'Road Trip' drives into Hollywood

Preem or frat party?

By BILL HIGGINS

HOLLYWOOD — With 1,400 college-age guests, one street blocked off with a stage, 10 restaurants serving their specialties, four bars and performances by Run DMC and KGB, Thursday’s “Road Trip” preem in Westwood looked like frat party if a member hit the lottery.

Among the non-collegiates in the crowd were Montecito Pictures’ Tom Pollock and Ivan Reitman who were celebrating their company’s first release. Reitman called the film “a raucous comedy. The latest incarnation of a genre ‘Animal House’ started.” And Pollock praised DreamWorks as a company “that in the last two months won a best picture Oscar, released ‘Gladiator’ and now ‘Road Trip.’ That’s the mark of a true studio – it can’t be stereotyped.”

Among those on the street for the “Road Trip” party were DreamWorks’ Jeffrey Katzenberg, Walter Parkes, Terry Press and Laurie MacDonald (who said the film “has a good heart. It’s crass and yet charming”); director Todd Phillips; stars Tom Green, Breckin Meyer, Amy Smart and Seann William Scott; plus guests Neal Moritz, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Chris Fenton, Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe.