Movie Moment

We are well into the summer. I don’t know about anywhere else, but here on the East Coast the heat is becoming slightly unbearable and working its way up to dangerous levels.

Aside from current and pending heat waves, we’re still very much in a pandemic. A lot of states have rolled back openings for indoor activities i.e. restaurants and movie theaters, but to be honest who’s really going to take those risks?

Most outdoor activities i.e. beaches, amusement parks//waterparks, and outdoor dining have resumed, but unless it’s a beach is it really worth the risk?

It’s way too hot to enjoy outdoor dining and I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not keen on amusement parks and waterparks given the current state of the pandemic.

I mean, how clean can they really be?

At least on beaches we can attempt to maintain a 6ft social distance and salvage what we have left of our summer months.

Excessive heat or not I’m a little sad that movie theaters won’t be opening for a while. Now before you say anything or even think it, I completely understand that it’s not safe for anyone and that is much, MUCH more important than a theater experience.

Has anyone else experienced summer movies? Like, when you were younger specific theaters would do super cheap showings of some of the best movies at the time. It was a personal favorite growing up.

Any excuse to stay cool, right?

The closet thing we have to a movie experience or even a concert in some towns is a drive-in theater. Who doesn’t love the idea of a drive-in? Curled up in the comfort {and safety} of your own car with as many people as you can fit {or feel comfortable with} and all the snacks your heart desires. Downside, not every town has a drive-in and it can still be expensive.

So we’re going to beat the heat, save a little, and still have the movie experience we’re craving! Plus all those snacks you’ve ever wanted.

There are a few different approaches.

1. You could simply rent a movie and curl up on the couch or in bed or whatever you prefer. Red Box is one of my personal favorites. They always have a ton of titles and they’re fairly cheap. Or you can never go wrong with On-Demand, but to be honest they’re charging what a theater would charge. Who really wants to pay that for a night in? That’s snack money. Can you think of a better excuse to order-in? Maybe it’s the cheat day you’ve been looking for. *Biggest tip: box candy {just like the theater} is cheaper at the store. Movie snacks, but make them budget friendly* If you have one of the many streaming services you’re most definitely set.

I’m someone who goes a little overboard. If I’m going to have a movie night then it’s going to be a whole thing. Which leads me to approach number 2.

2. A blanket fort and a movie marathon. Who doesn’t love an old school blanket fort? There’s something so cozy and inviting and just fun about blanket forts. You don’t get a marathon experience at theaters anymore, at least not the inexpensive kind. It’s also a great way to get that social experience we’ve all been missing. If you’re not comfortable with being social just yet you can still keep that social aspect. You can have your blanket fort and movie marathon from your respective places, but over Zoom or whatever video chatting tool you utilize.

This next and final option is probably my favorite, but I haven’t tried it yet.

3. A homemade movie theater. Sure blanket forts are fun and who doesn’t love a lazy night in, but why not take it to the next level. I’m talking a full out movie experience with a projector. I know a projector is probably not something you have just laying around, but if you do or it’s something you’ve been looking into I highly recommend trying this out. If you have a white wall somewhere in your house or just a plain white sheet to hang up inside or out it’ll make the perfect screen. Doing it outside has the drive-in vibe, but a little more comfortable. It gives you more space to move around and sit or lay comfortably. It’s also super easy to maintain a 6ft distance, but stay social. If you do this inside you can have a blanket fort and a MASSIVE screen or be completely curled comfortable on a couch with a MASSIVE screen. Either way it’s a win, win.

This summer like most of this year is a little strange, but strange doesn’t mean it has to be boring. This year has just offered up more adventures and DIY moments. I’m currently residing on Pinterest most of the day. Anything to find some inspiration, right?

Nothing will stand in the way of a movie moment. Not the ridiculous heat and certainly not the pandemic.