How to Plan a Movie Marathon

Figure out how many people will be there. It could be a party type or just for you. If you want a big crowd, be sure to plan ahead and invite them!

Think of a theme. Some popular themes are chick flicks, horror films, or comedy. If you don't want to stick to one genre, you can just marathon your favorite movies.^[1]

Decide how many movies will you be watching. At least two movies are needed or else it won't really be a marathon. A good amount would be about four or five, but you can watch more for an extended marathon. A true movie marathon means watching 26.2 hours of movies, just as a marathon race is 26.2 miles (42.2 km).

Plan your start time. It depends on how long you want to stay up and how many movies you have to watch. Most movies won't be much longer than two hours, but make sure you know how long each movie will take. So if you are watching five movies starting at nine p.m, it would be too late unless you want to pull an all-nighter.^[2]

Cover the munchies. No movie marathon is complete without them. Popcorn cannot be ignored. Be sure to buy one or two boxes before the marathon begins. If any of your friends have a sweet tooth, get some candy like M&Ms. Common drinks to have at a marathon are of course soda and juice. Try to stock up on them before the marathon. Alcohol may add an element of fun to the marathon if you are all of the legal drinking age, and the movies are on the light-hearted side.^[3]

Consider providing a real meal. If your marathon will last more than 6 hours, your guests may get tired of snack foods and expect a real meal. Determine how you will feed them. Should everyone pitch in for pizza? Or will you take a break halfway through the marathon to grill up some burgers?^[4]

Make sure wherever you are having the marathon has enough room. Bring down extra pillows and blankets to make it comfortable.