Kids can watch movies over and over again, even abominations like "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakwel." Hopefully my kids never obtain access to such cruel and unusual leverage.

My parents probably didn't enjoy the repeat viewings of "Home Alone" back when I was a kid. Yet I watched that movie like it was the only film in existence.

What's so comforting about seeing the same story over and over again? To a kid coming-of-movie-age in the early '90s, I could say something profound about the joys of cinema replacing the magic and fantasies we cherish as small children. Reality may ruin Santa Claus, but "The Santa Clause" movie provides Tim the Tool Man Taylor in a hilarious new piece of escapism.

Really though, I just liked movies, and watching certain ones repeatedly helped me to understand the craft. "Home Alone" isn't exactly a classic, but it can sure teach a kid about three-act structure.

Viewing habits change as you get older. The middle-school-me thought seeing "Independence Day" on the big screen was about as mind-blowing as my existence on Earth would ever get. I saw it at least three times in the theater and my VHS copy stretched the limits of the VCR's rewind button.

The high-school-me wanted to be cool, so repeat Quentin Tarantino marathons were the norm. As lovers of cinema, it was essential to understand every choice and every inspiration in "Pulp Fiction." It helped to memorize Samuel L. Jackson's best lines.

I suspect most normal adults have a few movies they watch over and over again because of family tradition or as something they do when old friends get together after a long absence. For tradition sake, "A Christmas Story" must be seen in my house every December, and with friends we often resort to playing back favorite moments in "The Room." Every line of dialogue out of Tommy Wiseau's mouth is worthy of careful, repeat analysis.

Beyond that, I shouldn't have much time for repeat viewing. With Netflix Instant Streaming and a bulk of the Criterion Collection available on Hulu Plus, what cinephile has time for watching things a second time?

Yet I find myself revisiting movies all the time, especially the ones I write about upon initial theatrical release. On home video, I like to see if I can recreate or even improve the initial experience of seeing a film. My favorite movie of 2012, "Moonrise Kingdom," holds up remarkably well on repeat viewing. Other movies, like "The Dark Knight Rises," seem to frustrate me in all-new ways.

There are a few older favorites I watch every year, though I've begun to worry if such behavior will eventually ruin the movie's initial impact. I feel like my brain goes into auto-pilot during "A Christmas Story," and Sam Jackson and his BMF wallet don't do it for me like the good-old days.

Even my favorite movie as a kid, "Jurassic Park," was in danger of Seen-It-Too-Many-Times-Syndrome. I can recite most of the dialogue, spot microscopic bloopers and even recreate the famous Dr. Wu pencil flick during the egg-hatching scene.

After watching the film on Blu-ray last year, I worried there was little left in the movie that could not be recreated or improved by my memory. Nothing could make "Jurassic Park" as visceral or terrifying as it was when I first saw it in the theater as a kid, so why continue chasing the nostalgia?

When my faith began to waiver, the theatrical re-release of "Jurassic Park" arrived to save the day, just like the T-Rex comes out of nowhere to rescue Dr. Grant, Dr. Sattler and those kids from a pair of persistent Velociraptors.

Seeing the film 20 years later on the big screen (and in 3D) reminded me of the film's universal qualities. People in the theater jumped out of their seats at scenes in which I've long been immune, and little kids sat with their eyes covered by shivering hands.

Those kids were probably too young to see such monstrous images, but so was I back in 1993. The initial nightmares I had eventually transformed into the most significant passion in my life. Twenty years ago, "Jurassic Park" opened my eyes to the cinema. Last weekend, I felt as if my cynical eyes had reopened.

That's why I can't settle for watching a really good movie just once. Repeat viewings, even out of tradition or obligation, may just lead back to something special.

So keep those ingenious booby traps coming, Kevin McAllister. You'll never be home alone as long as I'm watching.

Ticket Stubs is sponsored by the Hayden Cinema Six Theater. Showtimes at www.HaydenCinema6.com. Tyler Wilson can be reached at [email protected].