10 Creative Movie Dates
by Dave

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Movies are kind of a staple when it comes to dating. Not the first few dates I hope, but after that there's nothing wrong with cuddling up together in a dark theater while you eat a tub of popcorn and get entertained.

But sometimes a standard movie just doesn't do the trick. If you want to mix it up a little bit and show your creative side, try one of these less standard takes on a traditional movie night.

Authentic Silent Movie
Here in San Diego our symphony sometimes plays the accompanying music for old silent films. I caught The Adventures of Robin Hood starring Errol Flynn a while back and it was tons of fun. Live music is great just about any time, but watching a silent film the way it was designed to be seen made it even better. If your town has a symphony, check their website because this is an experience to remember.

Cult Classics
You know those dingy little theaters that never seem to go out of business? They usually offer midnight showings of cult classics like The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Donnie Darko, Evil Dead 2, Spinal Tap, Blade Runner, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and so on. If you haven’t seen any of these, or just want to impress your date with an unusual night, stop by to sample the culture.

Movie in the Park
These happen in parks all over the country during the summertime - just one of the benefits of nice weather. They're a fun way to enjoy warm nights with a little picnic, maybe some wine, and a good movie. Show up a little early to nab the best seats; folding chairs can be a good idea.

Drive-In
Do you still have one of these around? If you haven't been in a while (or ever), it's time to head out to the ole' drive-in for a night of cuddling in the privacy of your own car. Even better, bring a truck and stuff the back with every pillow you can find.

Drive-in Movie for Two
No drive-in? No problem. You can put together your own customized drive-in movie by heading to an out-of-the-way spot and watching a movie in the back seat of your car on a laptop. Julie and Zane (shown below) put their own spin on it with a backyard movie in a hammock. Be sure your laptop has enough juice for the movie or a spare battery on-hand. Even better, if you have a projector, or can borrow one from your company or a friend, drag the couch out to the backyard and have a drive-in on the side of your house.

Julie and Zane on their Backyard Movie Date

Planetarium show
This isn't exactly a movie but planetariums put on all types of fun shows. My local science center offers once-a-month shows called The Sky Tonight where they display the current night sky on their dome (minus light pollution) and talk about what types of objects can be seen, along with other astronomy stuff. Yours might do this too!

Go IMAX
Nothing says immersion like IMAX. Huge screens and awesome visuals guarantee a great movie experience, I'd say it's twice as good for only twice the price!

Get Foreign
Yes, you're going to have to do a little reading but that's all part of the foreign movie experience! Impress your date by suggesting the latest French or Russian film and watch them look at you in a new way as they realize there might just be more to you than they thought.

Have a Theme Night
For this date you're going to pick a type of movie (western, Italian, Japanese) and really get into the spirit of it. For example, if you're up for an Italian film then put on some Pavarotti, cook up spaghetti and meatballs together, and break out the chianti! See our western, Japanese, Italian, and Chinese movie nights for ideas. You might even get more creative by picking a favorite movie, dressing like the characters, and eating food seen in the film or even inventing your own food that goes along with it!

Movie marathon
Sometimes an entire day on the couch with a bunch of movies is exactly what you need. Laying around, laughing your heads off, and eating oh my God so much unhealthy food. Pick up your favorite movie trilogy, TV series, or just a pile of flicks on your list, then sit back and enjoy.