TAG, you're it!

[Ravenwind]

Well Lily,i think the best non westerns Clint has made are White Hunter,Black Heart,Dirty Harry(the first one) and Escape from Alcatraz.The first is probably because i love John Huston's work so i loved seeing a film that is based on him.Also Clint's acting was superb here.Same goes for the other two,Clint gave his uttermost to deliver a genuine performance.Dirty Harry is both thrilling because of the action and suspense and just because everything was perfectly made:the music,the camera,the acting was great(Andy Robinson's Scorpio remains one of the best portraits of serial killers in my opinion) and the direction was superb.And the last but not least Escape was Clint's probably most grim and grey movie and maybe thats why iam attracted to it so.
The scenes were high on tension,drama and very well written and directed and performed.
So thats it.I still have to see Breezy.
Now its my turn again.And i choose.....Conan!
Which of Clint's character do you associate most with and why?I hope it isnt too personal question.

[mgk]

mgk: What's your favorite reoccuring theme in Clint's movies?  (I hope that's not a hard question!)

It is a pretty hard question, at least for me, but I don't mind seeing what I can come up with.  In our recent film discussions, we have found recurring themes such as redemption, friendship and bonding, fatherhood (or lack thereof), man against man, greed, assertive and/or submissive women, survival, violence, sex and violence, and justice and/or revenge.  But, in order to answer Doug's question, I would like to cover the broader, repeated theme in Eastwood movies that deals with good vs. evil. Eastwood is a master at developing characters who are neither totally good nor are they completely bad...they are both.  

In Unforgiven, Eastwood's Munny has an ongoing debate with himself throughout the movie as to whether he, himself, is a good person or a bad person.  He used to "kill women and children" but he wouldn't do that anymore unless, of course, he was forced to do so.  He used to be a drunk but Claudia, rest her soul, cured him of that.  Davey, from that same movie, seems to be a really good young man, yet he was involved in the stabbing of Delilah since he was unable to stop his friend from cutting her up.  Little Bill is the good sheriff and tries to keep order in his town so that his constituents are protected from evil.  But, Little Bill can be excessively evil when he feels threatened....such as his brutal beating of English Bob and the whipping of Ned.  Then we see Little Bill building his dream house so that he can sit on the porch and watch the sunsets.  He vacillates between good and evil.

Luther Whitney in Absolute Power is a thief, a criminal.  Yet he hasn't hurt anyone in all the years that he has been stealing from people.  He loves his daughter and wants to protect her from other evil sources so he kills Secret Service Agent, Tim Collin, before Collin can kill his daughter.  Whitney spins a story to Walter Sullivan in such a way that it causes this otherwise philantripic man to kill the President of the United States for what happened to his young wife.  So, is Whitney a good person or an evil person?  Is Walter Sullivan a good person or is he also an evil one?

Robert Kincaid from The Bridges of Madison County is a kind and gentle and caring man, but yet he seduces another man's wife.  Francesca is a good woman but yet she commits adultry with a stranger that she fell in love with during a short four day love affair.  Butch Haynes from A Perfect World is a prison escapee who has killed or helped kill a government official, killed his partner in crime, scared Mack, Lottie, and Cleve half out of their wits when he snapped and almost lost total control of his actions.  But, Butch was a wonderful surrogate father to Phillip and Butch just had dreams of living a normal life and a longing to be a good father to someone.

As you can see, I could go on forever giving examples of people who are both good and evil in the stories Eastwood chooses to tell.  In my opinion, it's one of the best general, overall themes in Eastwood movies.

Speaking of good and evil characters in Eastwood movies.......

bcm:  Out of all of the Eastwood movies you have been able to watch in recent months, which basically "evil" non-Eastwood character do you think was the best?  In other words, which one made you feel like you would like to keep plenty of distance between you and him or her?

Matt:  Who do you think is the most innocent or the most "good" person, less tainted by life, in all of Eastwood's films to date?  And, no fair choosing LuAnn's small baby in Pink Cadillac  ....make it someone who has been around long enough to have had some of life's experiences but less swayed by the bad ones.

[AKA23]

AKA:  Is there an Eastwood movie that you really like that has a scene in it that you would like to change to make it even better?  If so, what movie/scene and how would you change it to make it better?

I'm thinking about this one, and don't really have a good answer for you. I don't think I have the technical expertise in the areas required in order to answer it with any great skill. The film that comes to mind is Absolute Power right now, and I'd be trying to work on the ending because as everyone knows I found it very unsatisying, but that doesn't even fit the parameters of the question. It isn't really a "scene" and it isn't a scene that I really like, so, I don't really know. And, I don't know what I'd do yet to make it better.  Somebody else have another question for me? It's taken me awhile to answer because I have been trying to come up with something. Sorry I'll keep thinking about it. Maybe another question?

[Doug]

My tags:

Doug: I'm sure you know Clint's characters only die in two of his movies, The Beguiled and Honkytonk Man (and in Bridges, he's dead to begin with) ... though he's sort of a ghost in a couple of others.

Imagine a change in one other Eastwood film so that his character would die at the end. How would that work? Would it make the film more, or less, satisfying?

Hmm, I'm thinking...  It's hard to say, because I don't think it'd work with a "popular" movie, and might seem too calculated with some of the others ...  And also ruin the theme.  Like say WHBH, it's better him just going back to his director's chair and saying quietly, "Action."  With Tightrope, there's the issue of his daughters, which would bring up too many issues.  

The only movie I can think of is Heartbreak Ridge.  I think it'd still make the movie less satisfying, but I could still see it working to some degree.  Suppose he'd died in combat, maybe in saving another's life, it'd give his life one final bit of meaning.  And also it'd make all his earlier attempts to reconnect with his ex more poignant.  But it would also overbalance the movie, which is more comical and told in broad tones, and then him dying at the end would probably make the movie unsatisfying.  The audience I don't think would have accepted it -- but then had Clint felt it was the right way to end the story, he would have done it his way.

back in a moment for tags.

[Doug]

tags:
Brendan: Is there a movie of Clint's that you think is saved by its ending?  In other words, it's not one of your favorite movies, but the ending made you like the movie better...

eustressor: Is there a Clint movie that you enjoy more each time you watch it?

[Brendan]

Brendan: Is there a movie of Clint's that you think is saved by its ending?  In other words, it's not one of your favorite movies, but the ending made you like the movie better...

Thats good one, thanks Doug. Im going to have to think about this for awhile.

I kind of liked the ending of True Crime where we see Everett and Beachum just give each other a nod and smile and then thats it. I dont really think it saved the movie (even though I enjoyed it a bit), but I felt it made it a bit better.

I cant really think of a movie where the ending saved it or made it better. After reading AKA's post about changing a scene, I cant remember the ending to Absolute Power, so I cant comment on that.

Its a good question Doug, but I dont really think I can answer it properly. Sorry.

NEW TAGS:

Christopher: If Clint could have played a bad guy/villian from any movie in the 90's and 2000's what villian would it have to be?

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?

[mgk]

AKA:  You can consider the whole ending in Absolute Power to answer my question if that will help you.  Have you figured out a better ending that could get Whitney off the hook for this murder?  If so, you're welcome to tell us about that.  If not, and you would like another question, I'll see if I can come up with one.  Let me know.

[eustressor]

Is there a Clint movie that you enjoy more each time you watch it?

Good question, Doug - it made me think for a minute (a good thing, s'long as it's only for a minute ), and I believe I've stumbled across one of the great distinctions that makes Clint such a beloved filmmaker.

Yes. Actually, every Eastwood film I've ever seen has only gotten better with each successive viewing. This is particularly true of films he directs. And if they're amazing the first time you watch it, well... just look at this forum, chock full of devoted fans!

In other words, if the question were reversed - "Is there any Clint movie you've seen that doesn't get better every time you watch it?", my answer would be no. If I had to pick just one that brings me the most additional enjoyment each time I watch it, I'd have to say...

"Yeah. Well, I don't recollect."

Big surprise, right? Thanks for a noodlescratcher.

Tags in a moment -

[eustressor]

Sorry, here are my tags. Since I still have a few tags out, and want to see this game start really rolling, I'm tagging moderators this time 'round :

Matt - Let's talk music. Niehaus vs. Morricone. How are they similar, and how are they different? What are their respective strengths, and do you have a preference?

KC - English Bob and Little Bill. Who would you rather live next door to? Who would you rather have as a co-worker? If you could, use an example or two from the movie to explain your choices.

[Mr. Pants]

Originally posted by Doug:

Mr. Pants: Back to you, I've got to ask what is the inspiration for your board name?

Well to start out I am a very happy guy. I just can't help smiling and laughing at jokes and what not. I sometimes jestingly pretend to sulk or pout when my girlfriend would make fun of me. So she gave me the nickname "Mr. Pissy Pants." Its a real funny name to have and it has become my screen name for almost everything on the internet. However a very popular firearms forum I post on did not take it too kindly so now I just skip the first word. Quite a few people find it offensive. So theres my name in a nut shell.  

New tags:

eustressor: What reasons do you give to people who ask why Eastwood is your favorite actor (assuming he is of course)?

Lilly: Whats your favorite CE movie starring Sandra Locke?

[bcm]

Out of all of the Eastwood movies you have been able to watch in recent months, which basically "evil" non-Eastwood character do you think was the best?  In other words, which one made you feel like you would like to keep plenty of distance between you and him or her?

Hey, this was harder than the last one! There are different villains that I like, for example Evelyn. But she's ill, and she's focused on one person and his surrounding, so she doesn't scare me too much. Ramòn is very evil, coldheartedly killing a surrendering family. But he's much less bad than Scorpio is. He kills innocent people, tortures a girl in a cruel way. But he's a whimp, at some point, which makes him more vulnerable. So, my favorite villain must be Mitch Leary. He seems to be the most dangerous, because he's on a suicide mission, taking revenge on the CIA (not my words, thanks filmography!). So, he's got nothing to loose, which makes him unvulnerable, without fear.  Everytime someone could endanger his mission, he eliminates them. The worst scene, showing his unscrupulous determination, is when he kills that woman from the bank, and her roommate. I get chills when thinking of the noise of their breaking necks...
   He makes a game out of the whole thing, teasing, sneaking into Horrigans life, into Horrigans thoughts...And, to add even more, he is played and filmed in a very scary manner, with death-cold eyes, that make you freeze when they look at you. No, I definitely would NOT like to meet him.

eustressor I see you've been busy already, so you won't mind another tag  . If, by magic, you could become any actor or actress, which character would you like to have played in Unforgiven?

raimius after years of collecting paperbacks, which would you consider as your favorite memorabile, and why? (it doesn't have to be a paperback, just any Eastwood related item)

[misty71]

Misty71: You must be one of our youngest members, so I'm curious to know when you first became a Clint fan, and why - was it a particular film that got you interested?

Lilly, you have no idea how much I like to tell that little story! ;DIt all started on may 31st, 2001, clints birthday. There was an eastwood marathon on TBS and I was surfing trought the channels, when I came across a movie named "dirty harry" I thought "hey that looks good" so I watched it. Halfway through the film I was like hypnotized, it was just SOOO good.
 Now Ive always been a music fan, so I didnt know much about movies. I called up my mom and said "hey, who's that Clint eastwood guy?" She said "oh he made a lot of movies. Hes a great actor" So I came home, and there was "in the line of fire" I watched it and that was it; I searched through the internet, and decided I wanted ALL the Clint movies. (Im like that, like when I find a band I like, I want EVERYTHING about them, you could say I work on love at first sight )
 So anyways, the next day, I started my collection (The rookie was my 1st tape, I bought it a garage sale for 1$, Thank god it didnt turn me off completely of beeing a clint fan) And a couple weeks later, I had like 10 movies.
Now, I have only a few missing and Im very happy I watched Dirty Harry that night!

 Well hope everyone enjoyed.....Now for the tags

AKA23; What ending of a CE movie surprised you the most and why?

DOUG: Whats your least favorite Clint movie and why?

 

[AKA23]

AKA23; What ending of a CE movie surprised you the most and why?

That's an interesting question, but honestly, I'd have to say that I've never really been all that surprised at an ending for a Clint Eastwood film. He doesn't seem to work on shock value. The endings of the films that he's been in don't really work by trying to shock the viewer or where there's a moment where something happens in the story, and the viewer is totally tacked aback, not seeing that coming. He hasn't really made those types of films. So, honestly, I've never really been all that surprised as to the way a Clint film ended, at least not to my knowledge. I don't remember recalling seeing something, and being totally surprised at what had just happened. If I REALLY had to narrow something down, I might say The Beguiled because Clint kind of unexpectedly died at the end, but even that was a kind of natural evolution from the story. I hope that I've answered your question.

For a tongue in cheek answer to the question, I'd have to say Blood Work . I saw who the killer was, and how it all played out, and I kept thinking to myself, damn, I can't believe Clint could make a film this pedestrian, this unoriginal, this cliched, this overdone and overplayed. I couldn't believe that the killer could be who the killer actually was, and that this unoriginal plot device was being used by Clint Eastwood of all people. THAT was surprising.  

[Conan]

...I can't believe Clint could make a film this pedestrian, this unoriginal, this cliched, this overdone and overplayed...

  I agree 100 percent...It was very average for an Eastwood movie.

[AKA23]

AKA:  You can consider the whole ending in Absolute Power to answer my question if that will help you.  Have you figured out a better ending that could get Whitney off the hook for this murder?  If so, you're welcome to tell us about that.  If not, and you would like another question, I'll see if I can come up with one.  Let me know.

Well, I think I have a different answer to the question now. I could come up with one for Absolute Power , but we'd have to change too much around, that would be too involved, I don't know if I could do it. I think that would be the best answer for me though. The ending really puts a damper on my enjoyment of the film, even though I do like the film.

I'll have to go with True Crime , but this probably won't be a popular answer. I liked True Crime but again, the ending of the film didn't do too much for me. I think I would have liked it better if Everett was unable to redeem himself and stop the execution of Frank Beachum (sp) Sure, it wouldn't be as cheery, and I don't really like depressing movies, but for that film, that's the reality. I think it would have been a better film had everyone involved in the production had the courage to show things the way they really were. The whole True Crime ending, that race against the clock, the car chase, everything else, just seemed really contrived and a bit pedestrian. The REAL reality is that Everett wouldn't have been able to save Beachum. An innocent person dies because the system failed. That's the real reality. That's what should have been reflected in Clint's film, and it wasn't. That kind of an ending would have made it so much more powerful, and so much more realistic than as it stands now.

[Doug]

DOUG: Whats your least favorite Clint movie and why?
 

Thanks for the tag Misty.  It's a harder question than it seems.  I can't honestly say Paint Your Wagon, because I've never seen more than bits of it at a time.  The Rookie I haven't seen in too long, but I didn't gag when I watched it way back when.  I don't think City Heat is that bad, nor Pink Cadillac, though it's been years since I've seen it.  And mostly I was expecting the worse already, and it definitely wasn't the worse.

So I'd have to say Joe Kidd, because I watched it several times growing up and it's so completely unmemorable and bland.  I don't hate it, I just never enjoyed watching it.  Maybe I will a little more when I can get around to seeing it again some day but I doubt it'll ever do much for me.  

I only owe one tag:

MC: Do you think Clint's directing has changed in any way over the last thirty years or do you think it's basically stayed the same, stylistically.  (Please don't take this as a hard question ... a simple answer will do fine.   )

[eustressor]

What reasons do you give to people who ask why Eastwood is your favorite actor (assuming he is of course)?

It's what he doesn't say that speaks the loudest... The silences, the moments in-between, the pause before speaking, being regarded by those far-away eyes.

His carefully measured restraint. Nothing he does on camera appears accidental or trivial.

Conan - Which supporting character (basically, not Clint) from an Eastwood film do you find to be the most charming? Is it their words, actions, or both?

[AKA23]

I think I owe six tags from three questions because the questions were all on different days. Here I go!

KC : Is there any Eastwood film that you've seen that you see people liking, and you wish that you could like it more too, but you don't. Some people are heaping praise on it, but for you, it's just okay, nothing really special, and you wish that you could see in it what other people are seeing? It can either be a film that you'd like to enjoy just for entertainment value, or one that you see as a good achievement artistically, but isn't as enjoyable as you'd like for it to be. And, don't automatically just say no. Try to think about it.

Matt : 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.
 

[Matt]

The thing that makes Escape From Alcatraz such a masterpiece is the genious work behind it. Don Siegel did extremly much pre-work and research. He wanted to make the film perfect and so he did. The details in the film is amazing. He had to study the rutines of the guards and the inmates to make it all fit together. How you see the escape itself in a sort of close wiew is incredible. And how they in real life managed to do this in one of the worlds best jails is beyond my belief. This is one of my alltime favourite movies ever!

Did they survive? I think so. Frank Morris was a very smart man with an high IQ. He had to have som kind of understanding of survival. I belive they all suvived. That is the thing that's exiting about this great flick. The mystery. Did they or did they not survive?

Hey Frank Morris, don't forget to tag two more members and keep the game movin'.  

[Conan]

Ravenwind: Which of Clint's character do you associate most with and why?  I hope it isnt too personal question.

I guess it depends how I'm feeling at the time...But right now, Dirty Harry.  Why?  Months ago I had both of my cars busted into.  I questioned many people in my apartment complex and determined (based on many facts, including that they used the same MO) that there was a ring of thieves stealing car stereos at my apt. complex and others nearby.  I even staked out one of my cars a few times (that I made ripe for the picking) around the time that they usually make their move.  The pansy, meter maids that pose as police around here finally figured it out a few weeks ago, as the car break-in ring was on the news.  So now that there is media coverage, the fuzz are finally getting off their butt.   One guy near me even found a pager in his broken-into car that one of the thieves had dropped, the moron police couldn't track the guy down using it.  This guy ended up doing it on his own.  I'm getting side-tracked...The point is...After having this happen to me on three occasions in my life (four cars total), I have ZERO tolerance for thieves and am not adverse to taking the law into my own hands Dirty Harry style (though not necessarily with a .44), as it apparently is the only way anything will ever get done.  If they try it again on my main car, I will be silently paged in my apartment by the alarm.  And then I will do what the inept, Lifetime Network watching, non-Dirty Harry cops around here can't.  Hmmm...Maybe I identify more with the vigilantes in "Magnum Force" than Harry.  Sorry for the ramble, man I needed that.

Eustressor: Which supporting character (basically, not Clint) from an Eastwood film do you find to be the most charming?  Is it their words, actions, or both?

Chief Dan George from "The Outlaw Josey Wales".  He comes across as charming in both words and actions.  Not leading man charming, but in a supporting character type of way.

My tags are coming up later...