Celebrating Valentine's Day 2024

Hey there, love birds! Valentine’s Day has officially arrived, and it’s time to celebrate all variations of love whether it be platonic, familial, or romantic. Although the origins of Valentine’s Day are a bit murky, the most popular (and most romantic) legend goes as follows: Emperor Claudius II of Rome, outlawed marriage because he believed that unmarried men were more effective soldiers. A Roman priest named Valentine thought this was unfair, and continued to marry soldiers to their sweethearts in secret. He eventually got caught and was executed for going against the emperor’s wishes. While he was in jail, Valentine wrote the first "valentine" to the daughter of his jailer, signing his letter “from your Valentine.” Later, Pope Gelasius I designated the anniversary of his death as St. Valentine's Day.

Now that we've covered some of the romantic history of Valentine's Day, it's time to  discuss Valentine's Day plans. Whether you’re going on a date with your special person, hanging with friends, or practicing some self-love and hanging solo, there's always one classic way to celebrate the holiday – watching a romantic movie. Here at TheArchive, we want to add a cinematic touch to your day by highlighting a couple of movies that will make your heart flutter. 

First off, we have Basil. Basil is a lonely, young aristocrat, played by Jared Leto, in turn-of-the-century England returns from Oxford University to the home of his overbearing class-conscious father. Despite his father's disapproval, he becomes good friends with local commoner John Mannion, played by Christian Slater, who perhaps is the first real friend Basil has ever had. Shortly afterward, he meets Julia, played by Claire Forlani, the daughter of a wealthy London merchant, and the two fall in love.

Now let’s talk about Sag Ja. In this film, Julia and Christian are best friends, but Julia has had a secret crush on him for five years. Christian is in love with the single life, but Julia can see right through his words. After constantly seeing him hook up with various young women, Julia takes the initiative to let Christian know her true feelings. 

Valentine’s Day is a day dedicated to love in all its beautiful forms, so celebrate by courageously expressing your love to all those around you that make you smile. 

Looking for even more ways to watch and enjoy excellent movies & TV series?!? Head on over to YouTube and subscribe to The Grapevine TV, Multicom Entertainment, and TheArchive.These channels are dedicated to aficionados and lovers of cinema. You’ll find rare, retro, and restored films and TV, ranging from indies and series to Oscar-winning docs, unearthed MOWs, a killer horror library, and MORE! 

TheArchive channel is dedicated to aficionados and lovers of story, craft, and silver screen fun – streaming rare, retro, and restored films and classic TV. From indies and series, to Oscar winning documentaries, unearthed MOWs, and a killer horror library, TheArchive delivers forgotten, never-before-seen gems for free and many in 4K. Marilyn, Karloff, and Orson Welles stream alongside Reese, Keanu, and Samuel L. Jackson. Find true stories of Queen, Hendrix, and Sinatra, an LGBTQ library, MLK bios, and world history docs. TheArchive has the movies and shows you either saw, should’ve seen, or should be watching now!