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A little punch, a few underwhelming presents, and a lot of sitting around thinking of small talk: it’s the same old holiday party?

Or can it be a little more festive with a new theme?

Try these ideas for hip and happening offbeat parties — some of which are happening in the Midlands.

ANSWERS

Christmas is a time for television. Sitcoms are dressed with wreaths and trees; dramas, for the space of an episode, get extra-poignant, perhaps by the addition of a homeless person. It’s also a time to gather friends around the TV to share some of cable’s new holiday TV movie offerings.

Try these accompanying party games for selected upcoming offerings: (Answers on Page D3)

THE GAME: Whoever spots the first “Lord of the Rings” cast member wins.

THE GAME: Play Six Degrees of Sci-Fi. Whoever can name the most sci-fi series that Frewer and Rothery both have appeared in (although separately) wins. We found at least four of them. BONUS: Link Allison Hossack to them.

THE GAME: Lifetime Drinking Game. (You can use this with just about any holiday romance on TV this season). Have a drink when:

•  The two leads first give knowing glances.

•  They accidentally are thrown together, their faces meeting ever so close

•  They have to fake a kiss in front of the parents

•  The “other guy” shows up to claim his woman

•  The ex-girlfriend runs into the guy

•  Heshe realizes the true meaning of Christmas

THE GAME: Name other movies in which a jaded journalist falls in love over the holidays.

THE GAME: A variation of a drinking game from FilmSchoolRejects.com:

Take a drink when:

•  Every time Rico swallows useful tools, such as dynamite, and regurgitates them when needed

•  Every time Mort displays an obsession with King Julien’s feet

•  Every time King Julien misinterprets a figure of speech. For example: Skipper: Are you ready to have your lunch handed to you?

King Julien: Why, yes, that would be nice. I would like a BLT, hold the T, and... Oh, this is some of your trashy talk, is it? Well, I too can talk of the smack! from imdb.com

HAVE AN UGLY SWEATER PARTY

The ugly-holiday-sweater party, once the inside purview of consciously ironic youth, finally has joined the public domain.

My friend in Atlanta has hosted one for a few years, and I’ve ignored previous invitations. It just so happened I was in town working on the same weekend as his party.

My sweater, a mustard yellow V-neck that I wore once, three years and 15 pounds ago, didn’t quite fit the way I wanted it to after a washing and drying. So I had to go with a cardigan that I wouldn’t consider ugly.

The guests did have on plenty of unattractive garments. My favorite was a sweater adorned with blinking tree lights. In a dark staircase (don’t ask), she looked like a character from “Tron.” Guests sipped on beer, egg nog and punch, and I loved the gingerbread cookies placed around the loft apartment.

The best part of the party was when several cast and crew members of the CW series “Vampire Diaries” crowded into a room to pose in a photo booth. Watching the actors act for the camera was like live improv theater.

It was, undoubtedly, the best party I’ve been to all year. Can’t wait until next year.

www.thestate.com/2010/12/09/1597231/perk-up-your-parties.html; Read More
Christmas is a time for television. Sitcoms are dressed with wreaths and trees; dramas, for the space of an episode, get extra-poignant, perhaps by the addition of a homeless person. It’s also a time to gather friends around the TV to share some of cable ... news about: MAUREEN O HARA @t MAUREEN O HARA