Director Takes a Bite Out of Mike Tyson

No one knows Mike Tyson—or wants to know Mike Tyson—as well as director James Toback (When Will I Be Loved, The Pick-Up Artist), who's completing a documentary about the tempestuous boxer. So what's the scary guy like? "He's a great guy," Toback told me at an event last night. "He's linguistically very gifted, although malaprops sneak in there from time to time. There's no line between what he's thinking and what's being expressed. No guile and manipulation." I guess when he bites your ear off, he does it without any silly game playing! The film will apparently be just as direct and informational. "It's all in there," said Toback. "The ear biting, the rape charge, which was indeed a setup, and the solitary confinement. Mike's survived, but he's not sure into what future. He talks about being 40 as if it were 105 because a lot of people around him are drugged out or dead. Where does he go now?" Obvious answer: A reality show!