Bring the things that make movie night special – tickets, popcorn and a shared screening experience, to your home and fundraise for families affected by dementia.
Check out our top tips for bringing the big screen to your small screen – and donate the costs you have saved from your cinema trip to Dementia UK.
How to have the perfect movie night in
What to watch
This is everything and will set the tone for the whole night.
What’s that one film you’ve been meaning to watch for ages but never got around to seeing? Maybe you missed it at the cinema when it was first released.
What was your favourite movie as a kid? Maybe now is a great time to show it to your own children. What was the first film you and your partner saw together?
Still can’t decide? Our staff have nominated their favourite go-to films as a suggestion for your movie night so give one a watch and see if you agree!
- Paddington 2 – Ellen, Regional Fundraising Manager
- Kinky Boots – Gayle, Practice Development Facilitator
- Force Majeure – Pete, Data Services Manager
- Amélie – Laura, Service Evaluator
- Fried Green Tomatoes At The Whistle Stop Cafe – Rachel, Business Development Officer
- Guardians of the Galaxy 1 and 2 – James, Trusts Manager
- The Lunchbox – Laura, Digital Marketing Executive
- Man on the Wire – Karen, Head of Individual Giving
- A League of their Own – Josanne, Corporate Partnerships Manager
- Sister Act 1 and 2 – Anna, Regional Fundraiser
- The Fundamentals of Caring – Danielle, Challenge Events Assistant
- Singin’ in the Rain – Temi, Supporter Care Manager
What to wear
Once you have chosen your film, why not go all the way and theme your night in. You could dress up like your favourite characters from the big screen. If you don’t want to dress-up, then you could make the most of not needing to travel to the cinema and dress-down. Grab something comfy and have a Pyjama Party.
What to snack on
To get the full movie snack experience, why not make bags and cartons out of paper and card? There are loads of free templates to print off online or use for inspiration. Just type in ‘popcorn bag template’ into your search engine and pick your favourite design.
As you are at home, give our Nacho Bake a go. We put handfuls of nachos around the edge of a big dinner plate to form a ring. Then in a large frying pan or wok, throw in whatever needs using up. Usually: onions, peppers, cherry tomatoes, tinned tomatoes, tomato puree, paprika, garlic, etc. Now cook this off, to make a lovely mild, chunky salsa. Pour into the middle of your nacho ring. Cover the salsa and nachos with grated cheese, sprinkle with mixed herbs, and stick under the grill (medium heat) until the cheese has melted. Delicious!
Finishing touches
You may have spent a lot of time on your sofa since lockdown, and that’s okay. But have a think about what could you do to make this movie night special? Could you take your TV or projector outside or position up against a window to create an open-air cinema? If you are inside, could you make a den to sit in? Maybe bring the reclining garden chairs inside to create that VIP feel in your living room.
Make some tickets or if you have children, get them to make the tickets and sneak in some home schooling as they practice spelling the film title, telling the time and working out the maths for ticket prices.
For the ultimate movie experience why not watch trailers before your main feature? Cineworld have uploaded their Pre-Reel trailers to YouTube for you to stream before your film.