Entertaining at Home: Family Movie Night {+ DVD/Blu-ray Movie Giveaway}

Hosting a MOVIE NIGHT at home is such a fun way to get creative and entertain the entire family! Here are a few ideas to help kick things up a notch and create a movie night experience that garners rave reviews from your favorite people in the world…{P.S. See the bottom of this post for details on how to WIN a free DVD/Blu-ray for your next movie night!}

1. SETTING THE MOOD
Get creative with a few fun (and EASY!) decorations inspired by your feature presentation. Example: for a Star Wars viewing party, turn off all the lights, hang white string lights across the room and scatter some glow-in-the-dark stars around the coffee table to help bring the “galaxy” to life in your own living room. Use a little silver craft paint to transform a black paper lantern into the “Death Star“, and hang some movie posters and metallic paper stars for the finishing touch.

{Images above from a fabulous Star Wars party by Sweet Craft Cakes. Check out the entire album here.}

2. GO HIGH TECH
Take your viewing party to the next level with cool, affordable entertainment & electronics like the brand new Star Wars Blu-ray trilogy sets ($39.98/set in-store at Sam’s Club) or a giant 55″ Philips LCD TV with MediaConnect for “big screen” viewing at only $998. Want to REALLY kick it up a notch? Check out this amazing 70” Sharp Aquos Quattron LED TV for a movie experience that truly feels larger than life! Click here to check out more great electronics deals from Sam’s Club good through the end of September.

3. WHO’S THIRSTY?
Sip creative, themed drinks inspired by the movie of the night, such as “Yoda Soda” (lime sherbet + lemon-lime soda) or “Frozen Jedi Juice” for a screening of Star Wars.  To make “Frozen Jedi Juice”, partially freeze your favorite flavor of juice or koolaid and serve it “slushy style” from cups embellished with the phrase “May the Freeze be with you.”

4. TURN IT UP
Great sound is KEY when it comes to bringing movie magic home. Sony’s 3D Wi-Fi Blu-ray Home Theater System with surround sound (currently on sale for $379) will make it feel like the “Clone Wars” are taking place right next to your couch! And for those times when the mood is more “dance party” than “movie night”, you can utilize the system’s iPod/iPhone dock to crank up the music instead.

5. THEMED TREATS
Think outside the popcorn box and serve up clever treats named after elements of the movie, such as “Darth Cheddars” (grilled cheese sandwiches) or “Storm Trooper Sundaes“. Make edible “Light Sabers” by dipping pretzel rods in colored candy melts or tinted white chocolate. After the candy has dried, wrap one end of the “light saber” with tin foil to create the “handle”.

6. KEEP IT SIMPLE
Don’t let confusing settings and “multiple remote syndrome” throw a frustrating glitch in your movie night…try a universal remote like Logitech’s Harmony 600 Remote ($44.88) to streamline the process so that even the smallest family members can be in the driver’s seat sometimes!

7. RISING STARS
Use a home video camera like Canon’s HF R20 HD Camcorder (only $369) to make your own “movie magic” starring the best cast of all – your very own family members! Have little ones do re-enactments of their favorite scenes from the movie you just watched, or capture clips of the kids doing a craft activity or a recipe inspired by the movie. These are the “films” that you’ll love to watch over & over again – long after the movie-of-the-night credits roll!

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DVD/Blu-Ray Movie GIVEAWAY:

Want some free entertainment for your next family movie night? Post a comment below to enter to win your choice of the following movies:

On Blu-ray: Star Wars Episodes 1-3 and 4-6
Combo pack (Blu-ray + DVD): Tron, X-Men, Secretariat, or Tangled

Just mention which movie you’d like to get if you win… OR share a favorite family movie night ritual of your own! Giveaway ends Friday, September 30th at midnight PST. Good luck!

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Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.