TAG, you're it!

[eustressor]

Ouch!

I had that happen with an entire article on Mystica, once - now I try to write long posts in a word processor and paste them over.

I feel your pain  

[mgk]

  Thanks.....because it does hurt.

[Lilly]

Who's your favorite male co-star (supporting actor) in a Clint movie?  And why.

:)Thanks for the tag Doug.  I think it has to be Lee Van Cleef.  Eli Wallach and John Malkovitch are great too, but Van Cleef grabbed my attention from the first time I saw him.  I prefer him in For A Few Dollars More to The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, possibly because it's easier to like Colonel Mortimer than Angel Eyes, or maybe because I saw FFDM first.  He is so striking, with his distinctive chiselled features and confident, enigmatic stare.  He just seemed made for the role, and was a brilliant counterpart to Clint's No Name character.  He makes a wonderful villain, but I liked him as the more benign Mortimer, and enjoyed his portrayal of the softer side of the hard-headed bounty hunter.  



Tagging...

Palm: I know you're not much of a fan of Unforgiven, so I'm curious to know whether you aren't keen on Clint's western films in general, or just that one...which is your favourite of his westerns, and why?  

Agent: Like me you've been gone from the board for a while, but maybe you'll see this... Most people dislike re-makes, but if you had to be involved in scriptwriting/directing a re-make of any Clint film, which would you choose, and why?  If you can, any brief thoughts on how you'd like to change the script, style or cast?

[Matt]

Agree with your choice completely, Lilly.  As Leone said... he looks like a hawk.  Just an absolutely inspired casting coup! And to think, the Mortimer role was supposed to go to Lee Marvin, but he wound up tied up in another project and couldn't do it.  Nothing against Marvin, but that role simply couldn't be better with anyone other than Van Cleef.

[mgk]

mgk - Name two things about The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly that you feel are often overlooked by critics and casual viewers, who may feel it's just a really long, but otherwise typical shoot 'em up cowboy movie. I'm speaking of TGTBTU specifically, independent of the rest of The Man With No Name trilogy.  

Wow!  Hard question!

The first thing that came to my mind when I read your question was Eli Wallach’s performance in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.  No matter how many accolades have been bestowed on him by critics for his performance in this movie, they couldn’t possibly be enough.  He was so cunning, so funny, so unpredictable, so dangerous and Wallach captured all of those things with such a unique style that made this great movie just that much better.

The second thing I thought of was Ennio Morricone’s haunting, unrestrained, perfect musical score.  The score was so important to this film that it almost became a fourth “character” in the film.  When we changed moods or began to suspect something was about to happen, it was most likely due to Morricone’s score whispering to us and making subtle suggestions.

However, I also thought of a third thing (which you didn’t ask for).  But, it’s impossible to think of this film without being reminded of the Sergio Leone unique style of directing.  His use of the desert as a vast wasteland drove home the fact that these people were so isolated from the rest of the world and so lost just among themselves.  Leone’s visionary ability to know exactly when a widescreen camera angle was needed and when a close-up was even better, glued us to the screen where we found ourselves completely lost and absorbed in this story.

It’s a simple story really.....three men, greedy for gold, and may the fastest gun win.  We’ve seen a dozen movies with this same theme, so why is this one so much better than all the rest?  Other than my plug for the Eli Wallach performance, it is my opinion that The Good, the Bad and the Ugly far surpassed all other films of this genre because of the superb vision of Sergio Leone whose exquisite ability to perfectly film and edit a movie into a package of sheer beauty and delight left us with a classic western that has excelled above all others.  Add the perfect musical score by Morricone and you have story-telling at its best.

(Did I come close to what you were looking for?  )


Matt: Which future Eastwood DVD release are you looking the most forward to owning and why?

KC:  I know that Unforgiven is your favorite Eastwood film (and for good reasons), but what other Eastwood directed film would you single out as being one of his very best...and, why?

[Matt]

Matt: Which future Eastwood DVD release are you looking the most forward to owning and why?

Well M, I think I'm most looking forward to Pink Cadillac.  Or maybe City Heat....  Great scripts, great chemistry between the leading characters, some first-rate directing by Buddy Van Horn and Richard Benjamin, and just about the most fun you can have in two hours...

(Anyone who believes that, I've got some swamp land to sell you in Florida.  Right now, that would be in my front yard since it's just rained about 5" in the past hour. )

Now, honestly... mgk knows the answer to this one.  See that wink she put at the end...

The real answer is Tightrope.  Who doesn't want to see Clint as a sex investigator?  (AKA... you didn't think I'd let you live that one down too easily, did you. )

Seriously, this movie has everything I like...  complex and interesting characters that we care about (Wes and Beryl) and GREAT chemistry between them.  You know, Geneviève Bujold isn't the most beautiful co-star Clint's worked with, but she's probably the most attractive to me when you take in everything about her character.  Sexy, intelligent, strong, gentle, loving, and unlike so many other female leading roles... she has no sarcastic attitude.   What a relief.

Bujold's performance is outstanding all around.  Perhaps my favorite scene in Tightrope is also one of my favorites in all Eastwood, thanks to the chemistry between Wes and Beryl.  Here it is... the "oyster" scene:

BERYL: You didn't have to bring me here to tell me that.

WES: No.

BERYL: So why did you?

WES: Well I saw you working out in that gym and I was wondering what you'd be like.

BERYL: (Nodding) Why the, uh... sudden interest?

WES: I was wondering if you came alone.

BERYL: What else were you wondering?

WES: You really want to know?

BERYL: Yeah.

WES: What it would be like to lick the sweat off your body.

BERYL: (Laughing, a little embarrassed and shocked) Do you... do you always say exactly what's on your mind?

WES: You don't like it?

BERYL: Could be a little more subtle.

WES: What I said?

BERYL: More the way you said it.

WES: How would you like me to say it?

BERYL: As if you're not saying it to somebody every night.

WES: What else would you like?

BERYL: I'd like to find out what's underneath the front you put on.

WES: (Smiles) Maybe you wouldn't like what you'd find.

BERYL: Maybe you're scared I would.

And to make Beryl even more perfect... she was willing to be handcuffed to his bed.    (That's what you were waiting for, right, M.  Okay, you got it.   )

There's more reasons to love Tightrope, but the characters are the main reason for me.  The script is great, the story is a very intereting one, it's a daring role for Eastwood to have taken (especially the scene in the gay bar "Maybe I already have.")  Gotta give Eastwood credit for playing such a dark and disturbed character.  And the directing (by Eastwood, although the credits show Tuggle as director) is some of his best prior to Unforgiven.

I have never seen it in widescreen format.  I can't wait to get that DVD and see it properly, without all the grain of VHS.  Only about three more months!

I'll be back with tags.

[Matt]

Here's my tags.  (I know, I really only owe one, but the game is getting a slower start this time than last, so I'm gonna try to get it going a little.)

Mr. Pants:  Don't know your marital status, but if you were a single man, which CHARACTER (not necessarily the actress), out of all of Clint's leading lady roles, would you most like to take out on a date.   And why?

Lt. Briggs:  You've met a lot of celebrities in your line of work... have you ever met Eastwood?  If you did, tell us about it.  If not, if the opportunity arose, what would you say to him?

[AKA23]

The real answer is Tightrope.  Who doesn't want to see Clint as a sex investigator?  (AKA... you didn't think I'd let you live that one down too easily, did you. )

MGK isn't the ONLY one that knew the answer to this one! HEHE Yeah, Matt's going to have LOTS of fun when this one rolls out on DVD. He won't be able to get enough!  

Nah, I'm just kidding.

Sex investigator? Come on, Matt! Now how long ago was that? We're still talking about it. Geez, talk about not letting things go and harping on insignificant details..hehe...but, yeah, anyway, we can put it under the umbrella of some kind of homicide investigator if we don't want to call it what it really is! Don't want to get too specific so we have to lump it all together.. HEHE..J/K Just ask yourself this. Was he investigating sexual crimes, the murder of women, murder of prostitutes, wasn't this guy a sexual predator? Wasn't Block trying to catch him? Sex crimes..homicide investigator...sex investigator (at least in this case)...hehe....wrong word to use, but hey, I can live with it.   and so will you.

 

[AKA23]

AKA:  Name an actress you'd like to see work with Clint. What kind of character would you like to see her portray?

I think Matt more or less knows the answer to this one as well! Hmm...well, there are a lot of great actresses out there, but I only have very few that I really like. I think probably my top two choices that I can think of right now would be Angelina Jolie and Michelle Pfeiffer. Both are great actresses, in my opinion, but they don't always choose the best roles, and I think their talent is sometimes not worthy of the film projects that they find themselves in. Someone like Eastwood, who can consistently bring out the best performance from even actors who much of us don't like, such as Kevin Costner, would be great for either of these two. I'd like to see them in any role with Clint, really, and one that he'd be acting alongside them in. I can see Angelina Jolie working alongside Clint in thriller/murder investigation type film. Michelle Pfeiffer, not sure, but I'm sure she'd be great. Did I answer the question as to what kind of character. Agree with my choices, Matt?

I thought I chose two pretty good choices. I believe Jodie Foster would be a top choice for you as well.

Will have to come back with my tags.

[Matt]

Yes, Angelina Jolie is a great actress and I agree that she doesn't always pick the best roles.  I'd like to see her play more serious roles such as she did in Girl, Interrupted.  I haven't seen many of her films, but other than that one, she always seems to play a super sexual character, and if she doesn't protect her image with more serious roles, she may find herself out of work when she's older.

Michelle Pfeiffer is another good choice.  And of course... my girl Jodie.

[Christopher]

The real answer is Tightrope.  Who doesn't want to see Clint as a sex investigator?  (AKA... you didn't think I'd let you live that one down too easily, did you. )

Now, for my question
From Doug:

Christopher: If you had to give up your board name and choose one from a Clint movie, what would the new name be?

Wow, I've never thought about this before. I guess if I had, you wouldn't know my real name.
In light of how Matt answered that question that I took that quote from, I'm thinking along the lines of Wes Block right now.

But I'd probably end up going with Thunderbolt.

[Christopher]

My tags:

dannyman891115: What's your favorite Eastwood movie?

Brendan: If a friend of yours had never seen an Eastwood movie, and you could pick one out for him/her to watch as his/her first, which movie would you pick?

[Dannyman]

My favorite Clint movie! Is that a trick question I love them all.   I would tell my friend to watch.........The Good Bad and the Ugly because of its funny moments like all clint movies and it has a very good storyline.

[Matt]

Good choice, Dannyman... and don't forget to tag two more members.

[Dannyman]

How do I tag them?

[Matt]

You just pick two members, any two... and ask them each a question... any question so long as it's Eastwood related.

[Dannyman]

mkat71: Which of Clint's movies would you have liked to co-star and why?

bigdai: What is your favorite Clint Eastwood western?

[Brendan]

Brendan: If a friend of yours had never seen an Eastwood movie, and you could pick one out for him/her to watch as his/her first, which movie would you pick?

Well theres three I could think of. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, Dirty Harry and Unforgiven. I considered Bridges, but then I wouldnt think a movie like would be good for first viewing of Clint.

Its hard to narrow it down, but I probably wouldnt go with Unforgiven first, becuase I would them to see GBU and Josey Wales first.

Its hard to choose between Dirty Harry and GBU. In the end, I would probably pick Dirty Harry, them I would show them GBU, Josey Wales and Unforgiven.

Come to think of it, when one of my friends first got a DVD-Rom installed on his computer, I showed him Dirty Harry as a way of testing the thing out. That was the first Eastwood movie he had seen.

Anyway, moving on with new tags:

Conan - If Clint was going to help Conan O'Brien do a skit on Late Night, what skit would you want to see him do?

Lilly - Pick any movie made in the 90's, that you think Clint would have good for in a starring or supporting role, and name the character as well.

[KC]

KC:  I know that Unforgiven is your favorite Eastwood film (and for good reasons), but what other Eastwood directed film would you single out as being one of his very best...and, why?

Well, it probably depends on what I've seen lately ... could be Bird, could be A Perfect World, could be The Bridges of Madison County ...

For tonight, I'll go with The Bridges of Madison County... and say it's because Eastwood does such an admirable job of converting a piece of sub-literature to a deeply moving film romance ... and he hands the film over to the woman, whose story it becomes, at that!

New tags:
Lilly: Glad you're back. In your travels in the U.S., did you see any place that you think would make a good setting for an Eastwood film (aside from the ones that have already been in Eastwood films, of course!)

Concorde: Glad YOU'RE back! Which feat of marksmanship by an Eastwood character is your favorite? Do you think it would be possible in real life?

[Mr. Pants]

Originally posted by Matt:

Mr. Pants:  Don't know your marital status, but if you were a single man, which CHARACTER (not necessarily the actress), out of all of Clint's leading lady roles, would you most like to take out on a date.  And why?

Well after much thought and deliberation...   I came down to the actress who plays in Hang 'em High. She is the prettiest and the most complex. Nothing like a little challenge if you are going to go for it!  

New Tags-
misty71: What was the actors name who played the midget in High Plains Drifter?

Nightwing: How many total Academy Award nominations have Clint's movies recieved over the years?