What makes the perfect comfort movie night? In Part 2 of our Summer Movie Nights series, host Ellen Scanlon sits down with Sophia Wronsky, writer of the popular Substack Sophia is Voracious and an inspired host, to share how to create a warm, relaxing night that feels like a treat for you and your guests.
Sophia offers ideas for setting the scene — from pajama-friendly seating to mood lighting — plus her favorite comfort films that bring a sense of ease, nostalgia, or connection. You’ll hear food and drink suggestions, including CBD and low-dose cannabis options, and her favorite way to end the night on a sweet note.
If you want to plan a cozy, memorable gathering that helps everyone unwind, this episode will give you all the inspiration you need.
[00:00:06] Sophia Wronsky: I think really set the stage like this is going to be a really cozy night. You can text all your friends, tell them to wear pajamas, you know, nothing with buttons or zippers. Bring a, like a sippy cup or a water bottle so they can get really snuggled up on the couch and not worry about spilling anything.
[00:00:24] Ellen Scanlon: Welcome to How To Do The Pot, the award-winning podcast, helping you feel confident with cannabis. I’m your host, Ellen Scanlon.
[00:00:40] You just heard from Sophia Roski, the New York based writer behind the popular Substack. Sophia is voracious. Last week, Sophia helped us kick off our summer movie night series to set the tone for a laid back fun movie night with friends. She shared some very helpful hosting tips [00:01:00] and her must see comedy recommendations.
[00:01:03] Check that out. If you are looking for a good laugh. This week we are diving into the coziest genre of all comfort movies. Those movies that make you feel warm and fuzzy inside, no matter what else might be going on. Think of your emotional favorites, the movies that bring back memories, or just make you feel at ease.
[00:01:27] Sophia has some great ideas for the kind of food to make when everyone’s curled up on the couch. Stay tuned to my substack for exclusive recipes and more hosting tips from Sophia Roski. I hope you enjoy part two of our summer movie night series.
[00:01:56] Our goal is to help you plan a really cozy, [00:02:00] relaxing night or maybe a weekend afternoon with friends or with your partner. And what are some of your recommendations for what to stream for this type of an event?
[00:02:11] Sophia Wronsky: I’m going back to the basics, probably with a mid nineties heartthrob, so it’s a Hugh Grant movie with Notting Hill Love.
[00:02:21] Actually, I know, I know people have problems with that movie, but I still have a soft spot for, it could be the, the Bridget Jones series, including the most recent one. So cute. I love it. I’ll always love Renee Zader. I think she’s fantastic and I’m just so excited that they just keep producing content, starring her.
[00:02:43] It also might be a more emotional movie like the before Sunset series with with Ethan Hawk, or actually recently re-watched Goodwill Hunting and I just had a wonderful time. And then the, the last one would be when I really needed to have a good cry with a [00:03:00] friend as we watched Pride and Prejudice and it was a perfect, like snuggled up on the couch movie.
[00:03:06] Ellen Scanlon: My parents wanted to watch ET with my son, and so they had a special movie night and I was doing some other things, but walking in and out of seeing et after not seeing it for so many years, it was. Truly delightful.
[00:03:24] Sophia Wronsky: I’ll have to rewatch that.
[00:03:26] Ellen Scanlon: Yeah. Really a wonderful, wonderful movie. And not so long ago, maybe a year or two ago, I watched the, the recent Steven Spielberg movie that kind of goes back over his life, which.
[00:03:37] As a person who grew up on Steven Spielberg movies, it gives so much context and there’s just so much reflection on how he became who he was. And so after seeing that and then going back to et it was a, a really nice moment to, to feel it from a different perspective.
[00:03:54] Sophia Wronsky: Yeah, the Fable Mens it, that was such an excellent movie.
[00:03:59] Ellen Scanlon: Let’s talk about [00:04:00] party planning for a more emotional night or a night when you just like really wanna feel comfortable. What are your best tips?
[00:04:09] Sophia Wronsky: I think really set the stage like this is going to be a really cozy night. You can text all your friends, tell them to wear pajamas, you know, nothing with buttons or zippers to bring a, like a sippy cup or a water bottle so they can get really snuggled up on the couch and not worry about spilling anything.
[00:04:28] And then I’d really set up my. Living room room to be as comfortable as possible. So bring in all of the pillows, all of the blankets, can have people stretch it on the couch or create little seating areas on the ground as well. Turn the lights down really low, crank the ac, make it really nice and cold and dark so you can get into that.
[00:04:49] A cozy mindset.
[00:04:50] Ellen Scanlon: Maybe you can walk us through the day of a party like this. You know, you wake up and is this taking over your whole day? You are [00:05:00] clearly a pro at this. How do you plan for the timing of the day if your friends are coming over, maybe, I don’t know, like seven or eight,
[00:05:07] Sophia Wronsky: such Great question and, and the truth is, uh.
[00:05:11] I am ridiculous enough that I can start doing the cooking like three days before, but not everyone needs to do that. Like, you don’t need to have a a three day focaccia recipe and be caffeine duck like that. That’s something I would do for a, a more serious dinner party for something like this. Just a couple of friends over for a movie.
[00:05:30] I don’t want it to take more than two hours, so folks are coming over at six. I might actually do the prep more from like one to three, then shower, make sure the apartment is clean, run out for ice or whatever things I’ve forgotten, and then make sure I’m back before everyone gets there. But really don’t want it to take up the entire day because it is just kind of a, a casual hang and it’s not event.
[00:05:57] Ellen Scanlon: And if people are gonna be [00:06:00] potentially crying or tapping into their emotions, how, how do you stay as the, the generous host and also let people kind of get it out?
[00:06:13] Sophia Wronsky: Oh, I guess I, I should have said we should set up tissues across the room as well, timing wise, I think at least in my mid thirties. I wanna be home by 10 o’clock, but I don’t wanna be home crying at 10 o’clock, so I might make sure the movie is done by nine 30.
[00:06:30] And then make sure that there’s either like a funny episode to of TV to cram in at the end, or at least you know, something to giggle about so that we’re not all, all going off with tears in our eyes.
[00:06:45] Ellen Scanlon: And what food would you serve for this comfort night?
[00:06:49] Sophia Wronsky: Cheese is my comfort food, so I would have to serve some form of cheese snack board, throw a couple of cheeses on, some nuts, some [00:07:00] grapes, people eat meat, some charcuterie as well.
[00:07:03] If I have time, I might. Add a little flare to the presentation, like shape the salami into rosettes, or put stuff in little pots. But at the end of the day, it’s probably all just gonna be splattered on the board. My only really big tip for cheese board planning is to just pair things that you think go well together and place them next to each other.
[00:07:25] So have your fig jam next to your brie, your sharp cheddar next to your apples. As opposed to making it more of a Jackson Pollock style. Everything goes everywhere. Just really help guide your guests to the right pairings.
[00:07:38] Ellen Scanlon: That’s a great tip.
[00:07:39] Sophia Wronsky: That’s what I do for snacks. Make sure people have a little bit to, to bite, but since this is a long, cozy movie, uh, I’d probably wanna serve something warm and nourishing.
[00:07:51] And so having something that I can throw in the oven right when folks get there, that’s out half hour, 45 minutes into the movie. [00:08:00] Is is a favorite thing to do. I really love Claire Debo, who’s a fantastic chef and writer. She has a summer lasagna that’s super easy to put together. It has summer squash, cherry tomatoes, boxed pasta and ricotta.
[00:08:16] It’s really easy, simple, and it gets rave reviews.
[00:08:20] Ellen Scanlon: Great. And. Before people go home, are you gonna serve dessert?
[00:08:24] Sophia Wronsky: Always, Ellen, always To me, there’s nothing more soothing other than cheese, um, than just a big bowl of ice cream. This summer, I’ve been doing a lot of sundaes. My parents as a, I think it might have been a gag gift, but they thinking I wouldn’t use it, but they, they sent me an ice cream maker, so I’ve been making a lot of my own ice cream and toppings.
[00:08:47] You can also just buy some Haage Dazs or Ben and Jerry’s, some fruit, some sauces, and have a have a DIY ice cream bar. The other really incredible soothing and pretty [00:09:00] easy dish to put together is just a giant bowl of chocolate mousse, super easy, three ingredients, and really visually fun. And then, you know, depending on how close you are, you can either, you could pass the bowl around, everyone gets a spoon, or you can have everyone have their own bowl.
[00:09:18] But that’s another fun way to kind of drown your sorrows in a, in a big bucket of chocolate.
[00:09:25] Ellen Scanlon: So what are you serving people to drink at a party like this? You mentioned the water bottles, the, the focus on no spill, but staying hydrated. What else do you like to have?
[00:09:35] Sophia Wronsky: I recently had the Harney brothers nighttime, chamomile and CBD tea, and thought it was lovely, really relaxing.
[00:09:44] Didn’t put me quite to sleep, but definitely kind of calmed my nerves and, and let me settle into the couch. So that would be a great option for folks looking for some CBD. I also really love a lot of the non-alcoholic aperitifs that are on [00:10:00] the market right now. Gia of the course is, I feel like blowing up everywhere, but I recently met the founder of For Bitter or for Worse, and thought they had some really fun, innovative flavors that I haven’t seen anywhere else.
[00:10:14] So that would be a another brand I would look at. I also think if people wanna do some cans of, of CBD or THC, the heirloom honey crisps, apple is absolutely delicious. And especially as we head into fall, it tastes exactly like apple cider. That would probably be my, my fall sipper of choice.
[00:10:35] Ellen Scanlon: Great. Any weed tips for people who are coming to a, an emotional night?
[00:10:42] My, my preference would be keep it low dose just so people can, can stay feeling the way that they want. No one wants to kind of have a, a tragic moment at a party, but what do you tell your friends?
[00:10:55] Sophia Wronsky: Definitely low dose. I know you’re the, a low dose queen. Uh, [00:11:00] like a five to one, 10 to one or CBD only. Really keep it chill, uh, but give people the option to, to dose a little more.
[00:11:08] Everybody reacts differently and, and some people like a little bit more THC to lighten the mood at some point.
[00:11:17] Ellen Scanlon: What are some newer movies that you might recommend for a night like this?
[00:11:21] Sophia Wronsky: One of my favorite movies from last year was My Old Ass with Aubrey Plaza and Macy Stella. It is. So funny. I saw it in theaters and laughed and cried in the span of 90 minutes and think it’s just a, a really heartfelt and touching story that the people of all ages would love.
[00:11:42] You could also do a little bit earlier to throw back to something like Toy Story Three or a Little Miss Sunshine, but I would definitely recommend my old as. Then another throwback, if I really, really wanna get the tears out, is about time. It’s one of Rachel McAdams is multiple [00:12:00] time traveler movies, but it is the best one.
[00:12:02] Uh, it’s her do Gleason, bill Nye, and it’s the first 45 minutes are some of my favorite 45 minutes of movies. And then it is completely devastating. So sometimes I just watch the first half and then turn it off. But then other times I, I power through and I’m in tears by the end.
[00:12:21] Ellen Scanlon: Those are great recommendations and this truly is helping me so much because so many of the movies you’ve mentioned are on the Notes app in my phone, and I just need to start watching them.
[00:12:34] That’s it for part two of our summer movie night series. I hope this inspired you to text a friend and get your own movie night going, but don’t get too comfortable just yet. In part three, we are turning up the suspense. Next week, get ready for Scary Horror Action Movie Nights, the kind of films that will have everyone on the edge of [00:13:00] their seat.
[00:13:01] From high octane action movies to scary horror flicks. We’ll cover all the best picks to make your night with friends unforgettable. Plus Sophia’s got just the right snacks to reach for every time there’s a jump scare. Stay tuned next week. Thank you for listening to How to Do the Pot.
[00:13:28] For less, more information and past episodes, visit do the pot.com, and that’s also where you can sign up for my Substack newsletter. If you like how to do the pot, please rate and review us on the podcast platform that you use for listening. It really helps more people find the show. Thank you to our producer Nick Patri.
[00:13:49] I’m Ellen Scanlon, and stay tuned for more of how to Do the Pot.
Join the 10,000+ people who are finding better sleep, better sex, and less stress with a little help from cannabis.
