Propped Up

If you can remember 1985, you probably can’t remember it in the way it’s portrayed in Warner Brothers’ new superhero picture Watchmen. But it was that era that inspired the movie’s premiere party Monday night at the Avalon Hollywood, helmed by the studio’s Courtney Saylor, Amanda Lamb, Bonnie Horton, and Troy Williams, along with Wendy Creed.

At the venue, popular in the ‘80s when it was named the Palace, a DJ played tunes from that decade. A candy bar—a Creed event staple—offered self-serve candies from that period.

The party’s decor employed many props from the movie, including Andy Warhol-style portraits, and a 22-foot neon “Gunga Diner” sign from the movie rigged into the venue. Black and yellow—a color palette inspired by the movie’s logo and ad campaign—dominated the look, with black sofas accented with yellow, yellow armchairs with black piping, and ottomans, benches, and settees in the sunny hue. Plexi coffee tables featured illuminated central displays in neon. Videos looped throughout the evening on six plasma screens, highlighting each of the movie's six characters.

In the film, a character called the Comedian wears a smiley-face button as part of his costume—so the crew accordingly handed out matching buttons to attendees, press, and staff to wear at the party. The face was also projected as a moving image on two 15-foot circular scrims. At Polite in Public’s photo station, guests could dress up as superheroes and pose against the Watchmen cityscape.

So how did the party work within Warner Brothers' plan and budget for the year? “We are working to reduce costs with all of our events. From the venues that we select to the vendors that we work with, everyone is very mindful of the current economic situation and has worked to reduce costs,” Lamb said. “Watchmen is one of our most anticipated releases of 2009, and therefore one of our larger premieres.”