A Hollywood Horror Happening

The Scene: Wednesday’s premiere of Dimension Films’ horror movie “Scream” at the Avco in Westwood. An incredibly packed party followed at Luna Park. Imagine tonight’s Toys R Us checkout line, but with everyone wearing black and smoking.

Who Was There: An eclectic gamut of young Hollywood with an emphasis on models, assistants, agents and not-quite-working actors. Photographer Jeremy Goldberg said it reminded him of “Friday at Opium a year ago.” Among the crowd were the film’s stars, Courteney Cox, Neve Campbell, Skeet Ulrich and Rose McGowan; director Wes Craven, plus 800 guests including David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry, Jennifer Aniston, Jon Favreau, Ashley Hamilton, Tia Carrera, Sofia Coppola, Reese Witherspoon, Nick Reed, Emile Gladstone, Stephen Chinn and Dimension’s Cary Granat.

Amusements: Besides a performance by the band Republica, there were Tarot card readers and manicurists from Urban Decay doing nails in a special “Scream” color--black with silver glitter. It was a unisex service. “There’s the men who can pull it off,” said manicurist Sophy Diaz, “and then there’s the Bill Gates types who end up looking like computer-nerd-does-Dennis-Rodman.”

Hollywood Wisdom: When one industry savant was asked how you sell a horror film, his one-word answer was: “Quickly.”

Quoted: Craven on what a horror movie must have: “You have to cross the line so the audience doesn’t feel safe. So they can’t predict what happens next or what the limits are. And there are two basic primal situations. The vulnerability of the human physical body. And the possibility for paranoia when you must depend on other people.”

The Buzz: “In the long run it’s going to make money,” said an industry-savvy Tarot reader who requested anonymity. “But when it opens in the theaters, it’s going be like ‘Poof!’ But that’s because of the competition. It will make money on video.”

Glamorous Employment: Ralph Pipes, who provides security for most premieres, describes his job as “diplomat, usher, baby sitter, therapist and bodyguard.” He says the surge in professional autograph seekers means he’s “now become zookeeper to a bunch of pen-waving bozos who look like they escaped from ‘The X-Files.’ ”

Overheard: One agent said, “If you get anyone on the phone at Christmastime they’re not worth getting.”