Joe Kidd (1972)

 

An ex-bounty hunter reluctantly helps a wealthy landowner and his henchmen track down a Mexican revolutionary leader. 

Raucous and rather inconsistent  Western obviously tries to cash in on the success and style of the Italian Spaghetti Western genre, even utilizing their Clint Eastwood persona stereotype, all with mixed results, albeit entertaining enough along the way. 

Halliwell (no star): "Rough-and-tumble star Western with untenable moral attitudes."

Maltin**: "...ordinary Western; nice photography and a rousing scene where Eastwood drives a train through a barroom." 

Clint Eastwood

The Mule (2018)

 

A ninety-year-old horticulturist and Korean War veteran turns drug mule for a Mexican cartel. 

Well-made rendition of a true crime story has its suspenseful moments, but is mainly told in an easy-going manner, suitable to the protagonist's and Eastwood's age. 

Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo (1966)

Tarantula (1955)

A spider escapes from an isolated desert laboratory experimenting in giantism and grows to tremendous size as it wreaks havoc on the local inhabitants.

Classic 50s monster movie is still fun and in so many ways much better than its present-day clones.

On renewed viewing: A guilty pleasure since my childhood, I rewatch it every view years.

Halliwell  (no star): "Moderate monster hokum with the desert setting which became a cliche; the grotesque faces are more horrific than the spider, which seldom seems to touch the ground."

Maltin ***: "One of the best giant-insect films, with fast-pacing, convincing special effects, and interesting subplot detailing formula's effect on humans. That's Clint Eastwood as the jet squadron leader in final sequence."

Escape from Alcatraz (1979)

Three daring men make a possible successful attempt at escaping from one of the most infamous prisons in the world.

From memory: Upright, concise and dark reconstruction of a still mysterious escape also gives a realistic portrayal of prison life on the island.

Halliwell*: "A dour, terse, depressing prison movie which makes an uncomfortable star vehicle and not very much of an entertainment, but does preserve a certain integrity right to its ambiguous ending."

Maltin***: "Straightforward, methodical telling of true story...Vivid and credible throughout."

Sully (2016)

The story of Chesley Sullenberger, an American pilot who became a hero after landing his damaged plane on the Hudson River in order to save the flight's passengers and crew.

Nicely made drama bends the real events into a story, in which the hero is forced to vindicate himself confronted with bureaucratic antagonism.

Per un pugno di dollari (1964)

On the set: Clint Eastwood and Sergio Leone

J. Edgar (2011)

J. Edgar Hoover, powerful head of the F.B.I. for nearly 50 years, looks back on his professional and personal life.

Despite excellent period detail and good performances this biopic ticks off all aspects of Hoover's character only superficially and thusly doesn't lift itself above any former G-Men pic.

Maltin**: "One-note portrait of J. Edgar Hoover...Long, often boring account.....provides litle insight or understanding. DiCaprio works hard, but is miscast and never embodies the bulldog-like Hoover. Hammer's old-age makeup is so ludicrous it almost torpedoes  the entire film."

New acquisition: J. Edgar (2011)

The Beguiled (1971)

While imprisoned in a Confederate girls' boarding school, an injured Union soldier cons his way into each of the lonely women's hearts, causing them to turn on each other, and eventually, on him.

Unusual misanthropic psychodrama, effectively staged in a Southern period setting and with some good performances.

On renewed viewing: Despite the sexual tension and amiguities of the plot the movie is very straightforward in its approach.

Halliwell*: "Eccentric melodrama which does not really work despite its credentials and patient work all round."

Maltin***: "Offbeat, methodically paced story...Unusual Eastwood fare, but for patient viewers. a rich, rewarding film."

The Beguiled (1971)

While imprisoned in a Confederate girls' boarding school, an injured Union soldier cons his way into each of the lonely women's hearts, causing them to turn on each other, and eventually, on him.

Unusual misanthropic psychodrama, effectively staged in a Southern period setting and with some good performances.

Halliwell*: "Eccentric melodrama which does not really work despite its credentials and patient work all round."

Maltin***: "Offbeat, methodically paced story...Unusual Eastwood fare, but for patient viewers. a rich, rewarding film."

American Sniper (2014)

Navy S.E.A.L. sniper Chris Kyle's pinpoint accuracy saves countless lives on the battlefield and turns him into a legend.

Professionally directed, but quite unpolitical and cursory study of a war hero's life; the (many) conventional war scenes are staged as timeless and with hardly context to the actual conflict.

New acquisition: American Sniper (2014)

A gift from my pal Ralf.

Clint Eastwood

Bio:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clint_Eastwood

Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo (1966)

A bounty hunting scam joins two men in an uneasy alliance against a third in a race to find a fortune in gold buried in a remote cemetery.

Although extremely long (3 hours!) this final entry in the Dollar trilogy is arguably the best due to a fully coherent and interesting narrative, stylistic bravura, a splendid cast of three leads playing against each other and one of Morricone's most memorable scores.

Halliwell***: "Intermittently lively, very violent, and interminably drawn-out Western with a number of rather hilarious stylistic touches."

Maltin***1/2: "Third and best of Leone's "Dollar" trilogy...Long, funny, and flamboyant, with memorable Ennio Morricone score; the quintessential spaghetti Western."

Per qualche dollaro in più (1965)

Two bounty hunters with the same intentions, team up to track down a Western outlaw.

In many aspects a continuation and expansion not just of the first entry of the Dollar trilogy, but also of the Spaghetti western catalogue, highly stylzed and full of grim humour, but its ending drags on a wee bit too long.

Halliwell**: "Vague, inflated, sometimes good-looking sequel to A Fistful of Dollars, with customary violence and predictably mean performances."

Maltin***: "Slightly draggy but still fun; don't miss the scene where Van Cleef strikes a match on the back of Kinski's neck! Trademark atmospheric score by Ennio Morricone."

Per un pugno di dollari (1964)

A wandering gunfighter plays two rival families against each other in a town torn apart by greed, pride, and revenge.

Not the first, but by far the most influential and best known spaghetti western masterpiece, creating its first international star, cementing its director's reputation as one of cinema's greatest and setting the standards for the genre in attitude, mise en scene, cinematography and sound (score by Ennio Morricone).

Halliwell***: "A film with much to answer for: it began the craze for 'spaghetti Westerns', took its director to Hollywood, and made a TV cowboy into a world star. It turned the Western into a brutal baroque opera, a violent clash between individuals."

Maltin***: "Sagebrush remake of YOJIMBO single-handedly invented the "spaghetti Western", made an international superstar of Eastwood, and boosted the carrerers of Leone and composer Ennio Morricone as well...Amusing, violent, and very stylish."

Tarantula (1955)

A spider escapes from an isolated desert laboratory experimenting in giantism and grows to tremendous size as it wreaks havoc on the local inhabitants.

Classic 50s monster movie is still fun and in so many ways much better than its present-day clones.






On renewed view: I still enjoy this movie, one of the best B pictures ever, and a favourite from my childhood on.

Halliwell  (no star): "Moderate monster hokum with the desert setting which became a cliche; the grotesque faces are more horrific than the spider, which seldom seems to touch the ground."

Maltin ***: "One of the best giant-insect films, with fast-pacing, convincing special effects, and interesting subplot detailing formula's effect on humans. That's Clint Eastwood as the jet squadron leader in final sequence."

Per qualche dollaro in più (1965)

On the set: Sergio Leone, Lee Van Cleef and Clint Eastwood