Bad Movies/Good Party Themes: Trapped in Paradise Holiday Heist

Nothing says holiday fun like Nicholas Cage movies. Throw in Jon Lovitz and Dana Carvey and you’ve got yourself a party, with or without a theme. But seeing as we like themes here, let’s give it one anyway.

Go ahead and get a group of friends together and take a page out of the Firpo brothers' book -- steal from each other against a backdrop of holiday cheer. Not real money, of course (unless you and your friends are much higher rollers than me and mine).

Encourage your friends to dress up for the party in ugly holiday sweaters. As people get there, give them their original allotment of money, to be placed on one’s person, but at least partially visible to start. Once everyone has arrived, let the thievery begin!

This initial money can not be hidden, however all moneys taken from others should be dealt with stealthily. If the person who you are trying to steal from catches you in the act, you must forsake the pursuit and give the victim of your attempted crime one of your own bills. If you see a friend stealing from someone else, you are left with the choice of calling attention to the act or trying to form an alliance.

Person with the most money when the credits roll is the party winner. And by rights, should be hoisted upon the shoulders of all others there and paraded down the hallway with appropriate fanfare. Or given an extra cookie, or something.

Fair warning, if you let yourself be sucked into the wonder that is this movie, you may be leaving yourself open to being left with nothing when it ends. And, trust me, it is not difficult to fall under Paradise’s enchantment.

I made the Roomie watch this movie for the first time last year.

She did not thank me.

I’m assuming because she was too overwhelmed with the strength of her emotion.

It’s the only thing that makes any sense.

Crackerjack dialogue to look forward to:

-          “Well. That enhances my state of security.”

-          “This is your basic yoga, I learned it in prison. It’s good for stressful situations like this bank robbery.”

-          “I won’t throw her out the window as long as you do the right thing.”

Tagline: The Firpo Brothers can get away with anything. They just can’t get away!

For a Trapped in Paradise Holiday Heist of your very own, here’s what you need:

-          Trapped in Paradise (1994)

-          Fake money – Monopoly money is good, but strips of paper with amounts written on them work just as well.

-          Holiday themed snacks – Candy canes, latkes, Santa cookies, chocolate gelt (not to be counted as stealable money), etc.

-          Ugly sweaters. If nothing you have seems horrifying enough, throw some tinsel on it. Works like a charm.

-          Holiday decorations. At your discretion, but I say go big or go home.

-          A group of folks who enjoy ostentatious holiday celebrations and/or aspiring criminals and/or people whose distaste of going out in the cold will outweigh their need to run from this movie.