Robby Robinson Movies
- 1994
- R
SWAT-Team instructor John Lomax's faith in the American justice system is shaken when the sociopath who murdered his sister is sentenced to life in a mental institution rather than to Death Row. Internal pressures upon Lomax mount when he is attacked by a mentally unstable woman desperately trying to free her brother from jail before his execution. When Lomax begins talking about ways to get to his sister's murderer and to kill him for revenge, his girlfriend and his partner get seriously worried. Meanwhile, the killer himself has devised an escape plan and he doesn't care who gets killed during the ensuing mayhem. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeff Speakman, James Brolin, (more)
- 1993
An ex-championship boxer (James Earl Jones) sees a chance at recapturing a taste of his former glory after discovering that Thunder (Courtney B. Vance), one of the amateurs he trains, has real potential. Unfortunately, Thunder has entangled himself with crooked, gang-connected manager Ralph Tate (Billy Dee Williams), and he is not to let the young fighter go without a fight. This drama was made for cable and was aired as part of Steven Spielberg's "Screenworks" project. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Earl Jones, Billy Dee Williams, (more)
Edward J. Olmos made his directorial bow with the powerhouse crime saga American Me. Olmos stars as street-gang leader Santana, who during his 18 years in Folsom Prison rules over all the drug-and-murder activities behind bars. Upon his release, Santana goes back to his old neighborhood, intending to lead a peaceful, crime-free life. But his old gang buddies force him back into his old habits. The omniprescene of the "Mexican Mafia" in the southwest is sufficient to make this film a daunting, demoralizing experience. Upon its release, American Me received a lot of press play due to the fact that Olmos shot his Folsom sequences on location, using actual prisoners as extras and bit players. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edward James Olmos, William Forsythe, (more)
An honest man struggles to do the right thing, even if it means breaking the law, in this drama. Artie Lewis (Michael Keaton) is a scrupulously ethical cop who believes in his work, loves his wife Rita (Rene Russo), and stands by his partner Stevie Diroma (Anthony LaPaglia). Stevie is a single parent, and when he's shot and killed on duty, his three daughters (Grace Johnston, Rhea Silver-Smith, and Blair Swanson) are left with nowhere to go. Artie and Rita want to adopt Stevie's girls, but Child Welfare Services decides that their apartment is too small for three children. Artie needs to buy a house, which would require a $25,000 down payment that he doesn't have. Desperate, Artie grabs his gun and robs Beniamino (Tony Plana), a particularly scummy drug dealer who was peripherally involved in Stevie's death. Artie uses most of the take to buy the house, and he gives the rest to Father Wills (Vondie Curtis-Hall), who runs a local orphanage. However, what Artie doesn't know is that Beniamino's girlfriend Grace (Rachel Ticotin) is actually an undercover cop who won't stand by as Artie plays Robin Hood. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Keaton, Rene Russo, (more)
- 1990
Not to be confused with the oft-filmed Fannie Hurst yarn Back Street, Backstreet Dreams is a contemporary drama of Humanity vs. the Streets. Jason O'Malley plays a New York hoodlum who doesn't trust his wife Sherilyn Fenn as far as he can throw her (and for good reason). The only person O'Malley truly cares for is his autistic son Shane, played by twin children Joseph and John Viezzi. Brooke Shields (who's better than you might think) enters the scene as a PhD candidate who hopes to get through to Shane. Now it is the unfaithful Fenn's turn to seethe with jealousy as Shields applies her "force holding" theory to Shane, she and O'Malley draw closer together. O'Malley is so taken by Shields' compassion that he severs his mob ties--but Big Boss Burt Young won't let him off so easy, and uses Shane as a "bargaining chip." Backstreet Dreams appears at times to be three films jumbled together; every time a story element starts rolling, it is exiled to the back burner in favor of another gratuitous subplot. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brooke Shields, Jason O'Malley, (more)
- 1990
- R
A woman is caught in the middle of a cat-and-mouse game between fugitive aliens in this sci-fi thriller. A mysterious man named Townsend (Lance Edwards) attempts to steal a gun from a police car; an altercation results, and Townsend is repeatedly shot by the cops. Medical Examiner Dori Caisson (Hilary Shepard) is performing an autopsy on Townsend's seemingly dead body when his wounds suddenly heal, and Townsend forces Caisson to help him escape. Townsend and Caisson are soon approached by Yates (Robert Forster), who attempts to kill them and sends them on a high-speed chase. The next morning, Townsend tells Caisson that he is actually a law enforcement officer from another world, and that Yates is a criminal from his planet whom he is assigned to apprehend. Townsend's ability to resist bullets and heal himself convince her that he is indeed from another world, but she's not so sure who is the good guy. Peacemaker also features Robert Davi as a cop involved with Caisson, and Bert Remsen as Doc. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Forster, Lance Edwards, (more)
