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If you are looking for a great night in then look no further. Due to cinemas being closed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic a lot of people took matters into their own hands and created fun family nights in. Now the restrictions are being lifted you can create the same fun evenings with friends and family. There are many options for a fun night in, however movie night is usually a winner with everyone. Movie night can be indoors or for a little twist on the norm it can be taken outdoors into the garden and put on a projector screen.
Choose The Film
Picking a film is where a lot of people will be divided, it can be a lengthy process trying to choose a film especially when there are lots of people giving options and opinions. Someone may suggest a film and another may reject it saying they have seen it or don’t want to watch it.
There are also many genres to choose from which makes it even more tricky. First, it might be a good idea to decide if you all want to watch action, horror or comedy to name just a few. You should also be aware that if young children are watching the film then it will need to be family-friendly.
In this day and age, there are so many ways to watch films. Gone are the days of going to a video shop and renting a movie. There are streaming sites with countless movies and tv shows on. These offer the opportunity to purchase brand new movies out at cinemas that you can watch at home. For example, Black Widow is available to watch on Disney+ for a cost and In The Heights is available on HBO Max. It isn’t just new films available either, old classics such as Titanic or The Sound of Music are also available. There really is something for everyone.
If you still can’t decide on a film, you could research the top 10 films and see if there is one of them that people can agree on. A good idea is trying to find a film nobody has seen, that way there will be no disagreements and everyone can enjoy it together. The laughs, the thrills, even the sadness.
Get The Snacks
A lot of people say the snacks are the best part of movie watching. When you go to the cinema there are lots of different options to choose from. You can choose hotdogs, popcorn or just a simple bag of sweets.
It is really easy to recreate the cinema snack experience in the comfort of your own home. You can have anything you want when you are at home. You can make your own popcorn from scratch by popping the kernels yourself and adding some sugar or salt for taste.
It may also be a lovely thought to link the snacks to the film you’re watching. A good example of this would be if you are watching the family film Hotel Transylvania, there is a hilarious bingo scene so you could have Bingo-Themed Sweets and Treats. You could have cupcakes decorated as bingo balls or even biscuits in the shape of bingo cards. This is a great way to involve the kids as well, they could help make them during the day and decorate them before the film starts.
Another great idea for a home cinema treat is ice cream. This can be shop bought or to get even more involved it can be made at home. There are lots of options here, and so many different flavors can be used, the world is your oyster with endless possibilities.
Drinks
Drinks at the cinema can be very limited and expensive. The joys of watching a movie at home are you can choose any drink you want and have as many as you like for half the cost of one drink at the cinema. Adults can have pop or ready-made alcoholic beverages and the kids can have homemade slushies or milkshakes. There really is no end to the creation of drinks at home.
Make It Cozy
One of the biggest benefits of watching a film in your own home or even a friend’s house is that you can make it as cozy as you want. This can be achieved with cushions, throws, duvets, anything you want. You have never seen anyone with a duvet or pillow in the cinema! You can all huddle together, sitting on the floor or sofa and have a lovely evening. The same goes for watching the film in the garden, you can make use of the patio furniture or make a comfy watching station on the grass.
Lighting
If you think of the cinema they are not completely dark during the trailers or the screening itself. So why not take some pretty fairy lights and dangle them around the television or drape them over the curtain poles to add a little light and ambience. It is also a good idea to have light in case someone needs to dash out to the loo during the film, it saves putting the big main lights on and disturbing everyone. Some people are lucky enough to have dimmer switches on their lights so they can just adjust it to a brightness that is comfortable for everyone.
Get Creative
Finally, if you have young children then it would be a lovely idea to make it fun and get them involved. They could queue up for the ‘cinema’ entrance and purchase tickets for the film. They could then decide which snacks they want from the ‘kiosk’. This is a great way to get them excited and ready for family film night.
Kids film night is a wonderful way to spend quality time with your children creating amazing memories that they will treasure. Perhaps everyone could dress up as a character from the movie as a way to get even more involved, for example, if you are watching Beauty and the Beast the kids could dress up as Belle.
We hope this gives you some ideas on how to have the best movie night without even venturing out of the house.