Oscar 2.0: How the Web can Enhance Your Academy Awards Experience

Hollywood's biggest night of the year, The Academy Awards, takes place this Sunday night (2/22/09) and there will be many Oscar™ parties taking place all over the world. Thanks to the web, you can find some very useful sites and services that can help make your Oscar night all the more enjoyable.

Oscars - This is the official home on the net for the Academy Awards so obviously it's the first place you should checkout for any info on the big event. They have a fun Oscar Live Challenge which is where you predict the winners. This is always an Oscar party pleaser and staple.There's also a printer friendly list of all the nominees. Add your cell phone to their Mobile Alerts to get all the latest info in case you can't make it to a party or a computer.

IMDB - The largest movie database site has an excellent "Road to the Oscars" section with all kinds of video clips of the nominated actors and movies. This could come in handy if you're participating in any Oscar voting contests where everyone tries to predict the winners.They have the entire list of nominees too.

The Little Golden Guy doesn't have the same glitz and glamor as the previous sites but its strength is the way that it presents information for every Oscar winner in history. Click on any category or year and you will see everything there is to know. It truly is an impressive database with an easy interface to use. You can see the winners and nominees for every single Academy Award ceremony in history going back to 1927.

Celebrations offers a plethora of ideas and suggestions for making your Oscar bash a complete success. You'll find everything from types of trivia games to play to appetizer tips and party favors.

AllRecipes serves up a feast of culinary ideas for your Oscar celebration. Everything from apps, desserts, drinks and the main course.  This is a great place to get some new ideas for your Oscar party.

eHow to throw an Oscar Party gives out some down and dirty information on the right and wrong ways to host an Oscar party. Not a bad idea to check it out whether you're a rookie or a seasoned veteran.

Chiff.com has a simple checklist for Oscar nominees.

Oscarfrenzy covers all the juicy gossip and news.

Mahalo has a useful Oscar page with the latest buzz.

Yahoo has an excellent Oscar page where you can make your predictions too. 

Advice from an Oscar Party Champion

I've hosted many Oscar parties and not to brag or another, I've won almost every prediction pool I've played in. It's not because I'm such a film buff or trivia God (although it doesn't hurt!), it's mostly because I've learned some dirty little secrets about the way the Academy members think and vote. It's like high school and it's mostly a popularity contest.

On the jump are some other little things to keep in mind when you're filling out your prediction sheet.

• Oscar voters LOVE anything and anyone British. Apparently, the accent improves an actor's odds of winning the golden guy. The stronger the accent, the better the chances.
  
  
• They also LOVE roles where the character has physical challenges or even better yet, deformities. For example, if an actor has a limp and walks with a cane, great! If they need a wheelchair, even better. If the actress is blind, sheer nirvana.
  
  
• The Academy also adores mental or emotional problems in their Oscar winners. Many winners have been blessed with unique traits such as Rain man, Forrest Gump, Jeffrey Rush in Shine, and on and on.
  
  
• They go ape crazy for roles featuring real life heroes or tortured artists. Nothing beats being a famous person on the big screen.
  
  
• They also enjoy honoring one of their own when they venture outside of their comfort zone to do something they normally don't do. For example, how in the world can you explain Warren Betty winning the Oscar for Best Directory for Reds over Spielberg and Raiders of the Lost Ark or Hugh Hudson for Chariots of Fire in 1981? How about Robert Redford winning Best Director for Ordinary People over Martin Scorses and Raging Bull and David Lynch for The Elephant Man in 1980? They won because they were actors that directed, period. These weren't isolated freakish events either. This has happened so many times that it's become a proven formula for success. Kevin Costner and Clint Eastwood have cashed in on this in more recent times.
  
  
• Another thing they like to do is try to right wrongs by giving the Oscar to veterans they've snobbed in the past far too many times. Al Pacino, Paul Newman and Sean Connery didn't give their best performances in the roles they won for but it was the Academy's way of saying "We're sorry. We screwed up. Please forgive us and love us?" If they can't make ammends that way they always have the Lifetime Achievement Award...the ultimate we're sorry prize of them all.

Here's an example of my formula for success in action. The 1989 Academy Awards was a perfect test for my theory that everyone mocked and ridiculed despite my long winning streak. Everyone was confident that Tom Cruise would win Best Actor. I was tempted to vote for him but didn't and I'll explain why. Sure, he was portraying a real world war hero (Check), he was in a wheel chair too (Check) but look at his competition, Daniel Day Lewis. He also played a real person (Check), Also wheel chair (Check) and he could only move his left foot (Check check!) and the topper? He was British (Check mate!) and Tommy boy lost his only real chance at winning the Oscar.

As for my winning streak, the only time I lost was in 1997 when Titanic swept the awards. I did well with an 18-6 mark which is solid but the wife went 20-4 with some wild guesses she admitted and I've still never heard the end of it. Friggin' Leo and that ice berg.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the Oscars and all the activities before during and after the event. I also hope some of what I've shared here with help you enjoy it all the more.

Doriano "Paisano" Carta is a writer for several blogs including ThePaisano.com and Chris Brogan's Dadomatic.com where he is also Editor-in-Chief with a staff of over 70 daddy-bloggers. He's also an I.T. Professional that is very interested in social media and Enterprise 2.0. He's a devoted husband and proud father of three wonderful children.