How to act like you're an Oscar expert

The Oscars are on Sunday night, so it's time to act like you know who should win, even if you haven't seen all the movies. How do you do that? Cram! Here's the Cliff's Notes version of all things Oscar on HeraldNet:

Print your ballot: We've got all the categories arranged on this letter-sized printout. Spice things up with a friendly Oscar pool or just use it to follow along.

Know what you're looking at: Spend a couple minutes with each movie in this collection of trailers.

Read the reviews: Here are Herald movie critic Robert Horton's reviews of the best-picture nominees. Spoiler alert: He liked most of them — some more than others, of course.

• "Django Unchained"
• "Argo"
• "Les Miserables"
• "Life of Pi"
• "Zero Dark Thirty"
• "Lincoln"
• "Amour"
• "Beasts of the Southern Wild"
• "Silver Linings Playbook"

Study the predictions: Need some help filling out your Oscar ballot? Check out Horton's predictions. Invest in any pools based on his advice at your own risk.

Snacks at the ready: Popcorn goes perfectly with the Oscars, but if you want the good stuff, chocolate and a stove are involved. Meanwhile, if your tastes are a little more high-falutin' (or you'd like them to appear to be), try these canapes.