Birthday party, cheesecake, jelly beans, boom!

December 3, 2012 7:28 PM

I'm looking for romantic end-of-the-world themed activities. Movies to cuddle during, food to make and eat, music to dance to, alcohol to drink.

I'm thinking it'll be a primarily movie/dinner night. It's specifically related to the Mayan "apocalypse" happening on the 21st. Punny ideas are most welcome.

When it comes to movies, scary stuff is ok, especially if it's funny-scary or so-bad-it's-good, but it should not be too gruesome or too depressing.

As far as food, vegetarian food is best, though stuff with fish is ok. Don't worry, we will drink xocolatl! (Or, you know, Nesquik.)

posted by lesli212 to Society & Culture (21 answers total)

Charmingly romantic movie suggestion: Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
posted by tinymegalo at 7:32 PM on December 3, 2012 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Last Night, of course.
posted by roger ackroyd at 7:45 PM on December 3, 2012 [5 favorites]

music to dance to

"It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" — REM

"1999" — Prince

More.
posted by John Cohen at 7:51 PM on December 3, 2012 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Ah, on preview rogerackroyd's beat me to it, but my vote's for Last Night as well.. Not exactly a comedy (though there are some comedic moments), but romantic and set during the end of the world. From Roger Ebert's review:

...[L]ife will end in Toronto, we learn, with farewell dinners, favorite songs and people deciding they have put off far too long their intention to sleep with one another.

The movie wisely offers no explanation for the coming apocalypse. All we know is that the world will end at midnight precisely, and that darkness never comes. As a soft early-evening twilight hangs late over the city, radio stations count down the 500 top songs of all time, revelers in a city square treat the event like New Years' Eve and we meet a small group of people as they try to face the end with a certain grace and dignity.

The cast is very good: Sandra Oh, Sarah Polley, David Cronenberg (as actor instead of director for once), Callum Keith Rennie.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 7:56 PM on December 3, 2012 [6 favorites]

Best answer: 2012 and The Day After Tomorrow are, of course, required.

Please also see Apocalypse Now/Apocalypse Wow tropes, especially How types 4, 5, 6, and 7.

Don't watch The Stand. It's freakishly depressing.
posted by SMPA at 8:10 PM on December 3, 2012

Best answer: You could make B-52s...
posted by spunweb at 8:10 PM on December 3, 2012 [1 favorite]

Judgement Date from 'ROAD GORE: THE BAND THAT DRANK TOO MUCH' (1985).

It's an acquired taste.
posted by mazola at 8:10 PM on December 3, 2012

Best answer: Maybe these, with some cayenne pepper in them to make a spicy chocolate rum drink?

http://www.yummly.com/recipe/Affogato-Mocha-Epicurious
posted by roboton666 at 8:12 PM on December 3, 2012

Best answer: And I would watch The Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy To remind ourselves, that even though the earth may meet some horrible fate, with a little luck you make make it.
posted by roboton666 at 8:14 PM on December 3, 2012 [3 favorites]

Best answer: My favorite tongue-in-cheek romantic horror sci-fi apocalype movie is Night of the Comet.
posted by RichardP at 8:16 PM on December 3, 2012 [2 favorites]

Whatever you do, don't watch Melancholia.
posted by Gonestarfishing at 8:41 PM on December 3, 2012 [3 favorites]

Miracle Mile. I haven't seen it since I was a child, but I remember it being compelling and strange; there is a romance too.
posted by sumiami at 9:35 PM on December 3, 2012

I remember Miracle Mile being compelling and strange and depressing, though (because, y'know, it's an end-of-the-world movie). Romantic though!
posted by hattifattener at 10:10 PM on December 3, 2012

Not exactly a dancey song, but Until The End Of The World by U2 fits the theme.
posted by SisterHavana at 10:17 PM on December 3, 2012

I remember liking much of the rest of the soundtrack to Until the End of the World, but it's more "moody and slow". As is the movie. Which is an end-of-the-world movie; it also has some interestingly prescient personal technology bits iirc.
posted by hattifattener at 10:39 PM on December 3, 2012 [2 favorites]

The movie Armageddon-Bruce Willis
posted by sybarite09 at 5:32 AM on December 4, 2012

Best answer: Sacrificial Hearts (of artichoke and spinach dip)

And spike that hot chocolate with some rum and chili powder.
posted by fontophilic at 6:41 AM on December 4, 2012

Best answer: You could (very) slow dance to Nick Cave's (I'll love you until) The End Of The World, also from the soundtrack to Wim Wenders' hauntingly surreal movie Until The End Of The World.

IIRC in the same weird moody vein is Peter Weir's movie The Last Wave.

Personally, though, I'd probably just put the -quatsi trilogy on a screen someplace.
posted by gauche at 7:03 AM on December 4, 2012

Best answer: On the Beach has an excellent end-of-the-world snuggle scene near the end of the film.
posted by perhapses at 9:24 AM on December 4, 2012

hattifattener is absolutely right about Until the End of the World. It's a goofy, uneven movie (with an outstanding soundtrack), but I'm reminded of it every time I see someone wandering around with eyes glued to a smartphone.
posted by roger ackroyd at 9:30 AM on December 4, 2012

Response by poster: OMFG, how have I never even heard of Last Night?! So excited! I don't think it's his type of movie, but I'll be watching that myself soon.

Thanks all for the great suggestions!
posted by lesli212 at 12:33 PM on December 4, 2012