‘Addams Family’ Benefit: a Black-Attire Affair

The Scene: Premiere of “The Addams Family” movie to benefit American Cinematheque Tuesday night at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (proceeds will fund Cinematheque’s public film programs). A smattering of celebs and gaggles of industry-ites packed the Academy for this much-hyped film, out just in time for the holiday blitz. Paramount seems to have hit on the perfect baby-boomer formula: a film based on a cult classic TV series with a soundtrack featuring Hammer.

The Buzz: Most had praise for the movie, which brought back waves of nostalgia for the TV show that featured John Astin and Caroline Jones as Gomez and Morticia Addams. Anjelica Huston and Raul Julia take over in the movie version. Those believing themselves on a higher level in the cultural food chain claimed never to have seen the TV series; they were familiar only with the original noir ish Charles Addams cartoons.

Who Was There: Stars Anjelica Huston (with boyfriend Robert Graham), Christopher Lloyd, Dan Hedaya, Carel Struycken, Christina Ricci, Jimmy Workman; director Barry Sonnenfeld, producer Scott Rudin, Paramount Chairman Brandon Tartikoff and President Barry London; Hammer; plus Richard Pryor, Sandra Bernhard, Jacqueline Bisset, Kyle MacLachlan and Irving Lazar.

Dress Mode: The invitation directed guests to wear black. Like people in Los Angeles need to be told that. Still, it seemed as though the entire audience had been swimming in an inkwell.

Chow: Ambrosia catered the after-party buffet, which included finger sandwiches (in honor of Thing), vegetable sushi, Peking duck won tons, swordfish and chicken on skewers and brownies, cookies and cupcakes. In a press release, David Corwin of Ambrosia said, “You can take a theme party just so far. Items from party scenes in the movie, like ‘Octopus in green sauce,’ were vetoed.” The one nod to grossness was “jicama eyeballs.”

The Truth Hurts: Said Cinematheque board president Peter Dekom: “Isn’t it amazing when Hollywood makes a movie that you really want to see?”