Fans ready for Oscar parties

It’s that time of year when Hollywood studios push last-minute Oscar campaigns and fans rush to see final movie contenders before the 85th annual Academy Awards broadcast kicks off Sunday.

From local movie buffs to Las Vegas oddsmakers, everybody has an opinion about who might take home a golden bald guy.

Rialto Cinemas owner Ky Boyd, who travels the festival circuit every year for a sneak peek at what’s coming to theaters, predicts Steven Spielberg will buck the award-season trend and take the award for best director.

“He wins this on the strength not only of his cast,” predicted Boyd, “but on the basis of Tony Kushner’s incredible screenplay and Spielberg’s own trust in the power of the words.”

Across the county, Sonoma International Film Festival director Kevin McNeely is rooting for the director of “Silver Linings Playbook.”

“David O. Russell needs to win one award and this is it,” he said.

At Barndiva in Healdsburg, owner Jil Hales is hedging both bets: “If the (to my mind unfair) anti-Spielberg movement continues, David O. Russell may take best director because he’s loved and because he handles dysfunction — a favorite American cinematic subject — so well.”

And then all agree that Daniel Day Lewis is a slam-dunk for the best actor award.

Before the teleprompter starts rolling, here’s a quick look at the Top 3 Oscar parties in Sonoma County this weekend:

Rialto Cinemas — Oscar Night in Sonoma County: Owner Ky Boyd and the gang have been trying to get the word out to dress to the nines for the occasion: “Send your tux to the dry cleaners, find your Anna Karenina-style ball gown or get on your ’70s look from ‘Argo.’”
Look for prizes for movie trivia, best costumes and a grand prize for whoever predicts all the winners of the night.
The benefit for Food for Thought kicks off at 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets: $20-$40. 6868 McKinley St., Sebastopol. www.rialtocinemas.com.
P.S. If you go, make sure to talk to Boyd about his predictions; he’s a fount of knowledge when it comes to Oscar contenders.
As for wildcards, he says, “I don’t think we are going to see a single film dominate this year. If one does, that would be a surprise.”

Sonoma International Film Festival Academy Awards Party: This year, Kevin McNeely and the Sonoma Film Society mavens may be holding their annual Oscar soiree in the Hanna Boys Center theater, but they’re still pushing the “ultra lounge atmosphere.” The choice is yours — get rowdy in the screening room with Gloria Ferrer wines and cocktails or watch it unfold in the “quiet room” so you won’t miss the quips, asides or history-making acceptance speech (a la Sally Field in 1985).
When: 3:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets: $150. 17000 Arnold Drive, Sonoma. www.sonomafilmfest.org.
Wildcard: McNeely’s prediction for the biggest Oscar surprise this year? “Quentin Tarantino getting snubbed! (for “Django Unchained.”)

Barndiva celebrates the Oscars with movie inspired drinks and dishes. (John Burgess/PD)

Barndiva’s 9th Annual Big Screen Oscar Party: Balloting opens at 11 a.m. Sunday, the red carpet unfurls in the late afternoon and then the a la carte menu kicks in “so you can eat and drink as little or as much as you want,” says Barndiva owner Jil Hales.
Get the most right on the in-house ballot and take home a $50 Barndiva gift certificate.
When: 5:30 p.m. Sunday. Free. 231 Center St., Healdsburg. www.barndiva.com.
And getting back to that Oscar wildcard, Hales has “two words: Quentin Tarantino. At the very least, whatever comes out of his mouth will be wild. Aside from the fact that he’s obnoxious, he and (Michael) Haneke (‘Amour’) are the only true auteurs on the list. The first hour of ‘Django Unchained’ was American filmmaking at its best.”

Bay Area freelancer John Beck writes about entertainment for The Press Democrat. You can reach him at 280-8014, john@sideshowvideo.com and follow on Twitter @becksay.