"Calling the Department of Defense and asking for my own chopper" was Terrence Howard's (right) favorite part of filming Marvel Studio's latest sure-to-be-a-blockbuster Iron Man, screened by Andrew Saffir's Cinema Society and Michael Kors (bottom left with Aerin Lauder) at the Tribeca Screening Room which brought out the cast and guests Diana Ross, Leelee Sobieski, Helena Christensen, Joy Bryant, Tory Burch, Marina Rust, Mamie Gummer (middle right with Saffir) and Liv Tyler (bottom right).

Star Robert Downey Jr. dripped charisma and mischievousness. After introducing the film (directed byJon Favreau), he pumped his index finger in the air and yelled, "Come on, baby, let's have some fun!" You have to hand it to Downey: After battling personal demons in the past, he won the coveted role of Tony Stark, billionaire playboy turned socially conscious superhero.

Clearly the irony isn't lost on Downey as his character says to Gwyneth Paltrow's Pepper Pots, "Let's face it, this is not the worst thing you have ever seen me doing."

Paltrow, in a sexy nude-and-black cutout Kors supermini (flaunt 'em if trainer Tracy Anderson sculpted 'em) played Pepper brilliantly, and the lean, long line of her character's black dresses and stilettos were very fall 08. Vogue's Kathryn Neale even asked, "Were those Mouret?"

With the superhero-themed Met Gala next Monday, the "What are you wearing?" question got a lot of airtime last night. Both Sam Shaffer and Zac Posen were reticent to reveal their plans, but Zac did tell me that he "dressed like the Joker from ages six to twelve," and thinks "the supervillain presents more fashion opportunity than the superhero." Burgers at the after-party at Odeon beckoned, but it was pouring rain and it's only Monday, so I decided to call it a night - I don't have the superhero strength of the rest of these revelers.

Under cover of umbrella, I dashed through the dreary streets to the New York Public Library last night to attend the presentation of the Young Lions Fiction Award. The award was created in 2001 to honor the work of writers under the age of 35.

As I arrived, grateful for the warmth and glow, I caught my lovely companion's eye in the bustling lobby. We made our way through the dimly lit Celeste Bartos Forum to survey the scene and the young, smartly dressed crowd (you know the look: blazers, lumberjack plaids, and casual day-to-night dresses) from the always more pleasant vantage point of the bar.

I was happily introduced to Dinaw Mengestu, the nominated author of The Beautiful Things that Heaven Bears, who seemed entirely unruffled by the impending announcement, and I spotted actor Aaron Eckhart (top left with Carrie Cloud and Ashley Wick) walking across the way.

As the cocktail hour wrapped, the master of ceremonies, Mr. Ethan Hawke, took to the podium to name the nominees: Ron Currie, Jr., Ellen Litman, Peter Nathaniel Malae, Emily Mitchell and Mengestu (flanked by David Ferrierro and Paul LeClerc, bottom left). Short portions of each of the five works were read by a group of actors (right) that included Amanda Peet, Brian F. O'Byrne (most recently from Tom Stoppard's Coast of Utopia), Michael Shannon (Most engaging reading by far with his rendition of Malae's Teach the Free Man). It made me (jealously) think one thing: I spend a lot of time I should be writing going to parties about writing. Right.

The award went to Ron Currie, Jr. for his work God Is Dead - and no one was made more happy by the announcement than his proud mother who jumped up and wrapped her arms around him for a long minute as the crowd applauded.