Family Movie Night Activity: Hotel Transylvania
“A hotel for monsters… way to sum it up.”
Dracula created and runs a Human-Free Hotel to keep people away from his friends and most importantly to keep his daughter Mavis safe. When a wandering young man stumbles across his resort, Dracula fears the worst for everyone he cares about. As Dracula tries to get rid of him, his pals start getting to know him and enjoy having him around, but worse than that, he realizes that Mavis might have feelings for him. Gather everyone around to find out what will happen at Hotel Transylvania during your next Family Movie Night.
Movie Snacks:
*There are a lot of different food references in this movie. If you want to stick to normal food that they mention you’ll want to have some “Here, hold this bacon”, some garlic bread, and maybe every some energy bars for people to snack on.
*If you want to be more creative then you’ll want to serve some monster recipes for dinner. You can choose from (Gummy) Worm Pancakes, Deviled Lizard Fingers (Deviled Eggs), Spleens In Blankets (Pigs in a Blanket), Bubonic Omelets, and Bagels with Scream Cheese.
*To drink you’ll want to have Human Blood (Fruit Punch or Strawberry Milk) unless you think it’s too “fatty and you don’t know where it’s been.” If that’s the case you’ll want to have a “Human Blood Substitute.”
Must Pause Moments:
*As Dracula reads a bedtime story to Mavis he warns her that humans steal the candy away from monsters. Mavis says, “Don’t take my candy away” as she hides under her bed. Give one person a candy bar and assign one person to be, well, the person! See if the “person” can get the candy bar away from the “monsters” who can pass it back and forth between one another to keep it away. After one minute, let the “person” turn into a monster and give someone else a turn to try being the person.
*Every time Dracula goes anywhere, he walks in a Vampire shuffle. Throughout the night, if you have to get up and move around the room, be sure to shuffle like Drac. Keep your feet close together and take quick little steps to get where you’re going.
*When Dracula tries to control Jonathan’s mind, have each person take turns “controlling” everyone else’s mind, like Simon Says.
*Because Dracula can’t go out into the sunlight, all the people at the festival have to clear a path for him as well as keep him shaded. Stop the movie and let everyone grab a blanket, hoodie or even an umbrella to cover themselves with while they watch the rest of the movie.
Other Activities:
*Even monster’s have to pack their bags when they go on vacation to Hotel Translyvania. Play a game of “What I Packed” by letting each person take a turn to say what monster item they packed, starting with each letter of the alphabet or by moving through the numbers in order. The first person could say “I packed an Axe” the next person could say “I packed an Axe and a Bone” and the third person would say both previous items along with a third starting with “C”. If you do it with numbers, start with 1 item, then add 2 somethings, 3 somethings and so on. See how many spooky items you can get packed in a certain amount of time or just go until someone forgets one of the items.
*While the monsters are staying at the hotel, they do some boring activities together like bingo and charades. Play your own round of Bingo by filling your card with different characters or phrases from the movie or take turns acting out different parts of the show for your own game of charades.
*Dracula and Jonathan have fun flying on the tables. You can re-create the scene by draping a white tablecloth over your wagon and pulling your kids around the room on it. (Be sure to be careful that the tablecloth doesn’t get in the wheels.) If you don’t have a wagon, just be sure to decorate your table with a white tablecloth and seal the deal by adding eyes and a mouth so they look like Dracula’s flying tables.
*When Quasimodo and the Rat are trying to prove that Jonathan is a human, he tries to scare the Rat to prove he is a monster. Have your own Monster Scare Off and see if anyone in your family is actually a monster instead of a human.
*LyndiLou* - Movie Mummy
Rated PG for some rude humor, action and scary images; 91 min; Directed by Genndy Tartakovsky
Hotel Transylvania
I was working in the lab late one night, when my eyes beheld an animated monster movie called Hotel Transylvania. Well, maybe “monster movie” is a little strong. More like a movie with monster characters. Count Dracula (voiced by Adam Sandler) runs a hotel for monsters — the Mummy, Wolfman, Frankenstein’s monster and a host of other beasts seeking a safe haven from hostile humans. Enter a young human traveler (Andy Samberg), oblivious to the hotel’s purpose, but a potential threat to both the monsters’ peace of mind and Drac’s teenage daughter (Selena Gomez).
ClearPlay In Action!
There are some intense monster scenes in Hotel Transylvania that could be scary for younger viewers. ClearPlay cleans up humor involving bodily functions and about 15 instances of mild language. The movie is fine for families, though kids may be more entertained than adults.
Should I bring stakes and garlic to Hotel Transylvania?…
Only to eat. While there are some scenarios that are amusing in Hotel Transylvania, the movie lacks the, uh, necessary bite to elevate it to the next level. It’s another in a long line of animated movies that is pleasant while you’re watching it, but forgettable 10 minutes later.
Marty Nabhan — ClearPlay Vampire Hunter
Rated PG for some rude humor, action and scary images; 91 min; Directed by Genndy Tartakovsky