The press are all in place - there are hundreds of us - and the red carpet arrivals are about to kick off.

The bleachers are full of fans who won tickets in a lottery for the best seats in the house.

It takes about two hours to get everyone in, and there's still three hours until the show goes live. So we are in for a bit of a wait.

Colin Paterson
Entertainment Correspondent, BBC Radio 5 live

This evening from 20:30 GMT, I will be hosting a 90-minute Oscars preview show on BBC Radio 5 live, live from Beverly Hills. 

Nominees will be popping in on their way to the awards, wearing their tuxes and dresses while their limos are parked outside. 

Monday’s Breakfast show will feature me live from the Vanity Fair party, talking to the winners as they arrive with their Oscars in their hands. 

It's normally a lively listen. 

Two years ago on Oscars night, Russia moved troops into Ukraine. But the Daily Telegraph decided to make me the subject of an editorial for having shouted “Bono!” six times as he arrived. 

Let’s see if this year I can do seven. 

“Leo! Leo! Leo!"

The glamorous view of Hollywood from my hotel window!

Idris Elba, fresh from his Independent Spirit award win, managed to avoid diversity questions but was more than happy to talk about Luther.

Asked if there would be a big screen version of his hit drama, he said: "It's not a reality yet but hopefully we can get it off the ground."

Costume designer Jenny Beavan is hoping to add to her awards haul on Sunday with her nomination for Mad Max: Fury Road.

If the name is familiar it's probably because Stephen Fry caused upset when he described her as "a bag lady" on Bafta night, although he later revealed they were good friends. 

Beavan spoke to the BBC's Alex Stanger about the process of making the costumes for Mad Max and the problems the extreme weather of the Australian desert posed.

She also revealed her plans for her own Oscars outfit. 

Watch the interview below.

The annual Razzies put on a fun event - which had a distinct whiff of sixth-form end of year show.

Although it lambasts dreadful films it manages to still feel like it's for movie fans.

It was no surprise that 50 Shades of Grey picked up a crop of awards, with worst screen combo for Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan among its haul.

Fantastic Four also came in for a drubbing, with director Josh Trank winning best director. He disowned his own movie before it was released, saying the studio had meddled with his vision.

There was good news though for Sylvester Stallone, a serial Razzie nominee, who was given the title Razzie Redeemer for his stellar return to form in Creed.

The awards show itself though could be named worst timekeeper, over-running by at least an hour and a half. 

The Independent Spirit Awards are held in tents on the beach in Santa Monica and as such the ahem..facilities are temporary.

Not even the stars escape having to use the Portaloos.

I was a little bit starstruck to find myself in the queue as Stana Katic from Castle came out of one in an ever-so floaty dress. I'm a huge fan of the show but refrained from grabbing her for a selfie.

Image source, afp

I'm at the Independent Spirit Awards on Santa Monica beach - but only just.

The taxi driver took me to the wrong part of the city (and this city is big) and when we arrived at a dog grooming salon, he said: "Is this it?"

So 40 minutes in the opposite direction I am now here.

Among the guests walking the blue carpet were Idris Elba, Sean Penn, Patricia Arquette, Jessica Chastain and Brie Larson.

Elba picked up the first award for best supporting actor for Beasts of No Nation. He brought up his young co-star Abraham Attah and thanked him and the largely novice cast of the Netflix film for their talent.

Last minute preparations are still going on down on the red carpet. The carpet itself is still covered with plastic sheeting to protect it from the hundreds of press and staff already traipsing across it - including me!

There's last minute touching up of gold paint and gold leaf being pain-stakingly attached to the walls by the set artists, all the while tourists and shoppers can still get up close to where the action will take place. 

By Saturday the area will be closed off and only those with the right passes will be allowed anywhere near.

Comic Jack Whitehall was on the guest list at the Film is Great reception, hosted by the British Embassy, having made his full-length film debut last year with Bad Education. 

Ever the wit, he joked at his surprise that Bad Education was not among the Oscars contenders.

"Can you believe it. I think with Bad Education and The Revenant it was an either/or situation and they went with The Revenant, which I'm fine with because Leonardo's due one," he said.

Also at the same event was Whitehall's pal James Corden, who has become a huge success Stateside.

Asked if he would like to follow in his footsteps with a US career, Whitehall said: "I just want to do what I enjoy doing and if it ends up being here that's fine.

"There's plenty of breaks for white posh actors. They do very well for themselves. I don't think anyone can complain that there is a lack of roles for white posh men. I'm not going to be the flag bearer for that cause!"

Two US firms claim they can predict the winners of the Oscars not with film expertise but by data crunching.

That data includes 150,000 text reviews and more than 38 million star ratings from IMDB alone.  

But will they get it right?

Read the feature.

Room director Lenny Abrahamson was chatting on the green carpet at the Oscar Wilde Awards last night about his experience so far of his first Oscars.

He was more than a little surprised to find a suit and luxury watch waiting for him in his hotel room to wear on his big night - all of which he has to return, a bit like Cinderella.

"The Oscars feel like a fitting end to the film's cycle, which has been six months of promoting and travelling. I'm determined to enjoy it and celebrate where this film has got to," he said.

He also ran through the list of people that he would have to thank if he won the prize. He came to the conclusion that he "better write it all down in the unlikely event that I do win."

British star James Corden was given honorary Irish status at the Oscar Wilde Awards on Thursday.

In his acceptance speech, he relayed the story of how he was contacted by JJ Abrams' "people" about a possible part in the new Star Wars film. 

After meeting JJ and thinking he had landed a role he was told that the part had and been rewritten for a girl. "Exactly the same thing happened with Game of Thrones," he quipped.

Corden also wasn't shy about speaking up on American politics. The chat show host - who is not able to vote - asserted that, despite what anyone's feelings on Donald Trump may be, the current presidential race revealed what democracy was all about.

Speaking at Thursday's Oscar Wilde awards, The Force Awakens director JJ Abrams (pictured below with Star Wars actress Daisy Ridley) said he was looking forward to Oscar night, where he is presenting an award.

"I'm looking forward to Chris Rock, who is one of the most brilliant comedians out there. I've gotten to hear some of what he is working on and, as you would expect, it's as sharp and funny as he is."

He also admitted that he was torn about filming on Star Wars: Episode VIII which has a new director, Rian Johnson. "On the one hand, I'm happy because I know it's in safe hands, but on the other, I'm jealous because he gets the work was such a brilliant group of people."

Image source, Getty Images

The green carpet was out for the Oscar Wilde awards, the annual event hosted by JJ Abrams at his Bad Robot offices in Santa Monica. 

The awards recognise the special relationship between America and Ireland in film-making. This year's recipients included Daisy Ridley, who shot scenes for Star Wars: The Force Awakens in Ireland, Lenny Abrahamson,  director of Room, Snow Patrol and James Corden - who was made an honorary Irishman.

Ridley admitted she was petrified about presenting an Oscar on Sunday, and she was pretty nervous reading out her acceptance speech at Thursday evening's ceremony.

She told the audience what a pleasure it had been to return with her father to Skellig Michael in Ireland where she had filmed Star Wars.

There was mutual banter and affection between Snow Patrol and Corden, with Corden saying the band had played at his wedding and how happy he was to have them as such good friends.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, AP

The red carpet is already being rolled out at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

With mainly sun predicted for the weekend, it looks like there will be no repeat of last year's rain-soaked awards night. 

It was an umbrella-seller's dream in 2015 as PRs attempted to keep their perfectly-primped stars dry before facing the cameras. The carpet itself wasn't immune to a few puddles after the plastic roof sprung a leak.

But with temperatures above 23 degrees and clear skies predicted, sunglasses could be the accessory du jour. (Famous last words!)

Image source, Reuters

Image source, getty

Pete Docter certainly has the magic touch – with his animation movies winning the hearts and minds of both children and adults. He directed Up, Monsters Inc and most recently Inside Out, as well as writing on all the Toy Story films and Wall E.

I chatted to him just after he won his Bafta for best animation, adding to Inside Out’s massive awards haul.

Despite being nominated seven times for an Oscar, winning once already for Up, he’s still excited about attending the awards.

“It’s always a thrill. It’s not part of my real life so it’s great to hobnob and be a part of what everybody thinks is Hollywood for a very short amount of time, and then you go back to work,” he said.

Fellow director Adam McKay of The Big Short recently told me that Inside Out was his favourite film of the year and should have been up for best picture.

Asked if he was disappointed Inside Out was overlooked in the best picture category, Docter said: “I think what happens is people have a different look on these films, for whatever reason. It’s different - it’s not really the same as live action film-making. If they saw behind the scenes they would be shocked.

"Yes, we are making it inside the computer but we are still talking about wide shots, tracking shots…we have costume design, we have set design we have all the same things but just made in slow motion over a year and a half."

Image source, AP

At the Baftas, presenter Eddie Izzard joked about how how difficult it must be to pitch animation ideas to the people holding the purse strings. 

But surely Docter can pick and choose his own projects?

“It’s not like 'hey do whatever you want', it’s definitely a process. And frankly I’m happy with that - you want to check your ideas and have them tested on other folk. 

"The nice thing about working at Pixar is that the boss is himself a creative storyteller and so we have really come to rely on John [Lassiter] having this amazing instinct for entertainment and what audiences will connect with."

And Docter's own tip for best picture this year?

"I really enjoyed a lot of the films this year but Spotlight has a particular fascination for me because it was so emotional. 

"It could have been kind of factual, cold and kind of off putting but it was so well handled. In fact, I need to go back and look at it again because there’s not even a clear main character and yet it’s so compelling and engaging and I was amazed by it."

The Oscars will be the climax to a pretty long awards season, which has seen Leonardo DiCaprio emerge as the darling of the voters – with “it’s his year” pretty much extolled by everyone.

If you were a betting man/woman you’d hard pressed to make any money this year, such are the short odds for winners in the main categories – both William Hill and Paddy Power have Leo down for best actor at 1/50 and Brie Larson at 1/20 for best actress for Room. The pair have been picking up awards left, right and centre.

Things are slightly closer in the best picture category – only just – with The Revenant on 4/7 followed by Spotlight on 2/1. Poor Bridge of Spies is a definite outsider at a long shot 200/1.

Keily Smith
Entertainment reporter

Image source, AFP

The Academy Awards are just five days away and Hollywood is gearing up to welcome its glamorous guests on to the red carpet.

I’ll be bringing you news, gossip and colour from Los Angeles in the run-up to the big night as we get excited for curtain-up.

While the Oscars are the main event in Los Angeles this week – there are some other celeb-filled gatherings that will celebrate all things movie-making.

The Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday reward those movies made on a “budget”. Although the $20m ceiling may not seem small potatoes, The Revenant - the frontrunner for the Oscars this year - cost upwards of $130m to make.

There’s a couple of British hopefuls nominated, with Idris Elba for Beasts of No Nation and newcomer Bel Powley up for awards.

Brit hopefuls at the Academy Awards include Charlotte Rampling, who found herself in hot water recently when she offered her opinion on the diversity row, and Eddie Redmayne, back in contention for a second year in a row.

And of course, there's the Razzies - the award no-one wants to win. The organisers put on a fun event but it's a rare thing for a celebrity to appear in person to collect - but you never know!

For some Oscar-watchers it's all about the quality of the films and the talent on show, but for many others it's really all about the frocks. There's no judgement here!

Check back for regular updates.