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A view from the cheap seats

So you're not an A-list star with a limo and an attitude. You can still manage some red carpet Oscar moments - however fleeting - with some planning.

By GREG RISLING, Associated Press
Published February 11, 2007

LOS ANGELES

Crews rigged up the lights, on-air talent went over last-minute changes and the carpet was rolled out, setting the stage for Hollywood's biggest night. And we had front row seats.

Okay, so the grand gala - the Academy Awards - was down the block. But our room overlooked the pool at the trendy Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, where it appeared that preparations were under way for a posh aftershow.

The pool is where you can often find actors working on tans, movie deals getting sealed and late-night dalliances that could become tabloid fodder.

Alas, it turned out that the poolside bright lights and cameras were only for a taping of Access Hollywood. Still, just by being at the hotel, we could claim some connection to the real deal: It was the site of the first Oscars ceremony in 1929.

Our stay at the Roosevelt was a favor to my wife, an avid People magazine reader who jots down restaurants where celebrities dine and gossips with her friends about the entertainment industry. But given all the security and the imposing 20-foot black fabric walls that cordoned off the red carpet from the public, we wondered if we could get a sliver of the action.

Undeterred, we set out to find what Hollywood had to offer. Here's some advice if you're headed to the 79th annual Academy Awards on Feb. 25 or, better yet, want to start planing for 2008:

- Wander around. Don't look like a tourist, but bring a camera. Stars could be lurking around any corner. Even hanging out in the valet line has its perks. Waiting for my sister-in-law and her husband to join us for drinks, we saw rapper Tyrese stroll by and actor Finola Hughes gave us a wave and a smile. Hardly an A-list spotting, but it was a start.

- Eat where the locals eat and drink. After the after-parties, the famous can be found at their favorite fast food joints. Check out Pink's Hot Dogs or Astroburger.

We went to L Scorpion bar on Hollywood Boulevard. No visible sign, so it had to be cool, right? The menu lists more than 100 tequilas, some that could set you back a day's worth of pay. One of the owners said Courteney Cox and David Arquette had partied there with friends the week before, and "Desperate Housewife" Eva Longoria was next door at an Italian restaurant as we spoke. That explained the paparazzi outside.

- Plan and book early. We reserved our room eight months in advance and scored a $279 rate on a travel Web site. Few rooms are offered to the public, so you have to be ready to commit. If staying near the Kodak Theatre, home of the Academy Awards, isn't a priority, rooms can be found in the weeks leading up to the Oscars for under $200.

- Throw your name in the hat. If you want one of the 300 bleacher seats on the 500-foot red carpet, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has a one-week window for people to apply in September. More than 10,000 people tried for the 2007 Academy Awards. "We love to see the hairstyles and what they are wearing," said Glenice Churchill, 76, of Chino, Calif., who has landed seats every year since 1970. Churchill and her sister wear shirts that read "Bleacher Creatures," and the star-watching has turned into a tradition.

- Gaze upon stars from down low to up high. You don't have to sit in the stands to get a premium view. Those willing to pay can stay at the Roosevelt, where some rooms overlook the red-carpet arrivals. The famed Gable-Lombard Penthouse runs about $5,000 on Oscar night.

Others who don't have that kind of coin can stand across the street from the Kodak Theatre on the steps of the El Capitan Entertainment Centre, home to Jimmy Kimmel Live. Space is limited, but the steps offer the closest spot to the stars without having to carry a credential.

If all else fails, the academy hosts several events for the public, including a symposium with the foreign-language film directors, screenings of the animated and live-action short-film nominees and a discussion with some of the nominated makeup artists.

Now until the ceremony, the public will be permitted to touch the golden men, and even have their photographs taken holding one, at the Hollywood & Highland shopping complex. Fifty statuettes will be on display.

IF YOU GO

An Oscar trip

Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel: 7000 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles; www.hollywoodroosevelt.com or (323) 466-7000 . The hotel has 300 rooms, and rates start at $209 in winter and $289 in summer. Get a drink at the Tropicana Bar, which is poolside. Good luck trying to get into Teddy's, an exclusive nightclub reserved for those who have top TV shows or movies.

L Scorpion Bar: 6679 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles; www.lscorpion.com or (323) 464-3026 . Blanco, reposado or anejo, this tequila bar has a wide and fine selection of Mexico's favorite drink.

Oscar bleachers: To apply for one of 300 seats available on the red carpet for the Academy Awards, visit www.oscars.org/bleachers . A one-week application period will be available in September for the 2008 Academy Awards.

[Last modified February 9, 2007, 10:29:08]