Lock Yourself in Weekend With Robert Downey Jr.
Everyone loves Robert Downey Jr. With the runaway box office success of The Avengers it may be time to say that Robert Downey Jr. is the biggest movie star in the world. He has two franchises, Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes running simultaneously and pulls 100 million dollar grossing comedies like Tropic Thunder and Due Date in between the franchises. If you are an older Popcorn Film fan you already know his 80’s work as a fringe brat pack guy so we don’t even need to go there. But do you also know about the excellent work he did after Less than Zero and before Iron Man? If you don’t, you need this list more than anyone. Clear out a weekend, plan for some good take-out, and lock yourself in to watch eight outstanding Robert Downey Jr. performances.
Zodiac
Good news kids, this one has both Ironman and Hulk in it. Bad news is that there is no CGI and Super Heroes so the audience stayed away in droves. Downey plays Paul Avery a journalist tracking the Zodiac killer in this dark drama directed by David Fincher. It’s real life with no Hollywood ending where you get to shoot down the bad guy after delivering a witty quip. Downey is solid in this one .
*
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
This will be of great interest to Iron Man fans because The Writer/Director of this film Shane Black will also be directing the next Iron Man. Black has written several action films like Lethal Weapon, Last Action Hero and The Last Boy Scout. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang came out right before the Downey’s star flickered on and if it was released today it would have made bank. It’s a mix of action , comedy and self-aware wise-ass cockiness. It takes take aim on movie plot cliches and Hollywood itself . Bonus points for Val Kilmer going toe to toe with Downey.
*
Wonder Boys
Downey only played a supporting role but you can’t be a fan of an actor and only watch his starring roles. He’s so god damn good in this one and even though the story focuses on Micheal Douglas, the scenes he does with Downey are some of the funniest and best in the film. Great comedic actors make others funny too. Oh and Spiderman is in this one but the old Spiderman from last decade.
*
Black and White
This one may not be for all of the Popcorn Movie fanboys but Downey walks a high wire, so that’s cool, right? Wildman director James Tobeck directed this improvised film about Hip Hop culture in the late 90s . It’s Iron man Vs. Iron Mike . There is a scene where Downey is playing a homosexual who attempts to seduce Mike Tyson. Tyson slaps his face and starts to choke Downey and we are not sure that Tyson remembers that he is in a movie. Amazingly Robert Downey Jr. never breaks character during the improvised assault. The film may be viewed as a failure but you’ll have to admit it’s an interesting failure.
*
Two Girls and a Guy
Another James Toback film; this one shot in two weeks in one location. Robert Downey is an actor with an amazing Soho loft dating two women, both whom think they are in a monogamous relationship with him. The fun of the film is watching Downey lie to get out of his web of lies while trying to keep both women happy.
*
Home for the Holidays
This Jodie Foster film stars Holly Hunter with Robert Downey Jr playing a supporting part. Downey plays the fragile fucked up little brother and of course, it seems like his life will come to a tragic end. At the time the film was shot Foster and Hunter worried about him like he was a fucked up little brother and they were afraid that his life would end. He apparently spent the entire film stoned and he looks it. He’s also hysterical and heartbreaking and proves he is even better at being an actor than he is at being a movie star. He looks like the last flickering lights of a beautiful flame. Luckily he later found his sobriety but watching this film you can sense it could have went either way.
*
Chaplin
Sir Richard Attenborough directed this bloated film but at the center of it Downey is spot on. He was nominated for an Oscar for this but if you’ve just got on the Iron Man Train you may not have seen it. He plays Chaplin as the sad clown and he’s a terrific physical actor. He has some excellent scenes with Kevin Klein who plays Douglas Fairbanks and you will wish these two would have done more films together. If Downey would have overdosed and died in the late nineties as everyone feared he would, this would be the film we would have looked back on and talked about his great potential.
*
The Last Party
The backdrop of this documentary is the ’92 election but it’s really more about Robert Downey Jr. at this point of his life. You can see evidence of his addiction throughout the film. He’s all over the place and the character that he is playing is Robert Downey Jr. He’s obnoxious, charming, immature, and sometimes brilliant. He also gets away with a lot but we know that it all catches up to him in the future with multiple rehab and jail stints. Lucky gene club for sure, except for the addiction gene.
*
Bonus Scene: Tuff Turf
It’s not worth watching this film at all. Just watch this video of young baby face Robert Downey playing drums for the great Jim Carrol. It’s just bizarre. The 80’s were just nutty.
