good evening! oh i love a good comeback and so does hollywood – actor mickey rourke at age 56 might be on the brink of one – his new flick the wrestler (directed by the incredible darren aronofsky) has oscar buzz written all over it – how wild would it be to have mr. rourke nominated as best actor?!? oh i love those academy award wildcards & upsets – which are few and far between – playing the role of washed up wrestler ‘randy “the ram” robinson’ must be an acting dream come true for him! gosh – he used to be so damn sexy (like in 89′s wild orchid) but time has not been kind to mickey – he doesn’t look hot at all – whatever plastic surgery he got certainly did not improve things (plus drugs and alcohol probably didn’t help…) i ran into him on the streets of NYC when i was in college (like 1994-ish) he was with model carré otis at the time (the two were married but in ’94 he was arrested for spousal abuse but the couple reconciled and then split four years later in ’98) my dear pal liz wanted to get his autograph but nobody had a pen – so he actually signed with ms. otis’ bright red lipstick – true story! anyways – you simply must watch the trailer below (or see it in HD here) which is set to a new bruce springsteen song called ‘the wrestler’ (made for the movie) which totally reminded me how much i adore mr. springsteen – his voice is so calming! the film also stars evan rachel wood (who just broke up with marilyn manson) and oscar winner marisa tomei – it opens in theatres on december 17th – i really need to go and see this! popbytes over & out for tonight…xoxo

Back in the late ’80s, Randy “The Ram” Robinson (Mickey Rourke) was a headlining professional wrestler. Now, twenty years later, he ekes out a living performing for handfuls of diehard wrestling fans in high school gyms and community centers around New Jersey. Estranged from his daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) and unable to sustain any real relationships, Randy lives for the thrill of the show and the adoration of his fans. However, a heart attack forces him into retirement. As his sense of identity starts to slip away, he begins to evaluate the state of his life – trying to reconnect with his daughter, and striking up a blossoming romance with an exotic dancer (Marisa Tomei) who is ready to start a new life. Yet all this cannot compare to the allure of the ring and passion for his art, which threatens to pull Randy “The Ram” back into his world of wrestling. Director Darren Aronofsky presents a powerful portrait of a battered dreamer, who despite himself and the odds stacked against him, lives to be a hero once again in the only place he considers home – inside the ring.