Clint Eastwood Archives

Movie Day: "American Sniper"

December 7, 2014

I wasn’t looking forward to two war movies back to back after yesterday’s “Unbroken,” but “American Sniper” is a winner. A serious winner. At 84, Clint Eastwood has directed one of his best films yet and Bradley Cooper, not one of my favorite actors, delivers a performance worthy of an Oscar nom.

A bulked up Cooper (he gained 40 pounds for the role) stars as U.S. Navy Seal Chris Kyle, the most lethal sniper in U.S. military history with over 160 “kills” on his wartime resume during four harrowing tours of duty in Iraq. A Texan who was raised to protect his own, no matter what the odds, Kyle’s pinpoint accuracy as a shooter saves countless lives on the battlefield and, as stories of his courageous exploits spread, he earns the nickname “Legend.” His reputation is a double-edged sword though as he becomes a target of the insurgents. Back at home, his wife Taya (a dark-haired Sienna Miller) notices how reluctant he is to talk about his experiences and is confused by his behavior. “Even when you’re here, you’re not here,” she says. It isn’t until late in the story that Kyle gets his equilibrium back from helping disabled veterans – only to suffer a tragic fate himself (a tragedy that Eastwood wisely chose not to reenact on screen).

Eastwood’s battle scenes are intense and expertly shot, and I got the sense as I did with “The Hurt Locker” that I was really seeing what combat is like for these soldiers. I would like to have had a better sense of his marriage and Miller doesn’t have much to work with in her role as the wife, but I appreciated that this was a story about war, not love. I also appreciated that Eastwood kept politics off the screen; there’s no moralizing for any particular position but rather a quiet portrayal of patriotism as well as the complexities of war. Highly recommended.

My Friend Melodie Is Hot – Then and Now

January 31, 2013

It’s always fun when something good happens to people you care about, and my pal Melodie Johnson Howe has not only launched the ebook publications of her award-winning mystery novels and a short story collection, but she’s the subject of a new promotional video too – all ahead of the summer publication of her latest mystery, City of Mirrors. The video went up on YouTube today and it’s totally worth a look. We get to see clips from Melodie’s career as a young Hollywood blonde co-starring with the likes of Clint Eastwood as well as her thoughts about being a mystery writer whose backdrop is Hollywood.

For those who want to write, say they want to write, dream of being able to write, Melodie is your role model. She walked out on show biz, studied the craft of writing and put in the time – all while raising a family. No excuses, people.

Movie Day: "Trouble With the Curve"

September 23, 2012

I had to skip the Q&A after today’s screening with the producer and screenwriter, so I missed hearing what they had to say. But I enjoyed the movie itself in spite of my reluctance to see it. For one thing, the reviews were mixed. For another, I got the sense that Clint would be playing Clint – the same crabby, crusty guy from “Gran Torino,” “Million Dollar Baby,” etc. For a third, I wasn’t up for two hours of baseball cliches, no matter how big a baseball fan I am.

However, the movie got to me, cliches and all.

Yes, Clint was crabby, very much the guy who talked to a chair at the Republican convention. The raised eyebrow, the lip curl, the salty putdowns – all in evidence.

But then there was Amy Adams, who can do no wrong, as far as I’m concerned. She created magic as Clint’s lawyer daughter – feisty yet vulnerable, tough-talking but charming – plus she had the best hair of any woman I’ve ever seen (she should do shampoo commercials).

Justin Timberlake continues to grow as an actor, and he was perfect as the former pitcher-turned-scout and Amy’s love interest.

There aren’t a lot of surprises in “Trouble With the Curve” – the villains are one-note villainous, the good guys (especially John Goodman) have hearts of gold and there’s no question how the story will end. And the big “reveal” – the reason Clint and Amy have been estranged – was downright weak. But I’m a romantic sap and a sucker for schmaltz and I love baseball movies, so I walked out of the theater feeling glad I’d come.

A Non-Yankees Post But Take A Look

August 8, 2012

Via Deadspin, here’s a can’t miss video by a Cleveland Indians fan. Hard-hitting, right? I love when fans talk back…

And speaking of non-Yankees posts, here’s the trailer for “Trouble with the Curve,” the Clint Eastwood film coming September 21st. He plays an aging baseball scout and Amy Adams is his daughter. Justin Timberlake is along for the ride too. Looks good, if predictable, doesn’t it?

The End Of The World As We Know It

March 13, 2012

I was on Twitter tonight, engaging in lively banter over the returns coming in to CNN from the Republican primaries in Alabama and Mississippi, when someone tweeted a link to this article on eonline.com:

Clint Eastwood’s Family Starring in Reality Television Show
Today 12:20 PM PDT by MARC MALKIN

Clint Eastwood’s family is ready for its close-up—in reality television!

Yup, cameras have been rolling at the legendary filmmaker’s home in Carmel, Calif….

Mrs. Eastwood & Company, a 10-part series that centers on Eastwood’s wife, Dina, and daughters Morgan and Francesca (her mom is Frances Fisher, but she also calls Dina “Mom”), premieres on E! on May 20.

“I know my limitations with Clint so I don’t push him too hard,” Dina told me in an exclusive interview.

Dina has no plans to become a Real Housewife of Carmel. Instead she’s hoping the show will help launch Overtone, an a cappella group of six young men that she now manages after moving them into the Eastwoods’ home from their native—ready for this?—South Africa.

“I found them when Clint was filming ‘Invictus,'” Dina explained. “I flipped out for them. I said, ‘I’m moving them over here.’ From the day they got off the plane, everyone said, ‘This has to be a show.’ ”

Don’t expect to see any table flipping. “There isn’t going to be slapping or fighting,” Dina said.

Maybe so, but what about car crashes?

Overtone had only been in the states for three days when one of the guys accidentally crashed Clint’s brand new Mercedes into the front of a grocery store.

We imagine Clint wasn’t too thrilled, but it certainly makes for good reality television.

My jaw dropped. Clint Eastwood is the new Bruce Jenner, allowing his wife and daughters to become the new Kardashians?

I’m guessing this show will be a more dignified affair than that of the K family, but still. This is Clint we’re talking about – the former Mayor of Carmel, the get-off-my-lawn guy, the award-winning actor and director. What possessed him to say yes to this venture, even if it does promote the careers of worthy South African singers?

It all goes to prove yet again that I know nothing about the entertainment business.

Why Must Every Movie Be Remade/Rebooted/Rewhatever-ed?

January 31, 2011

The other day I read that Clint Eastwood will be directing a new version of “A Star Is Born.” Oh, and he’s cast Beyonce in the role of the woman whose talent eclipses that of her husband’s. Maybe you’ve watched the original with Janet Gaynor and Frederic March. Or maybe you’re a fan of the Judy Garland/James Mason version. (I’m raising my hand here; I love, love, love that one.) Or maybe you fell for Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson as the star-crossed lovers. My question is…Does the world really need yet another retelling of this story, which makes me cry every single damn time I watch it?

(Movie trailers sure were overheated in those days, weren’t they?)

Now HBO is committing the ultimate sacrilege when they unveil their remake of one of my all-time favorite oldies, “Mildred Pierce.” My husband Michael hates Joan Crawford and we argue about this movie whenever it’s on TCM (he says she looks like a drag queen), but I think she was terrific in it. I’ve seen it so many times I can recite almost every line of dialogue.

HBO’s “Mildred Pierce” won’t be a feature film but rather a mini-series that will air in March. I have great respect for Kate Winslet as an actress, but I just can’t picture her as Mildred. Cannot. And I’m trying, believe me.

See what I mean? The mini-series just seems – I don’t know – artificial, as if director Todd Haynes was trying to imitate the look and feel of the original only with more bells and whistles. I’m sure I’ll tune in the night it debuts, but I suspect that I’ll mutter throughout: “Why couldn’t they have left well enough alone.”