Going to the movies at the theater is expensive, especially if you pay full price for a ticket to see something you end up disliking. The floors are sticky, the food is pricey, and you have to deal with listening to other people rustling and talking around you in the dark. A great alternative to wasting your money at the theater is to create one in your own home. It’s cheaper, more comfortable and gives you much more choice on what you want to see and who with. Here are a few useful tips to help you set up and host the best movie night under your own roof.
Guests
Who do you want to invite? Perhaps this is a birthday party for your kids, or an adults-only gathering with wine and cheese. How much room do you have to accommodate people? Will they be spending the night and, if so, where will they sleep?
Theme
Will there be a theme for your movie night? You could choose a theme based on movie genres, such as horror, comedy, romance, or science fiction, or maybe your theme could be centered on a particular franchise, cinematic universe, actor or director. Let your guests know in advance what the theme will be and maybe even add to the fun with costumes.
Movies
Once you’ve chosen a theme for your movie night, it’s time to pick out a selection of movies for you and your guests to watch. You can rent movies digitally through many different streaming services and ask your guests to chip in, or perhaps find the DVDs pre-owned and therefore cheaper. Maybe you want to watch all the different iterations of Dracula throughout the decades, or the complete works by Stanley Kubrick. Whatever your choice, it’s always fun to find a link between movies to generate conversations with your friends.
Food
Maybe you want to cook a banquet before your guests arrive. Perhaps you’d prefer to call up Neds Noodle Bar and save yourself the effort. Either way, having food prepared or at least an idea of what you and your guests would like to order in can make or break a fun movie night. Be sure to provide plenty of snacks, especially popcorn.
Decorations
If you’re feeling extra fancy, why not decorate your home – or at least the room your guests will be occupying – around the theme of your movie night. Horror and romance decorations are fairly straightforward, but you can have fun leaving obscure hints around the room to highlight a detail of one of the movies; for example, a white feather for ‘Forrest Gump’ or a rubber snake in a boot for ‘Toy Story.’
Comfort
Whether you’ve got the world’s softest sofa or a huge pile of pillows and blankets on the floor, keeping your guests comfortable is vital for a fun movie night. If you want to go the extra mile, build a blanket fort – they’re not just for kids.
