Hollywood gets Oscar fever as awards come home
Los Angeles has rolled out the red carpet as the city prepares for its biggest night of the year tomorrow.
Final preparations have been put in place for the 74th glittering Oscar awards ceremony and Hollywood and its residents are now ready to sit back and enjoy the limelight.
And this year is even more special than usual, for the Oscars are coming home to Hollywood for the first time since 1960.
The ceremony is usually held at the Shrine Auditorium in downtown Los Angeles but this year it takes place at the new Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.
Earlier this week a giant Oscar statue was unveiled in front of the plush theatre and the bleachers, where selected movie fans will be able to watch the red carpet celebrity arrivals, were erected.
Meanwhile road closures are already in place - to the annoyance of some local traders - as security tightens around Oscar’s new home.
Celebrities have been arriving in the city all week and the autograph hunters have been out in force around the trendy bars and restaurants of West Hollywood and Beverly Hills hoping to catch a glimpse of their personal favourite.
Many of the stars will be attending pre-Oscars parties tonight - the eve of the awards - mingling with fellow nominees and enjoying the excitement and attention that a coveted nomination brings.
Making the short-list gives a star’s career and profile a major boost, whether they win on the big night or not.
And on Oscar night itself many of the nominees will actually be taking part in the show as presenters as well as waiting to hear whether their names are called out.
Others, such as Sting - who is nominated for best song - and Paul McCartney, will be showcasing their talent before a worldwide audience as performers at the star-studded ceremony.
And not only do they get to show off their talents and their outfits on stage, all the presenters and performers receive a fantastic €22,750 Oscar goody bag for their services.
Specially designed for the person who has everything, the gifts in it include a watch worth more than €1,625, a €2,275 voucher for trendy Mexican spa resort Esperanza, a teeth-whitening session and a bed.
The host for this year’s Oscars is actress Whoopi Goldberg who also hosted the show in 1998.
Oscar bosses have apparently told her to steer clear of the risqué jokes she made then.
At that ceremony, Goldberg surprised the audience with jokes about then President Bill Clinton and intern Monica Lewinsky.
This year the negative publicity campaign which has been waged by some studios against rival actors and films is likely to be the mainstay of the jokes.
