April 12, 2005
Mickey Rourke, Auteur
The old Mickster is worried--nay, downright pissed---about the low quality of acting these days in Hollywood.
Yes, I had the same reaction: Mickey Rourke is alive?
Apparently he is, yet apparently he has no memory of perhaps the absolute worst truly bad movie of all time: 1991's unforgetable Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man.
Plot? Something about at the level of a live action extended video for the Village People, featuring the has-been heaven of Don Johnson, one of the hairier Baldwin Brothers (does it really matter which one? I think it was "Chip" Baldwin, or maybe "Tito" Baldwin), Tia Carrere, the late, great, pro-wrestler Big John Studd, Giancarlo Esposito, and the pre-noveau virginal Vanessa Williams.
The only nice thing you can say about Rourke's participation in Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man was that it was really a movie before its time: it in many ways would be the perfect comeback vehicle for Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.
Since it looks like CHiPS 04 aint going to happen...
There's a perfectly valid reason why Mickey Rourke is still alive: he ain't gettin' into Heaven and the devil doesn't want him.
As for a remake of HD & the MM, don't give Hollywood any ideas. Er, actually, they do need some ideas, but this isn't one of them.
Watch his cameo scene in The Pledge and you will remember why he used to get press like: "This guy is one of the greatest actors of his generation." Jack Nicholson always felt that way, and gave him a small part, one scene ... it is wrenchingly painful. Great great acting work. He's better than anybody out there.
It's a pity what he did to himself, etc., because I truly believe that no one working right now can touch him, in terms of talent.
But really: see The Pledge (with Nicholson). It's a good movie anyway, but Mickey Rourke's scene is emblazoned in my mind.
Posted by: red at April 12, 2005 12:39 PM
