It's fitting that this year's Academy Award-nominated movies are largely about daunting survival challenges -- like "The Revenant" and "The Martian" -- since sitting through the ceremony can be something of an ordeal, even if you're at home and in easy reach of microwave popcorn.

To prepare yourself for what could be four hours of Oscar-watching (not to mention two hours of red carpet arrivals), it helps to know what to expect. Here's what to watch for at the 88th Academy Awards show, airing on ABC on Feb. 28.