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Among all the diverse documentaries that had their premieres at this year’s Telluride Film Festival, Chris Smith’s Sr. stands as one of the most unique and affecting. The film is on one level a portrait of indie film pioneer Robert Downey Sr., who was part of the American New Wave that energized cinema in the late 1960s. But the film is also a loving tribute to a father by his very famous son, Robert Downey Jr., who participated in the filming with his wife and fellow producer, Susan Downey.
While the film chronicles Downey Sr.’s career and sometimes tumultuous personal life, it is also a poignant — if inevitably incomplete — father-son chronicle. Downey died last year from Parkinson’s Disease, and he was ill during much of the filming, so that adds an element of pathos that is never overstated.
It...
Among all the diverse documentaries that had their premieres at this year’s Telluride Film Festival, Chris Smith’s Sr. stands as one of the most unique and affecting. The film is on one level a portrait of indie film pioneer Robert Downey Sr., who was part of the American New Wave that energized cinema in the late 1960s. But the film is also a loving tribute to a father by his very famous son, Robert Downey Jr., who participated in the filming with his wife and fellow producer, Susan Downey.
While the film chronicles Downey Sr.’s career and sometimes tumultuous personal life, it is also a poignant — if inevitably incomplete — father-son chronicle. Downey died last year from Parkinson’s Disease, and he was ill during much of the filming, so that adds an element of pathos that is never overstated.
It...
- 9/7/2022
- by Stephen Farber
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
‘Sr.’ Review: Robert Downey Jr. Gets Vulnerable in This Oddball Collaboration With Cult Director Dad
Just how polished does a career-spanning documentary about the anarchic underground filmmaker behind “Greaser’s Palace” and “Putney Swope” need to be? If you’ve seen any of Robert Downey’s films, the answer is obviously: not very. You might even say, the scrappier the better. So goes the thinking behind “Sr.,” a loose seemingly seat-of-your-pants portrait of the antiestablishment director (perhaps best known for siring “Iron Man” star Robert Downey Jr.) that sneaks up on ya, emotionally speaking, seeing as how it doubles as a kind of farewell exercise between the two generations (plus grandson Exton) in the months before Downey succumbed to Parkinson’s Disease.
“Oddly, it’s sort of what your family does. You guys make art of your lives,” analyzes Junior’s therapist fairly late in the process, not long before dad’s passing. There’s no question that’s what’s really going on in an...
“Oddly, it’s sort of what your family does. You guys make art of your lives,” analyzes Junior’s therapist fairly late in the process, not long before dad’s passing. There’s no question that’s what’s really going on in an...
- 9/5/2022
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Robert Downey Sr. died at the age of 85 on July 6. His son, actor Robert Downey Jr., confirmed the news in a touching Instagram tribute on July 7. "Rip Bob D. Sr. 1936-2021 . . . Last night, dad passed peacefully in his sleep after years of enduring the ravages of Parkinson's," the Marvel star shared alongside a black and white photo of his father. "He was a true maverick filmmaker, and remained remarkably optimistic throughout . . . According to my stepmoms calculations, they were happily married for just over 2000 years. Rosemary Rogers-Downey, you are a saint, and our thoughts and prayers are with you."
The actor and director, best known for writing and directing the satirical film Putney Swope, got his start in 1953 with the short film The American Road. During his career, Robert Sr. had roles in Boogie Nights, Magnolia, To Live and Die in L.A., and on The Twilight Zone. He directed his son,...
The actor and director, best known for writing and directing the satirical film Putney Swope, got his start in 1953 with the short film The American Road. During his career, Robert Sr. had roles in Boogie Nights, Magnolia, To Live and Die in L.A., and on The Twilight Zone. He directed his son,...
- 7/7/2021
- by Grayson Gilcrease
- Popsugar.com
Robert Downey Jr. announced the death of his late father, Robert Downey Sr., director of the underground film “Putney Swope,” on Instagram Wednesday, calling him “a true maverick filmmaker.”
His son revealed “dad passed peacefully in his sleep after years of enduring the ravages of Parkinson’s” on Tuesday night. Downey Jr. noted that his father “remained remarkably optimistic throughout” his battle with Parkinson’s.
He went on to share a tribute to his step-mother, Rosemary Rodgers-Downey, who he called “a saint” and offered his thoughts and prayers.
“According to my stepmom’s calculations, they were happily married for just over 2000 years,” his son said.
American journalist Bilge Ebiri shared his tribute to Downey Sr. on Twitter, calling him a “pioneering underground filmmaker” and “a true original.”
Rip Robert Downey Senior. Fought hard. Cared about what matters. Created many works of art…including @RobertDowneyJr
— Christopher C. Cuomo (@ChrisCuomo) July 7, 2021
The great Robert Downey Sr.
His son revealed “dad passed peacefully in his sleep after years of enduring the ravages of Parkinson’s” on Tuesday night. Downey Jr. noted that his father “remained remarkably optimistic throughout” his battle with Parkinson’s.
He went on to share a tribute to his step-mother, Rosemary Rodgers-Downey, who he called “a saint” and offered his thoughts and prayers.
“According to my stepmom’s calculations, they were happily married for just over 2000 years,” his son said.
American journalist Bilge Ebiri shared his tribute to Downey Sr. on Twitter, calling him a “pioneering underground filmmaker” and “a true original.”
Rip Robert Downey Senior. Fought hard. Cared about what matters. Created many works of art…including @RobertDowneyJr
— Christopher C. Cuomo (@ChrisCuomo) July 7, 2021
The great Robert Downey Sr.
- 7/7/2021
- by Loree Seitz
- The Wrap
Robert Downey Sr., director of the countercultural satire “Putney Swope” and the father of actor Robert Downey Jr., died Wednesday in New York. He was 85.
Downey Jr. posted about his father on Instagram, writing “Last night, dad passed peacefully in his sleep after years of enduring the ravages of Parkinson’s…he was a true maverick filmmaker.”
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Robert Downey Jr. Official (@robertdowneyjr)
Downey Sr. also acted, and directed several other films that gained a cult following. But 1969’s “Putney Swope” was given a mainstream release and thus exposed his work to a wider audience, which was shocked (even appalled) by much of what they saw at the time. The devastating satire of Madison Avenue follows what happens when an African American activist is given a free hand at an ad agency.
“Putney Swope” made New York Magazine’s list of 10 top films of the year.
Downey Jr. posted about his father on Instagram, writing “Last night, dad passed peacefully in his sleep after years of enduring the ravages of Parkinson’s…he was a true maverick filmmaker.”
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Robert Downey Jr. Official (@robertdowneyjr)
Downey Sr. also acted, and directed several other films that gained a cult following. But 1969’s “Putney Swope” was given a mainstream release and thus exposed his work to a wider audience, which was shocked (even appalled) by much of what they saw at the time. The devastating satire of Madison Avenue follows what happens when an African American activist is given a free hand at an ad agency.
“Putney Swope” made New York Magazine’s list of 10 top films of the year.
- 7/7/2021
- by Carmel Dagan
- Variety Film + TV
Robert Downey Sr., the director of the anti-establishment satirical classic Putney Swope and the father of actor Robert Downey Jr., died early today in his sleep at home in New York City. He was 85.
His death was announced by wife and author Rosemary Rogers to the New York Daily News. Rogers told the publication that Downey Sr. had suffered from Parkinson’s for more five years. Robert Downey Jr. confirmed the death on Instagram today, writing that his father was “a true maverick filmmaker” who “remained remarkably optimistic” throughout “the ravages of Parkinson’s.”
See Downey Jr.’s Instagram tribute below.
Born in New York City, Downey Sr. became a significant force in the city’s underground film movement in the 1960s, writing and directing the 1961 short fantasy film Ball’s Bluff in which a Civil War soldier wakes up to find himself in 20th Century Central Park.
Other offbeat indie films followed,...
His death was announced by wife and author Rosemary Rogers to the New York Daily News. Rogers told the publication that Downey Sr. had suffered from Parkinson’s for more five years. Robert Downey Jr. confirmed the death on Instagram today, writing that his father was “a true maverick filmmaker” who “remained remarkably optimistic” throughout “the ravages of Parkinson’s.”
See Downey Jr.’s Instagram tribute below.
Born in New York City, Downey Sr. became a significant force in the city’s underground film movement in the 1960s, writing and directing the 1961 short fantasy film Ball’s Bluff in which a Civil War soldier wakes up to find himself in 20th Century Central Park.
Other offbeat indie films followed,...
- 7/7/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
“Introducing the Academy class of 2016,” reads the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences website announcement of its invited new members Wednesday. And while joining that august organization is a singular honor, many say they were surprised to learn of their inclusion — mainly because they hadn’t applied for membership. Traditionally, that’s a laborious process that can take years before you get recommended by peers, vetted by your branch, and finally invited. Every year it’s a shock that someone like, say Tina Fey, IFC’s Arianna Bocco, last year’s Oscar-winner Margaret Sixel (“Mad Max: Fury Road”), or Oscar marketer Lisa Taback, wasn’t already a member.
Read More: Oscars So White: 8 Ways to Solve the Academy’s Diversity Problem
At the heart of the Academy’s complex diversity issue is how much the Oscars reflect the way that the Academy likes to view itself. Believe me, they were horrified when,...
Read More: Oscars So White: 8 Ways to Solve the Academy’s Diversity Problem
At the heart of the Academy’s complex diversity issue is how much the Oscars reflect the way that the Academy likes to view itself. Believe me, they were horrified when,...
- 6/29/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
“Introducing the Academy class of 2016,” reads the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences website announcement of its invited new members Wednesday. And while joining that august organization is a singular honor, many say they were surprised to learn of their inclusion — mainly because they hadn’t applied for membership. Traditionally, that’s a laborious process that can take years before you get recommended by peers, vetted by your branch, and finally invited. Every year it’s a shock that someone like, say Tina Fey, IFC’s Arianna Bocco, last year’s Oscar-winner Margaret Sixel (“Mad Max: Fury Road”), or Oscar marketer Lisa Taback, wasn’t already a member.
Read More: Oscars So White: 8 Ways to Solve the Academy’s Diversity Problem
At the heart of the Academy’s complex diversity issue is how much the Oscars reflect the way that the Academy likes to view itself. Believe me, they were horrified when,...
Read More: Oscars So White: 8 Ways to Solve the Academy’s Diversity Problem
At the heart of the Academy’s complex diversity issue is how much the Oscars reflect the way that the Academy likes to view itself. Believe me, they were horrified when,...
- 6/29/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Temple of Schlock has the skeevy ad mat for 1977′s Too Hot to Handle, of which I’ve appropriated part of the image just because I think the site needs a half-naked lady on it today.
More stories about the films and filmmakers at Migrating Forms this week: CinemaScope on Ben Rivers and Sylvain George; Jonathan Rosenbaum on Raul Ruiz; and n+1 on Harun Farocki.
Courtney Sell writes about his inaugural AssDance Film Festival.
Cartoonist Sam Henderson reprints an old review of his of Robert Downey Sr.’s Up the Academy, a film I really want to see again and see if deserves the maligning it typically gets.
Robert Koehler has several dispatches from the Post-Sarkozy Cannes: Moonrise Kingdom; After the Battle; Rust & Bone; Mekong Hotel; Paradise: Love.
The always awesome J. J. Murphy reviews Amy Seimetz’s Sun Don’t Shine, saying “the real surprise turns out to be...
More stories about the films and filmmakers at Migrating Forms this week: CinemaScope on Ben Rivers and Sylvain George; Jonathan Rosenbaum on Raul Ruiz; and n+1 on Harun Farocki.
Courtney Sell writes about his inaugural AssDance Film Festival.
Cartoonist Sam Henderson reprints an old review of his of Robert Downey Sr.’s Up the Academy, a film I really want to see again and see if deserves the maligning it typically gets.
Robert Koehler has several dispatches from the Post-Sarkozy Cannes: Moonrise Kingdom; After the Battle; Rust & Bone; Mekong Hotel; Paradise: Love.
The always awesome J. J. Murphy reviews Amy Seimetz’s Sun Don’t Shine, saying “the real surprise turns out to be...
- 5/20/2012
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
I never had any wacky adventures in military school, but when I was a kid again watching a movie I was too young for, I wished I got to hang out with the students at Sheldon R. Wienberg Academy. Up the Academy is a terrible movie, but one I have a lot of nostalgic love for. I could probably quote every single line of it, and a number of it's more memorable lines("There's a turd in the punchbowl!
- 5/17/2011
- by Travis Hopson
- Punch Drunk Critics
When I was growing up, my uncle Wray used to show me all sorts of movies that I was way too young to be watching. Through him my love of movies was born, not only of the classics like Star Wars and Indiana Jones, but also stuff like Revenge of the Nerds and Up the Academy. This scene from Nerds my uncle and I used to watch and laugh at non-stop, and even now it's so ridiculous that it makes me...
- 5/14/2011
- by Travis Hopson
- Punch Drunk Critics
The kids are back with three of the junkiest movies we could find!
This week, we pay tribute to recently deceased J.P. Simón by diggin' on his gory chainsaw massacre Pieces from 1982.
Then Sylvester Stallone takes the law into his own hands when confronting a gang of axe murderers in the ultra violent 1986 action flick Cobra.
Finally, some of us laugh at the hijinx of military school brats in 1980's Up the Academy a production of Mad Magazine directed by Robert Downey, Sr. and starring Ralph Macchio.
We've also got Nerd News, this week's DVDs and we're joined by special guest-host Kevin Merryman!
Download the MP3
Got a movie suggestion for the show, want to give your opinion on a movie we talked about or just want to tell us we suck? Drop us a line at JFDPodcast@gmail.com or leave us a message at 347-746-junk (5865).
Also,...
This week, we pay tribute to recently deceased J.P. Simón by diggin' on his gory chainsaw massacre Pieces from 1982.
Then Sylvester Stallone takes the law into his own hands when confronting a gang of axe murderers in the ultra violent 1986 action flick Cobra.
Finally, some of us laugh at the hijinx of military school brats in 1980's Up the Academy a production of Mad Magazine directed by Robert Downey, Sr. and starring Ralph Macchio.
We've also got Nerd News, this week's DVDs and we're joined by special guest-host Kevin Merryman!
Download the MP3
Got a movie suggestion for the show, want to give your opinion on a movie we talked about or just want to tell us we suck? Drop us a line at JFDPodcast@gmail.com or leave us a message at 347-746-junk (5865).
Also,...
- 1/26/2011
- by jfdpodcast@gmail.com (Kevin, Mark & Parker)
It seems that the people behind the Golden Globes, the mysterious Hollywood Foreign Press Association aren't to happy with ol' Rickey Gervais' performance last Sunday as the presenter of the 68th Golden Globe Awards -- funny that. And it looks as though any future works the British actor-comedian-writer-producer-musician, 49, might be the next name in the HFPA's black-books -- who are obviously un happy with the actors at times over the top material.
It seems a bit over the top, and just petty for somthing like this -- but they may be blacklisting Ricky Gervais. Pop Eater spoke with a member of the HFPA who said that not only would Gervias not be invited to host another Golden Globes (to be expected, unfortunately), but also that “for sure any movie he makes he can forget about getting nominated.”
I mean come on, whats the big deal -- sure he may have crossed a few lines,...
It seems a bit over the top, and just petty for somthing like this -- but they may be blacklisting Ricky Gervais. Pop Eater spoke with a member of the HFPA who said that not only would Gervias not be invited to host another Golden Globes (to be expected, unfortunately), but also that “for sure any movie he makes he can forget about getting nominated.”
I mean come on, whats the big deal -- sure he may have crossed a few lines,...
- 1/19/2011
- by cinemasharkz@gmail.com (Mr. Bruce)
- Cinema Sharks
Enjoy Ricky Gervais’ Golden Globes performance now as it’ll probably be the last time you see him host the award show.
The comedian eviscerated everyone from Tom Cruise to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) — aka the people that vote on and run the Golden Globes — in a devastating opening that most likely earned him a spot on the “Do Not Invite” list next year.
Hollywood’s loss is our gain, though, as Gervais imbued the superficial proceedings with rare jolts of earnestness and sincerity, tearing away the veneer of fake smiles and polite applause in favor of numerous “He’s going to get beat up backstage” moments.
But it wasn’t all about Gervais. While the only real surprise came with Paul Giamatti’s upset win over Johnny Depp for Best Actor – Comedy or Musical, there were still myriad best and worst moments, including…
Best Ricky Gervais Amputates...
The comedian eviscerated everyone from Tom Cruise to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) — aka the people that vote on and run the Golden Globes — in a devastating opening that most likely earned him a spot on the “Do Not Invite” list next year.
Hollywood’s loss is our gain, though, as Gervais imbued the superficial proceedings with rare jolts of earnestness and sincerity, tearing away the veneer of fake smiles and polite applause in favor of numerous “He’s going to get beat up backstage” moments.
But it wasn’t all about Gervais. While the only real surprise came with Paul Giamatti’s upset win over Johnny Depp for Best Actor – Comedy or Musical, there were still myriad best and worst moments, including…
Best Ricky Gervais Amputates...
- 1/17/2011
- by Jason Newman
- NextMovie
Ricky Gervais said he would "notch it up" for this year's 68th Golden Globe Awards. And the British comedian took a sip of his beer and left the audience speechless right out of the gate. No one was safe. Here are some of his most memorable zingers: • It's gonna be a night of partying and heavy drinking … or as Charlie Sheen calls it: Breakfast. • I haven't even seen The Tourist. Who has? • Do you want to go see Cher? No. Why not? Because it's not 1975. Photos: Best Dressed at the Golden Globes!• Nothing for Sex and the City 2? I was...
- 1/17/2011
- by Joseph Barracato
- PEOPLE.com
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