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.