TAG, you're it!

[Xichado]

Guys, thank you for all your tags.

I haven’t been able to answer them but I am starting tonight and hope to answer all your tags as soon as possible.

XICHADO - Your roomate's name is John and he hates Eastwood and thinks he sucks as an actor. You cannot convince him in any way that he is original and has any talent. John has only seen part of the Gauntlet and has based his entire opinion on that movie. One night he gives in and agrees to watching an Eastwood movie of your choosing. Which movie do you pick to watch and why?

I would pick the Gauntlet. If John had only seen part of it then he needs to see the entire movie in order to have a complete understanding of the movie and of Eastwood’s acting.

Ben Shockley is a very diversified character and Clint Eastwood gave us a great performance playing him. Ben Shockley is a police officer that fell into the realms of the disenchanted and was stereo-typed as a man that just follows the orders he is given by his superiors, then the character develops and Shockley has to prove to himself and to his superiors that he is much more than what people think of him.

Tagging:

KC: I’m putting together a video with the highlights and best moments of Clint Eastwood’s career (a video that will be shown on our first Eastwood Festival). Since the damn aliens have finally released Agent, they decided to turn on me (for exposing and ruining their plans) and they punish me by stealing my cd’s... all of them.

I wanted to use Ravel’s Boléro as a soundtrack to my video, a song that from my point of view starts as an almost unnoticeable melody and, as it progresses, leads me into the center of a (sonic) revolution and, finally, at the sound of the last note I am left in awe, gazing at the emotions that this song has awaken in me. (also, is a good song for headbanging but that is a different story). I would pick this song because that is more or less the impact of Eastwood’s career on me, started as unnoticeable and here I am in the center of the revolution.

Since the aliens have my cd’s and I believe you like classical music, I’m desperate and I seek your help. What other (or others) piece of classical music would you advice me to use and allow me to borrow for my video?

Matt: I don’t know if you been asked this, it's one of your favourites and I would like to know your answer.  
You win the lottery! To raise money for one of Eastwood's favorite charities, he has given away a choice to the grand prize winner... work as Assistant Director on his next film (no pay involved) or take $1 million in tax-free hard, cold cash.  Which do you choose?

[mgk]

Tags I owe........

MC: I asked Matt this question but I knew what his answer was going to be.    Which of the seven new DVDs are you looking the most forward to seeing and/or owning?  City Heat, Honkytonk Man, Pink Cadillac, The Rookie, Tightrope, Where Eagles Dare, or White Hunter, Black Heart?

Christopher:  Have you ever told us what your all-time favorite movie is (besides Paint Your Wagon, of course)?  If not, could you tell us now and also why it's your favorite?  If you have, could you jog my memory, please?

[Christopher]

Christopher:  Have you ever told us what your all-time favorite movie is (besides Paint Your Wagon, of course)?  If not, could you tell us now and also why it's your favorite?  If you have, could you jog my memory, please?

Aw, yes, Paint Your Wagon.....A timeless classic....

I don't believe I've ever told my favorite Eastwood film, for sure. That can be a tough thing to do. However, and maybe I have made some mention of this before, the closest to an all-time favorite of mine that I can come up with is Dirty Harry. I just watched Dirty Harry again tonight for the upcoming film discussion, so I suppose this question is quite timely. I guess the reason would be somewhat sentimental for me. Besides the fact that I've yet to see a cop thriller better than Dirty Harry, it was how I first became aware of Clint Eastwood when I was a little kid. I can't remember which Harry movie was my first, but the original is clearly the one that stands out. It's one of the movies that I've seen more times than any other. Don't ask how many time, I don't have a clue. I do know that it wouldn't be some obscene number, I don't watch movies over and over again like that (I've probably watched the DVD about 4 times within the past year and a half, which is quite a lot for me).

[Christopher]

Zoso: Maybe you've answered this before, but, what is your favorite Eastwood movie?

[zoso]

i have answered it before christopher, and i think it changes by the day or my mood. i do, however keep coming back to the beguiled for some reason. i also like josey wales, dirty harry, gbu and unforgiven  to round out the list.   thanks for the tag.
    i'll tag later when i come up with a few questions. i would like to add that all the questions posed so far have been great though.

[Matt]

Sorry the delay  

Good to see you on the board again, Aline!

[Matt]

tagging:

Matt: If you could have been a crew member on one of Eastwood's movies, which movie would you choose, and what position would you want to have?

Hmmm... that's tough, since I don't know anything about film-making.  But, I'm gonna pick "Director of Photography" for White Hunter, Black Heart, since I enjoy landscape photography and I'd give about anything to see such a beautiful location as that to capture on film.  And of course, it's also one of my favorite Eastwood films.  

[Matt]

Matt: I haven't tagged you this game.  Your leprechaun comes to you in a bad mood, and states that Clint hasn't died enough times in his movies, and he's going to magically fix that so that he does die at the end of another movie.  However, he demands that you choose which movie in Clint filmography.  So which one?  

  That blasted leprechaun!  

Someone (was it you, Doug?) had already gotten this question and replied Heartbreak Ridge, which I thought was a very good answer.  I'll give a different one, though.

Blood Work.  I felt emotionless throughout this film and completely detached from all the characters. So maybe if all of the warnings from Dr. Fox didn't play out as just a lame plot point to show how much of a risk it was for McCaleb to be chasing Gloria's killer, but actually did cause a rejection of the transplant, then it might have been a more poignant film.  Maybe.

[Matt]

Other than the poncho, I wouldn't mind owning the Firefox -- traffic on the roads is hellish where I live.

[Matt]

I'm the biggest
Kurosawa fan there is and a fan of "Yojimbo" and I had a hard time separating Clint's remake from the original.
First time I watched "A Fistful of Dollars" I was constantly saying to myself, "Kurosawa pulled that off better...Mifune played that better."  Plus "Fistful" is the weaker of the Leone trilogy so I just dismissed it as a poor imitation of something better.  I think I've moved past those feelings, and I no longer have any distaste for it at all.  I still feel it's weak in comparison to "Yojimbo" and the other Leone westerns, but I do now feel it is a pretty good film.

Clyde, if you come by the board before we close the A Fistful of Dollars discussion on Sunday night, I'd love for you to add your thoughts to our thread that compares FOD to Yojimbo.  I saw Yojimbo years ago and really enjoyed it, but I couldn't compare the two of them without seeing it again, and I haven't had the time.

HERE is the link to the thread.  

[Matt]

I would pick the Gauntlet. If John had only seen part of it then he needs to see the entire movie in order to have a complete understanding of the movie and of Eastwood’s acting.

Ben Shockley is a very diversified character and Clint Eastwood gave us a great performance playing him. Ben Shockley is a police officer that fell into the realms of the disenchanted and was stereo-typed as a man that just follows the orders he is given by his superiors, then the character develops and Shockley has to prove to himself and to his superiors that he is much more than what people think of him.

What a great answer!  And very unexpected, but so right.  

Great to see you on the board again, Xichado.  I'll be sure to tag you later tonight.

[Matt]

  Every post on this page is mine!

Man...  

[KC]

Poor Matt!  

[Matt]

I wanted to use Ravel’s Boléro as a soundtrack to my video, a song that from my point of view starts as an almost unnoticeable melody and, as it progresses, leads me into the center of a (sonic) revolution and, finally, at the sound of the last note I am left in awe, gazing at the emotions that this song has awaken in me.

If you played trombone in high school band and needed to do this song, you'd hate it.  Trust me, I know.  Really, really bad trombone part.  We literally groaned every time the conducter announced we had to rehearse that one.

Matt: I don’t know if you been asked this, it's one of your favourites and I would like to know your answer.  
You win the lottery! To raise money for one of Eastwood's favorite charities, he has given away a choice to the grand prize winner... work as Assistant Director on his next film (no pay involved) or take $1 million in tax-free hard, cold cash.  Which do you choose?

The stakes would have to be higher than a million for me to pass up the opportunity of a lifetime!  Yes, I'd definitely, without a moment's hesitation, work with Clint!    

When I first wrote that question last tag game, I had asked two board members if they'd take $2 million or the job with Clint, and they both took the cash.  I decided to lower it for this game, and so far, no one's interested in the money.  I wonder if the extra million would have made a difference here.  It wouldn't for me.  It would have to go just a little higher.  

[Matt]

TAGGING....

nyna:  What was the first Eastwood movie you saw, and was that the one that made you a fan?  If not, which one did it?

Xichado:  Your turn at the lottery question!  But this time... it's $2 million.  What do you do?  Work with Clint as Assistant Director on one of his films (no pay involved) or take the $2 million tax-free cash?

zoso:  Which co-star that Clint has worked with has been your least favorite, and why?

Clyde:  What is your favorite character that Eastwood has portrayed, and why?

[bcm]

BCM:  Image Clint is in your town and you ran into him in a drugstore... buying something for an upset stomach.  He looks horrible, and you strike up conversation and find out that eating out in restaurants hasn't agreed with him, and he'd give anything for a home-cooked meal.  Jumping at the chance, you invite him to your home.  You want to make him something that will not only make him feel good and healthy again, but you want to dazzle him and make a meal for him he'll never forget.  What's on the menu?

Hey Matt, where does all your fantasy come from Because if you knew in what a lost village I live...
It's a nice thought though, imagine, to have Clint as a guest  . As far as my personal experiences are, when you are in foreign countries, you crave for something very simple, but from HOME. So, I guess, I would have to disappoint Eastwood for that! And then, with an upset stomach, I don't know how much fun you get out of a fancy meal Rice is supposed to be good, so I would propose him a Riz Casimir. I don't know if you are familiar with that dish, it's rice, with either chopped pork or chopped chicken on a curry sauce, accompagnied with fruit. What I like best are bananas fried in butter, and almond bits with them. mmmmmm
To get a picture of how it can look:

But I might ask Clint if he really likes tater tots   We don't have them over here, but a traditional swiss dish is called Rösti seems to resemble. We usually eat that with sausages and vegetables. Want a picture again (thanks mgk for teaching me how to post pictures, this is fun at least for me  )

To make it a full menu, I would start with a mixed salad, then one of these main dishes. For desert he can choose, we usually have loads of stuff at home, because I'm crazy about sweets! And, of course, my country is famous for chocolate! Anyone hungry  
Did that answer your question, Matt? Wanna come over to taste   Or is it too foreign?
I'll be back with my other answers! And with my tags!

[Matt]

Did that answer your question, Matt? Wanna come over to taste   Or is it too foreign?

I like tasting foreign things.  

And now that you mentioned chocolate....  that makes it even more sweet.

[bcm]

bcm: As a big Bridges fan, what did you think of Eastwood's decision (suggested by Spielberg, I believe) to use the "framing" technique of showing Francesca's children finding her diary and reacting to it? Did you think it slowed down the film's momentum at all, or tipped off the viewer on how they should feel about the affair (outrage, then curiosity, then approval)? Or did you feel that it was an effective technique that ultimately strengthened the film?

Thanks for the tag, MC. It's a very interesting question, because I didn't like the performances of the children of Francesca very well. But I do think that the story would loose a lot of it's strength, if you didn't frame it this way. One big thing for me was the impossibility for Francesca to share. On their first supper after Robert had left town she thinks:

How I wanted to share this! How would our lives have changed, if I had?! Could anyone else have seen the beauty of it?

. But we all know, from the beginning of the film, thanks to the framing, that she never did say a single word. We also know that she never saw Robert again, which adds a lot of tragedy to the whole situation. I don't know if we would have understood the impossible situation Francesca and Robert were in, if the story wasn't told the way it is, after her death.

...on how they should feel about the affair (outrage, then curiosity, then approval)?

 Well, this didn't work with me. Adultery is so very common, there is just no sense in condemming it. So, with or without framing, this doesn't change a bit for me. But, as I tried to explain above, the framing did strengthen the film very much. I think it was much better to tell it this way  

[KC]

Tags...

KC - I enjoyed answering your last question so much that I'm lobbing it back at you...sort of. If Gene Hackman had refused to take the part of Little Bill Daggett in Unforgiven, and the show had to go on, who would you like to have seen play the part?

Wow, that's a tough one, eustressor ... it should be someone who had some experience in Westerns ... someone who's a great character actor and could convey all the nuances of villainy, while still projecting a certain menacing charm ...

Maybe it's way out in left field, but I'm going to nominate ... Dennis Hopper.

KC: I’m putting together a video with the highlights and best moments of Clint Eastwood’s career (a video that will be shown on our first Eastwood Festival). Since the damn aliens have finally released Agent, they decided to turn on me (for exposing and ruining their plans) and they punish me by stealing my cd’s... all of them.

I wanted to use Ravel’s Boléro as a soundtrack to my video, a song that from my point of view starts as an almost unnoticeable melody and, as it progresses, leads me into the center of a (sonic) revolution and, finally, at the sound of the last note I am left in awe, gazing at the emotions that this song has awaken in me. (also, is a good song for headbanging but that is a different story). I would pick this song because that is more or less the impact of Eastwood’s career on me, started as unnoticeable and here I am in the center of the revolution.

Since the aliens have my cd’s and I believe you like classical music, I’m desperate and I seek your help. What other (or others) piece of classical music would you advice me to use and allow me to borrow for my video?

Hmm, Xichado, like Matt ... I'm not too keen on Ravel's "Bolero" (even though I never had to play the trombone part, or even the trumpet part) ... and I'm not really sure I like the idea of accompanying a video of Clint's career highlights with any music other than what's found in his own films ... some of the wonderful jazz from various films ... Schifrin's "Dirty Harry" music ... Morricone ... and of course, Eastwood's own themes from his later films.

But if it had to be classical music, I think I'd choose Wagner. Themes from Der Ring des Nibelungen for the dramatic moments ... maybe some of the majestic music from Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg for the moments of triumph like Clint's Oscar win (I'm assuming you're including a few off-screen highlights as well as film clips).

Still, I think it's a stretch ... Dirty Harry and "The Ride of the Valkyries"? Unforgiven and "Siegfried's Funeral Music"? More suitable than Bach or Mozart, without a doubt, but somehow ... just ... wrong.  

Sorry I can't do better than that.

Tags coming later ...

[bcm]

bcm: I'm curious.  For someone who said in a post that "westerns are not a part of my cultural background," I'd sure like to know what do you think of Clint's westerns?  Do you prefer them over other westerns?  Do you prefer Clint's non-westerns? The larger question, however, is how can westerns (with their basic themes of loyalty, courage, duty, honor, friendship, and love for freedom) not be a part of one's cultural background?  (I apologize in advance for this being a none too simple yes or no tag.)

Thanks for the tag, Clyde. And I'm sorry I post one by one, but I can't quote the way I used to, sorry...
This will be another long answer, because I kind of have to explain how I grew up in order for you to understand my cultural background   I live in Europe, so actually, western is not our culture (at least this is the way I feel about it). Of course there are a lot of westerns on TV. But, even as a kid, when I still did have a TV at my parents home, we didn't watch too much TV. I'm more a reader than a TV fan. We did watch some westerns, but I have to admit that I hardly remember any. We did love Winnetou, but I guess you don't know that (written by Karl May). I read these Karl May books, and they tell the story of a friendship between a cowboy and an indian. Later I would read Federica de Cesco's book Der rote Seidenschal (the red silkscarf), where she turns the story around. As opposed to the usual western, in her story the "good" is the indian, not wanting to leave his homeground. And the "bad" are the trecks, killing and stealing that land. From then on, I didn't like any western killing indians anymore. So, the only western I remebered were Once upon a time in the west, and GBU. I'm sure I have seen a lot of other westerns, but they just didn't interest me anymore, sorry...So I cannot compare Eastwood's westerns to others.. I do like Unforgiven a lot, because it takes the glory off the violence and killing. And since in Clint-westerns, they never kill indians, I can enjoy them, now, redescovering them one by one. But my favorite three movies of Eastwood are non-westerns, so far (I haven't gotten around to watch them all...) They are just closer to my life, I can relate more.

The larger question, however, is how can westerns (with their basic themes of loyalty, courage, duty, honor, friendship, and love for freedom) not be a part of one's cultural background?  

Well, see, here I don't agree with you. As stated above, I'm more an indian than a cowboy. So I don't really see "love for freedom", "honor", and things like that in any western. It just depends on what story is told! But you might agree that a lot of these westerns were about trecks, and fighting off indians, no? And, being from europe, I just don't feel that history about emigrated europeans is automatically my history as well. Does that answer your question? I hope I haven't hurt any feelings, but I guess we can agree to disagree, and still be ok with it  

KC: Eastwood accords you an interview. But since he doesn't have much spare time, he would like you to accompany him on a mountain climbing tour (not too difficult, but with small paths where you see right down the mountain without anything to hold unto). Do you agree?
mgk: You are allowed (say by a leprechaun  ) to spend a one week holiday with a female character of your choice. Who do you choose, and why?
Xichado: (my fantasy isn't too good, so you get mgk's question) But you have to choose a male, non-Eastwood character
AKA23: which movie of Eastwood's career do you think is the most good (in the sense of the least immoral)