Sometimes it is difficult to think of a new idea for entertaining friends and family, especially when you want to keep it cheap.
Have you ever tried a movie night?
Most homes now have the equipment needed to show movies to a group of
people, especially as televisions seem to be getting bigger! There are
many options to showing movies, ranging from a television and DVD player
through to linking your computer to the television and having a
computer monitor through which you can show any new movie download you
have found.
In any case it is likely you will have some means to entertain your
guests but, even if you feel you do not have the facilities, perhaps you
could persuade a friend to either host the party or provide the
technology needed. For the purposes of this article however, I will
assume you are entertaining at home.
What To Watch?
So the first consideration is what movies to watch. The essential
need is to tailor the entertainment to the audience: especially if
children will be present. In my experience, adults enjoy family friendly
films as much as, if not more, than the children, so 'Nanny McPhee,'
'Toy Story' or a Wallace and Gromit movie will be more than acceptable.
Clearly showing adult movies to children is likely to be a risk that
might give you more stress than you need. Play safe and remember the
atmosphere of the party will be set by the genre of movie you choose.
For that reason light hearted movies are probably best. Why not choose a
good comedy?
Of course you need to find a good source of the movies to show. There
are plenty around of course and you may have a large number of copies
already. Otherwise there are lots of movies online to download. I would
avoid acquiring questionable pirate copies or those illegally ripped
from DVDs, as there are plenty of good value websites from which you can
download legal movies.
The best online movie site will ask you to pay a small upfront fee
and then will provide a good selection from which you can download legal
movies. Find the ones you want and then download them. Some sites have
stream downloads so you can watch as you download but many also have
software to burn the movie to DVD, which might be better for your
purposes.
If you find a selection of movies online to download, your guests can
have a choice of viewing and the resulting good-natured discussion will
get the evening off to a good start!
Organizing the Event
It is always better to invite people to come along well in advance of the date to ensure as many as possible turn up.
In any case, in my opinion, even if one couple turns up you can still
have a good night. Be determined to enjoy yourself and be relaxed about
it. If people do not come along do not take it personally! They may
just have a crisis or a disorganized life.
Obviously it would be wise to invite the number of people appropriate to the size of room you have.
Think about where everyone will sit. It depends on the age and
attitude of the guests but sometimes people will be happy sat on the
floor or on beanbags. Such parties can be great fun if guests need to
climb over others to get to the toilet. Ah, yes, ensure you have a
toilet available too!
The party will go well with some light refreshments. Again, the
preferences of the guests will tend to dictate what food and drink to
offer but, given the nature of the party, cinema food such as popcorn,
Coke and assorted sweets might do well. Most supermarkets can oblige.
If you are upmarket you might consider preparing some more ambitious
food and drink but I would think easy to eat treats are more
appropriate.
Be Relaxed And Have Fun
The idea is for everyone to enjoy his or herself - and this includes
you. The best movie night in my opinion is the most relaxed.
You might have alternatives available in terms of movies and food so
you can react to the way the evening is going. Never be too organized.
The best parties are always those that never seem to be organized and
appear to just happen by themselves.
You could even have a board or computer game waiting in the wings in
case the audience becomes bored with movies. Always leave time for
people to chat during the evening too.
Lastly, consider even having a theme to the night, especially if the
choice of movie is easy. How about an Indian takeaway for 'East Is East'
(or the forthcoming 'West Is West' sequel) or a Chinese theme for 'The
Last Emperor, for example?' Be imaginative.
With a bit of thought a movie night can be a great success. You could
introduce your friends to new movies and you might start a trend of
similar evening. Who knows?
The key is to have fun. Enjoy yourself.
