Heated discussions on characters, bets on plot twists, a lot of snacks; movie clubs can be really fun! Admittedly, the part where you have to organize and run them is not the easiest thing because of things like the pressure to choose just the right movie, getting snacks everyone likes, and keeping things entertaining so that people come back to talk about movies. 

Still, it’s far from impossible, and in particular, keeping things entertaining in a movie club is entirely achievable. Here are 3 tips for you. 

Movie Bingo

There’s a reason why gamification is so talked about. Turning your movie talks into a game is sure to be a winner, especially if you make it a fun one and so Movie Bingo is something you’ll really want to try. 

Before discussions, you want to make Bingo cards with different elements related to the movie – think scenes, character quotes, or genre tropes. Then hand them out or share them electronically at the start. The rules are simple, as you all talk about the movie, everyone marks off items on their Bingo cards that match what’s being talked about.

Say your movie is “Jurassic Park.” Your Bingo cards might have boxes like “Dinosaur Roar,” “Clever Girl Reference,” or “Ian Malcolm’s Chaos Theory,” and the first one to mark off enough things and shout “Bingo!” gets a prize; maybe a printed booklet of behind the scenes pictures from the movie set, or a tiny plaque. 

Dress the Part Challenge

Getting into the spirit of movies is always a blast, and that’s exactly why you want to introduce the “Dress the Part Challenge.” 

It’s simple really, before the club is due to meet up, tell everyone about the movie and the challenge – dressing up like any character from the movie. You do want to keep the guidelines easy, however, nothing fancy if people are going to focus on getting into the vibe rather than worrying about what to wear.

Take, for example, a movie like “Harry Potter.” You might have someone dress up as Hermione with a wand and Gryffindor scarf and everything. Now, they’re not just showcasing their fashion sense; they’re sharing why Hermione is their favorite. And this is the really fun part – having everyone talk about their characters and anecdotes all about how they put their look together. 

Mystery Guest Movie Expert

Bringing in a mystery guest is almost guaranteed to be very entertaining. A mysterious person with insightful things to say really kicks the discussion up a notch.

You want to coordinate with a guest speaker who’s got the movie know-how, like a filmmaker, actor, or film critic but keep their identity under wraps, only dropping clues casually before the discussion. 

This is an especially good idea for critically acclaimed movies like say a classic like “The Godfather” so that your mystery guest could be a film director who has studied the work of Coppola. The clues could be all about iconic scenes or quotes from Coppola’s films. Just think of the excitement on the day of the reveal, with everyone asking questions and getting really profound answers and insider stories. Suddenly, your movie club isn’t just talking about movies; they’re getting a backstage pass to the industry.

With so many distractions, you want your club to be entertaining if people are going to keep coming. Try out these tips for your movie club!