The Ultimate Oscar Party Guide

Some film lovers really see the Academy Awards night as a holiday, something worthy of a full fledged party.  I am sometimes one of those persons.  Because of my aforementioned effed up ankle, I’m not so sure what’s on the schedule for my house.

However, if you filmies want to throw a faboo Oscar themed party, I’m going to compile the best ideas that I can find.  If you have some ideas of your own, send me compromising pictures, menus, games and anything else Oscar themed.  I’m dying to see what killer costumes people have for Sherlock Holmes or Coraline.

First, you have to have your printable ballot that your guests can mark their choices and compare the actual winners with.  You can give out some crazy prizes or if you’re in a boozy, Hollywood type of mood, have everyone take some kinda glitzy Goldschläger shot.  The awesome, official Oscar printable ballot is here.  Make use of it.  It will be the highlight of your party.

A themed cocktail is also important to the festivities.  The site thatsthespirit.com has a couple of star struck drinks that will get your guests extra joyous, except your recovering cousin who should have an equally fun but non alcoholic drink on the menu. The drinks are a little “past Oscar”-esque but there’s ideas for food and drinks so take from it what you will and just rink up.  Everyone likes a drunk Oscar party.

BusyBeelifestyle.com lists a few Oscar worthy drinks:

As suggested in InStyle magazine.  Serves 10.

• 1 1/2c. Bacardi Coco rum
• 1 1/2c. pineapple juice
• 3/4c. brandy
• 1/2c. sweetened coconut cream
• 2 tsp. almond extract

Combine all ingredients and chill.  Serve in ice filled glasses and garnish with pineapples and cherries.

As suggested in InStyle magazine.  Serves 12.

• 4c. tangerine or orange juice
• 1/4c. Rose’s sweetened lime juice
• 1c. vodka
• 12 T. boysenberry or blackberry syrup
• 1 bottle chilled champagne
• lime slices or blackberries for garnish

Combine the juices and vodka in a large pitcher.  Fill 12 rock glasses with ice and 1 T. syrup.  Fill the glasses with the juice/vodka mixture.  Top with champagne and garnish with limes and berries.

Evite.com has an Oscar party from start to finish including photo evites to mail out to your guests, to attire, games, food and the works.  Here’s a sample of a photo evite:

Want to set your house up perfectly for an Oscar party.  Check out this video from chow.com:

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more about “ How to Set Up Your Room for an Oscar…“, posted with vodpod

Last but not least (for now), you must check out Epicurious.com for a slew of Oscar themed chow to make your party THEE best.  Epicurious even includes tips from Wolfgang Puck who is well known for his Oscar gourmet goodness.

More ideas?  Questions?  You must email me, comment me or Tweet me.  I need to know.

Palm Springs International Film Festival

January 6th – 19th is the Palm Springs International Film Festival.  The festival began in 1989 and has become bigger and more celebrated every year since then.  It is also known for showing most of the films nominated for the Academy Awards’ Best Foreign Film, and will be screening 50 of the 67 eligible films.  This year, there is also a lot of excitement around the reunion of “Titanic” stars Leonardo Di Caprio and Kate Winslet.  Clint Eastwood is receiving the career achievement award as well.

There are several levels to the Film Festival society membership, and each level provides a discount to the festival and merchandise.  Otherwise, you can join the general public outside of the Palm Springs Convention Center, and try to catch a glimpse of the many stars who will be attending.  (Send pics if you do!)

Riverside International Film Festival – 4.11 – 4.20.08

The Riverside International Film Festival is going on as I type this.  Stop watching The Bad Girls Club marathon and head over to the Regal Theaters at the Plaza to watch the film festival.

Today’s films are:

Tuesday, April 15

• 11-2:00   Mozlem
• Beautiful Me(s)
• 2:15-4:00  H for Hunger
• 4:15 – 6:00 Beyond the Call
• 6:15 – 8:00 Passing Poston
• 8:15-10:55 – Chak De!

Get a little culture and buy a pass for $100, which entitles you to all of the movie screenings. Individual tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for students, senior and military.

Films have been submitted to our festival from all over the world, including Sweden, Scotland and the Phillipines.  The ones I want to see the most are Limbo Lane – about a man who buries a St. Joseph statue in his yard to sell his house (just like J’s sister!) and Feast of the Assumption: The Otero Family Murders – about Charlie Otero and BTK.

Movies To Watch After You’ve Called In Sick

Omg I, and everyone else I know, have been sick as a f***king dog (woof) over the past week and although I am close to death, I still have a yen for watching a flick on my death bed. I have a ton of movies, but what is worth getting up off the sofa and rifling through my dvd collection? What is worth the investment of about two hours out of my sick day?

Pe.com lists a few flix to watch while you’re ill, including such wrist slitters as “Love Story” and “She Lives”. I don’t have any of those flicks in my collection or Tivo so I now provide to you my recommendations:

“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” – the ultimate sick day movie. Program your Casio to cough periodically and take your parents’ car out for a spin. Or just sit on your couch and throw up and take in the Chicago skyline and suburbs and admire Ferris. My favorite part: Charlie Sheen’s stoned essence. I want to eat him up.

“Breakfast at Tiffany’s” – A good movie to sniff and cough along to, easy to cry with. The Fox and I agreed on this one or “How to Marry A Millionaire”. I have a sense that neither heroine uses birth control, which makes me feel slightly superior. Slightly. It’s called being a “free spirit”.

“The Princess Bride” – Cary Elwes is so hot and the kid in the movie is home sick too. There’s a kinship, you know.

“Across the Universe” – *sigh* I could sit on my sofa and sniffle and cry and feel dreamy, sip on some sizzurp and just float away into the strawberry fields and become the walrus.

“The Shining” – The reason I list this movie is because EVERY TIME it comes on cable, I watch it. Thus, if I were home sick, it would be a given. I don’t care if the Superbowl, the Oscars, the season finale of The Sopranos were on, if The Shining was on, I’d feel compelled to watch it. It’s a great movie and has just the right amount of discomfort that makes you forget that you have the madrids or nausea.

Films not to watch while you’re ill include “Twelve Monkeys” and “A Clockwork Orange”. I’d also include anything that is vomit inducing or “The Exorcist”. Buzzing sounds and satan’s voice make me sick, u? Also Jackass, when Dave England takes a dump in a hardware store toilet. *vomit*