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Escape the heat with a movie night on Prism TV

Posted at 1:45 PM, Jun 21, 2016
and last updated 2016-06-21 16:45:04-04

As summer arrives and temperatures climb into triple digits, going outside is often the last thing you want to do. Even crossing a parking lot into an air conditioned building can be unpleasant.

The hot days of summer mean enjoying entertainment in your home is often the most inviting option. There is no better way to be entertained than relaxing in front of a movie with CenturyLink’s Prism TV system, especially when you consider available advanced features like Find It Fast Navigation and Multi-View.

Family movie night is a great way for parents and children to bond during busy and hectic weeks. You can expand your movie night to include neighbors and friends. Whatever you decide, here are some tips for turning up the fun.

Dim the lights

You can give your home movie a theater ambience by turning out the lights, and that includes turning off cellphones. The light from texting or checking your phone can be distracting for people trying to watch the movie. Apartmenttherapy.com suggests a penalty for the first one who checks a phone during the show: Make the offending individual responsible for snack refills for everyone else the rest of the night.

Schedule a break

In the days when movies relied on film on reels, most theaters scheduled an intermission halfway through the film when the projector operator was changing reels. It was a perfect time for patrons to refill their snacks and go to the bathroom. Theaters long ago abandoned the practice, but it is still a great idea for a home movie experience. Plan a brief break during the film when guests can top off a drink, go to the loo or check for that important text message.

 

 

Know your show

Before starting a movie, know your audience and the film to save yourself potential embarrassment. You don’t want to be surprised by a steamy sex scene or excessive gore if you’ve invited your parents, or if your young children are watching.

Wear pajamas

This is a surefire way to make a home movie night different and better than a night at the theater. Everyone likes the comfort pajamas provide. Of course, you have to exercise some judgment if you are inviting more than close family members to watch. But it is especially fun for a family movie night of watching "Minions" with young children.

Mix classics and current

Movie night is a great excuse to expose your children to classic movies, like "Back to the Future," writes Kim Grundy for sheknows.com. “Alternate weeks between classic movies and current releases to keep everybody happy. They may balk at the idea at first, but you would be surprised how much they end up loving these golden oldies.” You can even use movies to educate your children. For example, "Race" provides a basis for discussions about history and civil rights.

Pick a theme

You don’t have to go with full costumes, although that is certainly an option. Just tell invitees about the theme, and let them show their creativity. You might want to choose refreshments that complement the theme — hot dogs for "Weiner Dog Nationals,” for example, or Swedish fish if you are watching “Jaws.” Reese's Pieces are the obvious choice for "E.T." You can pass out paper hats and eye patches for a pirate movie.

Frosty refreshments

For those super hot days, you can make movie nights refreshing with cool treats. Skip the popcorn and go with snow cones, ice cream, smoothies, icy lemonade and so on.

Many families enjoy movie night so much they make it a weekly tradition, no matter the season or the outside temperature. It’s a great way for children and parents to spend time together, and CenturyLink’s movies make it easy to find programming that everyone will want to watch.