Do you prefer watching for the first time or rewatching something?

[levcore]

I'm definitely the latter and I prefer watching movies I've already seen before. Whilst there is a lot I enjoy the first time, I find my true appreciation and enjoyment of something can only be gauged by how often I want to rewatch it.

My wife prefers to watch movies she hasn't seen before and will only concede to rewatch something sporadically, if she really loves it or if it's been ages since she's seen it.

If I love a movie though I can rewatch it several times a year, or in the case of new releases, several times in a few months. I enjoy watching movies at the theatre but I always think of it as a pre-cursor to watching it at home where my primary enjoyment of it will continue.

What about you guys? Are you always searching out stuff you haven't seen before or do you prefer to revisit movies you've already seen?

[Mothravka]

I watch more stuff I haven't seen before. I rewatch some films occasionally.

[CyberpunkCentral]

They are both different to me. Watching something new for the first time gets you a new experience. But at the same time, re watching again, it really grows on you. Like for example, Blade Runner. Didn't like the movie at first (then again this was the theatrical), now it's one my top 10 favorite films of all time.

[silentbob]

Well there is nothing like the magic of seeing it for the first time for me. The 2nd viewing can be better than the first when watching at home, because you see/hear things you didn’t the first time. Plus other factors like a) sound was better on personal system b) picture looks cleaner/sharper/more colourful on my projector (especially 3D films) c) more controlling environment/people watching with you.

[drush9999]

Bit of both for me.

The experience of something fresh cannot be replicated. So I do seek out new movies to watch. This usually entails seeking out films similar to ones I've enjoyed in the past, genre, director etc.

But rewatches for me fall into two camps:
(1) Nostalgia, like playing a favourite album over and over, the familiarity gets you in the feels
(2) Films with lots of depth or detail that can be picked up in further viewings

[DanTheMan]

I’ve still got a load of classic films I’ve yet to watch, but.....the number of first-timers I’ve seen lately of which I’ve given a solid 4/5 or more fall short of the high number of films I’ve come to know, love, and re-watch countless times over the years. Even the nostalgia trip re-watches that don’t quite hold up today still prevail over many of my more recent first-time viewings.

As fun as it is experiencing something fresh and unexpected, good-to-great films that are already accessible to me via home video/streaming can lift up my spirits on a bad day any time I desire, whereas it’s a gamble investing 90+ minutes in a project that can go either way.

[Jasonic]

I typically prefer watching something I haven't seen. I like to grow my watched filmography. Helps grow my knowledge of film, as well as helps give me a better gauge of my overall taste. The more films I see, I can see my appreciation toward certain types of films get higher, that I previously have not been fond of.

Last year I watched 258 films, and 233 of those were first time watches. The previous year was at a similar percentage.

[PenguinInfinity]

Originally Posted by DanTheMan

I’ve still got a load of classic films I’ve yet to watch, but.....the number of first-timers I’ve seen lately of which I’ve given a solid 4/5 or more fall short of the high number of films I’ve come to know, love, and re-watch countless times over the years. Even the nostalgia trip re-watches that don’t quite hold up today still prevail over many of my more recent first-time viewings.

As fun as it is experiencing something fresh and unexpected, good-to-great films that are already accessible to me via home video/streaming can lift up my spirits on a bad day any time I desire, whereas it’s a gamble investing 90+ minutes in a project that can go either way.

I definitely agree with this. If I have recently bought a movie that I expect to be great I will definitely watch it immediately but those are pretty rare. With most movies I have no idea if it will be good or bad the first time I watch it. When I rewatch a movie I already know that I like it. Often times I'm in the mood to watch something I know I like.

Additionally something can make me think of a movie I've already seen and make me want to watch it again. But movies I haven't seen aren't connected to anything to in my mind.

[Michael24]

Depends on my mood. Sure, I like to see things that are new to me but sometimes I just feel like watching things I've seen before and know I already like. It's like comfort mood.

[AaronJ]

I think it totally depends on what movie we're talking about.

For instance, there's really nothing like the experience of seeing Psycho for the first time. Yes, I've seen it loads of times since, and I've enjoyed those experiences tremendously. But that first time, wow!

OTOH, another film I've seen many times is Citizen Kane, and I swear that no matter how many times I see it, I find something new.

But yes, I re-watch films all the time. Heck, I watched the last 45 minutes of The Waterboy tonight, and laughed my ass off the whole time. I still laugh out loud, even though I know every joke and gag, I've seen it so many times.

[thecooldud]

I rewatch more than I watch something "new", though finding something new (even if it's old but still "new to me") is always a pleasure.
The amount of bad modern movies makes the "first time" a hazardous experience these days though, and as someone else noted, you're always "Do I really want to waste 90 minutes (or two hours) of my evening on this?"

[levcore]

See I think the big thing with rewatching something is that I know I already like/ love it. The issue with first time viewing is that I may not and may regret wasting the time to watch it.

[Britbuffguy]

I mix it to a degree, but with so many movies out there, the people I know that just watch the same movies over and over puzzle me.

[jibucha]

both (equally)

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by levcore

See I think the big thing with rewatching something is that I know I already like/ love it. The issue with first time viewing is that I may not and may regret wasting the time to watch it.

Well, I base whether I will like a film on a set of determining factors, and it rarely lets me down. In order of importance:

1) Director

2) Cast

3) Genre

4) Story environment

It's not perfection, but it definitely works nearly all the time.

[levcore]

Originally Posted by AaronJ

Well, I base whether I will like a film on a set of determining factors, and it rarely lets me down. In order of importance:

1) Director

2) Cast

3) Genre

4) Story environment

It's not perfection, but it definitely works nearly all the time.

I just base mine on the trailer and the genre. If it's horror or action I'll probably enjoy it.

[Wildcat2000]

Well if people are afraid to watch new stuff because it might not be good then what’s the point? You have to watch to discover.

Sure we all have favorites and want to see them when the desire hits. It’s why we buy DVDs/BluRays. To always lean in direction though is limiting yourself.

I have to put some time between rewatches of even my most favorite stuff. Otherwise it starts to feel monotonous to me. I appreciate it more the next time.

I’ve actually been thinking about rewatches and nostalgia recently. Is the fact that we all probably rewatched stuff so much as a kid a factor to why we gravitate back to certain movies?

I personally don’t do rewatches at the same pace I did growing up. If I did though would I end up liking a given-movie more because I’m ingraining it into my mind as I did when I was a kid?

When you’re a kid you naturally want to watch stuff you like over and over and over. Did that play a part in why we like something so much?

[Leslie Dame]

Most of my viewings back in video rental days used to be new releases. I believe they put out new releases every Tuesday, so more than often we would line up on Tuesday mornings waiting for the store to open.

My viewing habits have changed over the years. I don't feel the need to watch new movies on release day anymore. I can wait. That said, while I still enjoy watching something new I definitely prefer rewatching movies.

[Kaiju]

I’d much rather attempt to see something I’ve never seen before.

Unless it’s The Office. I can watch that over and over and over and not get sick of it.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by levcore

I just base mine on the trailer and the genre. If it's horror or action I'll probably enjoy it.

I was thinking about this the other day and I realized that the films I re-watch the most often are comedies. And that's interesting, since I'm not a huge fan of comedy, typically. According to my Statistics page here (which I really don't trust all that much, but anyways ...) Comedy makes up 5.2% of my collection, putting that genre in 5th place.

But honestly, there are movies like Mean Girls and The Devil Wears Prada and Frances Ha and all sorts of other comedies that I absolutely never get tired of.