Picking the Movie
Choose the movie ahead of time. The last thing you want is to invite people over and then spend all the time arguing about what to watch. Before people arrive, plan what to watch, or at least have it narrowed down to a few options. This will save time and make the night more enjoyable. 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.
Showcase your favorite underrated movie. If you love movies, you most likely have a few that you know other people have missed out on. Take this chance to show your friends how great it is. You may have to check ahead of time and ask if they have seen it, so have a few in mind in case your first choice doesn't work out. 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.
Get your guests involved in the movie selection. You want everyone to be on board with the movie choice as much as possible. Give everyone the options ahead of time and let them vote on what they want. Or have them submit a choice to you and use those as the voting options. 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.
Tailor the movie to the audience. If you'll be hosting all guys or all girls, consider what they'll enjoy most. If kids will be present, make sure the movie is appropriate. Try to pick a movie that fits your common interest, which might be sports (Remember the Titans), music (Begin Again), business (The Big Short), or martial arts (The Raid: Redemption). 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.
Make it a themed marathon. When you have time for multiple movies, pick a fun set of sequels, movies with the same leading actor, or movies with similar content. Watch your favorite actor across multiple decades, or let a few people showcase their favorite old sci-fi movie. 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.
Making it an Event
Print movie ticket invitations for everyone. To make the night a big event, you could design tickets that feature the date of the movie night, the title of the movie, and the person's name who you are inviting. This will raise your movie night above hanging out and make it into a special occasion. 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!
Use location to enhance the movie experience. Rather than sticking to the living room, find a creative location to watch the movie. Moving outdoors can be a fun option. Scary movies are great in the basement or attic. You could set up in the garage for racing movies or a bedroom for romantic movies. 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.
Set up extra seating. Depending on the size of the room where you'll show the movie, you will most likely need to bring in some extra folding chairs, pillows and blankets for those sitting on the floor, or even move in a couch from another room. 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.
Provide plenty of snacks. Movies and snacking go hand in hand, so make sure you have a great spread. You could ask people to bring something or provide it all yourself. Make sure you have plates and napkins to keep the mess to a minimum. Check with all of your guests about any food allergies or diet restrictions beforehand. 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.
Creating the Atmosphere
Decorate for the night. You could decorate to the theme of the movie by using Halloween stuff for scary movies, jerseys and pennants for sports movies, or props and characters from the movie itself. You can put out some simple decorations or give the viewing room a whole makeover. 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.
Dim the lights. Watching with all the lights on may make moving around easier, but watching in a darkened room creates the best ambiance. If shutting all the lights off makes it too dark, consider setting up a few dim lamps, or string Christmas lights around the room. 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.
Establish a “no phones” rule. Movie nights are meant to be fun, so don't get carried away with enforcing rules, but ask everyone at the start to keep their phones put away. It's usually more fun to all be focused on the movie together rather than everyone looking at their phones. 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.
Take an intermission. You can plan ahead of time to take an intermission halfway through, like old movies or plays. This gives everyone time to check their phones for anything important, use the bathroom, and load up on another round of snacks. 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.
Hold a discussion after the movie. People who love movies usually love to sit and discuss them after they watch. You could plan some specific questions ahead of time, or just let things go with the flow. Since you are the host, you should open the discussion to get people engaged. 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.
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