If you have a specific movie that you want to show, it’s good to tell people when you invite them what movie you’ll be watching. This way they already know what to expect when they show up.
You still want to make sure the movie is something that people will enjoy. If your favorite film is a silent German art piece, maybe your friends are not into that. Find the balance between something that’s underrated and something none of your friends want to see. With this option, you’ll probably have to tell them ahead of time what movie you’re picking, or you might end up with something they’ve all seen.
You are still the host, so you have the final say in what to watch. Give people the chance for input as much as you can, but set a cut off point when you’ll make the final decision. If you can’t agree on what to watch, a good solution would be to just pick a random movie with something like the Reelgood Roulette. The app lets you choose a genre, set a minimum IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes rating, and then makes a movie choice for you based on your preferences. [3] X Research source
Picking something you’ve never seen is great when you’re alone, but it may not be the best plan for inviting people. You might end up with something you don’t even like. If you don’t know what type of movies people like, this is when it’s good to gather their input ahead of time.
The combinations you come up with are endless. You might even choose a set of movies where the theme isn’t obvious and the audience has to figure out the connection by the end of the last movie. The connection can be as specific or general as you want. You might watch two different version of the King Kong story, or you might pick two movies that were simply released in the same year. You can find some connection between most movies if you try hard enough.
You can mail them out ahead of time to invite people, or you can hand them out in person as you see people. Just to make it fun, tell everyone that they must have their ticket to be able to enter the movie showing. But let them in even if they forget the ticket!
The location you choose should relate to the movie in some way, or it probably isn’t worth the trouble of setting it up. Watching Interstellar under the stars would be amazing, but watching Training Day in the bedroom probably wouldn’t have much effect. Make sure the location you choose is good and comfortable for movie watching. You don’t want to get attacked by bugs outside or freeze in an unheated garage. Make the proper adjustments when moving to these locations.
It’s best to have all of this done before people arrive so that no one feels like you are going to a lot of trouble for them. You’ll need an idea of how many people are coming so you can set up the seating accurately. Check all of the seating to make sure that people will be able to see the tv (or projector screen). Sit in all of the spots to make sure the view is good. If you only have a small amount of room to work with, make sure you don’t invite so many people that it begins to feel cramped.
Classic movie snacks like popcorn, candy, and soda are always good options. But you could also have more filling foods like a sandwich bar, french fries, or meatballs. Include some healthy options like fruit, vegetables, and cheese. It’s good to have a wide range of drinks such as soda, juice, water, and alcohol (if the party is just for adults). Make sure you have a trash can set out in plain sight so people can throw their trash away. Another way to make things fun is to have snacks that go along with the movie. Donuts for a cop movie, fish sticks for an ocean adventure, or even something fancy for a cooking movie.
You could lay out a red carpet and set up a marquee like it’s a big movie premiere. If you want to go more elaborate, you could stage the room to look like the main set of the movie or a significant scene. Any amount of decorating that makes it look like more than your living room will give the evening a special feel.
If you’ll watch in a room that has lights on a dimmer switch, this is perfect because you can dim them right as the movie starts.
Announce this at the start of the movie, but don’t make it sound like you are trying to be strict. Just say it will be more fun for everyone if there are no phones out distracting people from the movie.
Keep the intermission to a time limit so that it doesn’t stretch on too long. 10 minutes is probably sufficient for people to move around and take care of their business.
For example, you could ask people what they thought of the protagonist? Was he or she likeable or annoying? You could ask if anyone picked out a certain theme the filmmakers were trying to establish throughout the movie.
