[Note: I'll be live-tweet the Oscar telecast on the CL Movies twitter feed. Not following us yet? Jump aboard @cl_movies on Twitter.]

It seems as though Oscar parties come in only two varieties: The ones where everyone dresses up, and the ones where you're in your PJs alone on the couch eating ice cream. This year, spice up your Oscar night with these festive party ideas, each based on a nominee for Best Picture.

Movie: Inception

Party favor: Sleep mask

Drink: Warm milk and absinthe

Plop down on the couch and promptly fall asleep 10 minutes into the show. In your dream, you're watching the Oscars and it seems to be going on forever. The speeches and production numbers stretch on infinitely into the night, until you're begging God to just let you wake up … which you do. But you're on the couch still watching the Oscars — which aren't even half over.

This article appears in Feb 24 – Mar 2, 2011.