July: Scream in the Heat Movie Nights

Not sure where to start? We've stitched together collections of hair-raising films to suit every sinister taste. These cinematic nightmares will ignite your summer nights with fear and excitement.

• Slasher Classics: "Friday the 13th," "Scream," "Halloween"
• Supernatural Scares: "The Conjuring," "Hereditary," "The Witch"
• Campfire Chills: "The Blair Witch Project," "Sleepaway Camp," "The Ritual"
• Summer Favorites: "Jaws," "I Know What You Did Last Summer," "Midsommar"

Pick a theme or combine them into your personal fright fest. 

There’s no wrong way to scream.

Unearth our horror favorites below!  💀 

Why stay inside when the night sky can be your haunted theater? Hosting an outdoor horror movie night is easier than summoning a ghost. Here’s how you can set the scene for a chillingly good time.

Set the Mood

• Drape string lights through your yard for an eerie glow.
• Add black candles or LED lanterns for an extra      atmospheric touch.
• Use sheets as an outdoor screen. Project your movie      against a backdrop of shadows.

Stay Cozy (and Safe!)

• Provide throw blankets and pillows for your guests.  Bonus points for gothic patterns!
• Offer bug repellent or citronella candles to keep uninvited pests away.
• Keep a first-aid kit handy for bumps in the dark.

Engage Your Guests

• Host a pre-movie trivia session with horror-themed prizes.
• Encourage guests to dress as their favorite horror villain or character for a costume contest.

Transform your space into a chilling masterpiece that immerses your guests in a night of fright and fun. Here’s how to go beyond the usual with spine-tingling decoration ideas that will set the perfect backdrop for your horror-themed movie night:

• Gravestones of Dread: Create a makeshift graveyard with foam gravestones. Paint them in shades of gray, adding cracks, mossy textures, or ancient inscriptions like “R.I.P.” or “Here Lies Fear.” Plant them firmly in a patch of dirt or a bed of fake cobwebs.  Bonus touch? Stick skeletal hands emerging from the ground nearby for a truly macabre delight.
• Bats in Flight: Use black cardstock to craft bats of various sizes. Affix them to walls or hang them from the ceiling with invisible fishing wire, so they appear to flutter ominously mid-air. Cluster them leading up staircases, across windows, or circling overhead      lights for a look that’s eerily alive.
• Bubbling Witch’s Cauldron: Enhance the ambiance with a bubbling cauldron straight out of a witch’s lair. Place a fog machine inside a large black pot, then layer in glow sticks or green LED lights for an otherworldly effect. Scatter faux potion ingredients, such as plastic eyeballs, bones, and glass jars labeled with "Nightshade" and "Wolfsbane," for added flair.
• Glimmering Ghost Lights: Fill mason jars with fairy lights and drape some in sheer white fabric, pinching the material at the top to create simple ghost shapes. Set them along pathways, on tables, or hanging from low-hanging tree branches to add spectral charm.
• Spider’s Lair: Cover the corners of your space with realistic-looking fake cobwebs and giant plastic spiders, placing them in high-visibility areas, such as doorways and ceilings. Drape cobwebs over black picture frames, mirrors, and even furniture to extend the theme throughout your home.
• Cursed Candles: Arrange black or blood-red candles of varying heights, and allow wax to drip down their sides for a sinister, used-and-abandoned look. If you’re concerned about fire hazards,      opt for battery-operated candles with flickering amber light settings to maintain the eerie glow.
• Floating Spirits: Inflate white balloons,cover them with thin cheesecloth, and add black felt eyes to craft ghost decorations that appear to hover. For added spook, suspend them from translucent strings in unpredictable spots, making them appear as if they’re watching you from the darkness.
• Sinister Photo Booth: Create a creepy photo backdrop with tattered black curtains, string lights, and a collection of props like haunted masks, skulls, and faux chains. Invite guests to snap photos and share their spooky looks.
• Haunted Mirror Effect: Use mirror clings to distort reflections and create ghostly patterns or haunted figures on mirrors. Position mirrors in dimly lit areas for an added scare when your guests catch their distorted reflections unexpectedly.
• Foggy Graveyard Pathway: Line your entrance or walkways with fake foam gravestones and scatter moss and crunching autumn leaves around their bases. Use a fog machine to softly blanket the ground in mist, shrouding the scene in a haze of mystery.

With these eerie ideas, you’ll conjure an unforgettable mood that perfectly balances fear and fascination. Whether you enlist your inner artist for DIY crafts or find premade decorations, your movie night will feel truly haunted!

No haunted gathering is complete without snacks that terrify in appearance but delight in flavor. Here are some eerie yet undeniably appetizing options to elevate your horror-themed movie night:

• Witch’s Guacamole Cauldron: Serve creamy guacamole in a small black cauldron, rimmed with dollops of sour cream to      mimic bubbling brew. Accompany with black tortilla chips that are perfect for dipping. Add a sprinkle of edible glitter for a magical, eerie glow.
• Mummified Pigs in a Blanket: Wrap mini sausages in thin strips of puff pastry to resemble mummies, leaving small      gaps for “eyes.” After baking to golden perfection, dot on mustard or ketchup for the eyes, giving these crispy bites personality and a hint of spooky.
• Jack-o’-Lantern Stuffed Peppers: Hollow out orange bell peppers and carve frightful jack-o’-lantern faces into them.      Fill them with a savory mix of rice, ground meat (or a vegetarian alternative), veggies, and cheese. Bake until the filling is hot and the peppers are tender, creating edible lanterns that burst with flavor.
• Ghostly Cheeseball Bites: Shape a cream cheese and herb mixture into small round balls, then coat them in finely shredded mozzarella to create a wispy, ghost-like texture. Add small olive pieces for eyes, and serve with crackers for an eerie yet elegant appetizer.
• Bloodshot Deviled Eggs: Make traditional deviled eggs with a creamy yolk filling, but take them up a notch by creating red “veins.” Use a toothpick dipped in red food coloring to      streak the whites, and top each with half a green olive stuffed with pimento to mimic a bloodshot eyeball.
• Spiderweb Pizza: Transform a homemade or store-bought pizza into a creepy masterpiece. Use mozzarella cheese or      sour cream to draw a spiderweb pattern on top, and add olive slices as spiders” crawling across. The result is a spooky pie that’s as delicious as it is festive.
• Pumpkin Patch Brownies: Cut brownies into squares and top each one with a dollop of bright green frosting. Place an      orange candy pumpkin (such as candy melts or marzipan pumpkins) on top, creating a miniature pumpkin patch scene. The rich, fudgy base paired with the sweet toppers makes for a hauntingly good dessert.
• Blackberry and “Blood” Parfaits: Layer rich vanilla yogurt, fresh blackberries, and a swirl of raspberry sauce in clear cups. The deep purple-black berries combined with the scarlet      “blood” sauce create a delightfully dark and dramatic treat. Top with crushed chocolate cookies for a graveyard dirt effect.

These devilishly good snacks strike the perfect balance between creepy and craveable. Try these recipes, and watch your guests devour them faster than a ghost can vanish!   👻