From Mad Max: Fury Road to Pirates of the Caribbean to The Big Lebowski – Hosting the Ultimate Movie-Themed Party: Decor, Menu & Drink Ideas
Lights, camera, dinner! With the declaration of the Academy Award winners complete, now is the perfect time to celebrate with an award-winning, movie-themed party. Bring the glitz and glamour of the red carpet to your home for an evening your friends and family will enjoy.
The key to hosting any successful theme party is to commit to your theme 100 percent. The only challenge becomes deciding on what theme to commit to. Here are several ideas for award-winning movies throughout the years that you can combine or use separately to wine and dine the guests of your star-studded affair.
Winner of Best Costume Design and a slew of other artistic Academy Awards this year, "Mad Max: Fury Road" would make an exciting and visually-striking movie theme for an evening of dinner and fun. Costumes are a must for this one!
Decor: To represent the arid, futuristic world of Fury Road, think desert landscaping. Drape tables and chairs in muted cloth in shades of sand and beige. The colourlessness of the room will create the lifeless land of Fury Road, and it will be easy to remove come clean-up time. Use cans of food as centerpiece and accents throughout the party room as a reminder of the sparse resources left in the post-apocalyptic land.
Menu: Since food is hard to come by in desolation, serve a dish that is a little different. Lamb shanks are unusual and rustic enough to be believable. Paired with a side of chickpeas or gnocchi, you have a mouthwatering wasteland entree to serve your war boys and girls.
Drinks: Serve ice water with lemon or cucumber infusion in decorative carafes to highlight this rare commodity and have plenty of Australian beer in the fridge.
Pirates of the Caribbean (2003-2011)
"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" (2006) was the only film in the Pirates franchise to take home an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. But what it lacked in awards, it excelled in costume fodder. Who doesn't want to dress up like a pirate?
Decor: Fish nets and anchors strewn throughout the house will do the trick. Add a little faux-seaweed or kelp and a costume shop treasure chest, and you're ready to let the merriment begin.
Menu: One of the simplest dishes to make, and one that is perfect for feeding a whole crew, is pirate's stew. Combine all the ingredients in a crock pot and let it simmer.
Drinks: Rum, or pirate's blood, is a delicious and versatile spirit that is perfect for mixing rum cocktails for your rowdy shipmates.
John Goodman took home the Best Supporting Actor award for his role as Walter in this cult classic that introduced the world to Jeff Bridges' portrayal of The Dude, a laid back bowler with a penchant for simplicity. If you abide by The Dude's philosophy, costumes are definitely optional, but a bathrobe and a pair of Birkenstocks would go a long way for the sake of authenticity.
Decor: Also optional, but if you can get your hands on an oriental rug, it will really tie the room together.
Menu: Lingonberry pancakes are present in the film and are also delicious, but for the more dedicated and morbid party planner, the traditional pig in a blanket finger food can be altered to be green toenail toes in a blanket. Add an almond sliver dyed in food coloring to the tip of the sausage link.
Drinks: White Russians, of course. This creamy cocktail is The Dudes's favorite drink and is sure to delight your guests as well.
The beauty of throwing your own movie party is that you write the script, you direct the actors and you make the rules, so you can choose which movies to pay homage to at your soiree. Choose one theme or interweave them for a collision of cinematic worlds right in your own home. With a little creativity and commitment, your night of silver screen themes will be a success.
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