Understandable Loss of Appetites

The Scene: Wednesday’s premiere of HBO’s “State of Emergency” at the Directors Guild. An hors d’oeuvres reception preceded the screening; desserts came afterward. One reason the food was served first: The film’s graphic depiction of an overcrowded, under-equipped county emergency room was, in the words of one guest, “not exactly appetite inducing.” Some guests left the theater during the hemoglobin-heavy operation scenes. “By watching the audience,” one woman said, “you could tell who dissected the frog in biology class and who didn’t.”

Who Was There: The film’s stars, Joe Mantegna, Lynn Whitfield, Paul Dooley and Melinda Dillon; director Lesli Linka Glatter; plus 550 guests, including Howard Hesseman, Clarence Williams, Eric Stoltz, Ayre Gross, and artists Clayton Campbell and Lita Albuquerque.

Quoted: The film’s co-screenwriter, Dr. Lance Gentile, joked that what he’d learned as a doctor was to never say “Oops!” if something slips while working on a patient. Always say “There!” He also said his one overriding thought at the premiere was: “This is my Warholian 15 minutes and they’re counting down.”

Medical Advice: Director Glatter’s words on L.A. emergency room care after months of research: “If you’re in bad shape--I mean really, really bad shape--you’re better off at County-USC because they have the surgeons on duty. But after they treat you, get moved.”

Trend: The paparazzi now bring Game Boys and Sega Game Gear to amuse themselves while they await celebrity arrivals. One photographer said playing the games has helped him develop patience.

Tagline: Chatting about the state of cable TV, Howard Hesseman said: “It’s getting really goofy out there. Without some kind of Information Highway Patrol, we’ll end up with a hermaphrodite bowling channel. And there’s probably an audience for it.”