Electricity Was Definitely in the Air

The Scene: Thursday’s premiere of Universal’s “Daylight” at the Chinese Theater. A splashy party, which included a performance by Donna Summer and Bruce Roberts, followed in a nearby tent. The action / disaster film was characterized by an amazing number of guests as “ ‘The Poseidon Adventure’ without Shelley Winters,” or “Where is Shelley Winters when we need her?”

Who Was There: The film’s star, Sylvester Stallone, with Jennifer Flavin; director Rob Cohen and producer John Davis; plus 1,500 guests including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Cindy Crawford, Debbie Allen, Ray Liotta, Linda Hamilton, Robert Earl, Keith Barish and Neal Moritz; and studio execs Frank Biondi, Ron Meyer, Howard Weitzman and Casey Silver.

Ambience: With the rain, and the streets being blocked off for the premiere, there was a glamour-thwarting traffic jam. Commuters tried to bludgeon their way through Hollywood. So the evening began with frustration, honking horns and “Rambo”-like screams behind fogged-up windows.

Pastimes: Outside the tent, a wonderful 400-yard-long course had been installed where guests could test-drive GM’s new EV1 electric automobile. Many found the car’s surging acceleration, “Jetsons”-esque whine and sports car feel a real kick. “Rain, alcohol and L.A. drivers,” said one enthusiast. “The perfect conditions to test a car.”

The Electric Connection: Though the EV1s were fun, there was no clear tie-in with the movie. Jon Favreau of “Swingers” said it was probably because the guest list and potential electric-car buyers share the same demographic--”liberals with money.”

Dress Mode: Rain-induced cover-ups toned down the fashion. However it did make for dewy complexions and some fairly interesting hair.

Best Stallone-ism: Though “Come on!” (pronounced “Kah mah-n-n-n!!!”) is used liberally throughout the film, the line unique to this film was “The hell with me” (pronounced “Duhhellwidme”).

Overheard: “You were expecting a Bergman film?”