Movie Mania: Enjoy Films from Home

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Don’t want to deal with driving to the theatre, braving the crowds or paying for snacks and drinks? Make it a movie night at home! What should you watch and how can you make viewing one of these films an event? We’ve solicited the help of Berks County Living readers for suggestions you’ll find on the following pages.

Laugh a Little – or a Lot!

Laughter: it’s good for the soul. Our readers love films like Wedding Crashers and romantic comedy greats including You’ve Got Mail, Moonstruck, Sweet Home Alabama and When Harry Met Sally. Grab your close friends or a significant other and enjoy!

Put a unique twist on the traditional movie-snack favorite with these popcorn flavor twists below. Just combine the ingredients in a blender, pulse into a fine mixture, and top your popcorn based on your mood. Store any leftovers in your pantry in an air-tight container.

Ranch: 

  • 1 Tbsp. onion flakes
  • 2 tsp. parsley leaves
  • 2 tsp. basil leaves
  • 1 tsp. dill weed
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • ¼ tsp. black pepper 
  • ½ tsp. Himalayan salt 

Parmesan  Rosemary: 

  • 1 Tbsp. dried rosemary
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 2 Tbsp. freshly grated parmesan

Cinnamon Sugar:

  • 2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon 
  • ¼  tsp. salt

Coconut Curry: 

  • 2 Tbsp. coconut flakes
  • 1 Tbsp. curry powder 
  • 1 tsp. ginger powder

Matcha Sea Salt: 

  • 1 Tbsp. matcha green tea powder 
  • 1 tsp. sea salt

* Readers' Choice! Favorite Actress – It’s a tie! Both Meryl Streep and Sandra Bullock scored the same number of votes. 

While it may be a tie here, did you know that Meryl Streep holds the record for most Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations of any actor?

Snuggle Up

Grab your significant other, your favorite glass of wine, and a cozy blanket to get ready for an emotional investment with a night of dramas. Our readers recommend the classic Gone with the Wind, which recently celebrated its 80th anniversary, or a more recent love story like The Notebook.

Tips for setting the stage…

  1. Light some candles.
  2. Dim the lights. 
  3. Make a decadent treat ahead of time with chocolate-dipped strawberries.
  4. Play some romantic film music while you prep your space. Our fans love the Dirty Dancing soundtrack.

Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries 

(from bettycrocker.com)

What You’ll Need: Waxed paper, 1-quart saucepan & cookie sheet

Ingredients

  • 1 pint (2 cups) medium/large strawberries (18-20 berries)
  • 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips or white vanilla baking chips
  • 1 tsp. shortening or vegetable oil

Directions

  1. Gently rinse strawberries and dry on paper towels (berries must be completely dry). Line cookie sheet with waxed paper.
  2. In 1-quart saucepan, melt chocolate chips and shortening over low heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
  3. Dip lower half of each strawberry into chocolate mixture; allow excess to drip back into saucepan. Place on waxed paper-lined cookie sheet.
  4. Refrigerate uncovered about 30 minutes until chocolate is firm, or until ready to serve. Store covered in refrigerator so chocolate does not soften (if made with oil, chocolate will soften more quickly at room temperature).

Get your Blood Pumping

Action, suspense, horror…nail-biter flicks are perfect for enjoying with a group of friends and absolutely require having some good snacks on hand. Consider these top reader picks:

  1. Horror – Dracula or Carrie
  2. Suspense – The Silence of the Lambs or The Sixth Sense
  3. Action – Taken or a Jurassic Park series pick

Chianti Top Picks

We asked local wine expert Ben Franco of winedown café to share his top 3 Chianti recommendations, and he suggests:

  1. Chianti Classico, Barone Ricasoli Brolio ’15 
  2. Chianti, Santa Cristina “Superiore” ’15
  3. Chianti Classico, Fonte Selva ’15 

(exclusively at winedown café & wine bar)

* Fun Fact: In the 1991 film The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal Lecter delivers his most quotable line: "A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti." In the original book, though, Lecter stated that he ate the meal with "a big Amarone.” Chianti was chosen for the movie because of its recognition.

In honor of The Silence of the Lambs, we suggest a dinner party prior to viewing, featuring some Chianti and this fava bean-inclusive recipe…

Fava Beans with Prosciutto + Cream

By Nicole Gaffney | coleycooks.com

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. freshly shucked fava beans, roughly 3 1/2 cups (from about 3 pounds of pods)
  • 1/2 tsp. olive oil
  • 1/4 lb. thinly sliced prosciutto, roughly chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
  • 1/4 lemon, squeezed (about 1-2 tsp.)
  • 2 Tbsp. minced chives

TO COOK AND PEEL THE FAVA BEANS

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and liberally season with salt. It should taste like the ocean. Prepare an ice bath and set aside. If the favas vary greatly in size, separate them into two piles: one larger and one smaller.
  2. Drop the larger favas into the boiling water first and allow to cook for about 90 seconds, then drop in the smaller beans. Cook for about 2 minutes longer, or until the beans are tender throughout (cook time will depend on their size so be sure to check).
  3. Drain the beans and immediately submerge in the ice bath. Once cool, strain, then remove the peel from each individual bean. After blanching, they should slip right off.

TO PREPARE THE DISH

  1. Place the olive oil and prosciutto in a large saucepan over medium heat and sauté until the prosciutto has rendered down and crisped up, about 4 minutes. Pour out any fat in the pan so there is only 1 tsp. remaining.
  2. Add in the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, then pour in the cream. Bring up to a boil and allow the cream to reduce by half. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  3. Add in the peeled fava beans and continue cooking for about 2 more minutes until the sauce has tightened up and the flavors have melded together. Squeeze the lemon in to brighten up the sauce, taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed. Garnish with chives and serve immediately, right out of the pan.

For All Ages

There is no shortage of family films to choose from if you’re planning a movie marathon for every member of the household. Go-to picks include the Star Wars series, the Harry Potter films, Mary Poppins (and now Mary Poppins Returns), the classic The Sound of Music, and Toy Story.

* READERS' CHOICE: Readers’ Favorite Actor – Tom Hanks (the voice of Toy Story’s Woody)

For dinner, make mini pizzas or a fun cast iron pizza with the below recipe and have a wide array of toppings on hand to let each family member personalize his or hers. For the kiddos, venture to the nearest convenience store for a drink run or whip up a punch or maybe a root beer float.

Cast Iron Pizza

From A Farmgirl's Kitchen | afarmgirlskitchen.com

Pizza Dough Ingredients

  • 1 cup warm milk
  • 1/2 cup lukewarm water
  • 2 1/4 tsp. dry yeast
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 Tbsp. honey
  • 4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 5 to 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt

Instructions

  1. In either a saucepan or in the microwave, warm the milk to just slightly warmer than lukewarm.
  2. Pour the warmed milk into the large mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Add the lukewarm water, yeast and honey; stir with a spoon or whisk. Let sit for 3 or 4 minutes. Then add the eggs and olive oil; stir.
  3. Add the flour and salt, mixing using the beater attachment. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl occasionally with a rubber spatula or rubber table scraper. Beat on medium to high speed for 4 to 5 minutes.
  4. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough gently for 5 minutes or so. Shape the dough into a round. Spray the mixer bowl with cooking spray or coat with a touch of olive oil. Place the dough back into the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm kitchen for 1 hour or until doubled. Punch down and let rise again, another hour.
  5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and cut into 4 even pieces. Shape into rounds and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Gently roll out one piece of dough using a rolling pin into a sphere slightly larger than the bottom of your skillet. Try to keep the edges of the dough slightly thicker than the center. Grease a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Place the rolled-out dough into the cast-iron skillet. Use your fingers to gently gather the edges and form a crust edge. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour. Gently brush the edges of the crust with an egg wash before baking.
  6. Spoon sauce in the center and spread out towards the crust edges with the back of a tablespoon. Sprinkle with cheese and any toppings you desire. Bake in a preheated 500 degree F oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly.
  7. If saving the dough for another day, simply spray a large, zip-style bag with cooking spray and place 1 or 2 rounds in each bag. Place them in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Can’t Decide What to Watch?

With this fun idea from The Organised Housewife (theorganisedhousewife.com.au), jot movie ideas onto a popsicle stick whenever you get an idea, pop it into a jar, and you’ll be ready for movie night when you need to make a selection! 

Or visit online at suggestmemovie.com, choose your movie mood (romantic comedy, thriller, etc.), your favorite actor or actress, and the like, and they’ll show you trailers that fit your search. Just watch, then take your pick!

If you have Netflix, you can also play roulette by logging onto netflixroulette.net and inputting basic criteria and then clicking the button to spin for your selection.