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Clint Eastwood is known for his elaborate and prolific career and filmography. He has not only entertained his audience as an actor, but down the line, he also picked up directing and proved his worth as a talented director. He not only delved into the marvelous Western world but also portrayed characters in different genres, including romantic drama, cop movies, and a lot of thriller flicks. Eastwood also amazed everyone as a musician and composer, and in the 1980s, he even served as the Mayor of the California town Carmel-by-the-Sea.

A Still from The Bridges of Madison County | Credits: Warner Bros.

He surely has an impressive resume to show. Eastwood’s charming screen presence, stoic physique, and serious look on his face gave him success in the war and crime movie genres. He supremely excelled in them and even received 11 Oscar nominations for his acting and directing talents, while winning...

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Clint Eastwood was one of the biggest movie stars in the world in 1995, but, up until that point, he was not known for appearing in family-friendly films. CBS' "Rawhide," the television series that launched him in the 1960s, and 1982's "Firefox," with its video game tie-in, are probably his two most kid-appropriate works. "Bronco Billy" and "Honkytonk Man" are also family films in a way, though, really, Eastwood only hit the bullseye with kids when he plopped Clyde the orangutan into the bare-knuckle-brawling adventures of Philo Beddoe in "Every Which Way But Loose" and "Any Which Way You Can" (both of which have no shortage of gleefully raunchy moments).

Eastwood also wasn't known for his romantic dramas, so the summer of 1995 promised to be an outlier for him with his adaptation of Robert James Waller's runaway bestseller "The Bridges of Madison County.

The term "icon" is grossly overused when discussing artists and celebrities, but it applies to Clint Eastwood. Between his pivotal role in the popularization of the Spaghetti Western and his revolutionizing of the crime film with his five-film portrayal of "Dirty" Harry Callahan, you could say there wasn't a more important actor throughout the second half of the 20th century and no one who knows the terrain would take issue with your assessment. Eastwood wasn't just an international movie star, he was, for good and ill, an avatar for law and order in America. He played violent men who uncomfortably lived by simple codes. His characters typically "won," but they paid a sometimes terrible price for triumphing. They compromised their values. They placed loved ones in harm's way. They punished themselves for punishing others (or just behaving like a lout). And once upon a time, audiences were in the market...

Veteran filmmaker and actor Clint Eastwood mourns the death of his beloved partner Christina Sandera after she passed away at age 61. The 94-year-old director has been in a relationship with her for ten years. The cause of death was not revealed.

Clint Eastwood in Unforgiven / Warner Bros.

Eastwood had several high-profile relationships in the past, although he was only married twice – to model Maggie Johnson from 1953 to 1987 and news reporter Dina Ruiz from 1996 to 2004. Sandera worked as a hostess in one of Eastwood’s properties.

Who Is Clint Eastwood’s Late Partner Christina Sandera?

Clint Eastwood confirmed the news of Christina Sandera’s death to BBC, saying: “Christina was a lovely, caring woman, and an important part of my life.” He said he will “miss her very much.”

The pair reportedly first met when Sandera worked at the Mission Ranch Hotel in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. Eastwood bought the property in 1986 and...

In the long-standing history of the Western genre, Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven undoubtedly stands as a pinnacle of cinematic achievement. Set in the waning days of the Wild West, the film delivered a morally complex narrative that stuck with fans, even after decades.

A still from Unforgiven directed by Clint Eastwood | Warner Brothers

Yet, behind this masterpiece lies a journey filled with uncertainty and bold leaps of faith from Unforgiven screenwriter David Peoples. Sharing his journey from disliking a few of Clint Eastwood’s Western movies to praising the legend, Peoples expressed his honest opinion on Unforgiven.

David Peoples Initial Remarks on Clint Eastwood’s Westerns

Premiering in theaters in August 1992, Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven became his triumphant farewell to the genre that not only turned him into a legend but also earned him several coveted awards. But much as Eastwood is credited for the success of the genre-defining movie,...

Tom Hanks has played a hero multiple times, whether in Captain Phillips or as Woody from Toy Story. Each time, he’s managed to bring something new and meaningful to the idea of being a hero. Thus, when Clint Eastwood approached Tom Hanks, proposing that he take on the role of Sully, the real-life hero who safely landed a plane on the Hudson River in 2009, Hanks found himself pausing before making a decision, in the 2016 film.

Clint Eastwood in Bronco Billy

But then Eastwood hit him with just three words that sealed the deal. And that decision turned out to be a major highlight in Hanks’ already impressive career.

Clint Eastwood’s Three Words That Influenced Tom Hanks to Portray Sully

Before Sully, Tom Hanks had already portrayed heroes, or as he puts it “ordinary guys in extraordinary circumstances.” He had often felt typecasted. When Clint Eastwood offered him the role of Sully,...

Playing James Bond is often viewed as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, coveted by actors worldwide. However, American actors have consistently been denied the chance to portray this iconic character on screen. Whether due to contractual constraints or the character’s British nationality, Bond has been portrayed by actors from various backgrounds, including Scottish, Irish, Australian, and English, but never American.

Despite this barrier, there have been moments when American actors nearly became James Bond, with some even signing contracts with the production house.

Clint Eastwood

Clint Eastwood in Bronco Billy

Clint Eastwood, renowned for his portrayal of iconic characters such as The Man with No Name and Dirty Harry, has etched his name in cinematic history with unforgettable performances. Yet, amidst his illustrious career, one notable role has remained conspicuously absent: that of Agent 007, James Bond.

Despite his charisma and undeniable talent, Eastwood’s journey to the world of Bond...

On the NBC comedy Cheers, George Wendt often stole the show as Norm. Norm was Cheers’ most loyal regular. Every episode when he entered the whole bar shouted his name, and he had a different one liner for every entrance. Cheers ended in 1993 after 11 seasons and Wendt has been busy ever since.

Rhea Perlman and George Wendt | NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

If you’re looking for Wendt today, Showbiz Cheat Sheet is here to help. Here’s what Wendt has been up to.

How George Wendt got the role of Norm on ‘Cheers’

After some small roles in films like Bronco Billy and My Bodyguard, and a deleted scene from Somewhere in Time, Wendt moved to Los Angeles in 1980. He got some solid TV appearances including episodes of Hart to Hart, Soap, Alice, and Taxi. It was Taxi that really made an impression, as writers Glen and Les Charles...

Tom Joyner, who was First Ad on such notable titles as Steven Spielberg’s Jaws, George Roy Hill’s Slapshot and Clint Eastwood’s Bronco Billy, died February 22 after a long battle with cancer and heart disease. He was 79.

Joyner began his career in the film industry in 1969 when he was accepted into the DGA assistant directors program. He started out as a Second Ad on such features as Spielberg’s Sugarland Express, Eastwood’s High Plains Drifter and Robert Aldrich’s Ulzanas Raid. His first time out as a First Ad was on Spielberg’s classic Jaws, followed by several other well received films.

Tom Joyner, Steven Spielberg, Richard Dreyfus

He would then go on to serve as Unit Production Manager on a number of features including John Landis’ The Blues Brothers, John Carpenter’s Starman, Taylor Hackford’s Against all Odds, Brian Gibson’s Poltergeist ll and Bruce Bereford’s Tender Mercies.

Showrunner Eric Kripke joins podcast hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante to discuss a few of his favorite films.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

The Howling (1981) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings

Piranha (1978) – Jon Davison’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings, Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review

Gremlins (1984) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review, Tfh’s Mogwai Madness

Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)

My Octopus Teacher (2020)

The Evil Dead (1983) – Fede Alvarez’s trailer commentary

Evil Dead II (1987) – Mike Mendez’s trailer commentary, Alex Kirschenbaum’s review

Meet The Feebles (1989) – Mike Mendez’s trailer commentary

Dead Alive a.k.a. Braindead (1992) – Mike Mendez’s trailer commentary

Bad Taste (1987) – Ti West’s trailer commentary

Infested (2002)

Super (2010)

Forrest Gump (1994)

The Hidden (1987) – Mike Mendez’s trailer commentary, Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review

Uhf (1989)

Fat Guy Goes Nutzoid (1986)

The Dead Pit (1989)

Batgirl (2022) – Unreleased film

The Fantastic Four (1994) – Unreleased film...

[To clarify, in the best five, it’s Unforgiven as Clint Eastwood‘s best (making Bronco Billy fifth best), and on the worst list, it’s The Rookie as the worst (making Jersey Boys fifth worst)]

The Best

“Unforgiven” (1992): Clint Eastwood held on to screenwriter David Webb Peoples’ revisionist western until the time was right, and the result was an Oscar-bestowed turning point. Evocatively, suspensefully detailing a desperate widower’s reckoning with his savage past, it tracked powerfully as both a pungent deflating of merrily violent western myths and a scarily tense depiction of how, as Eastwood’s killer tells a scared young man, “We all have it comin,” kid.” By the end, each gunshot is Eastwood mercy-killing a genre he loves, and knocking us to our senses about bloody movie justice.

“Million Dollar Baby” (2004): A poor young female boxer (Hilary Swank) wants to fight. The trainer (Eastwood) reluctantly trains. Punches await, small, and huge. An unabashedly rich-in-feeling movie about toughness,...

Drummer Biff Adam, who was an integral member of Merle Haggard’s legendary backing band for four decades, and also served as the singer’s publicist and bus driver for several years, died Saturday, March 7th, after battling congestive heart failure. Adam’s daughters, Debi Stalder and Connie Ishman, shared the news on the drummer’s Facebook page over the weekend. He was 83.

In addition to backing Haggard on his albums throughout the Seventies and beyond, Adam and his fellow Strangers recorded a string of albums under their band name,...

Clint Eastwood‘s latest directorial effort has suffered at the box office amid controversy surrounding the depiction of one of its real-life subjects.

The 89-year-old Oscar winner’s film Richard Jewell opened in theaters last weekend to lackluster reception, earning just $5 million in its first opening weekend. The budget for the film was $45 million.

This is Eastwood’s worst wide opening for a film in 40 years, since his 1980 film Bronco Billy, according to Yahoo Movies UK.

The drama centers on the real-life story of security guard Richard Jewell, who saved thousands of people from a bomb at the 1996 Olympics, but...

Theaters were feast or famine this pre-Christmas weekend. “Jumanji: The Next Level” lived up to its title with a domestic opening at $60 million — 66% better than the very successful 2017 reboot that went on to gross $400 million domestic and over $900 million worldwide.

That film, along with “Frozen II” and “Knives Out” will keep the weekend on par with last year with about $120 million total gross. But it could, and should, have been better: “Black Christmas” was a disappointment, while Clint Eastwood’s “Richard Jewell” was a flop.

The 2017 success of “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” guaranteed another. Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and the rising Karen Gillan all returned, as did the creative team and the big budget.

Results are even better than expected, particularly after initial foreign returns last week didn’t show as much strength. Few sequels or franchises see this sort of jump. “The Next Level” is a Christmas 2019 cornerstone,...

Clint Eastwood might end up with a lump of box office coal after “Richard Jewell” sputtered in its domestic debut. Despite critical acclaim, the drama about the security guard falsely accused by the media for playing a part in the 1996 Olympics bombing ignited with a dismal $5 million from 2,502 theaters.

It’s a disappointing result for Eastwood, marking one of the worst nationwide openings of the 89-year-old’s directorial career. His only movie to endure a worse fate was 1980’s “Bronco Billy” with $3.7 million. Should “Richard Jewell” come in ahead of expectations by even $200,000, that would propel it just barely above 1997’s “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” ($5.2 million) and 1999’s “True Crime” ($5.2 million) in terms of Eastwood’s inaugural outings.

“It started out with so much promise in terms of awards season buzz,” said Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst at Comscore. “You’ve got a really high-profile...

Cinematographer Jack N. Green is proof that nice guys sometimes finish first — even in Hollywood.

Born in 1939, the San Francisco native traveled a long-rising arc in his career, which includes distinguished stints shooting aerial sequences for documentaries and some of the most iconic films of the 1960s, eventually becoming director of photography on a run of Clint Eastwood movies and more recent comedies such as “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” “Hot Tub Time Machine” and two “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” movies.

Green’s parents, Trudy and John Sr., had a shared fascination for photography and rigged up a home darkroom that made a strong artistic impact on their son.

Graduating from high school and barber college at 17, Green planned to make that job his career. But all that changed when he was befriended by shop regular Joe Dieves, a former World War II combat cameraman. Enamored of Dieves’ stories, Green soon joined him,...

Great news for Clint Eastwood fans! Bronco Billy is available on Blu-ray From Warner Archives. Ordering information can be found Here

Ask Clint Eastwood to select personal favorites from amongst his movies and you might be surprised by one choice. “It’s an old-fashioned theme,” Eastwood says, “but if, as a film director, I ever wanted to say something, you’ll find it in Bronco Billy.” “One of the funniest and most touching films you’ll see this or any year” casts Eastwood as the ace sharpshooter and head of a modern Wild West tent show. Life’s been hard for Billy and his ragtag troupe. But their luck might change – in the unlikely person of a highfalutin society dame (Sondra Locke). You may already have a favorite Eastwood role. Watch Bronco Billy and, chances are, you’ll have another.

Clint Eastwood was well on the way of his extraordinary...

Sondra Locke, the Oscar-nominated actress and director known for her long association with Clint Eastwood, has died at the age of 74.

Locke died of cardiac arrest stemming from breast and bone cancer at her home in Los Angeles, according to a death certificate obtained by The Associated Press. The actress’ death went unpublicized for nearly six weeks until Radar Online reported on it Thursday.

After making her big-screen debut in 1968’s Carson McCullers adaptation The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter – a role she won after a nationwide talent search – Locke...

Actress Sondra Locke, who was Clint Eastwood‘s girlfriend for more than 13 years, has died. She was 74.

Locke, who was nominated for an Academy Award for her first film role in The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, died on Nov. 3, according to Variety.

A rep for Locke did not immediately respond to People’s request for comment.

Locke began her career in 1967 when she won a nationwide talent search for a supporting role in The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter opposite Alan Arkin.

Her portrayal of a sensitive 16-year-old earned her the Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress as well as two Golden Globe nominations.

Sondra Locke, who earned an Oscar nomination for her first film and went on to co-star with then-boyfriend — and later nemesis — Clint Eastwood in a half-dozen films, has died. She was 74.

Locke died November 3, but her death has just been reported. Radar Online first reported the news, saying she died of complications from breast and bone cancer.

Locke scored a Supporting Actress Oscar nom for 1968’s The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, her screen debut. She also picked a pair of Golden Globes noms for the film as Supporting Actress and Most Promising Newcomer.

She continued to work in film and television into the mid-1970s, when Eastwood cast her in his 1976 Western The Outlaw Josey Wales. They would go on to star together in The Gauntlet (1977), Bronco Billy (1980) and the Dirty Harry film Sudden Impact (1983) — all of which Eastwood also directed — along with the streetfighter romp Every Which Way but Loose...

Actress and director Sondra Locke, who received a supporting actress Oscar nomination in her first movie role for “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter,” died Nov. 3 at 74. The Los Angeles County Public Health Department confirmed her death.

She died due to breast and bone cancer, according to Radar Online, which reported that she was laid to rest at Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park & Mortuary.

Locke had a contentious relationship of more than a decade with Clint Eastwood, who first cast her in “The Outlaw Josey Wales.”

Locke was born in 1944 as Sandra Louise Smith and raised in Shelbyville, Tenn. She changed her named to Sondra in her early 20s and won a nationwide talent search in 1967 for the part of teenager Mick Kelly in the movie adaptation of Carson McCullers’ novel “The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter.” Locke starred opposite Alan Arkin, who was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar.

Author: Competitions

To mark the release of Clint Eastwood 40 Film Collection, out now, we’ve been given a copy of the boxset to give away on DVD.

For nearly 40 years, Clint Eastwood has called Warner Bros home. This essential collection contains the extraordinary films created during his partnership with the studio, where Eastwood opened Malpaso Productions in 1975. The deluxe boxset includes: Where Eagles Dare (1968), Kelly’s Heroes (1970), Dirty Harry (1971), Magnum Force (1973), The Enforcer (1976), 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), Flags of Our Fathers (2006), Letters from Iwo Jima...

Directors’ trademarks is a series of articles that examines the “signatures” that filmmakers leave behind in their work. This month, we’re examining the trademark style and calling signs of Clint Eastwood as director.

Clint Eastwood became an american film star in the 1960’s thanks to his acting performances in a number of western films. As he began to branch out with new roles in front of the camera, he sought out to have more creative input into the types of film projects that he would be involved in. One way he was able to accomplish this was by creating his own production company which eventually allowed him to work behind the camera as director. His first film as director was 1971’s Play Misty For Me, which was well received by critics and did well at the box office. HIs second film as director was High Plains Drifter (1973), in which he also starred.

One of my favorite contemporary designers is Jessica Hische, a lettering artist whose best known movie poster work is her typeface design for Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom. Hische is a prodigiously talented and endlessly inventive artist who has brought renewed recognition to the art of lettering and whose covers for Barnes and Noble Classics and Penguin Drop Caps are gorgeous. I mention this because I recently discovered the poster work of another extraordinary letterform artist from an earlier era, via this magnificent poster for Louis Malle’s Atlantic City.Gerard Huerta is a letterform and logo designer who got his start with CBS Records in the early 70s where he created album covers and logos for Boston, Ted Nugent, Rick Derringer, Bob Dylan and many others. His greatest claim to fame might be that he forged the “look” of heavy metal typography with his logo for Blue Öyster Cult...

Article by Jim Batts, Dana Jung, and Tom Stockman

Happy Birthday to one of We Are Movie Geeks favorite stars. Clint Eastwood was born on this day in 1930, making him 86 years old. The actor and two-time Oscar winning director hasn’t let his age slow him down a bit. Sully, his new movie as a director, opens in September.

We posted a list in 2011 of his ten best directorial efforts Here

Clint Eastwood has appeared in 68 films in his six (!) decades as an actor, and here, according to We Are Movie Geeks, are his ten best:

Honorable Mention: Honkytonk Man

By the 1980s, Clint Eastwood was one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars. With his own production company, directorial skills, and economic clout, Eastwood was able to make smaller, more personal films. A perfect example is the underrated Honkytonk Man, which also happens to be one of Eastwood’s finest performances.

Clint Eastwood revisited Harry Callahan three more times, usually whenever his career was in the dumps. If Dirty Harry was a cultural phenomenon and Magnum Force a respectable follow-up, the rest are uninspired cash-ins. The main law Harry enforces in these sequels is the Law of Diminishing Returns.

Given Dirty Harry‘s San Francisco setting, something like The Enforcer (1976) was inevitable. After all, San Fran hosted Haight-Ashbury, hippie capital of the world; was a favored site for Black Panther and Sds protests; headquarters of the nascent gay rights movement; victim of Weathermen bombings and the racially-charged Zebra murders. Writers Gail Morgan Hickman and S.W. Schurr based their script, originally titled “Moving Target,” on the Symbionese Liberation Army which kidnapped Patty Hearst. Dean Riesner (who cowrote the original Harry) and Stirling Silliphant (In the Heat of the Night) polished the film.

Harry battles the People’s Revolutionary Strike Froce, led by...

Lewis with Beverly D'Angelo and Clint Eastwood in the hit 1978 comedy Every Which Way But Loose.

Acclaimed character actor Geoffrey Lewis, and father of actress Juliette Lewis,  has died at age 79 of natural causes. Lewis had a long and impressive list of major films and TV appearances to his credit. He was frequently cast by Clint Eastwood in the iconic actor's productions including High Plains Drifter, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, Every Which Way But Loose, Any Which Way You Can, Bronco Billy, Pink Cadillac and their last collaboration, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Although Lewis was often cast as earthy, hillbilly-types, he could also excel at playing sophisticated characters as well. Other major film credits include The Wind and the Lion, Heaven's Gate, The Lawmower Man, Maverick and the TV movie version of Salem's Lot. He primarily worked in television and had amassed a seemingly endless number of...

Geoffrey Lewis, Western film star and father of actress Juliette Lewis, passed away at the age of 79 on Tuesday. The actor died of natural causes in Woodland Hills, CA, a family friend confirms. Geoffrey was known for his roles in Clint Eastwood films, including High Plains Drifter and Bronco Billy. He was also a TV regular, appearing on shows like Hawaii Five-0, Murder, She Wrote, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and Flo. Geoffrey is survived by his wife, Paula Hochhalter, and 10 children, including Juliette. Read the actress's sweet and heartbreaking tribute to her father that she posted on Instagram on Wednesday: My dad. My dad my dad my dad my dad. My love my dad. My dad. My hero. My dad. My dad my love my loving father. My strength my might. My friend. My hugs. My laughter. My love. My dad. Oh my heart. My heart. He loved us so.

Actor Geoffrey Lewis, veteran of such films as High Plains Drifter and Dillinger, has passed away at the age of 79.

We're sad to report that veteran actor Geoffrey Lewis has passed away at the age of 79.

Across a career spanning TV and film, Lewis will surely be remembered for different roles by successive generations of filmgoers. Many will remember Lewis for his roles alongside Clint Eastwood in movies like High Plains Drifter, Every Which Way But Loose and Bronco Billy.

Others might remember him for his TV performances, which included Hawaii Five-o, Salem's Lot and Murder She Wrote. Then there was his superb turn in the period crime piece Dillinger, his turn in the cult sci-fi Night Of The Comet, or his work in the Michael Cimino films Thunderbolt And Lightfoot (another Eastwood flick) and Heaven's Gate.

These are but a few of the films and television shows brightened by Lewis's presence.

 

The Austin Film Society's "Art Horror" series is wrapping up appropriately here over Halloween weekend with Hausu, a 1977 Japanese horror film directed by Nobuhiko Obayshi. Screening this evening and again on Sunday afternoon in 35mm at the Marchesa, I can guarantee that you've never seen anything like it before. I suspect that this will attract a lot of people who have seen the movie many times before, but catching it on the big screen for the first time is something I can highly recommend. In a much different vein, Philippe Garrel's Jealousy is on the calendar for Sunday and Monday evenings. This new black-and-white French drama stars Philippe's son Louis Garrel. The latest "Essential Cinema" series spotlighting the work of Satyajit Ray comes to a close on Thursday night with 1979's Joi Baba Felunath (The Elephant God). 

At the Alamo Drafthouse, John Carpenter's Halloween will screen late tonight at the Lakeline,...

From Tommy Lee Jones directing himself and The Swank we turn to another far more accomplished actor-turned-director. Clint Eastwood has won four Oscars in his career from two films (Unforgiven & Million Dollar Baby) but the 83 year old director has had a bit of a rougher run than usual in recent years, critically speaking. He's back with Jersey Boys based on the Broadway jukebox hit about the Four Seasons.

Let's divvy up our reactions to the trailer.

Yes

• There will be a lot of music

• Counterprogramming in the blockbuster realm of summer movies could help with critical reception so that's a smart move.

• Newish handsome actors in plum star-making position (if the movie is good and they ace it)

• Clint went from two-a-year to radio silence for two years. Maybe the time off did him good? This is, the longest break he's ever taking from directing since between The Gauntlet (1977) and...

Warner Brothers has just dropped word on a two new collections dedicated to the work of American film icon Clint Eastwood. The two collections (one on DVD, the other on Blu-ray) will feature a new documentary by Eastwood biographer Richard Schickel, along with a copy of the new non-directed Eastwood film Trouble with the Curve.

A portion of the news release is below:

Burbank, Calif., February 11, 2013 – Clint Eastwood’s illustrious motion picture career has spanned more than half a century and touched generations of filmgoers. The filmmaker/actor has received five Academy Awards®and his films have grossed more than $2 billion at the domestic box office. This year marks the 38th anniversary of the relationship between Warner Bros., Clint Eastwood and Malpaso Productions, which has culminated in more than 40 films made for the studio. Now, in honor of Warner’s year-long 90th anniversary celebration, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will release two new Eastwood Collections,...

"When I get around to liking someone, they ain't around long."

It's hard to think of anyone that's contributed more to the Western genre than Clint Eastwood, who started his career on the TV show Rawhide before transitioning to movies with director Sergio Leone's Dollars trilogy. Still one of Eastwood's favorite contributions to the genre is 1976's the Outlaw Josey Wales, only the second Western that Eastwood had directed, following 1973's High Plains Drifter.

Based on author Forrest Carter's 1973 novel The Rebel Outlaw: Josey Wales, the movie starred Eastwood in the title role as the tobacco-chewing Wales, a Missouri farmer who seeks revenge after losing his wife and son to a band of murderous pro-Union men from Kansas. The Outlaw Josey Wales continued Eastwood's Western tradition of playing the ultimate anti-hero, an archetype he would put his final stamp on in 1992's The Unforgiven. Chief Dan George (Little Big Man...

by Nick Schager

[This week's "Retro Active" pick is inspired by Willem Dafoe's ignoble expedition in The Hunter.]

Clint Eastwood's surgical dissection of the iconic alpha-male persona that made him the '70s biggest box-office draw began as early as 1980's Bronco Billy (if not before, lest we forget the goofball shenanigans of 1978's Every Which Way But Loose and its sequel). Yet that critical modus operandi, which would gradually come to dominate his latter body of work (up to 2008's Gran Torino), began in earnest with White Hunter Black Heart, an adaptation of Peter Viertel's novel based on his experiences as a screenwriter on John Huston's The African Queen. It is, on the face of it, a wholly uncharacteristic vehicle for Eastwood, who not only helms the film but stars as John Wilson, a blustery, boozy movie director-cum-adventurer whom the star embodies with the same swagger, fierceness and drawn-out drawl of the legendary Huston. Devoid of serious action or genre accouterments,...

When J. Edgar was released last Fall, We Are Movie Geeks published our Top Ten Tuesday article on Clint Eastwood’s best films as director. With word that Eastwood has come out of acting retirement, it’s time for another Top Ten list, this time of movies that Clint has starred in. Trouble With The Curve is currently filming and stars Clint as an ailing baseball scout in his twilight years who takes his daughter (played by Amy Adams) on the road for one last recruiting trip. This will be Clint’s first acting role since Gran Torino in 2008.

Super-8 Clint Eastwood Movie Madness will be a great way to celebrate the life and films of this legendary American actor. It takes place February 7th at the Way Out Club in St. Louis (2525 Jefferson in South City). Condensed versions of these memorable Clint Eastwood films will be shown on a...

Supporting actor who seesawed from menacing villain to comic fool

Many of Clint Eastwood's hit films of the 1970s and 80s were made with a stock company of distinctive supporting actors. This kooky troupe included the elfin Sondra Locke, the wild-eyed Geoffrey Lewis and the effortlessly villainous Bill McKinney, who has died of cancer aged 80. Switching between westerns, comedies and thrillers, McKinney was seldom called upon for more than a few minutes of screen time but had the seasoned character actor's knack of making a memorable first impression. In Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974), the first of his seven films with Eastwood, he appears as a gibbering driver with a caged raccoon by his side and a boot full of white rabbits.

He was subsequently cast as the bloodthirsty Terrill, who oversees the massacre of Eastwood's family in The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976); as an oily, sex-crazed constable coolly ridiculed by Locke...

Veteran actor Bill McKinney, known throughout the world for playing some of the most memorable villains in film history, has died according to a post on his Facebook page. He was 80.

Though younger audiences may not be immediately familiar with the name or face, long time film fans remember McKinney for such iconic and bloodcurdling roles as the Mountain Man in the 1972 horror/thriller "Deliverance," where he uttered the infamous line "I bet you can squeal like a pig."

McKinney's death follows a long battle with esophageal cancer.

A joining the Navy during the Korean War and serving four years of active duty, McKinney left the service in order to pursue an acting career, studying the craft alongside Dustin Hoffman at the Pasadena Playhouse. After making his film debut in 1967, McKinney went on to appear in over a hundred films and TV shows and was reportedly still filming commercials less...

It's been a sad week of losing great talent from the likes of filmmaker Ken Russell, to comedian Patrice O'Neal, leaving us all too soon, and unfortunately we end the week losing another fantastic actor. THR reports Bill McKinney, the actor who scared the hell out of some adventurous campers and telling one in the terrified party to "squeal like a pig" in the 1972 thriller Deliverance, has passed away at 80-years old after losing a battle with cancer of the esophagus. McKinney was acting right up until his death with recent roles in How Do You Know and Pride and Glory and a Doritos commercial shot just two weeks ago. McKinney's film credits include a slew of Western themed films including The Outlaw Josey Wales and Bronco Billy with Clint Eastwood (with whom he collaborated five more times) and bit parts in City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold...

"Bill McKinney, the actor who played one of crazed mountain men in Deliverance and famously ordered one particularly unfortunate camper to 'squeal like a pig,' died Thursday at the age of 80." Michael O'Connell for the Hollywood Reporter: "A prolific artist up until his death, McKinney's career included dozens of film credits (including 7 Clint Eastwood titles) and appearances on television series such as In the Heat of the Night, Baywatch and Walker, Texas Ranger." But as O'Connell notes, McKinney will always be remembered for his role in Deliverance as "Mountain Man" — and didn't seem to mind. His own official site is Squeal like a pig.com, where you're greeted by the "man that Leonard Maltin described in his review of the movie Deliverance as, 'one of the most terrifying film villains in history.'"

"But it was his long association with Clint Eastwood after the two costarred together in 1974's...

J. Edgar opens in theaters this Friday and it is the 33rd film directed by Clint Eastwood. Beginning with the thriller Play Misty For Me in 1971, Eastwood has directed westerns, action films, comedies, and dramas. From the very early days of his career, Eastwood had been frustrated by directors insisting that scenes be re-shot multiple times and perfected, and when he began as a director in 1971, he made a conscious attempt to avoid any aspects of directing he had been indifferent to as an actor. As a result, Eastwood is renowned for his efficient film directing and to reduce filming time and to keep budgets under control.

As seen through the eyes of Hoover himself, J. Edgar explores the personal and public life and relationships of a man who could distort the truth as easily as he upheld it during a life devoted to his own idea of justice, often...

May31st is Memorial Day, but film fans might find another reason to celebrate, as it also happens to be Clint Eastwood's birthday. The granddaddy of all that is cool, quiet, and badass is turning 80 years old today. 80 years old. Ponder that for awhile, because it seems incredible, particularly since he's still as sharp, smart, and hardworking as ever. Sexy too! He may be 80 but he still has that incredible rakish smile, all the better because it was so rarely used on film.

After you're done honoring the sacrifices of our troops (don't think I mean that glibly), you might want to take two hours and celebrate Mr. Eastwood's birthday. TCM is hosting a marathon of Eastwood movies, beginning with his fresh-faced debut in The First Traveling Saleslady, continuing on through his trilogy with Sergio Leone, and finishing up with Magnum Force. Airing between is Richard Schickel's documentary The Eastwood Factor,...

The actor and director is entering his ninth decade, What accounts for his astonishing professional longevity?

Gallery: 80 years of Clint in 80 pictures

Directors may occasionally be shown respect, perhaps even asked for their autograph, in America, but no one actually likes them. People may admire or envy James Cameron or Steven Spielberg or Francis Ford Coppola or Martin Scorsese, and a significantly smaller group of filmgoers may look forward to Woody Allen's next outing, but they don't have much of an emotional connection with them. This is what makes Clint Eastwood's career so singular.

Because he started out as an actor, and very quickly became an actor that a large segment of the population positively adored, in the same way that they adored Jimmy Cagney and Cary Grant and both Hepburns, Eastwood has long benefited from a personal relationship with the American people that no other living director can even dream of.

Daring American stuntman who often doubled for Tony Curtis and starred in the TV series The High Chaparral

Among the many unsung heroes of film history are those individuals who make actors seem more athletic and daring than they could possibly be. Although the raison d'etre of his profession is invisibility, the stuntman and stunts co-ordinator Robert Hoy, who has died of cancer aged 82, was one of the few whose name and face have emerged from anonymity.

As well as enjoying a long career as a stuntman – he continued into his 60s – Hoy, an expert horseman, appeared in more than 150 films and television series in small parts. One of his largest roles was the ranch-hand Joe Butler in 62 episodes of The High Chaparral from 1967 to 1971. With his thick black moustache, dark hair and sideboards, and invariably wearing a blue shirt, Hoy made Butler into a hard-riding, hard-fighting, hard-drinking masculine figure,...

Clint Eastwood has been a Warner Brothers staple for 35 years and this new box set celebrates that fact. He started at the studio with 1968.s Where Eagles Dare and recently completed his 36th film for the studio, Invictus. Invictus hasn.t made it onto home video just yet so it is absent from this set. What you do get is a nineteen disc set that contains Where Eagles Dare, Kelly's Heroes, Dirty Harry, Magnum Force, The Enforcer, The Outlaw Josey Wales, The Gauntlet, Every Which Way But Loose, Bronco Billy, Any Which Way You Can, Honkytonk Man, Firefox, Sudden Impact, City Heat, Tightrope, Pale Rider, Heartbreak Ridge, Bird, The Dead Pool, Pink Cadillac, White Hunter, Black Heart,...

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Clint Eastwood - 35 Films, 35 Years This massive collection contains 35 of Eastwood's films, all of which are listed directly below. The set is priced at $129.99 at Amazon right now.

Where Eagles Dare, Kelly's Heroes, Dirty Harry, Magnum Force, The Enforcer, The Outlaw Josey Wales, The Gauntlet, Every Which Way But Loose, Bronco Billy, Any Which Way You Can, Honkytonk Man, Firefox, Sudden Impact, City Heat, Tightrope, Pale Rider, Heartbreak Ridge, Bird, The Dead Pool, Pink Cadillac, White Hunter, Black Heart, The Rookie, Unforgiven, A Perfect World, The Bridges of Madison County, Absolute Power, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, True Crime, Space Cowboys, Blood Work, Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby, Letters from Iwo Jima and Gran Torino.

The special features are listed as: The Eastwood Factor - an intimate short film from Richard Schickel offering a rare personal...

On February 16, 2010, Warner Bros. is planning to release a 19-disc collection of 35 films that were either acted, directed, or both, by Clint Eastwood. The package is entitled “Clint Eastwood: 35 Films, 35 Years at Warner Bros.,” and will contain features that span from 1968’s Where Eagles Dare to last year’s Gran Torino. The 35th film will be a short documentary by film critic Richard Schickel called “The Eastwood Factor,” which is a play on the original title for Invictus, which was “The Human Factor.”

“I’ve known Clint for most of the time he’s been at Warner Bros.,” said Schickel. “I was fortunate to be able to wander around the Warner lot with him and hear his reminiscences. To be able to show him in the places where he works and lives and feels most comfortable is, I think, a unique opportunity.”

The package has a beginning price of...

So you've got The Dirty Harry Collection, The Man with No Name Trilogy and maybe one of the other previously released Clint Eastwood DVD box sets, but still you need more. More Clint. Well, you must be feeling pretty lucky, punk, because Warner Brothers have just announced plans to release a rather insane collection of Clint Eastwood's films early next year. Clint Eastwood: 35 Films 35 Years at Warner Bros will be a 19-disc set that covers all of his movies released through Warner Brothers between 1968 and 2008, starting with Where Eagles Dare and ending with Gran Torino. This is the kind of thing you usually only see years after someone has passed away, but we all know that Eastwood is still going strong. It's too bad they couldn't get this thing ready in time for Christmas though because I'm sure a lot of dads would probably love to see this under their tree.

If you're lucky enough to be graced with cash or gift cards this Christmas, and you have a big hole on your DVD shelf where Clint Eastwood ought to be, Warner Bros will be happy to help you out. On February 16 they're releasing a massive, 19-disc collection Clint Eastwood: 35 Films, 35 Years at Warner Bros that celebrates the actor / director / producer. Included will be a booklet and a feature length documentary by Richard Schickel. The retail price will be a hefty $179.98.

Warners didn't release a complete list of those 35 films, but it spans the tender years of Where Eagles Dare all the way to 2008's Gran Torino. I imagine there will be some crossover with what you already own, like the entire Dirty Harry collection and The Outlaw Josey Wales. But most of his output from the late 1970s onward was done at Warner Bros, so all those films you've...

American TV/film actor Sam Bottoms has died of a brain tumour, aged 53.

He passed away on Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles, California.

Bottoms, with his older brothers Timothy and Joseph, and younger brother, Ben, made regular appearances in both movies and TV shows during the 1970s - notably Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 film Apocalypse Now.

His first film credit was in 1971's The Last Picture Show, prompting a long line of commercial and TV stints including a role in 1981 mini-series East of Eden.

Bottoms' later film credits include Bronco Billy, directed by Clint Eastwood, Gardens of Stone, directed by Coppola, and most recently, 2003's Seabiscuit, alongside Tobey Maguire, in which he played an assistant trainer.

In addition to his three brothers, Bottoms is survived by his parents, James and Elizabeth Chapman Bottoms, his second wife, Laura Conde Bickford, a film producer; and two daughters from his first marriage, Clara and Io. Laura Bickford[/link]...