As I sit here watching Independence Day on television for possibly the hundredth time I wonder: Is it just me, or does everyone have a handful of movies that they can’t stop watching? Movies that, no matter how many times they show it on TV, you’re going to watch–even if you own the movie on DVD!

For me, the handful consists of: Independence Day, Men in Black, 2010, The Shining, The Final Countdown, and Practical Magic. I own these movies on DVD, and yet here I am watching a commercial-laden, truncated version of Independence Day on television. And I’ll probably watch it again when they repeat it late tonight. What is it about these movies that appeal to me? On the surface I would have said the fact that the good guys win the day. But what of the Shining? Good certainly doesn’t triumph there.

Is it the characters? Again The Shining is the odd man out. I find Shelley Duvall’s portrayal of Wendy thoroughly annoying. She’s like an automaton, stomping through the scenes in an expressionless monotone. And yet, from the opening long shot of Jack Torrance driving to the overlook punctuated by the Wendy Carlos and Rachel Elkind soundtrack, my attention is all there. Perhaps it’s all the creepy minor characters. Even thinking of the twins intoning “Come play with us, Danny” gives me a shiver.

In the case of Men in Black and Independence Day, the attraction is two-fold: actors and message. In both movies, the good guys triumph by laying some whoop-ass on aliens who dare to mess with Earth. Both feature Will Smith who is particularly adept at this kind of movie. He’s a perfectly believable action hero while at the same time tempering the characters with a wise-cracking sense of bravado. Independence Day also features Jeff Goldblum, who is good at pulling off the brainy yet baffled hero of the day. Independence Day features a rousing morale building speech by the president which is a highlight of every watching. The president then jumps into a plane and goes to fight the bad guys. Maybe the appeal here is a secret wish to have a president of that fearless caliber.

The Final Countdown is an odd time travel movie with a big cast: Kirk Douglas, Martin Sheen, James Farentino, and Katherine Ross. Even after multiple viewings, the final scene is the grabber. While a minor cult classic, the movie explores a classic paradox (which Martin Sheen’s character outlines at one point) of what would you do if you had a chance to change a horrific historical event. And what would be the consequences?

I can’t explain the appeal of 2010. Perhaps it’s the novelty of Helen Mirren doing a bad Russian accent. Or perhaps it’s the underlying theme of triumph through ignoring political borders. 2010 is often touted as the movie that explains a lot of what was going on in 2001: a Space Odyssey, but it doesn’t. I don’t think anything can explain 2001.

The last movie on my repeater list is Practical Magic. It’s just a sweet little comedy with thoroughly likable characters and an equally enjoyable cast. The combo of Sandra Bullock, Nichole Kidman, Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest make a family of witches seem perfectly normal. And any movie that touts love and family conquers all evil can’t be all that bad, can it?

What about you? Do you have repeater movies that you watch every chance you can? And now… onto another run of Independence Day!