There's still time to throw a killer Oscar night bash -- all you'll need is a rental projector, a few props, and a dose of creativity and drama. Learn how!

This year, the Academy Awards will be held on Sunday, February 26th, and televised starting at 7:00pm Eastern time. The event promises to be a smashing good time, with Billy Crystal serving as the emcee. Here are some quick tips for throwing a fun Oscar night celebration in your home.

Special Effects

Rent a projector to add some fun and pizzazz to your event. This will create the effect of being at the movies, watching on the big screen. You don't need a projection screen - any blank wall (light-colored, preferably) works best, or you can hang a white sheet and pull it taut for a "screen."

Dress Your Best

Why not increase the fun factor with a dress-up theme? You can invite guests to wear their best formal attire, or dress as a character from their favorite film. Have a prize for the best costume, the most creative costume, and anyone who dresses as Oscar himself.

Remember the Food

Food is a key element of any social gathering, and the Oscars are no different. Let the food match your theme - in other words, if you're asking folks to dress up, serve a more elegant spread. If your party is more fun and casual, let the food reflect that theme. If you need help, ask your guests to bring a snack or a dish (or beverage) to share.

Pad and Paper

It's always fun to make predictions and see who guesses correctly. If you plan to incorporate this into your evening, you can handle it one of two ways - either distribute forms ahead of time via email, or pass out pen and paper during that evening. Be sure to recognize or award a prize to the person who guesses the most correctly. If you like, you can even rate the stars in terms of best dressed (or worst-behaved!) of the evening.

It's always fun to gather with friends to celebrate the magic of the silver screen. You might even want to have your own awards ceremony -- you could give an award to best dressed, most humorous, most likely to be on the big screen, most likely to be on time, etc.

No matter what kind of event you plan, you and your friends are sure to have a blast. Enjoy your Oscar night party!