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A date with George, Brad, Oscar

At home, theaters, parties, catch up on the flicks and catch the awards.

Now that the Super Bowl and Grammys are out of the way, movie lovers nationwide are gearing up for their TV spectacle.

And in Philly, cinephiles need not celebrate the Oscars alone. Flyers legends, celebrity impersonators, and open bars await them this year.

Oscar night is Sunday - 6ABC's red-carpet show for the 84th Academy Awards will begin at 7 p.m. - but a full weekend of Oscar fun begins Friday with last-minute re-screenings, pre-parties, and big-screen simulcasts.

For those looking to catch up on some of the best-picture contenders, Friday could be the night to screen Steven Spielberg's War Horse or the youth odyssey The Tree of Life - or to spend some time with Hollywood's handsomest leading men, watching Brad Pitt in the baseball movie Moneyball and George Clooney in the tropical family drama The Descendants.

For all the rest, AMC theaters have you covered. On Saturday, the movie theater chain offers the second half of its Best Picture Showcase starting at 11 a.m.; $40 buys access to the other five best-picture nominees - Hugo, The Help, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, The Artist, and Midnight in Paris. These films, ranging from fantastical to unflinchingly historical, should help moviegoers prepare for the Sunday panoply.

The movie marathon will be hosted at three area theaters: AMC Loews Cherry Hill, AMC Neshaminy, and AMC Hamilton.

On Oscar night itself, nonprofits across the city are rolling out red carpets.

Want to make a contribution to veterans and hear from Flyers goalie Bernie Parent? The Volunteers of America Delaware Valley is hosting its 13th installation of the only Academy-sanctioned event, the Oscar Night America Gala. Parent, who will be honorary chair, will speak about how he overcame an injury as a hockey player, according to a Volunteers spokeswoman.

The organization's goal this February is to raise $150,000 for the construction of a 30-bed shelter for homeless veterans in Camden, she said, and it is seeking to complete the building in September.

The event, held at the Loews Hotel, will also feature "Joan Rivers" and "Michael Jackson" impersonators, a jazz band, and an open bar. Individual tickets are $250 and available at voadv.org. Information: 856-854-4660.

Those seeking less expensive Oscar outings might try the parties held by the Bryn Mawr Film Institute ($60-$70) or Ambler Theater ($40-$60).

Many may opt to watch the show from their comfy living rooms, but film institute executive director Juliet Goodfriend listed advantages of going out. "It's the presence of other people sharing the experience that is of the greatest importance," she said.

The Bryn Mawr event at 7 p.m. will include a gourmet buffet, a cash bar, and a silent auction with $100 raffle tickets for a trip to Paris (time-traveling car not included); it's at 824 W. Lancaster Ave., Bryn Mawr. A pair of film experts will provide commentary and comic relief during the screening of the awards, and proceeds will go to the restoration of the Bryn Mawr Theater. Information: 610-527-9898, www.brynmawrfilm.org.

The Ambler Theater's Oscar party doubles as the building's ninth birthday celebration. All three of the nonprofit theater's screens will show the Academy Awards. Food, drink, and live music are included, and a $60 Red Carpet Pass includes preferred seating, dessert, and champagne at the theater, 108 E. Butler Ave., Ambler. Information: 215-345-7855, www.amblertheater.org.

These celebrations are about the closest Philadelphians are going to get to the actual red carpet - unless, like Fiona Otway, a Temple grad student and editor of the documentary Hell and Back Again, they work on an Oscar-nominated film and receive an invitation from the Academy.

But for those spending Oscar night in Philly, the city's film fanatics are making their own glamour.