And The Oscar Goes To…
Hollywood’s biggest night is coming up and most of us will be tuning in to see if our favorite movies will be honored during the Academy of Motion Pictures awards night, The Oscars. Most of us aren’t too sure who is voting or how it all works but we know it’s the highest honor a film, actor or film making professional can attain in their career. For the business side of movie making an Oscar nomination or win can translate into worldwide media exposure and in-turn, into millions of dollars at the box office or in DVD sales. The honor of an Oscar never goes away and the prestige of winning never loses the golden luster of the 13 1/2 inch tall statuette.
Many of us will start our own balloting, guessing winners and placing friendly wagers with other film fans on who we think deserves a Best category win, who we think will walk away with the hardware and why. There is not much science in it for our part but we enjoy the game. The televised show itself is a marathon of stars, outrageous outfits, presenters and speeches. Its starts with black tie and long gown appearances in sunglasses in the late California afternoon and doesn’t really wrap until we see the post Oscar coverage on the Monday morning talk shows. The highlights for many are the clothes, the represented designers and the red carpet coverage of ”Who” everyone is wearing. What clothes the Oscar attendees are wearing are as big of show as the awards coverage.
Watching one-of-a kind fashions and starlets decked out in jewels step out of a limo may not sound like a reason for a party but it sure can be. Oscar theme parties are a fun way to get everyone together and celebrate the movies, show films, and exploit multi-media entertainment. I have friends that host parties to watch the broadcast but Oscar theme parties are popular throughout the year. Many charity and corporate party planners adopt the theme so guests can have their own moment in the spotlight, glide behind the velvet rope and experience a crush of paparazzi snapping their pictures in a flood of flash bulbs!
An Oscar Party is easy to plan because rental companies usually have a wide variety of props and decor. The gold-sealed Oscar envelope makes a great invitation! You can post it on your WePay link where guests can buy tickets and make donations as a vote for their favorite film. Because there are so many great films through the ages, wonderful soundtracks and memorable moments, your Oscar tie in can reflect any amount of creativity. I once staged an Oscar party where each of the nominees for Best Picture were reflected in the catering; each dish tied to a film. We could certainly see some fun choices this year with French cuisine for Midnight in Paris or a Hawaiian spread for The Descendents. For the most part, guests just want to be part of the glitz and glamour of old Hollywood but if you are having your own gathering its most important to relax and not force the issue.
Elevate your own Oscar event to “Best Party” status:
1) Pick one for fun: Dressing up like Theda Bara (who?) or The Artist silent movie star may be a stretch so this year give people a break and tell them we are wearing tracksuits and jerseys to honor Moneyball.
2) Shaken not stirred: Serve up some movie theme drinks like a James Bond martini, some Pinot Noir from Sideways or White Russians, a la The Big Lebowski. It’s not hard to find a movie and a drink to match it.
3) On With The Show: Flying in Russian caviar because Dr. Zhivago is your all-time favorite flick could break the bank so maybe go with The Goodfellas spaghetti and meatballs or just go spring for popcorn, sodas and theater lobby fare. Movie fans love their big boxes of Milk Duds and Junior Mints. (With the noise you can make by shaking them – they’re not just a candy but a sound FX toy.)
4) The Ballots are in: A good party can support a little healthy competition. Grab a list of the nominees and create voting ballots for your guests. Hit the big categories but put a few lesser known categories in there to keep people on their toes. Include your own category for Best and Worst dressed. Don’t forget the prizes- a bottle of wine, a cheap plastic Oscar statue for the runner-up or a set of movie tickets to the local cinema for the night’s big winner.
Kickback this Sunday and join in as the world watches and honors the best of the Silver Screen. We can’t all be movie stars but we can all get our Hollywood on and be part of an Oscar party!
