Valentine's Day: A Movie Lover's Guide

Love is in the air everywhere you look around today — and that goes double for all you movie lovers out there! That's right, kids: Valentine's Day is upon us, and it's just one of the many reasons to indulge your movie-going habits today. Forget the box of chocolates (unless you're watching "Forrest Gump"), forget the roses (or bring them along; the more the merrier!), and let the heat of the movies fuel you and your special someone's special day.

Read on for our Valentine's Day guide for movie lovers!

Go To The Movies
That's the easiest answer, right? It covers multiple bases: it's a physical and emotional adventure, an excuse to indulge your sweet tooth, and let's not even get into what might happen when the theater lights dim. (But seriously, like your cell phones, keep your hands off while the movie's on. It's gross and rude.) But smart money says you'll be as invested as what's on the screen as anything else, judging by this week's new releases. The Nicholas Sparks adaptation "Safe Haven" and the new YA phenomenon-in-the-making "Beautiful Creatures" both arrive in theaters today, so love-loving movie-lovers have two great selections to choose from. And if you're a counter-programming kind of couple, there's no better choice than Bruce Willis' latest very-bad-day flick, "A Good Day to Die Hard," where the roses are only as red as the bloodied faces of John McClane's enemies.

Bring The Movies To You
The possibilities are endless for the couple who prefers to enjoy a quiet Valentine's Day at home, especially given the latest movies to arrive on Blu-ray, DVD and VOD this week. There's no better choice than "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," easily one of the most touching high school dramas of the past decade; it ranked as our second-favorite film of 2012 for a reason. But as is the case at the box-office this weekend, the home-viewing crowd could always veer away from the romantic and dive head-first into "Skyfall," the 23rd James Bond movie that sees Agent 007 up against a vengeful spy from a bygone era. It's action-packed and deadly, but has more than enough shirtless Daniel Craig and scantily-clad Bond women to ensure that every couple is feeling the holiday spirit.

Binge, Binge, Binge!
And not just on chocolate, for goodness sake — did you learn nothing from Augustus Gloop? We're talking about binging on all the movies and television shows you've been meaning to catch up on, but haven't yet. The new season of "Mad Men" is just around the corner, for example; what better time than Valentine's Day to let Don Draper seduce you with 65 completed episodes, all viewable on Netflix? Even better, you can spend the day binge-watching "House of Cards," the Netflix series that released all 13 episodes of its first season in one shot. Sure, Kevin Spacey outwitting anyone and everyone on Capitol Hill doesn't sound romantic, but that's only because you aren't aware of just how much heat co-stars Kate Mara, Corey Stoll and others bring to the table.

Relive The Romance
Of course, if you don't want to sit in front of a big or small screen for two hours or more, there are still romantic options for movie lovers to explore — like recreating scenes and visiting iconic locations from your favorite films! If you're in New York, embrace your destiny, John Cusack-style, and get a frozen hot chocolate at "Serendipity 3," or go get a Katz's pastrami on rye if you're a "When Harry Met Sally" fan. Wherever you are, find a filming location from your favorite love story, and go make some movie magic of your own.

How are you celebrating Valentine's Day, movie lovers? Tell us in the comments section below!