Mods, hopefully this type of post is allowed, but if not, do what you’ve gotta do! =)
Background
As the pandemic really set in during the summer of 2020, I started hosting a virtual horror movie night with some real-life friends to maintain a measure of socialization. It was held every other weekend, featured two movies, and the group ended up with 3-5 regulars.
As things opened back up this summer and people got vaccinated and busier, these movie nights have been shelved. Fast forward: it has been a few months, cold weather is coming, and the COVID situation has become more precarious. I’ve found that I actually miss movie nights quite a bit and would like to grow the group of people that share a similar not-too-serious interest in the genre.
I want to be clear that this is not an attempt to add social followers, enhance my "brand,” or attain some kind of internet influencer status. I just like horror movies, laughter, and making new friends.
If this sounds remotely interesting to anyone, nitty gritty details are below!
Premise & Details
The movie night is called Tenebris Somniorum. In part because of the whole global isolation thing and in part because, as mentioned, most of the films have been of the horror/thriller variety. Some are intentional b-movies, some are accidental b-movies, some are objectively good/classics.
Most nights are double-features. Sometimes the two films are loosely correlated with a theme. For example: The Funhouse and Ghoulies II (both set in amusement parks), Terrorvision and The Video Dead (both featuring TVs as a central plot device), or Slither and Videodrome (Cronenberg!). A theme isn’t a hard rule, but it makes movie choices easier and more fun. I generally pick the movies, but am very open to attendee feedback and suggestions.
I also usually try to throw in a few old/classic commercials between the movies to give the viewing experience that 80s/90s late night Cable TV vibe. If you watched TNT’s MonsterVision or USA Up All Night, you know what I mean.
Broadcasts are generally held every other week, usually on Saturday nights, starting at 10:00pm EST and, depending on the length of the movies, ending by 1:15-2:00am EST.
Interested in the list of what’s been shown so far? Check it out here.
How It’s Hosted
Streams are broadcast using Kast (kastapp.co). An account is required, but it’s free.
The social aspect (text, voice, and video chat) takes place on a newly-launched Discord server. Again, an account is required, but it’s free. Push to Talk is required to avoid background noise from people’s TVs/surround sound, although there is a social corner of the server where PTT isn’t mandatory.
Why not do everything on Discord? I’ve had trouble streaming the films via Discord, while I’ve found that Kast’s performance is pretty smooth. On the other hand, Discord is far superior when it comes to moderation and user options (noise suppression, individualized control of each user’s volume, push to talk enforcement). It is also nice to keep modes of consumption separate. If you just want to watch the movie, just join the Kast. If you want to be snarky, share some laughs, and maybe make a friend or two, join the Discord too.
I personally Chromecast the Kast stream to my TV, then chat on Discord via computer or phone, but you may prefer a different setup. The available options should ensure that you get the viewing experience you prefer.
On Copyright and Revenue
The idea behind this is as simple as “invite some friends over to watch a movie together.” As mentioned above, I’m NOT trying to start an internet brand or become an “influencer.” I do NOT want donations. I do NOT have a Patreon. There is NO cost to attend and there are NO sponsors. This should all fall under Fair Use.
How to Join
Made it this far? Interested? If so, here’s what you have to do:
- Send an email to TenebrisSomniorum(.at.)gmail.com to opt in. This will get you on the email distribution list. Once you’re added, you’ll receive a confirmation email back with a Kast room link and a one-time-use Discord invitation link. After that, you’ll only receive other emails occasionally (2-3 per month max).
- One email will go out for each event, usually the Wednesday or Thursday beforehand. It will include the date of the next showing, a short introduction, the movies with brief tongue-in-cheek descriptions, IMDB.com links, and a direct link to the Kast room for easy access.
- Infrequently, other emails may go out regarding polls/surveys related to which movies to show, meta changes to the format or platform, or if there will be an extended break between events.
- Set up your Kast account and request access to the room. Once initially admitted you’ll have indefinite access. Don’t be worried if access isn’t granted right away. It happens in batches and will be accepted prior to the next stream.
- Set up your Discord account if necessary and familiarize yourself with the server. Hang out if anyone else is online (even though it is a small group).
- SLEEEEEP! The next broadcasts will tentatively be 9/4 and 9/25.
- Attend whichever showings suit your fancy.
- You can remove yourself at any time by sending another email with UNSUBSCRIBE in the title.
Thanks for reading and I hope we get to share some times! Any questions, feel free to ask below.