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December 2, 2008 4:37:31 AM CST


Robert Downey Jr.

Robert Downey Jr. news stories

12 Stories

 Thunder Holds Onto Top Spot 

The House Bunny hops to second place

(Newser) - Tropic Thunder banked $16.1 million to become the third flick this summer to win two straight weekend box office crowns, Variety reports. Sorority laffer The House Bunny earned $15.1 million to debut in second, followed by Universal’s remake of Death Race ($12.3 million), The Dark Knight  ($10.3 million), and the animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars ($5.6 million). More »

More about:  film Hollywood box office movies The Dark Knight Ben Stiller Star Wars Jack Black Robert Downey Jr.

(Newser) - Hollywood spoof Tropic Thunder bombarded the box office this weekend by banking $26 million in top spot, Variety reports. Batman flick The Dark Knight fell to second but raked in $16.8 million and became the second-highest grossing domestic pic ever. Filling out the top five were Star Wars: The Clone Wars , Mirrors , and Pineapple Express , Bloomberg reports. Woody Allen's Vicky Cristinia Barcelona debuted on 692 screens and came in tenth. More »

More about:  film Hollywood box office movies The Dark Knight Ben Stiller Star Wars Jack Black Tropic Thunder Robert Downey Jr.

MOVIE REVIEW

 Tropic Thunder
 Declares Comedy War

No targets are safe in Ben Stiller's gross-out war comedy

(Newser) - The action comedy Tropic Thunder, a send-up of Vietnam War movies, crosses some lines—intentionally. In fact, Peter Hartlaub writes in the San Francisco Chronicle , "if you're not offended by at least one aspect of this film, then you're probably not getting out enough." But it has a secret weapon, he writes: It's "laugh-until-your-stomach-hurts hilarious." More »

More about:  movie review comedy Tom Cruise DreamWorks Ben Stiller Jack Black Tropic Thunder Robert Downey Jr.

Glossies

 The 'Summer of Downey'

For the first time, he's a genuine superstar

(Newser) - After "many long, cold, hard winters," it's finally the "summer of Downey," writes Erik Hedegaard in Rolling Stone . The success of Iron Man has turned the 43-year-old mercurial actor into a certified mega-star, raising the question of how he will deal with it all. "I'm between two phases right now, and the transition can be tricky," said Downey, whose past drug problems were a tabloid fantasy. "As long as I don't forget the past, I'm cool." More »

More about:  Rolling Stone Ben Stiller Jack Black Robert Downey Jr. Tropic Thunder Iron Man

 Indiana Jones Whips Up $311M 

 Blockbuster numbers in five-day opening

(Newser) - Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull has struck it rich, racking up the most lucrative international opening of all time and the second highest US weekend box office take ever in a blockbuster weekend for the Steven Spielberg epic. The film grossed $151 million domestically and $160 million overseas, Variety reports. It's Paramount's second summer hit along with Iron Man. More »

More about:  box office Steven Spielberg Indiana Jones Harrison Ford Robert Downey Jr. George Harrison Iron Man Memorial Day

World's Most Influential
Make Time

Bernanke, Pitt, Clooney & Putin join list of 100 movers & shakers

(Newser) - It’s not often Hillary Clinton, the Dalai Lama, and Judd Apatow find themselves on the same list. But they've all made Time's annual pick of the world’s 100 most influential people, ranging from artists and intellectuals to scientists and politicians (including George Bush and all three presidential hopefuls). A short look at the long list: More »



 Iron Man  
 Blasts Off 
 at Box Office 

Action flick is 10th highest opener ever

(Newser) - Paramount and Marvel struck gold with Iron Man this weekend, raking in $201 million worldwide in the tenth-best opening ever, Variety reports. The male-skewing film left room for Made of Honor to draw in women and $15.5 million in second spot.  More »

More about:  box office Paramount Pictures Paramount Marvel Comics Robert Downey Jr. Iron Man

movie review

 Iron Man Solid Gold 

Critics love Downey as avenger in superhero turn

(Newser) - Iron Man rockets into theaters tomorrow, and it’s so good it “practically dares the competition to measure up,” Peter Travers writes in Rolling Stone . Critics are nearly unanimous in praising the latest superhero flick, admiring its “raw vitality” and “pitch-perfect casting.” Robert Downey Jr., in particular, “brings so much creative juice to the party that Iron Man achieves instant liftoff.” More »

More about:  film movie review movies Robert Downey Jr. Marvel Comics superhero John Favreau

 Iron Man
 Wrought of Risk 

Studio rolls the dice with Downey, Favreau

(Newser) - Iron Man isn’t really an A-list superhero. “You could really go down the list till you get to Iron Man,” says director John Favreau. But Marvel Studios is banking its future on Iron Man , and its titular hero isn’t even the riskiest part. There’s also baggage-laden star Robert Downey Jr., and Favreau, a comedy director who hates CGI. More »

More about:  movie Marvel Comics Robert Downey Jr. superhero Iron Man John Favreau

There Will Be Bad Banter

Shorter schedule leaves this year's patter less edited, scribe says

(Newser) - Oscar banter may provide the show's shakiest moments, but stars and scribes are known to battle over these lines behind the scenes, the Los Angeles Times reports. This year though is different: The show's strike-shortened schedule is sparing writers from the usual pre-show scrutinty. "The celebrities and their support squads haven't had time to parse every word," banter pro Bruce Vilanch said. More »

More about:  Hollywood writers' strike Writers Guild of America Oscar Academy Awards Robert Downey Jr. scriptwriters

NEW RELEASE

Bueller, Er, Bartlett Is a Pill

Charlie Bartlett takes a sophisticated approach to the old teen movie

(Newser) - Charlie Bartlett , about a charming but troubled high school student who dispenses advice and prescription medication to his classmates, is being given mostly passing grades by critics. Sure, the teen film hits the expected themes of "angst, alienation, loneliness, disenchantment, and drug use," writes the Hollywood Reporter 's Kirk Honeycutt. At the same time, it maintains a deft comic touch through "keen observation." More »

More about:  movie movie review comedy teenagers high school prescription drugs Robert Downey Jr.

Celebs Turning Rehab Into Joke: Experts

Lohan, Spears 'waltzing' in and out of treatment sends wrong message

(Newser) - The debauched lifestyles of celebrities like Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears are turning substance-abuse rehab into a punch line, making light of a process that helps thousands of people each year, say experts. Lohan was arrested on suspicion of DUI this week just days after finishing rehab; in February, Spears checked into rehab three times—in one week. More »

More about:  celebrity Britney Spears drugs alcohol Lindsay Lohan drunk driving DUI rehab alcohol abuse addiction treatment Robert Downey Jr. substance abuse rehabilitation center

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