While we all know that there are hundreds of fun things to do in Boston, sometimes my busy schedule and sheer end of the week laziness make me feel like staying in on a weekend night. Still, just because I want to stay indoors in my apartment doesn’t mean that I can’t have fun at the same time. Enter my recipe for the “Perfect Stay-In On a Weekend Movie Night!” Whether you’re having a night in alone, a night in with a date, or a night in with a group of friends, somewhere out there is a perfect movie for the occasion.
I recommend watching a comedy when it comes to spending some alone time. No one will be around to hear your snort-filled laughter! Hanging out by yourself is also a great time to watch a movie you might never admit to having seen. Can anyone say, “Guilty Pleasure?” My pick for an evening alone is the The House Bunny. It’s about a sorority that needs help gaining new members, or else they will lose their charter and their house. Luckily, a Playboy Bunny who has been kicked out of Hugh Hefner’s mansion decides to be their House Mom and help save the sisters of Zeta Alpha Zeta. Starring Anna Faris, Emma Stone, Rumer Willis (daughter of Demi Moore and Bruce Willis), Katherine McPhee (American Idol superstar), Colin Hanks, and Kat Denning, this movie is something I decided to watch out of sheer boredom, and half-expected to be so bad it’s good. Instead, I found a movie that is clever, entertaining, and even has a beautiful message about learning to be yourself.
Now, if it’s a romantic night you have in mind, I would recommend an action/thriller movie like Red Eye, starring Rachel McAdams. In Red Eye, Rachel McAdams’ character sits next to a man on an airplane, only to find out that he is not the nice stranger that he seems to be. While horror movies are often considered perfect date night material, I think that a movie like Red Eye allows you to feel a little scared without going out of your mind. Not only is it a movie that keeps you on your toes, but it also is relatively short. Running only 85 minutes, this movie won’t take up your whole night.
With a group of your girlfriends, you simply can’t go wrong with a romance movie. Comedy or drama, it really doesn’t matter. Either way, something that will have you and your girls believing that good guys do exist is a recipe for an enjoyable evening. My favorite romantic pick is Penelope, starring Christina Ricci and James McAvoy. This film is one part romance and two parts fairytale. The cinematography is stunning, so be sure to look out for the scene in the park with bubbles blowing around in the wind. Penelope is about a girl who, due to a family curse, is born with a pig nose. Her mother decides to lock her up in their mansion and bring various suitors to her daughter, in the hopes of breaking the curse and giving her a human nose. This movie has plenty of plot twists that I don’t want to give away, but every aspect of the plot is perfectly thought out and executed.
I don’t know about you, but I certainly can’t wait for the weekend. So have some fun, enjoy yourself, and remember that not every weekend night has to result in some crazy college story.