The end of October is typically one of the last times we can reliably enjoy evenings outside before the snow and frost of winter starts to return in November and December. That makes October a perfect opportunity for a spooky Halloween movie by the outdoor fireplace. An outdoor fireplace provides the perfect warmth while you embrace the full October atmosphere for those spooky, Halloween films. To help you design the perfect spooky outdoor movie night, we have some suggestions for creating the coziest seating arrangement, some movie picks for friends and family, and the best spooky snack for the ultimate outdoor cinematic experience.
The Perfect Seating Arrangement
For the best spooky outdoor movie night this Halloween, you’ll want to create an ideal sitting area. Here, the audience can sit together while they enjoy and maybe scream at the movies. Since October can get chilly, you’ll want to center your seating around the fire. We recommend providing a large area where everyone can lie down together, like an outdoor couch. Alternatively, create a large comfortable area on the ground with cushions. Either arrangement should be close enough to the outdoor fireplace to enjoy its warmth but far enough away to not pose any fire risks. Whether you choose furniture or the ground, you’ll want plenty of pillows and blankets. Everyone should be cozy and warm throughout the movies.
The Right Screen for an Outdoor Movie Night
The other major factor for your arrangement is where everyone will watch the movie. The seating should be arranged so that everyone can easily look at and see the screen. You could move your TV outdoors if you have a covered, outdoor living area and a fireplace with a mantle. If you have an open porch, we recommend getting a simple projector and screen to play your spooky Halloween movies. These provide a much larger screen that is easier to set up outside. You can also place the screen in an ideal location for your audience’s seating area and your outdoor fireplace. If you have a low-profile outdoor fireplace or a fire pit, you can place the screen behind. If your outdoor fireplace is larger, you may want to place the screen to one side or even on the opposite side with the fire at the audience’s back.
While professional-grade projectors are expensive, relatively inexpensive models have now entered the market that are perfect for outdoor movie nights. These won’t replace your TV’s picture quality and tend to work less well in bright conditions. However, since the sun sets considerably earlier in October, you’ll have the perfect low-light conditions for projecting a movie onto a screen that everyone can watch.
Some Spooky Halloween Movie Classics
Now that you have your screen, you’ll need the right set of movies to play on it for your outdoor Halloween movie night. If you’re hosting for adults who have a thing for horror, you’ll want to go with the spooky classics like Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, and the appropriately named Halloween. The Thing and The Shining are also two of our horror favourites. If you’re looking for something less dire or more family-friendly, go with the Hotel Transylvania, Coco, Coraline, or The Corpse Bride for fun and spooky outdoor films. While there’s some debate about whether Gremlins and the Nightmare Before Christmas are Halloween or Christmas movies, you won’t get any complaints if you put these on the screen for an outdoor movie night by the fire.
Spooky Movie Snacks
No outdoor Halloween movie night by the fireplace is complete without some scarily tasty movie snacks. Spooky cookies (spookies?) are an easy way to get your food and movie audience into the Halloween spirit. They can be shaped and frosted to look like pumpkins, bats, skulls, and more. Caramel apples are a fall and Halloween classic, so be sure to have some ready. Lastly, a movie night without popcorn would be a true horror. You can go classic with some butter, or add some chocolate, cheese, or even cookie bits. We recommend melting some white chocolate, adding orange or red food colouring and pouring it over the prepared popcorn for a spooky, salty, and sweet snack.
Enjoy the Movies and the Fire
Now you have everything you need to enjoy a spooky outdoor Halloween movie night: the seating, the screen, the movies, and the snacks. Most importantly, you’ll want the outdoor fireplace to create a cozy space and set the perfect ambiance for those spooky movies. If you’re looking for a new outdoor fireplace for those movie nights, your fireplace needs servicing before the next movie night, or you want more film recommendations, be sure to contact Classic Fireplace.
