If it's been a while since you and your friends saw the first Harry Potter movie, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" (2001), you may be ready for a movie marathon! In total, the Harry Potter movies will take approximately 20 hours to watch from start to finish, so you and your team have a lot of work ahead of you. But with a little planning, preparation, and some fun breaks, organizing your Harry Potter movie marathon will be easier than saying wingardium leviosa.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Planning the Harry Potter Marathon Party
Step 1. Determine the guest list
If you have a smaller space, you will want to limit the guest list so that everyone can feel comfortable during the marathon. You'll be involved in your mission to watch Harry Potter for about 20 hours, probably longer with breaks, so you'll want to make sure everyone has a comfortable seat and a clear view of the screen.
Step 2. Plan a date
You can simply choose a day on the weekend when your friends have the freedom to host the party, or you may want to choose a date that references the Harry Potter universe. For example, you can have the party on September 3 at 4:00 p.m. m. as Harry boards the Hogwarts express on platform 9 (September is the ninth month) and ¾ (which represents the third day at four o'clock.
Step 3. Determine the goals of the marathon
20 hours is a long time to look at anything, even something you love. You may want to split the marathon into two days and do a half marathon each day, or you may just want to marathon your favorite movies. In any case, write down the general viewing time, so you can tell your friends the start and end time of the marathon.
- You can add some fun and imagination to your marathon by making it a themed party.
- For true fans at heart who plan to see the entire saga from beginning to end, you should plan a sleepover. Otherwise, you may have trouble fitting 20 hours of viewing in a single day.
Step 4. Choose rest activities
Sitting for long periods of time without moving can be detrimental to your health. Think about the Harry Potter themed activities you can do to stretch your body between the different visualizations. This can include:
- Fake a duel
- Play Quidditch for Muggles
- A board game based on the Potterverse
- Harry Potter themed pantomimes or riddles
- Harry Potter themed online contests
Step 5. Make and send invitations
Due to the combined length of the movies, you will have to start watching early in the day and finish at night. You may even have to keep looking until the morning of the next day. Include a visiting calendar for your guests in the Harry Potter themed invitation, and don't forget to include the address of the party, the time it starts and ends, and whether or not there will be refreshments.
- If you're trying to plan your party on a budget, you might consider making the party a potluck, where everyone brings a plate to pass. This should be clearly indicated on your invitations.
- Write your invitations on beige, parchment-style paper so that your invitations mimic mail on the Potterverse. Purchase this paper at your local craft store or art supply store. You can also try adding the Hogwarts symbol to one side of the envelope.
- Use images that refer to Harry Potter in your invitations. For example, since owls deliver mail in the wizarding world, you can include an owl image in your invitation.
Step 6. Consider snacks with a Harry Potter theme
You don't want hunger pangs to interrupt your epic marathon! Think of some popular delicacies served in the wizarding world, and then do your research online to find recipes for them. You can serve beer or pumpkin juice as a drink, and for lunch you can make browned muffins or strange flavored Berbie Botts beans. You can prepare:
- homemade butter beer
- molasses cake
- cauldron cakes
- pumpkin juice
Part 2 of 3: Prepare the Marathon Party
Step 1. Buy or rent the movies
If you don't have any of the Harry Potter movies, or if you are missing some, you will have to buy or rent the missing DVDs. Check for scratches ahead of time and test each film before the day of the party. It would be disappointing if you made the majority of the marathon and then had to stop due to a damaged disk or corrupted digital file.
If you don't have one of the Harry Potter movies in your collection, you can ask one of your friends to bring the movie to the party. That way you can focus on getting ready
Step 2. Prepare the first film and balance the volume
When marathon day finally comes, put the first movie on your TV and allow it to play for a few minutes to check the volume. Once you set the volume to a good level, pause the movie at the beginning so all you have to do is hit "play."
Step 3. Stock up on supplies, like paper products
Disposable cups, paper plates, and some paper towel rolls can make it easier to clean up when the marathon is over. You can even buy glasses and plates decorated with Harry Potter designs. These should be available at your local store or dollar store, although if you are having difficulty finding Potterverse themed products, an online retailer may be your best option.
Step 4. Make and arrange your snacks
Depending on the recipes you find, or depending on your favorite Potterverse treats, you may need to purchase additional supplies at your local grocery store. Once you make the sandwiches, place them in a way that mimics the movie, as if you were organizing the food on a long table.
- Organize your treats on a rolling cart and pretend during meal breaks that you ride the Hogwarts Express!
- Have backup copies ready so that when you finish one you don't have to interrupt viewing.
Step 5. Add Potter themed decorations
You don't need to go overboard, but the little details are sure to add to the atmosphere. If you plan on playing Quidditch for Muggles, you'll need brooms for the players, and these could be stacked to the side as decorations in the meantime. Movie posters can be taped to the walls, butterbeer can be served in a tricky-looking mug or coffee pot, and books can be placed around the display area to give your home a Harry touch. Potter.
Step 6. Make Potter-themed goody bags
It can be something you give your guests when you send them home after the party is over, or you may want to give them to your friends when they arrive to thank them for coming. To make your gift bags more authentic, you can include:
- gold foil wrapped chocolate coins
- mini creatures, such as spiders, frogs, and dragons
- a "potion" that is actually a juice box
Step 7. Clear your viewing space
You want the space to be as comfortable and easy to move around as possible. Move furniture that blocks hallways or takes up unnecessary space, and bring in extra seating from other rooms if you can.
If you're worried that you don't have enough seats, you can make a cozy nest out of blankets and pillows in front of the TV
Step 8. Play Potterverse music
Even if you don't have a soundtrack CD for one of the Harry Potter movies, you can still stream tracks from YouTube, Pandora, or other online media providers. This will make your guests want to see the Harry Potter Marathon from start to finish.
Part 3 of 3: Watch the Harry Potter Marathon in Style
Step 1. Enjoy a preview activity to prepare for the marathon
This can be as simple as having your guests choose a strip of paper with one of the four Hogwarts houses written on it from a "Sorting Hat". Alternatively, you can do something more elaborate, such as each arriving guest having a duel with the next arriving guest.
If it's a duel, you may want to write a cheat sheet for duelists with offensive and defensive spells
Step 2. Give house points, if applicable
Once you order your guests by house, you can award points to each house for the good things and the familiar trivia. Use a scrap piece of parchment paper left over from your invitations, if you have any, and keep track of the points around the house to make things more fun. You can award points for:
- quote lines from the movie
- know weird facts from the movie
- point out faults and errors
Step 3. Stick to the schedule
Unplanned breaks can occur over the course of the marathon, but each will add time to the 20-hour journey through the Potterverse. Make sure the meal is well planned so that guests can eat as they are hungry.
Stopping to prepare food can delay your visiting hours. Have prepared foods ready in the refrigerator or plan ahead to order them once the snacks are gone
Step 4. Take lots of breaks
Get up and stretch every hour or so to avoid feeling uncomfortable. Sitting for long periods of time is unhealthy, but taking five minutes to move and stretch every 30 minutes to an hour can alleviate many of these problems.
Step 5. Refill food regularly
As you and your guests eat what you've made, you'll need to clean up empty plates and bring out more food as needed. Use your scheduled break times to top off your Bertie Botts or to replenish your cauldron cakes.
Advice
- Put cushions, pillows and make things more comfortable for your friends.
- Make sure to drink caffeinated beverages late at night.
- If you think eight movies will be too long for one night, you can show as many or as few as you want or spread the marathon over several days.