Twinkle's back in Tinseltown

Julia Roberts revealed a new blonde 'Charlies Angels'-style look, Jim Carrey turned skinhead, Diane Keaton mustered her best Charlie Chaplin impression, with a black suit and wing-collared shirt, while Uma Thurman attempted the 'Little Bo-Beep' look in a white, lace dress.

The Oscars were back to their fashionable best. The red carpet returned and 500 lottery-picked fans welcomed their heroes.

The contrast could not have been starker from last year when thousands of anti-war protestors were pinned back two blocks away.

This year, with Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings - the Return of the King scooping an incredible 11 awards — a record only matched by Titanic and Ben Hur - the glitz had returned.

It was a poor show for the Brits, only lifted by Annie Lennox's award for her 'Into the West' track from Lord of the Rings.

Goodybag

Lennox, along with all other nominees and prize presenters, can now also look forward to a bulging Oscars goodybag. Word has it that each included a family holiday at an exclusive resort, a 42-inch plasma TV, four tickets to see Celine Dion's new Las Vegas (!), each worth $250 and, rather strangely, vouchers for laser eye surgery. Some sources put the value of the packs at up to $110,000.

Two of Hollywood's biggest names would have missed out. Mel Gibson apparently turned down the offer of presenting an award - worried about being booed over his controversial new film, The Passion of the Christ, according to director-turned ceremony organiser Joe Roth in the LA Times. Officially, his film company blamed his absence on a busy schedule, with the movie's launch this weekend.

Colin Farrell was another no-show. The Irish actor recently broke an arm and a leg falling down stairs in a hotel in Thailand. Unofficially, reports suggest he slipped while dancing on a table in Bangkok bar with Val Kilmer. Farrell was in too much pain to attend and, word has it, was watching the ceremony from a suite in his favourite hotel, the ultra-trendy Chateau Marmont on Sunset Boulevard.

Party on

The celebrity gravy train steamed ahead after the award ceremony to the Governors Ball in the newly-built Hollywood and Highland complex behind the Kodak Theatre.

As per usual, the Academy drafted in Spago-owner and chef Wolfgang Puck to create his specialities filet mignon, Maine lobster and 3,000 Oscar-trophy shaped Viennese chocolates.

Next stop was the Vanity Fair party, a staple element of the Oscars diet since its launch in 1994 and a must for most A-listers. A column of limos made the three-mile hop west to swanky Melrose Avenue and pink-lit Mortons restaurant.

The magazine's owner, Conde Nast, had already treated 1,000 guests to a pre-show dinner of steak and fries, crab cakes and key lime tartlets. By the time the major players arrived, the Francis Ford Coppola Cabarnet Franc and 'Sophia' wines were still flowing freely — the legendary director has a vineyard in northern California.

His daughter Sophia undoubtedly toasted her success with her creation, Lost in Translation, winning best original screenplay.

Thousands of emerald roses were laid on at the event by McQueen's of London. And the exceptionally camp pink lighting was apparently down to Patrick Woodroffe, the man behind the light shows for the Queen's Golden Jubilee Party and the Millennium Dome — maybe one to leave off the resume..!

Some doubters had wondered whether the Vanity Fair party had lost its edge. The doubters, of course, may have been the ones snubbed on the guest-list and relegated to standing behind the police cordons with the 'looky-loos', as the actors disparagingly call their more, er, 'devoted' fans.

Lording it

The other hotspots included a party laid on by New Line, the company behind Lord of the Rings, held at the Pacific Design Center — a stone's throw from the Vanity Fair bash.

Elton John's regular knees-up at The Marquee was also expected to catch the 'after-after party' crowd. The British singer was due to perform, followed by hot new soul act Jess Stone. The 16-year-old has gone from Devon to West Hollywood in less than a year, and probably still getting to grips with that one.

Disappointingly there was no Miramax party this year. Harvey Weinstein's influential film company had an unusually low profile after only receiving two nominations for the blockbuster Cold Mountain (Jude Law and Renee Zellweger).

Night before...

Some stars even hit town the night before - Marcia Gay Harden, nominated for best supporting actress for Mystic River, and Pearl Harbor director Michael Bay tucked into sushi at the hip Katana restaurant on Sunset Boulevard's Sunset Strip on Saturday night.

Just yards away, Adrian Brody, an Oscar winner last year for his role in The Piano, was also seen, leaving the Mondrian hotel, home to the famous celebrity
haunt, the Skybar.

As for me, the Oscars night is still young. With several parties likely to push on to 5am (lunchtime in London), there's plenty more attempts at gate-crashing ahead.

Long live the glitz!