The time of tricks and treats is nearly here, but what if you’re not into going door to door for candy on Halloween? Sure, you could go to a party, but if you really want to do the season right, have a Halloween movie night. Whether you’re into gory horrors or more lighthearted spooky fare, a Halloween movie night is a great, low-key way to honor All Hallow’s Eve.
But before you send out invites to your ghastly friends, make sure your space is prepared to welcome in the spirits! Follow these steps, and you’ll have a spooktacular Halloween movie night that will be remembered into regions beyond!
Step One: Make Sure You Have a Strong Internet Connection
Chances are you’re going to want to take advantage of the vast streaming libraries available to you, so you can choose from old horror movie classics and new terror-filled Halloween movies. If that’s the case, you’ll definitely want to make sure your Internet connection won’t konk out or start buffering during the scariest part. Investing in a service like AT&T Fiber means you can take advantage of super fast speeds and seamless connectivity.
If the layout of your home sometimes interferes with your wi-fi connection, a wi-fi extender can help. Of course, if you really want to go old school—and you have the movie collection to support it—you could get an inexpensive DVD player or even a super retro VHS unit to play your Halloween movie faves. Bonus points if the videotapes are so old they squeal or have invasive lines that run through the center of the screen to add to the creepiness of whatever you’re watching!
Step Two: Pick Your Theme
It’s not necessarily crucial to have a theme for your Halloween movie night, but setting a theme can also help you decide how you want to approach the next steps in planning your perfect evening. You could focus on classic horror monsters, do a movie marathon of 80s slasher flicks, or even lean into a more witchy representation of the season. Of course, it could just be Halloween themed and anything under that category goes. But having a themed movie night adds to the fun and ambience—especially if everyone dresses up according to your theme.
Step Three: Set the Mood
Decorations are definitely a must for a Halloween movie night, but how inventive—and intensive—you want to get is up to you. You could do the basics, grabbing some department store standards like signs and streamers that celebrate The Great Pumpkin. Or you could go all out, draping the room in black fabric and tarot cards to make it feel like a séance room, or string up clear plastic splattered with corn syrup dyed red to make it look like a serial killer left their handiwork behind.
But at the very least, you should change up the lighting with smart bulbs that can shift through a rainbow of colors, and a dimmer switch to help you control the lights you fit with said smart bulbs. That way you can turn the lights down during scary parts, or blast the room with shades of red when the action picks up. If you really want to go next level, try a LED light strip behind your TV or lined along the floor.
Step Four: Don’t Forget Snacks
No movie night is complete without snacks, but you definitely can’t do a Halloween movie night without them. Obviously candy is a must, and with all the fun size treats on sale, it’s easy to pick up a few bags and throw them in a bowl for everyone to enjoy. It’s probably a good idea to offer some savory options, too, like chips and dip, pretzels, and other movie-friendly fare. For something more substantial, it’s hard to argue with pizza—though delivery places tend to be overrun on this night, so make sure you plan accordingly.
But again, this is an opportunity for you to step up your game and really set the scene. There are tons of recipes online for making drinks like cauldron concoctions that bubble and smoke, and appetizers that are as creepy looking as they are tasty. You could always go with the classics, like a bowlful of grapes that feel like eyeballs and dyed red drinks so it looks like everyone is sipping on blood. Get creative!
Step Five: Secure the Perimeter
Your Internet is sold, your theme is on point, you’ve set the mood and the snack table is full of delectable delights. Nice work! There’s just one thing: at some point in the evening, probably right at a critical moment in one of the movies you’re watching, something will go bump in the night. Do you really want to tempt the fates and go outside to see what it is? Probably not—which is why an outdoor camera with floodlights is the way to go. That way you can see what’s happening from inside the comfort of your own tomb, all without having to fall into a typical horror movie trope.
This article is AT&T sponsored content written by Carly Milne, a TechBuzz contributor. The statements in this article are her own and don’t necessarily represent the positions, strategies, or opinions of AT&T.
