TAG, you're it!

[Christopher]

Yeah, sure. It does answer the question.

[misty71]

BRENDAN:Why is it so hard not to call you nightwing? ....No seriously,Name one clint movie where you think the title of the movie is misleading, compared to the film's storyline (If you dont think that theres any, then name a title that you would like to change and why)

LILLY:(watch out, weird question coming through) Ok, lets say clint died and would be reincarnated as an animal, which animal would you think would best suit his personality and why?

[Matt]

TAGGING....

CHRISTOPHER:  You're walking through a meadow, and you spot a leprechaun sitting at the edge of the lake.  He can't swim, and he must get to the other side.  He asks if you'll carry him over, and when you do, he bestows a gift upon you!  

(This isn't the same leprechaun that bcm and DirtyDuffy45 ran into.)  You get to go back in time and be Clint Eastwood on the day that he shoots any scene in any of his films.  What scene would you choose to film?  Is it your favorite scene, or would you just like to work with those particular actors?

(Figured you might like a leprechaun question too.  Remember, always be nice to a leprechaun!)

[Christopher]

From Matt:

CHRISTOPHER:  You're walking through a meadow, and you spot a leprechaun sitting at the edge of the lake.  He can't swim, and he must get to the other side.  He asks if you'll carry him over, and when you do, he bestows a gift upon you!  

(This isn't the same leprechaun that bcm and DirtyDuffy45 ran into.)  You get to go back in time and be Clint Eastwood on the day that he shoots any scene in any of his films.  What scene would you choose to film?  Is it your favorite scene, or would you just like to work with those particular actors?

Well, I'm glad I didn't get the same leprechaun that bcm and DirtyDuffy got, or else I'd probably have to throw the little guy into the lake.

There's so many great moments in Eastwood's movies, but one of my favorites is from Dirty Harry. I'd pick the scene at the football stadium. I'd get to work with Don Siegel and Andy Robinson and film one of the most chilling, disturbing scenes from that movie (gives me chills everytime I watch it).

[Christopher]

I'd really like to step on Scorpio's gun wound as well.

Tagging:

Lilly: I don't know how familar you are to Eastwood's westerns, but which one is your favorite?

[eustressor]

eustressor: you answered my last tag with a nice picture, thanks! But now I'd like to know why you chose little Bill? So you can make fun of the duck (sorry, duke) of death? So you can be a carpenter?

Well, he certainly does have some fun, at one point some rather dangerous fun, with the Duck of Death, but that's not the only reason. And, as Clyde says, "He might be tough, but he sure ain't no carpenter!".

I don't know if I can give a sensible answer to your question, bcm - which of course means it's a good one . First let me say that I rate Gene Hackman's portrayal of Little Bill Daggett as some of the finest acting I've ever seen on film (blasphemy, I know, on Clint's board - forgive me). Never has a character seemed more likely to step out of the film and into my living room as a living, breathing person, who might want a beer, and then again, might want a fight. Clearly I don't expect that I could act half so well, so why would I want to play the part?

I'd have to go back to my brief stint acting in the ninth grade, when I learned that as an actor, it can be much more fun to play the bad guy than to play the good guy - their charm is more unexpected, their rationale for their actions must be more convincing, and their humor is much more penetrating because it's often just a little bit scary. So that little part of me that wishes I'd pursued acting sees Little Bill's character, as portrayed by Hackman, and says, "Man, that SURE... LOOKS... FUN!!!!"

I think Hackman, initially hesitant to accept this role, was having the time of his life playing this part, and it shows, thus adding a vibrant, convincing aspect to Little Bill's persona - he enjoys his position as Sheriff of Big Whiskey. He enjoys the power, he's building a house, and he's having the time of his life... until "a couple of no-good cowboys cut up a lady", that is


Lilly - Name the Clint film where you feel the set design best served the movie, as in the scenery and sets really "take you there", so to speak.

D'ambrosia - You have the opportunity to take the part of an extra in a Clint production, with a shot at even getting a speaking line - but it would require you to take a week off of work, and your boss has made it clear that would be a bad move if you want to keep your job. Would you take the part? Regardless of your choice, do you think you'd ever regret your decision?

[bcm]

I thought of a third advantage for you.... Ms. Lily will always have a horse around... "Buster!"  

Don't worry, Matt, I thought about that too. But remember, Buster has got arthrosis... So, with the millions, I'm gonna go out and buy myself a horse like this one (it's the father of my filly to be )


(sorry about the giant size of the picture, but I don't know how to get them smaller. And - I'm not the rider )

[Brendan]

Brendan : What did you think of the Mystic River book, and can you see it working brilliantly as an Eastwood film? Do you think it can find an audience, or is it as tragically depressing as I it will be? Does this story have the capacity to be one of Eastwood's best films, or is that expecting too much

Since Im not a book expert or anything and Im not a book reviewer, I thought it was very well written and well done. I could hardly put the thing down. Everything was interesting about it, and I loved how Lehane didnt cop out and... well I cant go on furthr or I will spoil movie.

Now as for it being a good Eastwood movie, I think so. I think is one of a few directors who can handle this kind of material and do right with it.

After I saw Blood Work and saw how much Brian Helgaland butchered the book to the screen, I was iffy about this one. But after eading these reviews, I think Helgaland is back to his L.A. Confidential days.

Im hoping it will bring Clint back into the spotlight and it will find an audience. One thing though, is that Clint has done hard storylines before, espicially with Unforgiven and A Perfect World. Unforgiven had Munny as a 'killing women and children' character, so why would an audience care to see this guy? But they did. A Perfect World had the scene in the car between Philip and Butch's escapee partner where he tried touching Philip. That could be disturbing to some, which maybe is why it didnt find an audience?

All in all though, I really do beleive this is Clint "comeback" movie if you will. From the sounds of it, it seems as though its going to be one of his movies where he should be nominated for a directing and best picture award but wont be.

BRENDAN:Why is it so hard not to call you nightwing? ....No seriously,Name one clint movie where you think the title of the movie is misleading, compared to the film's storyline (If you dont think that theres any, then name a title that you would like to change and why)

I've been using the name Nightwing on other boards and it has just run its course. I wanted, needed a change, so it I made it happen here.

Now on to your real question, I cant really think of a title where it was mis-leading. I suppose Blood Work maybe since the book was butchered going to the screen it shouldve changed names, since so MANY things were changed and left out. Maybe call it Heartbeat and have Don Johnson star as the killer.

NEW TAGS!!

I'm just going to use tags I did before that havent been answered yet, and then I will fill in the rest with new ones.  

Cal - What movie made in the 1990's do you think Clint would have been great for? (In a starring or supporting role)

KC - Do you really think that Unforgiven deserved to win the Best Picture Academy Award? Why? (If you want, compare it to the other four nominated films)

bdc28: If Clint was approached to played Gil Grissom on CSI, and he accepted, do you think he would be as good as William Peterson?

zoso: If you could have dinner with Clint, what would you talk to him about?

Lilly: If Clint only has ONE more acting movie left in him, what do you want the type of film to be?

Daisy: If Clint had played any character in any of the Star Trek series or movies, whether it be a guest starring or starring role, which character do you think he could play?

[bcm]

 :)Thanks for tagging me, Doug.

bcm: The opposite question, what do you think is Clint's darkest movie?

From the movies I've seen recently, Perfect world would be the darkest. Butch dies, Red has failed, we don't know if and how Phillip will overcome this...sure no happy end.
I haven't seen all the movies, and especially not Honkytonk man, maybe that one is darker? I faintly remember walking out of the theater a bit depressed after Bird, but I haven't seen it since, so I cannot really compare which one would be darker, sorry...
I hope my answer is good enough to tag?

Xichado: Who would you have voted off in the first round of the character survivor game? And why?

[philo]

From Gant

philo

Which is your favourite vehicle featured and driven by Clint in one of his movies...?

Thanks for the tag Gant ,
This was easy as it harks back to the previous tag game when I expressed a keeness to own the truck driven by Philo in Every which way but loose.
This is not just because I like the film, but I could carry a hell of lot of my stuff in a truck like that. Any experts out there know the make, model etc, we don't have anything like that in the UK.


Philo .

[philo]

From bcm :


philo
: Which is your favorite poster of the dollar trilogy?

Thanks as ever for the tag bcm ,

The most impressive posters I have seen are a very rare three set of each of the GBU from Italy. The are gold in design and It would be better if I can find them and post them that to try and describe.

I hope to return with the very images.

and some tags  


Philo .

[philo]

No luck on the posters, maybe someone may have an image of them I may have one at work.

very tired  , will tag later tonight .



Philo .

[eustressor]

You're a friend of Clint, or his agent or something, and he comes to you for some advice. He asks you about his next film, he's not sure what he should do. He wants to know what kind of movie his fans want from him, and what kind of film he should do next. Of course, he wants to keep telling intelligent stories for an adult audience, what would you say? What would you like to see for Clint's next? Maybe give a  brief plot outline, or, if that's too difficult, the genre of the film.

Thanks for the kind words, AKA And that's a great scenario for a question - the wheels just start to grind away.

On the one hand, I think I'd like to see him bring his thoughtful insight and unparalleled storytelling abilities to a futuristic tale of some sort - not necessarily sci-fi in the Star Wars sense, but something more like The Fifth Element or Minority Report. Near-future thrillers that impact us by the unique way they interpret modern trends and project them into tomorrow - what does this say about the human condition over time? Is this really where we're headed? Even something like Strange Days, where a near-future setting is used as a backdrop for a movie that is otherwise a thriller or suspense story, could be really good as realized by Clint Eastwood.

But more than anything, I'd love to see him do a horror story. Not cheesy franchise splatterfests, but good classic horror like the original Dracula and Frankenstein, or more contemporary psychological horror like The Shining and Jacob's Ladder.

So to me, a great idea for a movie would be something like this old, Golden Age sci-fi story which I think was written by Theodore Sturgeon. I read it at a very young age, and can't be certain who the author really was, or even the title for that matter, but I do remember the gist of the story, because it made a big impression:

In a future society, perhaps not far into the future, a process is developed whereby energy can be extracted from the dying. The act of senescing and gradually leaving this world is found to release energy which can be collected by future technology. So all senior citizens, once they reach the point where they currently are sent to live with family or in Assisted Living facilities, would be sent to these hospital-like institutions (which are actually hospices) full of ward after ward of "patients" who are basically waiting to die in a hospital bed, and producing the energy which powers the society that has told them it's their "time".

Now picture Clint playing a person who helps run or facilitate this process, whether directly or indirectly, who realizes that he now must either face or fight this senior-supplied fuel economy from the other side of the coin - as a supplier... The creepy, macabre nature of the subject matter would be great for a psycho horror film, and the futuristic backdrop would lend it a nice sci-fi or future tense aspect which could really make any commentary latent in the film that much more compelling and relevant.

This kind of movie to me would give Clint a great opportunity to A) Continue portraying protagonists as he has since Unforgiven, characters who have to deal with real world situations related to growing older, and B) address some interesting thematic material as only he can, i.e., what does this process say about society feeding off of the elderly, etc... the opportunity with this kind of story for subtextual storytelling and symbolism seems to me tailor-made for a director with Clint's unique talents.

Back in a minute with my tag -

[eustressor]

Here's my tag...

Matt - Unbeknownst to you, a vindictive ex-girlfriend buys a voodoo doll. She knows you're a moderator on the CEDB, and she's out to stick it to you good. She sits up late by candlelight with Type-O Negative playing softly in the background, cuts out a picture of Clint Eastwood from the movie role she knows is your all-time LEAST favorite, and pins it to the doll's heart with a needle...

All you know is that suddenly you are in the midst of an overpowering epiphany - how could you have missed it for all these years! This was the performance of a lifetime from Clint! Everybody has to know - everyone must be told! With no time to waste you proceed directly to your computer and begin a new thread entitled "THREE REASONS (character name) IS GOD!" to correct all those years of oversight on your part. The reasons can be as simple or involved as your newfound awe of this wrongly-criticized performance dictates.

Who is this character, and what might that first post look like?

[KC]

I'm way behind in answering my tags and posting new ones ... sorry!   It's been a busy busy weekend!  

KC: Is there an actor that you'd like to see Clint work with that he hasn't already worked with? If so, who?

At this stage of his career, it's difficult to think of anyone. When they both were younger, it's fun to imagine an Eastwood-Paul Newman matchup (the two did pose together for a few publicity pictures back in the seventies).

Counting "actor" as covering both genders ... I'd like to see him work with Julianne Moore and cast her as one of those strong female characters he likes to include in his films ... I think she'd be great.

KC:  I'm assuming that you have seen the movie, The Pride of the Yankees, starring Gary Cooper.  Do you think that Eastwood could have played the role of Lou Gehrig just as well as Cooper did or maybe even better?  If you haven't seen that movie, is there any other baseball movie that you think Eastwood would have been perfectly cast in the leading role?

I have seen The Pride of the Yankees, but it's been quite a few years. As I recall, it is indeed a part I can see Clint doing when he was younger and I think he could have done it even better than Cooper in at least one regard: Gehrig was a lefty, and Clint is naturally left-handed. I'm sure he would have had no trouble with the baseball scenes. Coop, on the other hand, was a righty, and, well ... this is what it says over on the IMDb ...

Since star Gary Cooper was right-handed and Lou Gehrig was left-handed, and since Cooper's athletic skills were barely passable right-handed let alone left-handed, the close-up baseball scenes were shot with uniforms in reverse type. Cooper would hit the ball and run to third, and the prints would be reversed.

KC - Do you really think that Unforgiven deserved to win the Best Picture Academy Award? Why? (If you want, compare it to the other four nominated films)

Unforgiven deserved to win every Oscar for which it was nominated ... and several more that it wasn't nominated for. It may, in fact, be the MOST deserving movie ever to win the Best Picture Oscar ... which, to be sure, isn't saying much, especially in the past fifteen years or so.

Here's a favorite quote of mine that relates to this topic ...it's by noted critic and film writer Richard Jameson, on the occasion of the screening of  Unforgiven a few years ago as one of a dozen "Films of the Decade" (the 90s) selected by Film Comment:

You can count on one hand the number of times the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (plus most of the awards-giving critical fraternities) has hit upon the right Best Picture of the Year. This was inarguably one of those occasions. From its opening image of the town of Big Whiskey, Wyoming, under a crepuscular storm sky to its final, ghostly apocalypse, Unforgiven is a summum masterwork—of its genre, of its director, of its last-of-the-icons star, and of its revisionist decade looking to put paid a century of cinema. Clint Eastwood kept David Webb Peoples's superb script in a drawer for something like sixteen years until he was well and truly seasoned—as an ever-evolving popular artist and as a man—to make it. With performances of a lifetime by the star, Gene Hackman, Frances Fisher, Richard Harris, and every last anonymous, perfectly cast cowboy-casualty.

While I was looking up that quote (in a thread I saved from the old Board) I found Holden Pike's assessment of the Best Picture nominees in 1993. I agree with him, and I'm sure he won't mind if I quote him here:

The other four nominees for Best picture were The Crying Game, A Few Good Men, Howard's End, and Scent of a Woman. Do you really think any of those films are at the same level as Unforgiven? A Few Good Men and Scent of a Woman strike me as melodramatic obvious Hollywood crap, and with the benefit of distance seem not to hold up particularly well. The Crying Game has a unique twist and some good performances, but is it what you would consider "the best picture of the year"? And to me Howard's End seemed as cold and unemotionally involved as most of E.M. Forrester's characters. Of those five, I think Unforgiven is clearly the superior film, and it will stand the test of time.

(Originally posted by Holden Pike, 01-07-2001)

I'll figure out how many tags I owe ... and be back with them very soon!

[D'Ambrosia]

D'ambrosia - You have the opportunity to take the part of an extra in a Clint production, with a shot at even getting a speaking line - but it would require you to take a week off of work, and your boss has made it clear that would be a bad move if you want to keep your job. Would you take the part? Regardless of your choice, do you think you'd ever regret your decision?

Today, I’d have to be EXTREMLY confident that role would lead to a prosperous career in the movie making industry that’s for sure.  I mean I’ve got great benefits, 100% vested with options, so It’s safe to say I wouldn’t be Brad Pitt’s roommate in True Romance or anything…   So No.  I’d do it if the job wasn’t in jepordy. I’d do it in a heartbeat.

Maybe ten years ago when I was apprenticing as a chef and getting  accepted to the CIA in Hyde Park, yes maybe I was that naïve then.  I certainly would have thought of it. people started telling that I wasn’t fat enough to be chef, you know what they say,  skinny cooks can’t be trusted.…  I got to be pretty big time as sauté chef working under Cameron Mitchell and Jeff Hollenbeck, two of the best executive chefs in Columbus at the time I don’t miss the restaurant business at all  Tough racket.  However, sometimes I miss the people shooting pool, playing tunes on the juke box. Lots of found memories of partying and letting the goodtime role and meeting a lot of great people…   But over time that grind gets old.  Wears you out… As Letterman would say TAS…Tired Ass Syndrone…  
But now at an Elderly 33 I’ve settled down in my old age, I’m content with what I’ve achieved and worked hard for.  I can maintain now so unless I get my golf handicap from a current 9 to scratch, forget about it….  

I could always take time off and do it but if I were to loose my job over it at this particular moment I’d have to say a man’s got to know his limitations…

Oh, I owe two tags.. I’ll be back…  

[Matt]

Matt - Unbeknownst to you, a vindictive ex-girlfriend buys a voodoo doll. She knows you're a moderator on the CEDB, and she's out to stick it to you good.

Eustressor, I see you've met my last ex.  This would just be another day in my life.  But she must be in cahoots with Christopher now, who will most likely enjoy reading my "Three reasons why Pardner is God" post.  

I just woke up for long enough to check the board and go back to sleep.  This one will have to wait until tomorrow night.  And it may take me that long just to think up one reason, let alone three.  

[KC]

I figured out that I owe four tags from June 13 ... three from June 14 ... and two from yesterday!  

That's a lot ... I'll start by annoying my fellow Mods ...

mgk: Of all the animals in Eastwood's films, which one do you think has the most important part, in terms of the story?

Matt: You told us all about your preferences regarding the ladies of the night in Tightrope ... how about all of the other scarlet women in Eastwood's films? Any favorites?

Seven more to go ...

DAmbrosia: Interesting to hear about your background in the restaurant business. What food/eating/restaurant scene in Eastwood's movies is your favorite?

Doug: Are there any books you've read that haven't yet been adapted as movies, that you think Clint would do a good job with as director? They don't have to have a part for him.

Xichado: I think I asked this of mgk in the old tag game, but I always like to hear your take on things ... what "weather" scene in an Eastwood movie (that is, a scene in which the weather plays a siginificant role) do you think is the most interesting or significant, and why?

Philo:  If you could change one thing about Unforgiven in order to make it a more enjoyable film for you, personally ... what would it be?

eustressor: (If you've answered this one before, just tell me and I'll think of another ... bit hard to keep up with everything sometimes.) How did you come to appreciate Eastwood? Was it any film in particular?

bcm: Try to imagine a part for a horse in some Eastwood film that doesn't have one. Which film would it be? Why is there a horse in it? Would Eastwood be riding the horse?

Brendan: Now that you have a new name on this Board (your own) ... if you were going to pick an Eastwood character to use as a screen name (here or on some other board), which one would you pick, and why?

Whew!

[eustressor]

(If you've answered this one before, just tell me and I'll think of another ... bit hard to keep up with everything sometimes.) How did you come to appreciate Eastwood? Was it any film in particular?

Well, I have answered this question, but not in this tag game. It was on another thread:

I've always liked Clint Eastwood films, kind of the same way that I've always liked The Beatles - they've always been around, they're always being played, they've always been a big part of the popular culture I grew up with. I'm 34, BTW - Clint already had the Trilogy under his belt before I was born.

Growing up, I really liked Every Which Way and Any Which Way, as well as Bronco Billy and Josie Wales. I had seen bits and sections of all of the Leone films (I think), as well as a few others, like High Plains Drifter, as weekend afternoon movies, and liked them all, but I was a rather pre-occupied kid and usually returned to whatever I had been doing before I walked through the living room and took in a couple of scenes...

I sat and watched Honkytonk Man with my dad when it came out on HBO, because he's a Clint fan, a country music fan, and loves Marty Robbins. I really liked the film. Ditto for Firefox. Clint movies, to me, were always enjoyable.

But I didn't become a fan until years later, when Unforgiven hit. Oh my. To me, Unforgiven splits Clint's body of work much the same way that Beethoven's Fifth Symphony can be said to split Beethoven's work. It's all good, but in light of this one seminal piece, everything else tends to be viewed as either pre- or post-.

So I'm really familiar with most of his post Unforgiven work, because that to me marks the period where Clint has really come into his own as a director. I think he is now one of the finest American directors ever. But I remember fondly my fading memories of the many fine films he made pre-Unforgiven.

I have a lot of catching up to do  

Let me know if this counts, KC . If so, I'll post my tags in the morning (later today, that is...)

[Matt]

That's a lot ... I'll start by annoying my fellow Mods ...

KC, there's no one I'd rather be annoyed by, than you.

Matt: You told us all about your preferences regarding the ladies of the night in Tightrope ... how about all of the other scarlet women in Eastwood's films? Any favorites?

I like a few nice girls too... but here's the "lady of the night" that I would most like to...  have coffee with:



Jennifer, the fiery redhead from Hang 'em High.  

I'll have to post tags tonight.