The origins of Valentine’s Day are the subject of much speculation – from the story of St Valentine of Rome ministering to Christians being persecuted under the Roman Empire in the 3rd century to a Roman martyred in Africa. Somehow the tale evolved from one of religious martyrdom to one of the giving of overpriced roses and plush cartoon hearts – and fighting for elbow room in restaurants packed with other loved-up couples doing their best to enjoy a set-menu dinner in the least romantic environment you could imagine.
M-Net, M-Net Movies, and DStv BoxOffice are offering an escape from the martyrdom of Valentine’s Day and the restaurant crush with an epic line-up of movies that screams ‘"romance!" – or at least seductively whispers it in your ear - so snuggle up on the couch for some cosy, romantic home viewing.
Love 101
Throughout February, M-Net will be devoting the hero 20:05 Sunday movie slot to a star-studded line-up of films, showcasing Hollywood A-listers such as Orlando Bloom in Gran Turismo (11 February); Gerard Butler doing Gerard Butler things in Kandahar (18 February) and an ensemble cast in the captivating Fool’s Paradise on 25 February.
Love is tender, love is kind, love is on DStv
The four M-Net Movies channels each have their own theme for the month of love, starting with M-Net Movies 1 – Ladies All In – featuring an array of what only the bravest man would call "chick flicks". Each one showcases the various dimensions of love and relationships – from the hilarious antics in Wedding Crashers to the slap, tickle, and gentle ridiculousness of the Fifty Shades franchise. You can also feast your eyes, ears, and whatever else you fancy on films like Shotgun Wedding, Crazy Stupid Love, The Honeymoon, Deliver Us From Eva, The Break-Up, and plenty more.
M-Net Movies 2 is the home of bromance for February, with a marathon of "I’m not crying, you’re crying bro" movies celebrating friendship, loyalty, and the adrenaline-pumping moments that make bro recognise bro. Watch out for Suicide Squad 2; the ultimate bro franchise, Lethal Weapon; Shazam! Fury of the Gods, and the undefeated all-conquering champion of bromance films: Top Gun.
M-Net Movies 3 is dedicating weekends to keeping "date night" in-house, tempting you to cosy up on the couch with quality family entertainment, from timeless classics like The Nutty Professor to action-packed thrillers like Copshop, and feel-good musicals like the Pitch Perfect franchise, and a James Bond vs Mr Darcy sing-off between Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth in both Mamma Mia! movies, every Saturday and Sunday.
M-Net Movies 4 ventures a little further away from the cuddly and fluffy side of Valentine’s Day with a "Top Dog" theme every Saturday and Sunday that celebrates the male perspective during the month of love. The curated line-up features the spectacular Oceans franchise (8, 11, 12, and 13) and an array of must-watch titles, including the gripping Empire State, the intense Inferno, the hilarious double-dip of Analyze This and Analyze That, and the inspiring drama of The Blind Side.
St(r)eamy romance
While M-Net and the M-Net Movies channels take time to curate the classics, DStv BoxOffice brings fresh-from-cinema titles to the Valentine’s party in the form of The Marvels, Die Tragiese Saak van Pamina Vermaak, Prisoner’s Daughter, and Beautiful Wedding.
In The Marvels, Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) aka Captain Marvel has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. However, unintended consequences see her shouldering the burden of a destabilised universe. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, her powers become entangled with two other superheroes to form The Marvels.
Die Tragiese Saak van Pamina Vermaak – adapted from the novel of the same name by Annie Klopper – sees a journalist (Carla Smith) who suddenly finds herself without an income and a rock star (Christiaan Schoombie) licking his wounds after being dumped experiencing a chance meeting on the Cape West Coast. Connect the dots…
Press the green BoxOffice button on your DStv Explora remote or visit https://dstv.stream/movies to watch all these four titles – and more – anytime, anywhere.
Love lives on DStv this month – not on that cheesy wall art declaration, your weird aunt bought you at a flea market.