This week’s question is shamelessly stolen from a tweet by Julia Marchese:
What movie have you seen the most times in its initial theatrical run?
I think for me it must be 1993’s The Fugitive, starring Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones. It’s a terrific film, of course — one of the rare perfect movies, even — but there are lots of great movies that I haven’t seen as many times. I wasn’t having a great time at work that summer (I was at my last corporate job, in publishing in New York, one I would eventually quit in despair), and was incredibly stressed out. The movie was very popular that summer and into the fall, and it was playing all that time in a little multiplex around the corner from where I lived in the East Village. There were many days when I’d be walking home from work and think, Well, I’ll just pop in and see ‘The Fugitive’ again on my way. Like how you’d stop to pick up some milk. I’m not even sure how many times I saw it like that, but it must be a dozen at least.
Your turn…
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Oliver!
Star Wars for me, four times. There are a bunch of movies I’ve seen twice in theaters, but I’ve seldom had the variables of mobility, money, and time converge in a way that might encourage multiple theatrical viewings.
The movie I saw the most often in its original theatrical run was probably The Great Muppet Caper. The movie I’ve seen the most times altogether is probably Labyrinth, which also involves Muppets, but it’s in close competition with The Princess Bride–which might have been improved by Muppets.
I’ve loved and rewatched a lot of films in their initial run, but usually no more than twice. But for some reason I just had to go back to see Mad Max: Fury Road, I think four times. A perfect, astounding film.
I can’t think of a single film I have seen more than once in its theatrical run. A combination of the expense, the distance to the cinema (I live in a rural area, so I have to plan out cinema trips), and my desire to see as many films as I can has kept me from double-dipping, I guess.
Back to the Future, the first one – must have been four or five times. Certainly I knew it to the point where I could remember what the next scene would be, but I still enjoyed it every time.
Even back when i was young and saw movies way more I dont think I ever saw a movie more than maybe twice in a theater. I’m mostly a one and done kind of guy.