utterly random movie of the week #2, 3, & 4

Three in one to make up for lost time.

So it will need to a theme: ROBERT DOWNEY JR. 80’S MOVIES

Why not?

1) The Pick Up Artist (1987)

A forgotten 80’s gem, filled with great actors taking paychecks like Dennis Hopper, Danny Aiello, and Harvey Kietel. WTF? All three, you say? Yes, yes I do.

Downey Jr. plays a ladies’ man who finds his match in Molly Ringwald in possibly her last great iconic performance. She is hilarious as the jaded daughter to Hopper’s drunk who has to make back her father’s losses in the big finale at a casino.

All in all this film really showed off Downey Jr’s charms and gave him an equal match in Ringwald. She really did have presence, and I feel it’s a shame she didn’t further her career going into the 90’s. Some things should remain in a time capsule I suppose…

2) True Believer (1989)

Two years later, co-starring with guess who???

JAMES WOODS!!!

Another forgotten 80’s gem, this plays like a decent Law & Order episode elevated by Woods’ magnetic electrifying performance as Eddie Dodd. Woods positively blows Downey Jr. out of the water and this is no mean feat. His fallen-from-grace-drug-dealer-defending-lawyer is pure Woods: flawed but with a deeply burned heart of gold.

Downey Jr? He never stood a chance as Woods’ protégé.

3) Less Than Zero (1987)

Straight after “The Pick Up Artist”, I had low low expectations for this, as I had not heard great things. But Downey Jr. was the bomb as a coke-addled shonkster scheming loser on his way to a deep descent into hell. Andrew McCarthy’s bland performance as our hero somehow suited the material, as he was boring enough to contrast with Downey Jr’s madness.

Another great 80’s up-and-comer appears as Downey Jr’s drug dealer: JAMES SPADER!!! Really atypical Spader performance crawling with ooze and a strange sexual energy.

It gets a tad repetitive by the end, but that’s what drug addiction is like I suppose, and “Rules of Attraction” (2003) still reigns supreme as my favourite Bret Easton-Ellis adaptation, but this really was a solid drug film.

Seeing this film makes you wonder why he was chosen as Mr Nobody in “True Believer”, although to give him credit at least he was trying to stretch himself beyond always playing neurotic leeches.

All in all, I love the man. Nearly as much as Woods, I swear.

You'll always be my man, Woodsy