much, and so often? What about it works for me? There are lots of movies out there, some fantastic, some mediocre, and many that are just plain lousy.

How many times have I seen Something's Gotta Give? Not telling. Some movies stand up better on repeat viewings, like this one, and some don't, like Traffic. It's not necessarily the best ones I want to watch again; yep, Sophie's Choice was brilliant, but I have seen Sophie and suffered through her drama, I know what her damn choice was, and now we are done.

Then there are those movies that I happily watch whenever and wherever I stumble across them: Chariots of Fire, Psycho, the Bourne movies, the Star Wars trilogy, Finding Nemo, Gone with the Wind, Dr Zhivago, Down with Love, Rebecca, Longime Companion, Private Benjamin, anything Mel Brooks, and my all time favourite Laura.

Of course, musicals are easy to watch over and over, and there are lots I love and have seen multiple times - West Side Story, Grease, Moulin Rouge, Hairspray, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Mamma Mia, Xanadu (yes, really).

So what makes a movie rerun-able? What do these movies have in common?

1- They are all really good, except possibly Xanadu, which I love because is utterly craptastic (and has music by ELO!).

2- They are fun and uplifting, or at least not depressing or overly violent or war-like; I mean, Saving Private Ryan, was great, but really, watch it again? Not gonna happen.

3- They tend to be funny, or have really great visuals. Few serious pics here, although I might add Ordinary People to this list, and it is sad as hell.

4- None of them are directed by Oliver Stone. May or may not mean anything. I'm just saying...

5- They all have a certain unique charm, a "je ne sais quoi" or as Simon Cowell would call it the X-factor. They stand out, except again maybe Xanadu, which yes I have come out of the closet and admit to loving.

Okay so this is not yet a cohesive or comprehensive film thesis. I will ponder and revisit.

As for Something's Gotta Give, I am still not gonna tell you how often I have seen it. Let's just say a lot. And if you haven't, what the eff are you waiting for... see it!