comment #1

Mgmax says ...

Yeah, that sounds a lot more plausible coming from an American action star... whose last movie was in Japanese with subtitles.

Westerns are well suited to Eastwood's age, but cop movies, naah.

comment #2

Unison says ...

That certainly makes sense than the Dirty Old Harry rumors... Why on earth Clint would put a popcorn movie up against a presumed Oscar contender like Changeling?

A one-two punch of two baity movies makes a lot more sense, though, and this subject matter sounds like a natural progression of sorts after Flags/Iwo Jima.

comment #3

actionman says ...

It sounds like a nice film but I wish he was making a Dirty Harry film. Still, I'll see anything Clint puts his name on.

comment #4

Jay T. says ...

Yeah, this makes more sense. I was actually surprised you bothered posting that AICN bullshit. They're about as reliable as a fictional reporter for the Baltimore Sun.

comment #5

wayne76 says ...

I'll confess to being a little excited at the thought of another Dirty Harry film, but this premise is pretty fantastic.

comment #6

TheJeff says ...

"a rural bigot who finds his outlook on life changed after a family of Hmong immigrants move in to the home next to his own, striking up a friendship with Tao, the family's teenaged son"

Eastwood is doing a live-action version of "King of the Hill?"

comment #7

alynch says ...

I still can't believe that Eastwood is allowed to have two movies coming out within a month of each other from two different studios. You'd think that one of the studios would step in and say "Hey, we don't want you competing against your other movie."

comment #8

Bocephus says ...

I like this idea a lot better. Eastwood is an original, why would he so blatantly rip off Stalllone's current (successful) tactic?

comment #9

Joel says ...

Is it going to be set in Wausau?

comment #10

Rich S. says ...

It's too bad the Gran Torino was such a POS. It was woefully underpowered for its weight. Starsky's version looked cool, but I suspect it was used because they could get a thousand of them from Ford for promotional consideration.

comment #11

gunder says ...

I have credible inside information that tells me Gran Torino is actually a BIG LEBOWSKI sequel and it's about salvaging The Dude's car. Hence, the title Gran Torino. Eastwood plays a Willie Nelson-esque folk singer who joins Dude on his journey.

comment #12

echoes14 says ...

Joel, i think there are more here in the twin cities.

comment #13

MeandMyselfandI says ...

Ford was the contracted supplier of cars to the S&H show, so that's why Starsky had a Torino. The creator had wanted a Camaro. It was underpowered because they only had the standard engine and the actors hated it. Paul M. Glaser said it looked like a striped tomato, hence the running joke throughout the series. He drove it into the curb as much as possible.

comment #14

shermy says ...

This sounds like a far more likely plotline. Unfortunately, it's still not an official announcement.

Meanwhile, Darkhorizons points out the following story, which claims to have verified the Dirty Harry rumor with a contact inside Malpaso: http://www.movieweb.com/news/81/27481.php

Then there's this, albeit less trustworthy, tidbit, which reiterates the idea that Eastwood wants to make one last action film: http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/world-news/eastwood-to-return-as-dirty-harry_10029745.html

The problem is that both theories make sense when you look at Eastwood's career. The first is obviously what you'd expect from his recent output. He has devoted the last five years to directing Oscar-nominated films. But as much as everyone would like for him to only be an award-winning filmmaker from here on out, his career is far greater than his recent achievements.

Once you look at his entire output over a span of 40+ years, the second rumor could easily be just as true. One glimpse at his filmography reveals two key things: Eastwood has always enjoyed variety, and has built his entire career on intelligent, adult action films.

He followed Unforgiven- one of his greatest triumphs- with an action film (In The Line of Fire). And prior to his recent Oscar run, he made an unconventional crowd pleaser (Space Cowboys) and a relatively routine action thriller (Blood Work).

After five serious films in a row, he's certainly due for a change of pace- if his past career is any indication. Unforgiven allowed him to cap his western career on a high note, but his previous cop films have disappointed (The Rookie; Blood Work). It's entirely possible that he wants to provide both his career and his fans with one last, great, crowd-pleasing action film.

And if anyone has earned the right to go out with a bang, it's Clint Eastwood.

comment #15

Josh Massey says ...

We're already getting serious Clint this year.

I want Dirty Harry VI.

comment #16

p.Vice says ...

This sounds 100 times worse than another Dirty Harry movie directed by fucking Buddy Van Horn. Clint as a bigot? I bet he'll be the kind of bigot that squints a lot and get really cantankerous before figgerin' out those slopes ain't such bad folk after all.

comment #17

BurmaShave says ...

Just remember, not to be morbid, but for a man of Eastwood's age every film he makes could certainly be his last. You guys really want DIRTY HARRY VI to be potentially his final work?

If you're jonesing for Harry Callahan I can't imagine it'll be much longer until we're given a horrifying remake. Appreciate his late period, which has been perhaps the most impressive for a Actor/Director in at least a generation. I would put MILLION DOLLAR BABY and LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA up against almost anything of this time period. This plot of GRAN TORINO sounds like it could be wonderful.

Just out of curiousity who does anyone think could step into Harry Callahan's shoes, or into a reimagined(god I hate that word) DIRTY HARRY?

comment #18

shermy says ...

"I would put MILLION DOLLAR BABY and LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA up against almost anything of this time period."

But truthfully, Clint has always made pretty high quality films. 20 years from now, it will still be stuff like Dirty Harry and The Outlaw Josey Wales that defines his career. I've thoroughly enjoyed his recent output, but I don't automatically place it higher than his best work from the previous four decades. His recent films may be new, shiny, and popular to praise, but there's something to be said for the iconic side of the actor as well.

I'd be genuinely shocked if he were really starring in another Dirty Harry film, but that doesn't mean I'd look down upon it if it were true. I'm not sure why everyone acts as though it would be nothing more than a mindless action film. It might actually be interesting to see how someone as politically-incorrect as Dirty Harry would fit into our current society. And I could easily see Eastwood finding a place for actors like Morgan Freeman, Gene Hackman, James Woods, Ed Harris, etc. in the film. In fact, once you begin looking at it from that angle, it suddenly doesn't sound too bad at all.

But even if I wouldn't want that to be his final starring role, I can't say I'd want this new "Torino" plot to be it, either. For some reason, it evokes for me something like Robert Redford's "An Unfinished Life". I'm sure Clint could develop it into a good movie- it just wouldn't be my first choice. We already have The Changeling and The Human Factor to represent Eastwood's dramatic chops. I'd be lying if I said that the idea of him returning to his more crowd-pleasing side didn't excite me more than a little. After all, it is a formula that he has employed throughout his entire career.