Do you re-read books?

[Greg Anos]

IF it is permitted, I might suggest (from my list of frequently rewatched movies) Sergio Leonie's - My Name Is Nobody (a philosophical musing on aging wrapped inside of a spaghettti western), Carry On Up The Khyber (an uproarous send-up of the British Empire by the british themselves), and The original Thomas Crown Affair (an elegant cat and mouse affair).

[astra]

Originally Posted by montsnmags

Astra, the English/World-release ofThe Fabulous Destiny of Amélie Poulain is simply known as Amélie.

Watch it with your partner; trust me on this.

Cheers,
Marc

I like happy endings. We will see...

[pshrynk]

I have probably read the LOTR series twenty times. The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, double that. The Pern series all the way through at least twice, the original two trilogies ten times. Mote in God's Eye, I've lost track. Reading is either a new adventure, looking for that great "AHHH!" moment, or comfort food, going back for that self-same moment.

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by astra

I like happy endings. We will see...

you'll thank us for it.

[nekokami]

Oddly enough, I rarely re-watch (Monty Python & the Holy Grail being something of an exception). To me, it feels like it takes more time to watch a movie or a TV show than to read. I know that's not so (I read quickly, but not that quickly!) I think it's the convenience factor of books. I don't need to coordinate with anyone else to read (we have 1 tv in a house of 4 people), I don't need to be in a particular place, and I don't have to agree with anyone else what to read, or how long, or whether or not I want to skip this next bit or slow down and really savor it.

That being said, I do have a few favorites, mostly anime, that I've watched multiple times.

[astra]

There are a few movies I re-watched a number of time.

The Matrix
The Mummy
3 Terminators.
The Enemy of State
The Independence Day
The Siege! (one of the best movies I have seen).
Pitch Black
Pulp Fiction
Face Off
The Chronicles of Riddick
Predator
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

I think that's it.

[bbusybookworm]

Originally Posted by Evelyn Sinclair

Just curious, do you also like to see movies more than once?

Are you likelier to re-watch a favorite movie or re-read a favorite book?

So if this isn't going off topic -- how do books and movies compare for revisiting?

I do tend to rewatch some of my favourite movies, but they are a selected list. Let me see now...

Lord of the Rings Trilogy, The Extended Edition .- I'v watched all three movie's more then half a dozen times, and the Extras, my favourite part over a dozen)
Born Free - watched it too many times to count. My childhood favourite.
King Kong - Peter Jacksons version - seen it half a dozen times.
Hatari
The Good, The bad & The Ugly
The Hogfather
Kill Bill
MIB, MIIB - Good chill out movies
Indiana Jones Triligy
Star Wars

a few More, but the list is quiet short, compared to my list of favourite books that I reread.

Its often easier to reread favourite books, as you can easily split it over a few free minutes whenever you have them as opposed to seeing a movie.

[momghoti]

I like re-reading certain authors..Barbara Michaels/Elizabeth Peters; Terry Pratchett; Agatha Christie; Dorothy Sayers. Sometimes it's for visiting old friends in the characters, and sometimes it's for putting the books in perspective to when they were written, looking at the social/political situation 'between the lines', as it were. Sometimes it's interesting to read old SF to see how their idea of future science meshes with what's really here. An interesting one is in Asimov's 'Naked Sun' they are talking about making sure fetuses(feti?) are genetically perfect..but of course they can't tell directly, so they measure the complete metabolism which will tell them if the genes are OK. Exactly backwards from what we can (almost) do now...

Anyway, mostly it's books that I know I'll enjoy. I'm trying to break out of my rut and read stuff I wouldn't ordinarily--and then my cybook crashed.

As far as movies...I rarely sit down and watch a movie again just to watch it (with the exception of Amelie--wonderful movie, and you need to watch it in French with the English subtitles, not dubbed. The narration is too well meshed with the movie to mess with). However, I watch many movies while I do other stuff--read email; fold clothes; sew; etc. and I need to be able to come and go without missing anything. Movies like 'Bringing Up Baby'; 'Lethal Weapon'; Die Hard etc that are complete brain-candy are good for that.

[montsnmags]

Originally Posted by momghoti

I like re-reading certain authors..Barbara Michaels/Elizabeth Peters; Terry Pratchett; Agatha Christie; Dorothy Sayers.

There's usually a few Discworld books in the "smallest room", so I've re-read large parts of quite a few of those. I have read an Agatha Christie omnibus a long time ago...long enough that I recall enjoying it, but don't recall the content of my pleasure. Dorothy Sayers has come up a couple of times on these forums and, frankly, I only know her name to hear it, but would not be able to put any writings to it. Obviously I need to rectify that. Care to offer a suggestion where to start?

...
As far as movies...I rarely sit down and watch a movie again just to watch it (with the exception of Amelie--wonderful movie, and you need to watch it in French with the English subtitles, not dubbed. The narration is too well meshed with the movie to mess with)...

I love Amelie, as I've mentioned before. Another that I think should be avoided in dubbed form (actually, probably most movies) is Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. Mind you, I sometimes think in that movie that it must be watched once for the dialogue, once for the action, and then again for the the scene composition (and then, repeat). Some of those composed scenes are so absolutely perfectly but simply laid out, almost like small paintings or a string of photos. As an enthusiastic but amateur photographer, I am somewhat overstimulated by such things.

Cheers,
Marc

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by montsnmags

Dorothy Sayers has come up a couple of times on these forums and, frankly, I only know her name to hear it, but would not be able to put any writings to it. Obviously I need to rectify that. Care to offer a suggestion where to start?

i would recommend that you start with Whose Body, which is the first Lord Peter Wimsey novel and (you lucky man) also the only of her novels in the public domain, so* available here for free. you really have no excuse left not to read it. Sayers is brilliantly funny and writes a fine intrigue as well ; i only discovered her recently but she quickly became one of my favorite mystery writers (mysteries being my leisure genre of choice).

Originally Posted by montsnmags

I love Amelie, as I've mentioned before. Another that I think should be avoided in dubbed form (actually, probably most movies) is Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. Mind you, I sometimes think in that movie that it must be watched once for the dialogue, once for the action, and then again for the the scene composition (and then, repeat). Some of those composed scenes are so absolutely perfectly but simply laid out, almost like small paintings or a string of photos. As an enthusiastic but amateur photographer, I am somewhat overstimulated by such things.

Completely agree ; i absolutely can't watch dubbed films (or even television shows) ; it drives me crazy. there's such an odd disconnect between the voice and the image, especially if you know the actors (and their real voices). and even if you can't understand the language (Crouching Tiger...) i find it adds a vital dimension to the narrative, if only via the sonority of the expression. and i know how you feel about sometimes needing to watch a movie just for the images ; i can remember, for example, the first time i saw Wings of Desire (one of my favorite films ever) in the cinema. i had already seen it on video at least a half dozen times, probably more ; but seeing those images on a real cinema screen literally took my breath away. another film like that is La Coupe ; all those beautiful orange robes of the monks, the colors of the temples, the mountains.... amazing.

EDIT : *wow, you'd think i'd be able to remember something this important to me Sayers' work has entered the PD (this year) in all life +50 countries (and i've forgotten that at least 3 times since i learned it). if you find any of the other Wimsey novels in e format there are a lot of people on MR alone who would be *thrilled*.

[nekokami]

If you liked CTHD for the scene composition, I think you'd like Hero, as well. Again, you'll want the subtitled version (I don't know if there even is a dubbed version).

Though sometimes it's interesting to note where the translation in the subtitles differs from how I would have translated the phrase I hear....

[astra]

Watched The Fabulous Destiny of Amélie Poulain yesterday.
Not to offend anyone, I will just say a PC version of my opinion: I didn't like the movie at all and it was very boring

[jenieliser]

I have reread several books, or at least started to reread several. I have read Pride and Prejudice so many time I ended up with 2 or 3 copies because they get so worn. Everytime I read it I find something new. It never fails, every time I get around to Elizabeth going to the Collins' I know the proposal is coming and I get all excited with butterflies and everything.... you can't read that book just once.

[no.guru]

I re-read non-fiction often, but never cover to cover. I almost never re-read fiction, and even then almost never cover to cover.

It's like meeting a person for the first time; you can't do it again.

[benham]

For series books-
Re-read related books in a series before the new one is published
Re-read entire series as they must be good for you to have read the entire series to start with.