35 years of tough
What Clint Eastwood has done for westerns has simply redefined what a cowboy should be. With less dialogue and more tough-guy looks, Eastwood created and established his onscreen presence in that particular genre. Of course, that particular dimension of the man translated over to cop/robber drama through the Dirty Harry series. More dialogue this time, but still the same tough-guy looks and the rule-breaking attitude to go along with it. Finally, his next leap through film placed him squarely in the director’s chair, where his success could only be rivaled by how many oscars you’re allowed to take home.
Add all of these things together and what you come up with is Clint: 35 Films 35 Years at Warner Brothers. Tomorrow Warner Home Video is set to release this collection on DVD and it’s definitely worth checking out. For any fan of Eastwood, you’ll find something, if not everything, that you’ll like. It nearly spans the man’s entire career. The list of films is as follows:
Where Eagles Dare, 1968
Kelly’s Heroes, 1970
Dirty Harry, 1971
Magnum Force, 1973
The Enforcer, 1975
The Outlaw Josey Wales, 1976
The Gauntlet, 1977
Every Which Way but Loose, 1978
Bronco Billy, 1980
Any Which Way You Can, 1980
Honkytonk Man, 1982
Firefox, 1982
Sudden Impact, 1983
City Heat, 1984
Tightrope, 1984
Pale Rider, 1985
Heartbreak Ridge, 1986
Bird, 1988
The Dead Pool, 1988
Pink Cadillac, 1989
White Hunter, Black Heart, 1990
The Rookie, 1990
Unforgiven, 1992
A Perfect World, 1993
The Bridges of Madison County, 1995
Absolute Power, 1997
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, 1997
True Crime, 1999
Space Cowboys, 2000
Blood Work, 2002
Mystic River, 2003
Million Dollar Baby, 2004
Letters from Iwo Jima, 2006
Gran Torino, 2008
The Eastwood Factor, Documentary, 2009
I generally don’t write preview pieces about DVD releases, only because the releases don’t need them, but felt compelled to do so with this release. If I hadn’t seen most of these films, I certainly couldn’t recommend them. Luckily, I’ve seen most of these movies and can attest that this is probably one of the greatest collections from one man since the release of The Mel Brook’s Collection on blu-ray (came out in December). Much like the Brook’s collection, there’s so much here to admire and like. From his great westerns (Unforgiven being the pinnacle, at least for me) to his beautifully directed pieces (Gran Torino is nothing short of amazing); there’s plenty to love.
Add to all of this the documentary called The Eastwood Factor. It’s an interesting piece about what Eastwood did in films (acting and directing), plus it gives you a bit of a softer side to the man. Imagine that, a softer side. Yeah, it’s a bit weird, but it’s neat to see him as a laid back, grandfather-type that is not only bringing good things to the silver screen, but also did some great things at Warner Brothers. Anyone know that the man could play the piano? Yeah, me neither.
Anyway, if you’re a fan or you know someone who is a fan then you might want to recommend this DVD set to them (or be a good friend or family member and purchase it). The only detour I can see is the $179.98 price tag, but in hindsight that’s actually still cheaper than buying these movies individually (35 movies times $10 and you get $350).
Check it out if you can.
