BEHIND THE VELVET ROPE AFTER THE GOLDEN GLOBES, HOLLYWOOD STARS GET THE REAL PARTIES STARTED.

Byline: Elizabeth Snead and Jennifer Sklar

Imagine being dropped into an alternate universe populated by celebrities. Everywhere you turn, you bump into yet another eerily familiar famous face.

Following Sunday night's Golden Globe ceremony at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, the place, as it does every year, virtually morphed into a Disneyland of star-studded Globe after-parties hosted by various film studios and networks.

The Universal/DreamWorks/USA party downstairs next to Trader Vic's turned out to be the buzzed-bout Bash of the Night, probably because it boasted the most winners from ``A Beautiful Mind'' and ``Gosford Park'' as well as the casts from nominated films such as ``Shrek,'' ``A.I.'' and ``Mulholland Drive,'' all drinking, dining and dishing.

An Armani-clad Russell Crowe, winner of a Globe for best actor in a drama, sat at a long banquette, looking about as happy as he could possibly look (i.e., not surly), tossing back a seriously strong something and Coke. He was accompanied by blond Aussie recording artist Danielle Spencer, who was wearing Armani and who, it was explained by another party-goer, is actually a former old girlfriend from a few years back.

At the same banquette sat the milky-skinned but still dateless Nicole Kidman, looking very fetching in a bustier-style black gown of knotted suede whipped up by Tom Ford for YSL. Next to the newly single Kidman was ``Kate & Leopold'' hunk Hugh Jackman and his white-haired wife wearing something that resembled a sequined tent, which seemed cut from Barbara Bush's matronly cloth.

At another table, ``Mulholland'' director David Lynch, who looked and sounded like Jimmy Stewart from Mars, held court with his stars, including the Armani pinstripe pant-suited buxom beauty Laura Harring, who joined in to sing a very enthusiastic ``Happy Birthday'' to the director, who looked flustered. But then Lynch always looks flustered. ``Beautiful Mind'' best supporting actress winner Jennifer Connelly sang the birthday tune from a nearby table, where she was bravely devouring a salad with chopsticks while talking to a cigarette-smoking Julianna Margulies.

The strangest sighting of the night had to be legendary Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards, who looked very alert and animated even though he was inexplicably wearing three fringed headbands. One surmises that he was just happy that Patti Hansen, his stunning blond former Ford model wife of two long decades, was still standing next to him.

Rock's royal couple chatted with ``Gosford Park'' star Helen Mirren, elegant in a bejeweled blue Badgley Mischka gown. Mirren later explained that she and the ancient rocker were ``old mates.'' Of getting duded up for the night, Mirren said, ``In my real life, I'm never like this; so once a year, even once in a blue moon, it's wonderful to play dress-up and get everything your girly heart desires.''

``Park'' reveler Maggie Smith gushed about Robert Altman's win as best director: ``We were all dying to work with him. There is no one else who could have assembled such a cast. His secret is that he really likes actors.''

Suddenly, Smith was assaulted by a small sequin-smothered woman who looked like Joan Rivers and, in fact, turned out to be Joan Rivers. Dressed in a Vera Wang creation, Rivers effusively attacked Smith with compliments and kisses then asked her what designer she was wearing. Smith apologized, ``I can't even pronounce it. It's an Indian name.'' Rivers whispered advice: ``Just say its vintage YSL. No one will know the difference.''

The younger celeb contingent included Ryan Phillippe, cigarette tucked behind one ear, with his ``Legally Blonde'' wife, Reese Witherspoon. The couple talked about a new film they're producing and starring in called ``The Flying Smiths'' and Phillippe's new role in a prequel to ``The Exorcist.''

Phillippe, who perfected a Scottish brogue in just three lessons for his role as a rapscallion actor in ``Park,'' posed for a photo with Rolling Stone Richards and was advised by the photographer, ``Smile, kid. This is the real deal.''

Later, at the Miramax party on the far side of the hotel lobby, Leelee Sobieski, looking tres mature for her teen years in a black '50s pouf gown, knelt down to chat with Kevin Spacey, who sat with ``Smallville'' cutie Tom Welling and yet another aging rock star, Steven Tyler of Aerosmith. Eerily, Tyler kept sniffing and fondling a pink rose.

Meanwhile, ``That '70s Show'' star Ashton Kutcher had his rear fondled by his look-alike date Ashley Scott (``A.I.''), who giggled and looked annoyingly adorable. ``24'' star Leslie Hope (she plays Kiefer Sutherland's wife) showed off her Christina Perrin leather halter dress and her sexy shoes, probably from Jimmy Choo, the new shoemaker to the stars, and admitted, ``I have to give the dress back. But I do get to keep the shoes!''

Latin heartthrob Javier Bardem and his merry men sang indecipherable Latin songs and posed for pics with enthusiastic fans while ``Ally McBeal's'' Portia de Rossi, looking eerily like Eddie Munster's mother, screamed into her cell phone, ``Hey, honey. I'm at the Miramax party. I'll be leaving soon.''

Also leaving the scene of the crime: Calista Flockhart, who held the hand of a handsome young man who is definitely not her rumored squeeze Garry Shandling.

At the HBO bash at Trader Vic's, the entire cast of the Globe-winning miniseries ``Band of Brothers,'' including Neal McDonough, Matthew Settle, Donnie Wahlberg, Rick Gomez, Frank John Hughes, James Madio, Ron Livingston and Damian Lewis, were at attention all evening. So were their mighty captains: producer Steven Spielberg and wife Kate Capshaw, and director/producer Tom Hanks, wife Rita Wilson and Hanks' son Colin Hanks, who had a small role in the eighth episode of the miniseries and stars in ``Orange County.'' Out in the lobby, the celebs made their way through the roped-off throngs of fans. On their way upstairs to troll the other parties, Kidman and Lynch smiled and signed autographs for people waiting by the elevator.

Sela Ward, wearing what had to be the worst frock of the night - a red ribboned '80s retro pouf dress - got an in-passing thumbs-up from E's fashion maven-ness Melissa Rivers. She clearly didn't realize such feigned politeness would only encourage stars' bad fashion choices. Inside the elevator, Rivers' mom started hawking her perfume, which was choking the other occupants. ``You can get it on QVC!'' she shouted to no one in particular.

A quick sweep through the Warner Bros./InStyle bash found ``Six Feet Under's'' Rachel Griffiths wearing a strange prom-night pink couture get-up and doing a frantic Australian boogie near Jamie Foxx to the pulsing beat of a heavy funk band.

The studio parties wrapped around midnight, but the evening wasn't over for some stars. Bardem's Latin posse whispered about heading to Moomba on Robertson for their after-after party and outside Robert de Niro's restaurant Ago on Melrose, the street was lined with stretch limos and town cars until 2 a.m. Guess Hollywood's ``biggest party'' isn't over until the stars say so.

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Photo:

(1 -- 2 -- color) At left, Sarah Jessica Parker, a winner for ``Sex and the City'' hears the dish from Rachel Griffiths, honored for ``Six Feet Under.'' Above, with four feet on the red carpet, fashion police Melissa Rivers and her mother, Joan, await fresh quarry.

(3 -- 4) Tom Hanks, left, Golden Globe winner for ``Band of Brothers,'' and his wife, Rita Wilson, meet ``Conspiracy'' best supporting actor Stanley Tucci following the ceremony. Jennifer Connelly, far right, best supporting actress winner for ``A Beautiful Mind,'' lights up a party with Julianna Margulies.

Kevork Djansezian/Associated Press

Laura Rauch/Associated Press

(5 -- color) Nicole Kidman accepts her best actress award for ``Moulin Rouge.''

Chris Haston/Associated Press

(6 -- color) Reese Witherspoon, a nominee for ``Legally Blond,'' enjoys the evening with her husband, ``Gosford Park's'' Ryan Phillippe.