By David Tisue
The Surveyor

The 95th Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are finally here. This Sunday, Hollywood will put on their fancy duds and wear gowns worth more than my house to show off what films have premiered this past year.

The Oscars are an opportunity to get together with other film buffs and debate what is actually good and bad. This year was an excellent year for films. So many of the nominees are fantastic and deserve to be on the exclusive list.

I have reviewed almost all of the nominated films this year, and I hope I included the most deserving of them and guided people to the right films to spend some time and well-earned money on.

It is tough to watch all ten films nominated for best picture, though almost all are available online. The Academy is known for awarding not necessarily the best but who “deserves to win,” The actual awards should often go to a better performance. But it is still a way to acknowledge filmmaking’s hard work and artistry and maybe interest someone in seeing one they haven’t yet. I also love all the pageantry. It is fun to see what the privileged are wearing and what is discussed. You can make this event an excellent idea for a party.

Watching the Oscars can be made into all sorts of fun. This most watched event, second to only the Superbowl, is when you can serve fun appetizers and fabulous cocktails, get together with friends and enjoy the festivities. You could theme the evening to films from this year’s and past classics. Drinking games like how often someone trips on their dress or wears a color like red or green are always a great fun time on Oscar night. Maybe how many times someone is mentioned. (Will Smith will most definitely be mentioned for his “punching episode” from last year.) You could take a shot at how many times someone thanks their partner or goes long on their speech; the possibilities are endless. But one of the best ways to get everyone involved is by having everyone fill out a sheet with their predictions, and whoever gets the closest wins a prize.

We here at the Surveyor are here to help. On the Berthoud Surveyor website (berthoudsurveyor.com), you can download a sheet with all the nominees and pass around a copy to each of your guests for them to fill out. Then root for your favorites. Tally them up at the end and offer a prize to the winner. Or even a prize for who guessed wrong the most!

Even though it is an American tradition, the world watches this event. The Oscars are the hallmark of any film worldwide, and if it wins even just one, it makes it on a desirable list, usually helping it at the box office, and the winners can then ask for more for their next project. It is a showcase of filmmaking.

I have my favorites, but I won’t flavor others’ opinions about who will win. I think everyone should have their own opinion. Not that there isn’t always some sort of drama, but isn’t filmmaking about drama?

So, it is to be expected, and as viewers, we can sit back and watch, enjoying a tasty beverage and snacking on a good sweet, and spicy meatball. The Oscars can be a delightful evening.

You can download the Oscar list with boxes for voting on berthoudsurveyor.com.