This Sunday, the 82nd Annual Academy Awards will grace your television screen. Don’t try to hide your excitement. You’re a movie buff, and this is your chance to show everyone you know how savvy you are by picking out the winners before they’re announced, like you’re some sort of precognitive movie machine. Naturally, you’ll have done your research and stocked up on all of the Oscar necessities, but that doesn’t take away from the glory of it all. Hold that thought… you don’t know what the Oscar necessities are? Well, don’t be too hard on yourself, it’ll only take a moment to explain. Below are my top ten Oscar necessities for this weekend’s focus on films.

First things first. Whether you’re catching up on all of the movies you missed or watching the award show itself, you’re going to need some sort of multipurpose munching vessel. Something that can simultaneously hold two substances together and separate (If that’s not “deep,” I don’t know what is). I suggest the army knife of casual snacking, also known as a chips and dip bowl.

Now in previous years, we would be given a list of five films that were nominated for the Best Picture award and have no trouble at all watching them ahead of time. Things have changed, for better or worse. This year we were given not five, but ten must-see movies. That’s a collective twenty plus hours that we will have to cash in to keep up with the scene. Who’s got that kind of time? We all do, now that we can watch movies on the bus, at the beach, and during our lunch breaks.

Have you heard of Avatar? It’s up for the Best Picture award, among others, and boasts a pretty impressive coat of 3D paint. But why should it have all the fun, right? Check out this 3D video converter that can take any old picture and inject it with depth. I know what you’re thinking… and yeah, I want to see that in 3D too.

Like movies the old fashioned way? Well, this isn’t quite as old fashioned as you might have hoped, but it will create a picture on your wall that you won’t be able to see in a few years, when most movie theatres go digital. Hang on to the golden days with this home theatre projector.

Don’t get your trousers in a twist Pepsi loyalists. I’m not asking you to give up your favorite drink. I’m only suggesting that pop lovers worldwide unite to celebrate the beautiful partnership between pop, chips, dip, and movies. No matter what brand you favor, make sure that you have a readily available supply of cold bevvies at your side before you press Play.

Movies are meant to be enjoyed in a particular setting, and that particular setting resembles an underground cave. You’re going to need a few things to ensure that your living room can meet this requirement. First, make sure you have blinds that keep the day/moonlight out. Then, close your doors and turn off your lights. You may not want the musty air that caves generally maintain, but you will most certainly want the darkness.

You can tell a lot about a person by how they make their popcorn. You don’t want to be one of those microwavable types, do you? Nope, you want the good stuff. Look into grabbing an inexpensive, but highly enjoyable popcorn popper to make your movie experience more authentic.

The one thing most home theatre set-ups lack: proper seating. I stand by my recommendation to install cinema seating in your living room, no matter how opulent that might seem. Check out the services section of your local Used.ca site, find someone willing to reupholster your seats with vinyl, and start watching.

1) Playstation 3 / Blu-ray Player

So, you’ve got your high def TV, and now you need some high def content. If you haven’t heard, Blu-ray is the new DVD. Soon enough you won’t be able visit your local video store without having a player that can read those shiny blue discs. The Playstation 3 may be your economical answer to keeping up with the times. It can store your photos, run your games, and most importantly, play your movies. If you pride yourself on having the latest and greatest, then make sure you have one when you’re renting the Oscar winners.