Tag: big screen

I recently learned that outdoor movie screens are an increasingly popular option for home movie viewing. You can start with a do-it-yourself project of a blackout cloth and some PVC pipe for about $100 (projector, speakers, other stuff not included). You can buy complete working system with 8-foot screen for $1,700 on Amazon, or you can rent a 40-foot screen for one night for $2,000, or you could do a whole lot in between.

Ok, my maleness finds it hard to deny the pull of a forty-foot movie screen in my backyard. Ha ha ha ha! Awesome! However, I’m not sure how well this would work for a 24-hour movie marathon. Here’s what I’m thinking:

1. It sounds as if movies during the daylight are a no-go. So, for a 24-hour movie marathon, you would have to change locations / venues at least twice during the marathon (sundown / sunup)
2. You are at the mercy of the weather. The day of your big event may be rainy, or windy, or otherwise uncomfortable. And for people in cold-weather climates (such as myself) we have a pretty narrow window non-snowy, non-cold and wet days to start with.
3. You are at the mercy of the neighbors. I’m not sure every neighbor who could possibly hear even a whisper of The Big Lewbowski at 4:00 AM would be happy with this setup.
4. The price, of course. Depending on what equipment you have, and what you rent or buy, this could send the price of your movie marathon anywhere from 2x-10x what you would normally spend.
5. The rental company prices typically seem to apply to something like two to five hours a rental. Doubling the price for just half the marathon doesn’t sound too great.

Still, this would undoubtedly be the coolest thing ever if you could pull it off. I wish you good luck, and let me know how it goes!

For additional advice on setting up your own backyard theater:

1. General set-up advice
2. Backyard Theater Forums – for enthusiasts