Sun. Feb. 22

 It's the Super Bowl for the rest of us, not the Super Bowl was bad this year. One of the best ever, in fact, allowing for the fact that we did not give a monkey's toss who won. (Well, that's a lie; we had a scratch ticket bet with a pal and took Arizona and the points so we did care and we did win.) But the 81st Annual Academy Awards are the movie world equal of the Super Bowl and, like the Bowl, we'd guess it skews to both genders, maybe a little more female. For all the debate about who should win and who will win, ultimately, it doesn't make much difference to our lives, does it? Will Kate win two? Will Harvey Weinstein's campaign make people go, "Huh? What's 'The Reader'?" Will "Slumdog Millionaire" continue its big roll or are we tired of its success already. Will "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" get the nod? We'd like to see that. A truly moving film. Anyway, you're going to watch it somewhere - at least part of it - and the Alchemist Lounge in Jamaica Plain is making you a three-screen (one of 'em is super huge), Oscar-themed cocktail pitch starting with the Red Carpet action begins at 6. The ceremony starts at 8. (The whole thing should be over by midnight, after the producers and Jesus Christ are thanked a bunch.) You can also fill out an Oscar ballot - with lots of categories, not just the biggies - so you can match wits with the Hollywood pros and try and predict the outcome. Do so and you win an Alchemist gift certificate for $25. (They're giving away two.) Signature drinks: $9. Beer: $7-$4. Dinner: Under $20.

435 South Huntington Ave., Jamaica Plain, 617-477-5741 www.alchemistlounge.com