It’s that time of the year again—Movies in the Park are back, invading Chicago's finest outdoor spaces on a nearly daily basis. For the rest of the summer, you'll have plenty of opportunities to go to your favorite patch of grass with your favorite person and watch your favorite movie. Make the most of it with these tips for taking your outdoor movie watching game up a notch. We've come up with eight ways that you watch a movie in the park like a total pro this summer.
First off, drive in. Nothing is better than watching movies in the luxury of your own car. Turn the whole experience into a ‘50s drive-in movie experience while everyone else is sitting in the dirt (with bugs). If the movie hits a dull point or a sappy romantic moment (bleh!), crank some "S.O.B" by Nathaniel Rateliff & The Nightsweats.
Bring the biggest blanket you own. Preferably one big enough for you and your partner to do a few barrel rolls. If you’re looking for some measurements, shoot for approximately 11,148.5 square meters.
Channel your inner Roger Ebert. Be sure to loudly critique the films to let everyone know you cannot be fooled. People will agree as you shout out, “Hey that would never happen!” or “Fake. That’s fake!”
Be a human version of IMDB. Tell everyone what other movies or TV shows the actors on-screen have starred in. Everyone has been wondering, and they were just waiting for someone to piece it together.
Provide the inside scoop. Let everyone know what off-screen religious and political preferences the actors have. Throughout the film, yell out things like "That guy's a Scientologist!" or “She voted for Ben Carson!”
Bring a SHHHHH whisper machine. What’s that you ask? It’s literally just a machine that whispers "Shhhhhh" every five minutes on a loop. This way you’ll keep everyone in check and save yourself the trouble of having to do it yourself.
Dress for the occasion. If West Side Story is playing, come in snapping your fingers as one of the Jets or the Sharks. When Grease is playing on August 2 at Welles Park, you and your friends should arrive as Danny Zuko and the T-Birds. If Silence of the Lambs is being screened, have your significant other roll you onto the center of the field on a dolly in a straight jacket.
Sing along. If you're seeing a musical, you sure as hell better show up vocally rested and ready to perform. Treat this experience as if it were an audition and give the greatest performance of your life. That’s what the people came to hear, so don't hold back.
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