It’s been a wild year, to say the least. Between the chaos of the world and the daily challenges of expat life in Argentina, my husband and I have found that the best way to distract ourselves is through movies — and food.
We’ve always loved films. For as long as we’ve been together, it’s been our thing. These days, we turn our movie nights into full-blown themed events as soon as new films hit digital release. Each one gets its own menu, decorations, and occasionally, a questionable level of dedication.
For the new Superman movie starring David Corenswet, we went all out. We made empanadas using beet discs, giving them a heroic red hue to match Superman’s cape and boots.
We followed that up with quesadillas shaped like the iconic “S” symbol on his chest.
Hot dogs came next — because nothing says “Man of Steel” quite like ketchup, mustard, and mayo in red, yellow, and blue packets. And of course, the green relish? Kryptonite.
To top it off, we created the French Fries of Solitude — a tribute to the Fortress of Solitude. Granted, the version in the movie looked nothing like the Christopher Reeve classic, but ours had heart (and carbs).
The props sealed the deal: a glowing kryptonite rock in a box, Superman keychains, pins, and action figures. It was nerd heaven.
We even made cookies with mini M&Ms that represented red, yellow and blue.
Unfortunately, the movie itself? Not so much. Krypto the dog was annoying, Superman was too whiny, and Supergirl’s late appearance didn’t help. Let’s just say our food was the real star of that night.
Next came the new I Know What You Did Last Summer sequel. I was excited — Sarah Michelle Gellar was back! Sadly, the new cast was so dull that I found myself rooting for the killer. And when (spoiler alert) Freddie Prinze Jr. turned out to be the killer, I nearly threw my boot at the TV.
Thankfully, our themed spread saved the evening. We made a pizza decorated with pepperoni shaped like the killer’s hook.
We thought about fish sticks, since the original killer was a fisherman, but I hate fish. So, chicken tenders it was. We even recreated the iconic “car accident” scene using action figures and a toy car.
More quesadillas made an appearance, this time decorated with hot sauce hooks. Mac & cheese — dyed and creepy — became “fish bait.”
For the bathtub scene, we filled a Styrofoam bowl with ice and added an Angel (from Buffy, naturally) action figure. Ironically, the new movie had a similar scene, though we made ours before seeing it. Points for psychic accuracy.
We finished with cupcakes dyed red to look bloody. They didn’t quite turn out, but A for effort.
When Jurassic World: Rebirth dropped, we had low expectations — and the movie still managed to disappoint. The first hour focused on two groups: annoying mercenaries and an even more annoying family that needed rescuing.
The food, however, was fun. We made store-bought dinosaur-shaped chicken tenders, added 3D Doritos for claws, and threw in pizza because… why not?
We also made smashed Jell-O guts inspired by the many victims that got stomped by a T-Rex. The trick was to include Vodka-soaked fruit. We even made vanilla pudding and added a cookie with a dinosaur paw print to make it look like a fossil at a dig site. The dinosaur toys definitely helped bring the theme to life.
Finally, we reached Alien: Earth, the FX series we’d been waiting for. We’re massive Alien fans, but this one was a letdown. The pacing was slow, the kids were unbearable, and the “transferred consciousness” storyline was more frustrating than frightening.
Still, our themed setup was fantastic. We placed a facehugger figurine in a jar of water with a lighted lid — creepy perfection.
Pizza made another appearance (we really do love pizza), this time topped with a facehugger for dramatic effect.
For dessert, we made vanilla pudding topped with crushed Oreos and ice cream cones to create an eerie alien terrain — a perfect breeding ground for facehugger eggs.
Speaking of eggs, we hard-boiled some, topped them with hot sauce, and attached a tiny facehugger to one so it looked like it was leaping out. Add in a xenomorph action figure, and the evening was far more entertaining than the two-part premiere.
Why We Keep Doing This
Let’s be honest: most of the movies this summer were terrible. Between 28 Years Later (which completely insulted the original films) and The Conjuring: Last Rite (where I rooted for the demon), it was a rough season for cinema. One film that did surprise us was Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning. The surprise being that the previous movie sucked, but this one was actually really good.
So why do we keep doing it? Because we love movies — even when they disappoint the hell out of us.
Back in the States, we used to go to the theater all the time. But here in Argentina, English-language films are getting fewer showtimes, often at the worst hours. Most locals prefer dubbed versions, and we can’t stand the Spanish subtitles.
So now, we wait for digital releases. We watch at home, surrounded by themed food, action figures, and our own laughter. If a movie sucks, we turn it off and pick something else. And if it’s great, we celebrate.
Either way, it keeps us sane. It’s our ritual, our coping mechanism — a reminder that even when life abroad gets complicated, there’s always a story worth watching and a snack worth making.
And honestly? We wouldn’t have it any other way.
Author’s Note
Before you guys start judging me about my spelling of the word “reel,” it’s not a typo! A movie reel is the round spool that holds a strip of film used in old projectors — you know, back when theaters actually ran physical film instead of digital files. I’m honestly not even sure if most theaters still use movie reels today, but the name felt too perfect to pass up.
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