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.
Movie: The Kids Are All Right
Party Favor: Joni Mitchell's Blue
Drink: Red wine
Even though Mark Ruffalo's character in Kids turned out to be an immature home-wrecker, you can't argue with the man's culinary skills. Pay homage to the dinner scene by treating your guests to a delicious steak dinner. (Free-range grass-fed organic beef, of course.) Keep the vino flowing, then take turns belting out a capella renditions of Joni Mitchell songs during the commercial breaks. Bonus points if someone at the party busts a spouse for cheating.
Movie: The Social Network
Party favor: iPads for everyone!
Drink: Red Bull
Invite your four best (or only) friends over to your parents' basement, fire up the wireless network and tweet the shit out of the awards ceremony. Guests can multitask by watching illegally downloaded copies of the nominated films and e-mailing each other photoshopped naked pics of Anne Hathaway. It almost goes without saying that party attendees should not speak, and only interact through snarky wall postings and IM chats.
Movie: 127 Hours
Party Favor: Leatherman multi-tool
Drink: Urine (OK, it's Mountain Dew, but you claim it's pee)
Attendees will have one arm handcuffed to a large rock in the center of the living room. No need to crush the arm, but be sure no one can get loose. I recommend police-issue metal handcuffs anchored to the rock by some kind of bolt. Provide each guest with a saddlebag full of Mountain Dew and a Leatherman, flip on the TV and let the show run … and run … and run. Guests will be released only after E!'s post-show recap goes into repeat, sometime around 3 a.m. Or they can leave sooner, if they have the balls to start sawing…
Movie: The King's Speech
Party Favor: Mr. Microphone
Drink: Tea and honey to soothe the n- n- nerves
A party themed on The King's Speech must be as rich as its cinematic inspiration. Enter the English trifle: a big, rich, layered dessert straight from Her Majesty's kingdom. Like the movie, a trifle sounds, well, trifling, but if you eat the whole thing it'll definitely stick with you. And with the usual Oscar telecast running over four hours, you will have ample opportunity to eat the whole thing.
Get ideas for theme parties based on the other five nominees at dailyloafblog.com.
This article appears in Feb 24 – Mar 2, 2011.