Mickey Rourke

MICKEY Rourke's time has finally come. More than a quarter of a century after he catapulted to stardom in Barry Levinson's "Diner" and Francis Ford Coppola's "Rumble Fish," the man who never won an Oscar but pretty much retired the trophy for America's Craziest Living Actor may get that second act that few artists who self-destruct at an early age ever live to see. When I had dinner with Rourke in L.A. a few years ago, he spent two hours at...

Contrasting TV news personalities Bill O'Reilly and Christiane Amanpour don't see eye to eye on much, but they stand united in agreeing it was worth their time to make cameo appearances in the sequel to the mega-successful " Iron Man." Such is the persuasive power of a film that took in more than half a billion dollars at box offices worldwide. Once a film makes that much money, it is only a matter of time until the sequel, prudently titled "Iron Man 2," arrives and that time is now. As sequels go, this one is acceptable, nothing more, nothing less.

Have you seen anything this year that really moved you, stayed with you? "Yeah, Sean Penn's movie ['Milk']. I liked his performance a lot. I thought he made some very brave choices as an actor and I don't think it was that easy of a character for him to do. He really did some great work in it."

Natasha Romanoff, a.k.a. Black Widow Scarlett Johansson has the role of the dangerous (and dangerously curvy) mystery woman who shows up in the life of Tony Stark with less-than-clear intentions. Director Jon Favreau has made it clear that her presence in the film is to add dramatic strain to the relationship between playboy-turned-hero Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and his brainy factotum, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). "She is not what she presents herself as, but I don't want to say more," says Favreau, who is well aware of the Marvel Comics heritage of the character but is also quite comfortable with keeping what he likes and jettisoning what doesn't serve his story arc. "It's fun," he says, "to keep people guessing.

If this year's award season has seemed like an endless parade of trophies for "Slumdog Millionaire" and Kate Winslet, then there has remained one rather tantalizing bit of suspense for dedicated kudo watchers: What will Mickey Rourke wear next?

Actor Mickey Rourke pleaded not guilty Thursday to a charge that he beat his estranged wife, his "Wild Orchid" co-star Carre Otis, at a Hollywood office. Rourke, who lives in Miami, did not appear for the Los Angeles Municipal Court arraignment, at which his attorney entered the plea. If convicted of the misdemeanor count, Rourke could be sentenced to up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine. Rourke, 38, was charged Aug.

As screenwriter Mark Geldman remembers it, the phone call came from actor Mickey Rourke and it sounded sinister. "If I were you," said the raspy, Godfather-like voice on the other end of the line, "I'd be looking out over my shoulder." Then the line clicked dead. "Later on, he (Rourke) claimed it was a joke," Geldman recalled, "but at the time I thought it was too creepy to disregard."

Contrasting TV news personalities Bill O'Reilly and Christiane Amanpour don't see eye to eye on much, but they stand united in agreeing it was worth their time to make cameo appearances in the sequel to the mega-successful " Iron Man." Such is the persuasive power of a film that took in more than half a billion dollars at box offices worldwide. Once a film makes that much money, it is only a matter of time until the sequel, prudently titled "Iron Man 2," arrives and that time is now. As sequels go, this one is acceptable, nothing more, nothing less.

On the shade inside his bathroom door, Mickey Rourke has scribbled his warrior credo. "I must be mentally and physically prepared so defeat does not exist in my mind and body. Shadow box in a mirror 30 minutes a day. Movement is concentrated. Positive attitude to survive and be as good as I can possibly be. No excuses for laziness. And no second chance again."

The same day "John Grisham's The Rainmaker" opened to excellent reviews, Mickey Rourke's brother died. The two men hadn't seen each other in more than 10 years, but the following day, the actor is on the phone at his Venice home office fielding condolences, along with kudos for his brief, flamboyant turn as attorney Bruiser Stone. Although he's "only in the movie for a cup of coffee," Hollywood is rediscovering Mickey Rourke the actor.

In 2010, Hollywood films will go down the rabbit hole with a Mad Hatter, ascend to the magical realm of Mount Olympus where mighty Zeus still rules, and revisit Sherwood Forest where, this time, a former "Gladiator" is the one notching the arrows. Fans of the fantastic will be able to pick their pack when it comes to werewolves, suit up with a familiar Marvel superhero or watch Angelina Jolie reload in another spy vs. spy adventure. It's also a big year for sword-fighting with "Percy Jackson & the Olympians" in February, "Clash of the Titans," starring "Avatar's" Sam Worthington, on March 26, and "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time," starring Jake Gyllenhaal and based on the video game, on May 28. Will one of those magic movies become the box-office heir to "Harry Potter"?

CAST: Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson and Mickey Rourke. Directed by Jon Favreau. BACK STORY: Yes, with the addition of Johansson and Rourke to the cast, there will be a lot of "beauty and the beast" headlines as the release nears. The high-flying franchise from Marvel Studios and Paramount Pictures picks up right where the 2008 hit film left off: with billionaire Tony Stark (Downey) revealing his secret identity to the world in open defiance of every municipal code in Gotham City and Metropolis.

SERIES Robin Hood: After intercepting a message revealing that King Richard's return is imminent, Robin (Jonas Armstrong) focuses on taking the castle and holding it for the king against Prince John (Toby Stephens), but is caught in Archer's (Clive Standen) trap (6 and 9 p.m. BBC America). SPECIALS The Whale That Ate Jaws: This new special features dramatic footage captured by biologist Peter Pyle off the coast of San Francisco, where whale watchers witnessed a killer whale break the surface with a great white shark in its mouth (5 and 8 p.m. National Geographic)

In case there is any confusion, here's what guys love, according to cable channel Spike TV: gorgeous starlets in thigh-grazing mini-dresses, Eddie Van Halen, free-flowing beer, AstroTurf, taxidermy, ultra-violent action movies and man-child comedies. So why not roll those things together and call it an award show? This is definitely not the Oscars. In fact, it's not even the MTV Movie Awards.

Robert Downey Jr. is officially back in the superhero business. Production started Wednesday on "Iron Man 2," the sequel to his 2008 blockbuster about the Marvel Comics character, in which Downey will reprise his role as a billionaire genius who fights bad guys in a high-tech metal suit that's loaded with gadgets. "Iron Man 2" reunites Downey with costar Gwyneth Paltrow and also includes Don Cheadle, who replaces Terrence Howard as the superhero's military ally; Mickey Rourke, Scarlett Johansson and Samuel L. Jackson.

"The Wrestler," the poignant drama about an aging grappler who refuses to give up the ring, pinned its competition Saturday afternoon at Film Independent's Spirit Awards, winning honors for best feature, best male lead for star Mickey Rourke, and best cinematography for Maryse Alberti.

CHARLES BUKOWSKI is 66 years old, with a sandblasted face, warts on his eyelids and a dominating nose that looks as if it was assembled in a junkyard from Studebaker hoods and Buick fenders. Yet his voice is so soft and bemused that it's hard to take him seriously when he says: "I don't like people. I don't even like myself. There must be something wrong with me." Despite having lived in Los Angeles for more than 60 years, outside certain in-group literary circles Bukowski is either unknown or regarded as a hard-drinking womanizer who knocks off some flashy poetry on the infrequent occasions that he's not too drunk to type.

Mickey Rourke Sues Film Company: Mickey Rourke and girlfriend and co-star Carre Otis have sued Brazil Star Films for breach of contract, alleging the company did not get their permission to release photographs from their steamy sex scene in "Wild Orchid." Rourke said his agreement with the company gave him approval rights on any pictures released. Playboy magazine and the German magazine Kino published the photographs. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.

Irealize what I'm about to say is a form of blasphemy in this town: I hate the Oscars. I hate everything about them: the gazillion awards shows that precede them, the obsession with the gowns and their designers, the scenery-chewing movie performances they inspire and, most of all, the parties. I'm not talking about the post-ceremony Vanity Fair party or Elton John's annual AIDS Foundation benefit.

If this year's award season has seemed like an endless parade of trophies for "Slumdog Millionaire" and Kate Winslet, then there has remained one rather tantalizing bit of suspense for dedicated kudo watchers: What will Mickey Rourke wear next?