A Cinephile's Guide to Having Fun While on Quarantine

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post by Adorama.

Now that much of the world is self-isolating due to the COVID-19 outbreak, that means people are at home... and running out of things to do.

Having a little fun (or a lot of it) is an essential part of weathering a quarantine that doesn't have an end date in sight, and that means more people than ever before are curling up on the couch to enjoy a good movie.

If you're a cinephile, whose daily routine includes watching several movies, you might need to get a little creative to keep yourself entertained. Here are a few activities that break away (slightly) from your typical movie-watching experience but still effectively scratch that cinephilic itch.

Project Your Favorite Flicks

If cinephiles are stuck inside for an indefinite length of time, they're going to do what they do best... and that's watching movies.

You've probably already prepared your slate—amassed a heap of DVDs and Blu-rays from your personal movie collection and overpopulated your Netflix list with both modern and classic fare. However, before you hit play on the most epic movie marathon in all of human history, you might want to consider watching those precious titles in style.

Get yourself a projector, a portable projection screen, and prepare the vast amounts of snacks it'll take to keep you immersed in your favorite films until the lockdown is over. The best part, you can set that thing up outside in your backyard if you're looking for a change of venue.

Movie-Themed Karaoke

What better way to chase away the quarantine blues than by belting out some hits on a karaoke machine? And while Journey's Don't Stop Believin' will always be a banger at the karaoke bar, cinephiles can take it a step further and queue up some jams from the best movie soundtracks.

Now, every karaoke star has their own personal tastes, but these movie soundtracks are sure to get you and whoever you're quarantining with jazzed up.

My Best Friend's Wedding
8 Mile
Purple Rain
The Bodyguard
Chicago
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
Guardians of the Galaxy
Maximum Overdrive
Love and Basketball
Romeo + Juliet
Dazed and Confused
Empire Records
Once
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Selena
Space Jam
Literally any Disney soundtrack ever made

Play Video Games Based on Movies

For those of you who are not only huge cinephiles but gamers as well, it might be a great time to dig into some crossover titles. Games like Sonic the Hedgehog, Mortal Kombat, and Tomb Raider have all made their way onto the big screen, so why not watch the movie and then play the game... or vice versa.

If you're looking for a game that didn't debut on a console from the 90s, though, EA's new Star Wars adventure, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, might be worth a playthrough or two. If you want to play the game but don't have a gaming system (!), you can get yourself a 1TB Xbox One X consol and bundle it with Fallen Order for less than $300.

Become a Jedi in Augmented Real Life

If you've always dreamed of fighting Storm Troopers with an ice blue lightsaber, then your moment has officially arrived. In fact, it has arrived for anyone with the same dream and a cell phone.

Lenovo teamed up with Disney to bring you Star Wars: Jedi Challenges, an augmented reality experience that utilizes the Lenovo Mirage AR headset and your own personal smartphone to awaken your inner Jedi.

The AR experience allows users to fight in lightsaber battles with waves of Storm Troopers, Kylo Ren, and Darth Vader, play Holochess (as first seen in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope), and lead Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi in Strategic Combat.

For a massive Star Wars fan who needs to get up and move and interact with people, even if they only exist in augmented reality, this seems like an inexpensive and crazy fun solution.

Understanding Film Gauge: From 8mm to 70mm

The No Film School guide to different film gauges—how, when, and why to use them.

In the modern age of digital cameras, it's easy to forget the beautiful edge shooting on film stock can add to your visuals. Many successful movies proudly shot on film were released this year, from indie darlings like Strange Darling to bigger budget fairs like Sean Baker's Anora, Luca Guadagnino's Challengers, and Jeff Nichol's The Bikeriders.

If you're a filmmaker, you already know shooting on film is cool—it's just a heck of a ton more expensive (in most cases) than the much less labor-intensive production styles that come with shooting on digital. No need to buy extra film stock or worry if you make a tiny mistake, you could compromise that stock. That being said, if you have the skill and budget to pull off a successful film shoot, the quality of your picture will more than certainly be worth the stress and money.

On top of shooting on film, there's also the question of projecting on film. Quentin Tarantino famously loves screening projects on film, owning two theaters in Los Angeles, The New Beverly and The Vista, that project films exclusively on film—The New Bev focuses on older restorations, while The Vista does double time with a film currently in theaters and fun midnight screenings and matinees.

It can be extremely daunting if you're interested in film in any capacity—shooting with little experience or even just curious to know more. What do all the different millimeters mean? It can be quite intimidating, so we're here to help. Below, you will find a quick brief of film gauges, as well as a breakdown of the most common formats—8mm, 16mm, 35mm, and 65mm.