Actor Robert Downey Jr. (1965)

Ally McBeal (1997–2002) is an American legal comedy drama television series that aired on Fox from September 8, 1997 to May 20, 2002. Created by David E. Kelley and starring Calista Flockhart in the title role, it follows the eccentric, humorous, and dramatic lives and loves of lawyers at the Boston law firm Cage and Fish. The show received critical acclaim during its early seasons, winning both the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy and Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series. Currently, a revival is in development at ABC. The story begins ...

Filmmaker Allan Eastman released the American action thriller adventure film, Danger Zone (1996). The story follows Rick Morgan, an American mining engineer who finds himself involved in a dangerous scheme involving toxic waste in the fictional African nation of Zambeze. His old friend Jim Scott tricks him into participating, but things quickly take a turn for the worst. A group of mercenaries led by Chang attack the mine and supposedly kill Scott. As the army arrives to investigate, the mercenaries flee and Morgan is left to take the blame for the deaths of innocent villagers due to the toxic waste. Thanks to ...

Richard III (1995), a British Technicolor film based on William Shakespeare’s play of the same name, depicts King Edward IV’s ascension to the throne with the aid of his brother, Richard, Duke of Gloucester. Following Edward’s coronation in the Great Hall, where his siblings George and Richard bear witness, he departs alongside his wife and children. Meanwhile, Richard gazes upon the throne with contemplation before turning towards the audience and delivering a speech detailing his physical deformities – a hunched back and withered arm. He confesses to harboring envy towards his brother’s ...

Directed by Michael Hoffman with a screenplay by Rupert Walters, Restoration (1995) is a historical drama adapted from Rose Tremain’s namesake novel published in 1989. Robert Merivel, a young doctor, enters into the service of King Charles II of England after rescuing his beloved spaniel. Initially consumed by indulgent behavior and popularity at court, Merivel’s lifestyle takes an unexpected turn when he is forced to marry Celia, a royal mistress who has fallen out of favor. The purpose of this orchestrated ...

Home for the Holidays (1995) is an American family comedy-drama film directed by Jodie Foster. Claudia Larson, a single mother who was recently let go from her job, flies from Chicago to Baltimore to spend Thanksgiving with her parents, Adele and Henry. Meanwhile, her daughter opts to stay home with her boyfriend. On the plane, Claudia calls her brother Tommy, who she thinks won’t be at the dinner, and vents about her struggles on his voicemail. At their parents’ house in Baltimore, Tommy shows up with his business partner Leo Fish – whom Claudia mistakes for his new romantic partner. While Claudia is happy ...

The American romantic comedy film, Only You (1994), directed by Norman Jewison, follows the story of 11-year-old Faith Corvatch. After playing with a Ouija board alongside her brother Larry, Faith becomes convinced that her soul mate is named ‘Damon Bradley’. This belief is further solidified when a carnival fortune-teller predicts that she will marry a man with the same name. Fast forward fourteen years, and Faith is now a teacher at a Catholic school, engaged to a podiatrist. However, just ten days before the wedding, Faith discovers that her fiancé’s high-school classmate, Damon Bradley, is en route ...

Natural Born Killers (1994) is an American crime movie directed by Oliver Stone. One scene shows Mickey Knox and his wife Mallory stopping at a diner in the New Mexico desert. As she dances to music from a jukebox, two rednecks show up and begin harassing Mallory in a sexual manner. Despite initially seeming to enjoy the attention, Mallory eventually beats one of the men severely. Joining in on the violent act, Mickey and Mallory proceed to kill everyone else in the diner except for one customer, to whom they confidently reveal their names before leaving. Seeking refuge in the desert, the couple takes a moment to ...

Short Cuts (1993) is a comedy-drama directed by Robert Altman. The film follows the lives of several characters brought together by a neighborhood-wide medfly spray operation. Dr. Ralph Wyman and his wife, Marian, meet an unemployed salesman, Stuart Kane, and his wife Claire, who works as a party clown, at a concert featuring Zoe Trainer on cello. Spontaneously, they agree to have dinner together on Sunday. Meanwhile, Marian’s sister Sherri is married to Gene, a cheating cop who is having an affair with Betty Weathers. Coincidentally, Betty is in the process of divorcing one of the helicopter pilots involved in ...

Heart and Souls (1993) is an American fantasy comedy-drama film directed by Ron Underwood. Set in San Francisco in 1959, four individuals board the same night trolleybus. Penny, a single mother, regrets leaving her three children at home to work the night shift. Harrison, a wannabe singer, has backed out of an important audition due to stage fright. Meanwhile, Julia leaves her job as a waitress to visit her boyfriend John, who had proposed to her but was rejected. Milo, a small-time thief, also joins them after failing to retrieve valuable stamps that he had swindled off a young boy. The trolleybus driver is Hal, who ...

The film Chaplin (1992) tells the story of iconic English comedian and filmmaker Charlie Chaplin. Directed by Richard Attenborough and starring Robert Downey Jr., the movie follows an aging Chaplin as he reflects on his life in a conversation with George Hayden, a fictionalized version of his autobiography editor. Growing up in poverty-stricken Victorian London, Chaplin finds solace in the world of variety shows. When his mother Hannah loses her voice onstage, five-year-old Charlie steps in to perform instead. As ...

In the American comedy film Soapdish (1991), directed by Michael Hoffman and written by Robert Harling and Andrew Bergman, longtime daytime drama star Celeste Talbert is faced with a challenge from her ambitious co-star Montana Moorehead. Montana plots to take over as the star of the show, promising producer David Seton Barnes sexual favors in exchange for the role. In an attempt to turn audience opinion against Celeste’s character, Montana and David devise a storyline where she will unintentionally cause the death of ...

The American comedy film, Too Much Sun (1990), was directed by Robert Downey Sr. and stars Robert Downey Jr. In the movie, a wealthy man makes a stipulation in his will that his children must produce a grandchild within a year after his passing in order to inherit his fortune.

Director Roger Spottiswoode’s comedy film, Air America (1990), follows the story of Billy Covington, a helicopter pilot whose license was suspended for violating safety regulations. Despite his rebellious nature, Billy catches the attention of a government agent who recruits him to work for Air America – an allegedly civilian company that is actually a front for CIA operations in Laos. Once there, he meets the unconventional pilots and becomes close with Gene Ryack, a seasoned pilot who uses his official flights to buy illegal weapons for personal use. Gene plans to save enough money through this job to ...

The American romantic comedy film, Chances Are (1989), directed by Emile Ardolino follows the story of young district attorney Louie Jeffries. In 1964, Louie is tragically killed in a car accident but miraculously finds himself reborn and able to enter heaven’s gates. Fast forward to 1987, where we find Louie’s widow Corinne still mourning his loss and unaware of the unrequited love from his best friend Phillip Train. Phillip has lovingly raised Louie’s daughter Miranda as his own. Miranda, now a Yale University student, meets Alex Finch during her studies. As graduation approaches for Alex, he sets ...

Directed by Joseph Ruben, True Believer (1989) is an American courtroom drama that follows burnt-out attorney Eddie Dodd on a new case. Dodd has abandoned his civil rights work and now defends drug dealers, but with the help of idealistic legal clerk Roger Baron, he takes on the case of Shu Kai Kim. Kim, a young Korean man who has spent eight years in prison for a gang-related murder in New York’s Chinatown, has killed another inmate in self-defense. Despite his troubled past, Kim’s mother strongly believes in her son’s innocence. Dodd and Baron’s investigation uncovers a conspiracy involving ...

Johnny Be Good (1988) is an American comedy film directed by Bud S. Smith. Johnny Walker, a student at unreal Ashcroft High School, is the number one high school quarterback in the country and is being heavily recruited by numerous colleges. His close friend, Leo Wiggins, encourages him to wait for the perfect deal, while his girlfriend, Georgia, wants him to join her at State University for a solid education. The various universities offer him an array of tempting perks such as beautiful girls, luxury vehicles, cash incentives, free living arrangements, and more. In fact, one college even buys Leo a car and another ...

The  American drama film 1969 (1988), written and directed by Ernest Thompson, follows the story of two boys, Ralph and Scott. After hitchhiking home from college, they arrive on Easter morning and call out greetings to their families during a lakeside Easter Sunrise service. This brings amusement to Ralph’s sister, Beth, and mother, Ev, but embarrasses Scott’s parents, Jessie and Cliff. Later on, the boys take Scott’s older brother Alden to the bus depot as he is about to ship off to Vietnam. A fight breaks out between Alden and Scott when the latter accuses his marine brother of being afraid to go. ...

The American romantic comedy drama film, The Pick-up Artist (1987), was produced and distributed by 20th Century Fox. It was written and directed by James Toback. Jack Jericho, a 21-year-old womanizer, constantly refines his craft. Driving around the city in a red convertible, he smoothly charms women wherever he goes. Unfortunately, this behavior doesn’t sit well with the principal at his school who reprimands him for hitting on students’ mothers. One night while out and about, Jack approaches Lulu as she waits in her mobster boyfriend Alonzo’s convertible. As Alonzo approaches and threatens him, Jack ...

Less than Zero (1987) is an American drama film directed by Marek Kanievska, which is based on the 1985 novel of the same name by Bret Easton Ellis. Clay Easton, a dutiful college freshman on the East Coast, returns home to Los Angeles for Christmas to find that things have changed drastically since he last left. His former high school girlfriend and now model, Blair, has fallen into cocaine addiction and has been involved with Clay’s old friend Julian Wells. Julian’s life has taken a turn for the worse after his record company failed, leaving him with a drug ...

Back to School (1986) is an American comedy film directed by Alan Metter. The protagonist, Thornton Meloni, is an Italian-American whose dream is to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a tailor. However, after receiving a poor report card from school one day, his father warns him about the importance of education: ‘A man with no education has nothing’. Over the years, Thornton changes his last name to ‘Melon’ and becomes a successful businessman, opening a chain of plus-size clothing stores and investing in various other ventures. Through photos, we see his journey of acquiring ...