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Off-Topic Discussion / "Australia" ~ Hugh Jackman IS a younger Clint

« on: May 22, 2008, 10:33:20 AM »

I know this board has discussed the issue of if Hugh Jackman looks like a younger Clint. And if you know me, I fought tooth and nail for the "He doesn't look like him" side of the argument. But my way of thinking about him has changed when I saw a trailer for Hugh's newest movie called "Australia" when I went to go see Indiana Jones. All I can say is I was DEAD wrong about Hugh. He is a spitting image.





The movie itself looks fantastic. It looks like a western in Australia. The plot is "AUSTRALIA is an epic and romantic action adventure, set in that country on the explosive brink of World War II. In it, an English aristocrat (Nicole Kidman) travels to the faraway continent, where she meets a rough-hewn local (Hugh Jackman) and reluctantly agrees to join forces with him to save the land she inherited. Together, they embark upon a transforming journey across hundreds of miles of the world’s most beautiful yet unforgiving terrain, only to still face the bombing of the city of Darwin by the Japanese forces that attacked Pearl Harbor. With his new film, Luhrmann is painting on a vast canvas, creating a cinematic experience that brings together romance, drama, adventure and spectacle."


But the awesome-ness gets even better. They even play the "Ecstasy of Gold" from GBU in the trailer! I was sold.


Thoughts on the movie and is Hugh, Clint?


Trailer
http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox/australia/trailerc/

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Off-Topic Discussion / Top 10 Entrances in Movie History

« on: November 05, 2007, 08:24:09 AM »

Here's a cool article I ran across today. (http://www.matchflick.com/column/1448)


10. Capt. Jack Sparrow - Pirates of the Caribbean (2003)

Okay, as far as the Pirates trilogy is concerned, well, you won't see it on many "top" anything lists. The first movie is passable, but the sequels are merely junk. Despite the lack of overall quality, Pirates of the Caribbean did a few things very well. Jack Sparrow(played by Johnny Depp) is a great cinematic character that audiences really get behind. Sparrow's always cheating or stealing to further his own ends, and he's really funny in the process. It takes several little moments to create a character like that, but it's how we meet the character that automatically sets Jack Sparrow up as someone unique. We see a huge grand shot of Johnny Depp standing tall at the top of a ship, but only when the camera pulls back do we see that the ship is slowly sinking. Just as the ship is about to be completely swallowed under water, Sparrow calmly steps onto the dock as his ship sinks below. Every dog has it's day.

9. Willy Wonka - Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)

The world is set on fire when it's announced that candy genius Willy Wonka will be opening up his factory to five lucky prize winners. The people allowed inside will have found a golden ticket inside one of Wonka's great chocolate bars. After ransom demands, forgeries and all-out craziness, five winning kids and their parents await outside the factory to start their adventure. We meet Willy Wonka as Gene Wilder hobbles out with a cane appearing to be handicapped until he miraculously does a summersault. He then greets his guests with kindness, but mostly sarcastic remarks. Willy Wonka's entrance gives us a glimpse into what becomes one of the most magical and heartwarming movies ever.

8. Joe Gillis - Sunset Boulevard (1950)

When you first see Billy Wilder's masterpiece there's no doubt about how our leading man will fare in this tale. The movie opens with narration from William Holden as we're seeing his dead body floating at the top of a pool. The story of Sunset Boulevard tells how Holden's character of Joe Gillis went from a broke screenwriter to a corpse. The opening seconds set the tone for the entire film as the story seems to always get darker and darker. Sunset Boulevard is pure classic gold all the way through, but it's start and our introduction to the character of Joe Gillis may just be the film at it's eerie heights.

7. Colonel Walter E. Kurtz - Apocalypse Now (1979)

Apocalypse Now is almost three hours long(original version that is), and we don't see it's biggest star until about 80% into the movie. The story is of a US solider in Vietnam(Martin Sheen) sent to kill a renegade Colonel in his own army. Colonel Kurtz is played by probably the
greatest actor ever in Marlon Brando. Most of the movie takes place on the boat that Sheen is taking to meet his target. For about two hours we hear about the exploits of this larger than life man who supposed to be murdered. Upon finding Kurtz location Sheen is captured by Kurtz's own army. We finally meet the insane Colonel as he sits with Sheen and both men compare their insanity. Apocalypse Now is defiantly a trip in more than one sense of the word. It's also one of the best movies you'll ever see. To top it off, Kurtz lives up to hype. As does Brando....

6. John Doe - Seven (1995)

Back in September I posted a column on Seven and I hinted at how cool the scenes were when we first meet our killer in this twisted movie. Kevin Spacey had his name taken off the intro credits and any promo material for the film because if you saw his name before the film during viewing you'd know who the killer was. There's no great dramatic finale setting up the mystery of the killer in Seven. The madman known as John Doe simply walks into a police station and turns himself into the detectives looking for him. John Doe walks in and yells "DETECTIVE" at the top of his lungs to get his pursuer's attention and then simply laments "You're looking for me." All the while being covered in a new victim's blood. In a twisted way, I think that's pretty cool.

5. Honey Ryder - Dr. No (1962)

I'm a little ashamed. I just noticed that Ursula Andress' portrayal of the most famous Bond girl is the only female to make the list. I guess it's better than no females, right? Whenever I think of the term "Bond girl" Honey Ryder is the one that always pops in my head. We meet her towards the end of Dr. No as James Bond has followed his enemy to a tropical island and he sees Ryder emerge from the water. It's a simple entrance, but when Ursula Andress emerges from the water you see a beautiful amazon(hey, she was hot back in day!) strapped with a knife to her leg. When that character enters the movie she's automatically a character of strength. Apparently strong enough to rival the uber-masculine James Bond for your attention. Even if she did just end up having a bit of sex with the best Bond, Sean Connery.

4. Frank, Once Upon a Time in the West - (1968)

I discussed this scene in my Top 10 Performances column some months back. In what some call Sergio Leone's masterpiece, we see a little family preparing a dinner for a soon to be arriving family member. All of a sudden we hear a single gun shot as the mother falls to ground. The father runs to his wife's aid, but is shot himself, followed by his oldest son. After the mayhem has settled we see several men dressed in long dusters emerge from the frontier. The family's little son runs out of the house in shock. One of the gunman asks their leader "What about this one, Frank?". Frank replies "Since you've used my given name", then all we see is pistol drawn and fired. The kid and his family are dead. How horrible.... Oh yeah, and Frank just happens to be Henry Fonda.

3. Darth Vader - Star Wars (1977)

In what is now the fourth installment of the Star Wars saga, this entrance would be the second time we see Darth Vader in his black suit after Revenge of the Sith. Well, back in 1977, Star Wars(or a New Hope as some prefer) was the first time the world
was introduced to the villain in black. After we see a starship attacked and soldiers draped in white rush aboard we finally see their leader. Darth Vader bursts through a hole in the ship and into movie history. After I'm done using all the clichés in the book, I don't really think I need to describe this with any depth, do I? Have you really not seen this movie? Darth Vader enters the way a WWE wrestler would enter going to a match. We've all seen it many times over. Great Entrances always tell you something about the character entering the story. When Darth Vader appears on the screen in Star Wars he's immediately an imposing villain, as much as there's ever been.

2. Harry Lime - The Third Man (1949)

The Third Man is about as classic as any movie has a right to be. You've got a great setting in post-war Vienna, beautifully poignant music, Joseph Cotten and especially, Orson Welles. Well, at least for half of the movie anyway. The story of The Third Man is of an American novelist(Cotten) traveling to Europe to meet his old buddy, Harry Lime. Upon arriving in Paris, Cotten learns that Harry is dead. After a night of much drinking, Cotten stumbles back to his hotel, but notices someone following him. He looks over and sees only the man's shoes as he's hidden in doorway. After he yells at the man to show himself, an old lady opens her window above to see what the noise is about. In doing this, light from her room shines directly on the man's face. The man following our hero is Orson Welles and he's a very much alive Harry Lime. Pure genius! If it weren't for the strength of the next selection I would've happily selected it as #1!

1. Blondie - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)

Well, some say Once Upon a Time in the West is Leone's masterpiece. I say The Good, the Bad and the Ugly holds that title. Each of three main characters in the movie represent either good, bad or just plain ugly. Any one of their entrances could make this list, but I just had to go with the good. While the ugly(Eli Wallach) is about to be captured by three bounty hunters, they mention that Wallach is worth several thousand dollars, we hear a voice simply say "Yeah, but you won't be the ones to collect it". We see a gun emerge in front of the camera as if we're playing a first person shooter game. The voice draws his gun and shoots all three men dead. We have just met the good in this epic story. The good just happens to be the man with no name or Blondie for a nickname. How about we just call him Clint Eastwood?

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Off-Topic Discussion / Super Bowl XLI

« on: January 21, 2007, 08:22:25 PM »

I'm going with the Bears. Their defense is incredible.

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Off-Topic Discussion / Steve Irwin, the "Crocodile Hunter" has died

« on: September 03, 2006, 11:47:43 PM »

The Queensland Police Service advise Australian wildlife personality Steve Irwin has died.

It is believed Mr Irwin collapsed after being stung by a sting-ray at Batt Reef, Low Isle off Port Douglas about 11am. He had been filming a documentary.

After being stung by the sting-ray, his crew called for medical treatment and the Emergency Management Queensland Helicopter responded however Mr Irwin had died.

Mr Irwin’s family has been advised.

http://www.police.qld.gov.au/News+and+Alerts/Media+Releases/2006/09/Australian+wildlife+personality+Steve+Irwin+has+died.htm



R.I.P. Steve

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Off-Topic Discussion / Syd Barrett, Troubled Genius of Pink Floyd, Dead at 60

« on: July 11, 2006, 10:41:15 AM »

Syd Barrett, Troubled Genius of Pink Floyd, Dead at 60

07-11-2006 11:03 AM
By JILL LAWLESS, Associated Press Writer

LONDON -- Syd Barrett, the troubled Pink Floyd co-founder who spent his last years in reclusive anonymity, has died, the band said Tuesday. He was 60.

A spokeswoman for the band said Barrett died several days ago, but she did not disclose the cause of death. Barrett had suffered from diabetes for years.

The surviving members of Pink Floyd _ David Gilmour, Nick Mason, Roger Waters and Richard Wright _ said they were "very upset and sad to learn of Syd Barrett's death."

"Syd was the guiding light of the early band lineup and leaves a legacy which continues to inspire," they said in a statement.

Barrett co-founded Pink Floyd in 1965 with Waters, Mason and Wright, and wrote many of the band's early songs. The group's jazz-infused rock and drug-laced, multimedia "happenings" made them darlings of the London psychedelic scene. The 1967 album "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" _ largely written by Barrett, who also played guitar _ was a commercial and critical hit.

But Barrett suffered from mental instability, exacerbated by his use of LSD. His behavior grew increasingly erratic, and he left the group in 1968 _ five years before the release of Pink Floyd's most popular album, "Dark Side of the Moon" _ to be replaced by Gilmour.

Barrett released two solo albums _ "The Madcap Laughs" and "Barrett" _ but soon withdrew from the music business altogether. An album of previously unreleased material, "Opel," was issued in 1988.

He reverted to his real name, Roger Barrett, and spent much of the rest of his life living quietly in his hometown of Cambridge, England. Moving into his mother's suburban house, he passed the time painting and tending the garden. His former bandmates made sure Barrett continued to receive royalties from his work with Pink Floyd.

He was a familiar figure to neighbors, often seen cycling or walking to the corner store, but rarely spoke to the fans and journalists who sought him out over the years.

Despite his brief career, Barrett's fragile, wistful songs influenced many musicians, from David Bowie _ who covered the Barrett track "See Emily Play" _ to the other members of Pink Floyd, who recorded the album "Wish You Were Here" as a tribute to their troubled bandmate.

It contained the song "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" _ "Remember when you were young, you shone like the sun." The band also dwelt on themes of mental illness on the albums "Dark Side of the Moon" and "The Wall."

The band spokeswoman said a small, private funeral would be held.

Today is a sad day in the world of classic rock.

R.I.P.   

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Off-Topic Discussion / What is your dream car?

« on: June 22, 2006, 10:01:54 PM »

Ok, I was having a discussion with my friends the other day about our dream cars. I thought I would ask you guys the same question. If you could have any car, what would it be?

As for me, my dream car is a massive 440 in³ (7.2 L) RB single 4-barrel carbureted 1969 Plymouth Barracuda.



Ah.... so beautiful.

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Questions & Answers / Claudia's Theme guitar sheet music

« on: May 20, 2006, 01:11:19 PM »

Hey board, I need y'alls help here.

I'm looking for guitar sheet music, or guitar tabs for "Claudia's Theme". I've checked everywhere but have come up empty handed. I was wondering if anyone has found this music? I figured this was the best place to ask.

Thanks!

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Off-Topic Discussion / Don Knotts Dies at 81

« on: February 25, 2006, 07:05:13 PM »

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060225/ap_en_tv/obit_knotts

So sad. RIP 

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Off-Topic Discussion / Super Bowl XL

« on: January 22, 2006, 07:56:56 PM »

I say the Steelers. They have a good defense and Rothlesburgher is on a roll. Actually, its not just Rothlesburgher, its the whole team. They just took out the # 1, #2, and #3 teams in the AFC.

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Off-Topic Discussion / Beowulf and Grendel

« on: January 11, 2006, 01:03:40 PM »

http://www.beowulfandgrendel.com/trailer.html

It seems to be taking a more of a realistic feel then fantasy. I loved the books, and this trailer looks awesome.

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Off-Topic Discussion / Blu-ray discs

« on: January 04, 2006, 12:53:51 PM »

For those who don't know what a blu-ray disc is its (as stated by Wikipedia): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blu-ray

"Blu-ray Disc (BD) is a next-generation optical disc format meant for storage of high-definition video and high-density data. The Blu-ray standard was jointly developed by a group of consumer electronics and PC companies called the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA). As compared to the HD DVD format, its main competitor, Blu-ray has more information capacity per layer, 25 instead of 15 gigabytes, but may initially be more expensive to support.

Blu-ray gets its name from the shorter wavelength (405 nm) of a "blue" (technically blue-violet) laser that allows it to store substantially more data than a DVD, which has the same physical dimensions but uses a longer wavelength (650 nm) red laser.

Blu-ray have said that their plans for a Spring 2006 launch will be unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January 2006."

Now the reason I post this is because For A Few Dollars More is going to be one of the first 18 blu-rays to be made.

The list is :

    * The Fifth Element
    * Bram Stoker's Dracula
    * Desperado
    * For a Few Dollars More
    * The Guns of Navarone
    * Hitch
    * House of Flying Daggers
    * A Knight's Tale
    * Kung Fu Hustle
    * The Last Waltz
    * Legends of the Fall
    * Resident Evil Apocalypse
    * Robocop
    * Sense and Sensibility
    * Stealth
    * Species
    * SWAT
    * XXX

Ya, there are some terrible movies on that list, but I think its an honor for FaFDM to be one of the first ever to be made. Pretty cool, huh?

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Off-Topic Discussion / Beatles or Elvis

« on: November 03, 2005, 08:56:35 PM »

The question for Pulp Fiction. Are you a Beatles or Elvis fan? I'm an Elvis fan, just because I grew up listening to the music, my Dad was a HUGE fan.

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Off-Topic Discussion / Halloween 2005

« on: October 28, 2005, 10:58:02 PM »

Its that time of year again. What will you do? Scare the kids? Party? Stay at home with your favorite horror films? As for me, I getting a few friends and watching "John Carpenter's The Thing".

Also this will be the place to show off you pumpkin carvings.

This one took me over 3 hours.

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Off-Topic Discussion / Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

« on: December 08, 2004, 08:33:03 AM »

I don't know if this has been talked about yet.


I have seen the trailer, and this looks like it might be one of the best one of of the six. Of course it is going to have the most plot out of the six, also it has "the duel". I can't wait to see that.  

What is ya'll opinions? Predictions?

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Off-Topic Discussion / Fav. Comedian

« on: October 19, 2004, 06:52:21 AM »

Who is ya'll's favorite stand-up comedian?

Mine is George Carlin.

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Off-Topic Discussion / Rock Band

« on: October 11, 2004, 11:43:13 AM »

Zeppelin. No questions asked.

I know that there quite a few people on this forum that like classic rock, so I want to know what ya'll like.

If you think another band should be on here, please, discuss why.

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Eastwood News / Clint Directed Movies

« on: September 19, 2004, 06:03:03 PM »

Clint seems to have a lot on his plate from what I can tell.

1) He just finished "Million Dollar Baby".
2) I heard that he is going to do a documentary on Neil Armstrong
3) I know that he is doing a WWII movie about Iwo Jima with Stephen Spielburg
4) There is a rumor of Clint doing one more western called "The Shootist"

Am I correct. Is Clint doing all of these?

How does this man have any free time, with all of these projects

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Off-Topic Discussion / Top 10 Westerns of All Time

« on: September 11, 2004, 12:27:06 PM »

Recently G4TechTV started a poll on their site for the 10 best westerns of all time. Clint grabs 5. Here is the list.

Top 10 Best Westerns of All Time:

1. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly - Sergio Leone's quintessential Western epic made Clint Eastwood the torchbearer in the genre and cemented Lee Van Cleef as one of the greatest movie villains of all time.

2. Shane - The archetypal Western plotline of the stranger who befriends a family and saves them from evil set the tone for all that swam in it’s wake, including The Unforgiven, the most blatant (and best) Shane knockoff.


3. High Noon - A case study in movie making, High Noon is among the first films to take place in real time.


4. The Wild Bunch - Sam Peckinpah's ultra-violent epic still packs quite a punch.


5. High Plains Drifter - The most badass revenge flick ever made. Clint's The Man With No Name could kick Dirty Harry's ass.


6. The Unforgiven - There would be no Unforgiven without Shane.


7. Outlaw Josey Wales - Practically a remake of High Plains Drifter but with more backstory, sub-plots and fully developed characters. You can still feel the sting of that darned whip!


8. Treasure of the Sierra Madre - A later-era Western to be sure, but a terrific character study in greed and trust, and a fine example of why we are still talking about Bogart to this day. The man oozes star power.


9. A Fistful of Dollars - The beginning of Sergio and Clint's Dollars series, this is the best of the bunch.


10. Once Upon a Time in the West - Henry Fonda and Charles Bronson lead this all-star cast. Never in cinematic history has a harmonica been the source of so much tension.

Do ya'll agree or disagree?

See for yourself on the site. They also have a poll on the site of the best western actor. Clint, John Wayne, Lee Van Cleef, Henry Fonda, and Gary Cooper. Clint is ahead with 52% of the vote.

http://www.g4techtv.com/cinematech/features/47889/Top_10_Best_Westerns_of_All_Time.html

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General Discussion / Voice

« on: July 08, 2004, 08:04:04 PM »

Just thinking about this in bed last night. Fun poll.  ;DNo correct answer. But please vote, even to just to amuse me.

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Clint Eastwood Westerns / Tuco's gun

« on: June 08, 2004, 12:39:40 PM »

A friend asked me this question and I was ashamed that I couldn't answer.

In GBU, Tuco creates a gun from seperate parts of different guns. What parts were taken from what guns?