Groundhog Day movies

So my editor calls me up and asks me to do an article for Groundhog Day. He says some crap along the lines of, “Hey, why don’t you pick your favorite movies to watch over and over again, just like how Bill Murray repeats the same day over and over in the movie Groundhog Day?”

To this I responded, “Oh, let’s not go down this road again! We’ve been down this road before!” and I hung up the phone.

Then it rang again, and it was my editor asking me if I wanted to make up a list of films I like to watch over and over again just like how Bill Murray repeats the same day over and over in the movie Groundhog Day. This gave me a dangerous feeling of déjà vu. I wept just a little, and I relented.

So, here you go, just as the groundhog comes up every year like clockwork to look at his shadow, here are the movies I like to watch again and again, some of them at least once a year.

So, here you go, just as the groundhog comes up every year like … oh, bloody hell.

Jaws: Yes, it’s my favorite movie of all time, topping yet another list. There are many reasons why I feel this one is eternally watchable. Reason number one: Super kick-ass shark action, my friends. Super kick- ass shark action is so choice. Which reminds me … I like to watch Ferris Beuller a lot too. I know that is off the subject, but who cares. There’s no real science at work in this column.

Rushmore: Of all of Wes Anderson’s films, this is the one I just keep watching. There are little quirky comedy moments that make me laugh every time, and Anderson’s use of music is always perfect. It’s a close one between this and The Royal Tenenbaums, but I’m going with the saga of Max Fischer.

Life of Brian: I vacillate back and forth between this one and Holy Grail when it comes to Monty Python. The scene I love the most: Graham Chapman’s Brian trying to sell snacks to terrorists inside a Roman Coliseum and facing off against a foul-mouthed John Cleese.

Apollo 13: Shit, I knew the ending before the first time I watched it, and yet it pulls me in and I get emotionally invested each time Forrest Gump, Ren and Pvt. Hudson go around the dark side of the moon.

Mulholland Drive: One of the great puzzler movies, it simply demands to be watched again and again and again. Still not quite sure what David Lynch was trying to do with this, but I think I get a little closer to figuring it out each time I watch it.

Fargo: I religiously re-watch all of the Coen Brothers movies, but this one is probably winning the viewing race. Every time that music rises as William H. Macy’s burnt umbra Ciera comes over the snowy road, I get chills.

The Bad News Bears: I repeat view this one a lot because it reminds me of my childhood. Then I am reminded that my childhood kind of sucked, so I drink heavily until I vomit. Then I watch The Bad News Bears sequels. But those don’t have Matthau in them, which makes me miss him, which drives me to drink and vomit more.

The Odd Couple: And with this, I get my Matthau fix again. This is comfort food. Is there a more comforting movie star than Walter Matthau? Hmm … I dunno, maybe Jack Lemmon? Oh my god, he’s in this one, too!

The Poseidon Adventure: If this is on TV when I’m surfing, I will not—CANNOT—go past it. Gene Hackman’s final speech where he basically tells off god is EPIC!

First Blood: I’m a sucker for old-school Stallone, and it doesn’t get any better than this. When Sly slurs through that final speech—“I can’t even get a job … PARKING CARS!”—I often rewind and start that speech over. I find it strangely invigorating. He’s the greatest slob actor of all time.

Strange Brew: “My brother and I used to say that drownin’ in beer was like heaven, eh? Now he’s not here, and I’ve got two soakers … this isn’t heaven. This sucks!” This line, said by Rick Moranis in a large beer tank filling up with beer, is one of many that I can quote verbatim. I have seen this movie at least 20 times.

Wet Hot American Summer: David Wain’s summer camp movie made me giggle the first time I watched it, but I wasn’t blown away. Since then, I’ve probably watched it over 12 times, and it just gets funnier and funnier. Nothing is funnier than Christopher Meloni talking to canned vegetables.

Groundhog Day: As things would have it, Groundhog Day actually is a movie I watch over and over again.

King Kong: Original King Kong is BADASS! He’s all stop-motion, and he’s scary as all heck. The New York sequence is something I will never, ever grow tired of. And that soundtrack is one of the best soundtracks ever. Shit, I’m going to go watch this one right now. Be back in a few.

Caddyshack: OK, I’m back. Yes, this list is full of comedies. Perfect comedies worth revisiting are so hard to come by, but they do cheer me up oh so much. My current favorite line in this movie: Ted Knight asks Chevy Chase, “How do you measure yourself with other golfers?” Chase replies, “By height.” Classic.

Modern Times: Chaplin’s song and dance at the end is awesome on a scale that runs out of room for awesome and goes into some other interstellar level of awesome where awesome is so awesome people’s feet fall off. I don’t know what that means, but it’s awesome.

Pulp Fiction: I know this is an obvious pick for Tarantino, but it’s so damn great. It’s fun spotting John Travolta in the opening diner scene on your first repeat viewing, isn’t it?

There Will Be Blood: I watch this one a lot. I will go ahead and say it contains the greatest film performance of all time. Daniel Day Lewis is God. That is all.

The Thing (1982): This is just one of those movies I watch when I want to be scared. Considering that I know where all of the scares are, and I’ve seen them all umpteen times, it’s amazing that John Carpenter still manages to scare the shit out of me.

Yellow Submarine: I like to watch this one when I am violently high on heroin, which is pretty much every day.

Ghostbusters: Yeah, I want another Ghostbusters. Ghostbusters II sucked balls, so I am stuck with only one, albeit magnificent, Ghostbusters movie. I need another one for my Ghostbusters marathon, which consists of Ghostbusters and pie. I can’t keep watching the same movie 13 times over for the marathon. Actually, I can. No problem.

The Pink Panther Movies: Peter Sellers Panther—not Steve Martin. When I need a Martin fix, I watch The Jerk or Planes, Trains & Automobiles. When I need Sellers, I watch Panther flicks and, of course, Dr. Strangelove (which also takes care of my need for a Kubrick fix).

Taxi Driver: And for Scorsese, it’s his epic ode to loneliness that tops my most viewed list. I cannot get enough of De Niro in this. In fact, De Niro can make 50 more fucking Focker movies, and I would still love him, all thanks to this shockingly beautiful film.

Jaws: Yes, it’s my favorite movie of all time, topping yet another list. There are many reasons why I feel this one is eternally watchable. Reason number one: Super kick-ass shark action, my friends. Super kick- ass shark action is so choice. Which reminds me … I like to watch Ferris Beuller a lot too. I know that is off the subject, but who cares. There’s no real science at work in this column.