LOS ANGELES: Saved at the 11th hour when writers ended their strike, Sunday’s Oscars promise plenty of glamour, but dark films, possible rain and a lack of splashy parties threaten to dampen the mood on Hollywood’s big night.

Oscar producer Gil Cates has promised a traditional award ceremony filled with big stars such as George Clooney and Cate Blanchett, and this week host Jon Stewart and his writers have been dreaming up jokes to entertain millions of viewers worldwide who are expected to watch on television.

The red carpet is ironed, giant Oscar statuettes have been resprayed gold, designer gowns are ready and final Botox injections surely have been booked for 3,000 A-listers, movie moguls, up-and-coming starlets and others invited to the show.

There are victims of the labour dispute, however, notably the star-studded parties that follow the world’s top film awards. Vanity Fair and pop star Elton John have canceled all or part of their fabled festivities.

Rain also threatens, but in Hollywood where a happy ending is always welcome, there is hope the mood will brighten.

“There’s no doubt this year’s Oscar nominations list really does sparkle,” said Peter Bradshaw of the Guardian in London. “This is a vintage list and 2008 must surely be a great year.”

But dark and difficult films dominate the best picture category, with Paul Thomas Anderson’s epic, There Will Be Blood and the Coen Brothers’ grisly Western, No Country For Old Men, the runaway favourites for the top prize.

Legal thriller, Michael Clayton, war drama, Atonement, and sole comic contender, Juno round off the nominees.

Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood) is tipped for best actor as a ruthless oil man in early 20th Century America.

Best actress could go to Briton Julie Christie in Alzheimer drama, Away From Her, although France’s Marion Cotillard, who plays troubled singer Edith Piaf in La Vie En Rose, and Juno’s 21-year-old star Ellen Page, could spring a surprise.

In supporting categories, the actress race as too close to call between all nominees between Cate Blanchett (I’m Not There), Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton) and veteran Ruby Dee (American Gangster).

And if brothers Joel and Ethan Coen with No Country, were beaten in the best director race, that would be an upset.

Details of the show are kept a close secret by organisers at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and Stewart told the Los Angeles Times on Friday that he would be working until the last minute to fine tune his hosting duties.

“There’s always got to be a certain sense of urgency with these types of shows,” said Stewart, who hosted the Oscars once before in 2006. “You need that sense of — not panic — but it should be controlled panic.”

Fashion followers will be looking for the latest trends on the red carpet, and style-setters expect to see actresses in elegantly designed gowns of bold colours of yellow or purple.

Uncertain whether the Oscars would be held because of the strike, Vanity Fair did not bother sending out the coveted invitations for its Oscar night party, while Elton John’s annual Aids charity bash has been reduced to a viewing party.

That plays into the hands of the academy, which hosts a Governors Ball every year after the Oscars are awarded.

The huge ballroom near the Kodak is fitted out in red, gold and mirrors for the occasion, and 1,500 movers and shakers from the showbiz world are expected to attend.—Reuters