Oscar Preview: The Parties and the Players

Now that the Oscars are on for sure, we can start talking about parties and swag!

And you thought it'd be a quiet night just because Vanity Fair canceled its superstar party. Trust me, the night will go on. Here are just two of the events I'm hearing about:

•  Elton John’s teaming up with Chopard again for an AIDS-fundraising viewing and after-parties. I’m told chef Wayne Elias of L.A.’s Mark’s Restaurant and Crumble Catering will be catering for about 700 guests. Last year was a hoot, and I liveblogged from Sir Elton’s with all the deets on Posh Spice, Diddy, Sharon Stone, Sheryl Crow and a whole lot more.

• For all you imbibers, I just got word that Patrón will be the featured drink, both the tequila and new Ultimat vodka, at the Governors Ball at the Kodak immediately following the ceremony. With no Vanity Fair bash, the Governors Ball is turning out to be hotter than ever, with a guest list including folks like Johnny Depp, Javier Bardem, Marion Cotillard and Ellen Page, among dozens of others.
  
  
• Yes, there will be swag! Nominees in the directing and acting categories have already received Motorola’s new ROKR E8 cell phone, which doesn’t hit stores until the summer.

Forget who the nominees are? Click over to News for the complete list.