Valentine’s Day Survival Guide
One day each year is set aside for those of you who are lucky enough to be in some sort of amorous relationship. Yes, February 14th brings us the wonderful (possibly over commercialised), Hallmark holiday of Valentine’s Day. Couples celebrate by showering each other with gifts of flowers, chocolates and feelings of affection. However, it can rub salt in the wounds of those commiserating over Singles Awareness Day (SAD). Even if you are single, you don’t need to sit sulking on this day. This may be one of the reasons why Hollywood has previously attempted to back the singles corner and produce horror movies around this time. The key to survival on this day, “apparently”, is to watch couples get punished for being in love, and be slaughtered with chainsaws, pick axes and kitchen knives by some psycho that did not receive their pretty, love heart shaped box of chocolates that year!
Not everyone is in favour of the “auspicious” occasion of Valentine’s Day, but there are always lists of things you can do to enjoy the day whether you are in the early stages of a relationship, on a first date, or just simply single. Let’s face it, there is a mixture of opinions about the day, but whether you like it or not, it does exist, so don’t feel you need to bury your head in the covers to hide away from it.
We have put together some key ingredients to help you plan a chilled out Valentine’s Day along with some recommendations for movies.
Main Ingredients:
Essentials
3-4 DVD’s
A bottle of wine
Scrumptious choccies
A blanket
A comfy sofa
A tub of ice cream
Nice to haves
A date or 3-4 friends, however, your own company is just as good!
Mood lighting
Around this time of year, there is generally the release of some kind of movie to fit in with the occasion. As the years go by, the genres change. Often Hollywood likes to celebrate the day with a regular Rom Com. However, in the past there have also been many horror movies released. We think a good selection of both genres is a definitely a good way to go about spending the evening.
Films recommended by the Love Doctor for Valentine’s Day
The St Valentine’s Day Massacre (1967), a docudrama based on the true story of American gangster – Al Capone and the seven murders that took place on Feb 14,1929 proved to be a huge hit for director Roger Corman back in the day. Not really how you think of Valentine’s Day these days, but it can definitely keep you entertained on the day with or without someone. If you’re on a date, you can always “pretend” to be scared and find an excuse to get a little close. If you’re single, you can enjoy the blood and gore on screen picking off those celebrating.
The film Valentine (2001) starring Denise Richards and David Boreanaz steps back in time to 1988 to begin with, where a geeky schoolboy is rejected several times at the prom by a group of popular girls. A speedy whizz into the present day sees a series of murders, and threats being received by the remaining girls through the form of love notes and chocolate boxes filled with maggots from the young lad seeking revenge.
The original version of My Bloody Valentine (1981) which is still considered a classic, and the remake in 2009 which made an impressive profit, presented us again with a teen flick. The old fashioned slasher movie elements are still apparent in the remake along with the continuity of the iconic murderer’s prop being the miner’s mask. Some may argue that the profit was down to its use of remarkable 3D technology rather than for its backdated plot.
Nevertheless, 2010 saw a lovey-dovey Rom-com – Valentine’s Day hit the cinema’s in February. Was Director Cupid Playing Stupid?
Not really. This wonderful day is originally intended to be a time for romance and fun (just a reminder for those of you who got distracted by the above), and this is exactly what this movie sets out to do. Taking place in Los Angeles, Valentine’s Day follows a tangled web of five interconnecting tales of young lovers, older lovers and everything in between; slightly following in the footsteps of other films such as Love Actually and He’s Just Not That Into You. This could be a good change that sets it apart from the previous Valentine’s films mentioned above which are set around the destruction of teen romance. If you are not convinced by the movie plot, then you will definitely be stolen away by the fruitful, long winded cast that director Garry Marshall expertly put together. The ensemble of characters include the likes of Taylor Lautner (Twilight), Bradley Cooper (The Hangover), Anne Hathaway, Jessica Alba, Julia Roberts, Ashton Kutcher, Patrick Dempsey, Jamie Foxx, Queen Latifah, and the star studded list goes on! So if you don’t have a date to get you starry eyed this Valentine’s Day, this all-star cast is sure to do just this.
So why not take our recommendations of DVD’s and Valentine’s ingredients listed above, and relax in front of a cheesy a selection of Valentine’s movies this year to have an enjoyable day. And what’s to say… you might even make a tradition of doing this every year whether it’s alone, with a date, or with friends!
Written by Reeya Majithia
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