Throw These Oscar 2012 Parties!

Oscar night is just ripe for a party, but not any old party--sure, you could decorate with gold statuettes and serve champagne, but why not use the Best Picture nominees as theme material? Read on for our tongue-in-cheek suggestions.

Party Theme: Crazy! Also: Philadelphia Eagles

What to Wear: Anything Eagles-green – like De Niro's cardigan, your favorite Michael Vick jersey (well, or not). If you’re not an Eagles fan, a gray track suit and Hefty bag will suffice.

Serve: The Solitano family in the movie is Italian-American, so go with homemade lasagna, meatballs and Grandma's secret sauce; Philly cheese steaks and pierogies; and if you really want to be on the nose, Raisin Bran. Have plenty of beer on hand and don't forget the candy dish full of Xanax.

Party Activities: Dance Dance Revolution, Cranium. Decor: Padded walls.

Party Theme: '70s Hollywood-slash-hostage.

What to Wear: Hit the thrift stores for anything 1979: striped sweaters with big white collars, oversized spectacles, puffy vests, denim and/or corduroy, a beard. Alternatively: Go as The Ayatollah.

Serve: Those Americans ate and drank pretty well even while hiding out in the Canadian embassy. Serve chablis and fondue, poutine, Canadian bacon on the side and plenty of Labatt's in the fridge.

Party Activities: Charades, Hide & Seek.

Decor: Set up beanbag chairs and poofy pillows around the TV (and that better be an old tube--this party isn't authentic if you're watching the show on a 50-inch plasma!)

Party Theme: Wild, Wild West.

What to Wear: Prince-inspired purple suits, cowboy hats, shackles (chained or unchained).

Serve: Revenge, cold.

Party Activities: This party obviously needs to be "off the chain," so you’ll need to kick things off with a bang to keep guests entertained: the last two guests to arrive at the party will immediately need to fight to the death.

Decor: Southern decadence.

Are you kidding? Who's having an 'Amour' party?

Party Theme: Anyone who’s seen this film knows that your party better be pretty imaginative to make up for the squalor that is your sad reality. Provide copious amounts of alcohol (moonshine is acceptable) so they can forget the misery they’re in.

What to Wear: Rags.

Serve: Crawfish, po'boy sandwiches, gumbo, hush puppies and jambalaya. The aforementioned moonshine. Cat food.

Party Activities: While enjoying the scraps you’ve managed to skim off the bayou, guests can huddle together in a drum circle and murmur mindlessly about past misgivings that lead to this being their only Oscar party option. Hand out sparklers.

Decor: Juxtapose the natural (tree branches, mud, decaying animal remains) with man-made junk (rusted bathtubs, capsized shrimping boats, garbage).

Party Theme: Broken Dreams.

What to Wear: From rags to riches, clothing attire can range from soon-to-be-decapitated French aristocracy to povo-Parisian street-rat chic.

Serve: Baguettes to eat, Anne Hathaway’s tears to drink (she can produce a gallon on command).

Party Activities: Karaoke, dramatic reenactments of Anne Hathaway’s many "thank you" speeches she’s given since playing Fantine.

Decor: Royal blue, red and white to symbolize the French flag with locks of a wig symbolizing Hathaway’s hair streaming down from the ceiling.

Party Theme: Tortured Souls.

What to Wear: Your best camouflage. Black blazers.

Serve: Freedom fries with ketchup.

Party Activities: Scavenger hunt! Guests will be provided with unlimited resources to find their object, but are encouraged to locate their object within 10 years.

Decor: Red, white & blue.

Party Theme: Stranded at Sea

What to Wear: Boating, beaching and boozing attire.

Serve: Life of Pi is an exotic tale, so rare animals will definitely be on the menu: zebra leg, hyena hamburgers and ample seafood. Stock the fridge with Tiger beer.

Party Activities: In between eating leftover endangered species and sending smoke signals into the air in hopes of being air-lifted to the 'Zero Dark Thirty' Oscar party, guests will enjoy deeply probing philosophical questions concerning their place in the infinite universe.

Decor: Tropical island décor with plenty of sand, lush, tropical plants, caged animals (for decoration and hors d'œuvres).

Party Theme: Civil War.

What to Wear: Men: wigs, wigs and more wigs, topped by a tall hat. Women: corsets and hoop skirts.

Serve: Crab cakes, deep-dish pizza and Sam Adams beer for the Yanks, crayfish, chicken and waffles, and bourbon for the Dirty South. Since we all know the outcome of this war, both parties can enjoy the same American flag-inspired cake to celebrate the end of the bloodiest Oscar party in American history.

Party Activities: Heated debates over whether or not Lincoln can pull off anything more than its shoo-in statue for Daniel Day-Lewis.

Decor: You may be starting during the day, but make it dark and dingy inside.  Have a smoke machine on hand to create the illusion that your health-conscious guests are puffing away on cigars and pipes as they argue over the celebs' red carpet fashion choices.