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If you're Clint Eastwood and you're thinking of leaving the action genre after decades of being one of the most recognizable and celebrated movie heroes of all time, you better make sure you go out with a bang. Luckily, Eastwood's last action movie role has a 96% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Now, in fairness, the famed actor would go on to star in movies that had their share of action, but 1993's "In the Line of Fire" felt like the last fully-fledged Clint Eastwood actioner, and it's a doozy.

After winning Best Picture and Best Director at the 1993 Oscars for "Unforgiven," Eastwood returned to the director's chair with "A Perfect World," his highly anticipated directorial follow-up to "Unforgiven" which debuted in November that same year. The Kevin Costner-led crime drama was yet another critical hit for Eastwood, but it wasn't quite the box office success that "In the Line of Fire,...

If you feel like watching a political thriller this Independence Day, Pluto TV has you covered — and they'll even let you stream it for free. In the Line of Fire, the critically acclaimed 1993 movie starring Clint Eastwood as a Secret Service agent and John Malkovich as a would-be presidential assassin, is coming to the Fast streamer starting on July 1.

The movie was the brainchild of producer Jeff Apple (The Recruit), who was inspired by a childhood memory of seeing Lyndon Johnson surrounded by Secret Service agents. Apple commissioned writer Jeff Maguire (Escape to Victory) to pen the script, which was eventually directed by Das Boot's Wolfgang Petersen, who would tackle Presidential action again a few years later in Air Force One. The movie was one of the first to use digital effects: footage of Eastwood from the 1960s was digitized and inserted into old news footage to depict his character's early career.

Has there ever been a more iconic big-screen presence than Clint Eastwood? I’d be hard-pressed to name one, as while others like Sean Connery, Harrison Ford, and maybe Humphrey Bogart and John Wayne – if you go old school – can compare, there’s a lot more to Eastwood than anyone else. How so? Well, while most of his contemporaries were happy just to act in their films, Eastwood became the auteur of his work, directing many of his post-The Outlaw Josey Wales vehicles. When he opted to semi-retire from screen acting, he was able to carry on as a director, and in fact, despite being well into his nineties, he’s still directing movies, with his recent Juror No 2 being a little gem.

However, when In the Line of Fire was made in 1993, Eastwood was at something of a crossroads in his career. For the thirty years prior, starting...

Dwayne Johnson is now one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood thanks to the likes of the Jumanji franchise, the Fast and Furious franchise, and more. However, this was not always the case, with the former WWE star having starred in several projects as he slowly climbed the ladder up to the tippy top of the A-list. One such movie was the sports drama Gridiron Gang, which is now available to stream for free.

Released back in 2006, the sports movie was directed by Phil Joanou and finds Dwayne Johnson in the lead alongside Xzibit, Kevin Dunn, Leon Rippy and L. Scott Caldwell. Loosely based on the inspirational true story of Camp Kilpatrick, a juvenile detention camp in L.A. County, and the creation of the camp's American football team, the Kilpatrick Mustangs, in the 1990 season. Gridiron Gang is now streaming for free on Tubi, and you can check out the official synopsis below.

The drama and intrigue of an attempt on a president’s life gripped moviegoers when In the Line of Fire debuted 31 years ago.

The thriller from director Wolfgang Petersen (Air Force One) stars Clint Eastwood as Frank Horrigan, an aging Secret Service agent tormented over his inability to stop President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. Frank finds himself in a battle of wits with a former CIA agent (John Malkovich) intent on killing the current president.

Producer Jeff Apple was drawn to the idea of a Secret Service film based on a high school memory of seeing President Lyndon B. Johnson in person in Miami in 1965. “These guys jump out of the car with dark glasses and dark suits, and I was so amazed,” Apple tells The Hollywood Reporter.

During the early 1980s, he reached out to Robert Snow, then-deputy director of the Secret Service, who offered guidance and later...

In the vast tapestry of Oscar history, specific years define instants of talents converging to produce a constellation of extraordinary performances. 1993 was one such epoch when the best supporting actor lineup at the 66th Academy Awards ceremony showcased an assembly of unparalleled depth. The roster included Leonardo DiCaprio for “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape,” Ralph Fiennes for “Schindler’s List,” John Malkovich for “In the Line of Fire,” Pete Postlethwaite for “In the Name of the Father,” and ultimate victor, Tommy Lee Jones for “The Fugitive.”

Looking back on the 30th anniversary of Warner Bros’ taut thriller, “The Fugitive” from director Andrew Davis, Variety reflects on how Jones’ win anchored one of the single best Oscar lineups of all time.

Each nominated actor found themselves in unique career positions and created unforgettable characters that have left indelible marks in cinema. Any of them could have won the category and would stand tall...

Hollywood has always loved tales of redemption -- the poor, downtrodden or otherwise disenfranchised finding their true value with the help of an inspirational mentor. Sometimes the formula works. Unfortunately in "Gridiron Gang", Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is about as inspirational as a yawn.

A true story, based on an award-winning documentary, about Inner City kids in juvenile detention who come together to forge a winning football team, is great material, but the film never catches fire. With rabid interest in the new football season and a major marketing blitz by Sony, the film could score a few early touchdowns in its first weekend but should tail off quickly after that.

Johnson plays Sean Porter, a dedicated probation officer at Camp Kilpatrick, the last stop for teenage gang members and violent offenders before the state locks them up with adults.

Frustrated by the frequency with which the kids return to the camp after being released, he imagines that by creating a football team he can instill discipline and a sense of self-worth in his charges. In other words, he's a man on a mission, and he's got plenty of work to do.

First, he must get the institution to go along with his plan. That means convincing reluctant camp director Paul Higa (Leon Rippy) and his assistant Dexter (Kevin Dunn) that it can work, and then finding other high school coaches willing to compete against convicted felons.

Then he has to put the team together. These kids, most of them from the Los Angles area, and many from rival gangs, already live in an environment of distrust and hatred.

His main reclamation project is Willie Weathers (Jade Yorker), a surly youth who killed his mother's boyfriend after losing his cousin in a drive-by shooting. Then there's his gang nemesis Kelvin (David Thomas), the angry Samoan Junior Palaita (Setu Taase), the team's water boy and mascot Bug (Brandon Mychal Smith) and the white but-not-too-trashy Kenny Bates (Trever O'Brien). In this sanitized version of street life, none of them are really bad kids, they just made bad choices.

Porter peppers them with uplifting messages about grit and determination and not being losers anymore. And -- surprise, surprise -- after numerous hardships and disappointments, the Mustangs, as they are called, become a self-respecting team that wins enough games to make it to the regional championship.

Director Phil Joanou, making his first feature in seven years, does a nice job giving the film a gritty, lived-in quality (much of the picture was shot at the real Camp Kilpatrick in the Santa Monica Mountains), and the football sequences, coached by Alan Graf, look and sound like The Real Thing. But screenwriter Jeff Maguire hasn't given them enough to work with.

The characters all have back stories -- Porter's mother is dying and he hates his father; Weathers is trying to go straight and win back his girlfriend; Junior longs to be reunited with his 2-year-old -- but not the depth to make them seem like anything more than types.

At an unbelievable 126 minutes, the film is bloated with story; too many things happen, mostly setbacks, to allow the movie to gather any momentum and soar, as this kind of picture must do to succeed. But Johnson is the real problem because the film is built around him. He is the latest in a long line of muscular hunks who don't so much emote as deliver lines. But in fairness, it is not easy to sell dialogue like, "accept this challenge and I promise you, you'll be winners."

Lensing by Jeff Cutter, production design by Floyd Albee, editing by Joel Negron and other tech credits are good enough to draw you into the film; unfortunately, there's nothing to keep you there.

GRIDIRON GANG

Sony Pictures

Columbia Pictures presents in association with Relativity Media an Original Film production

Credits:

Director: Phil Joanou

Screenwriter: Jeff Maguire

Executive producers: Michael Rachmil, Shane Stanley, Ryan Kavanaugh, Lynwood

Spinks

Producers: Neal H. Moritz, Lee Stanley

Director of photography: Jeff Cutter

Production designer: Floyd Albee

Music: Trevor Rabin

Co-producer: Amanda Cohen

Costume designer: Sanja Milkovic Hays

Editor: Joel Negron. Cast: Coach Sean Porter: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson

Malcolm Moore: Xzibit

Ted Dexter: Kevin Dunn

Paul Higa: Leon Rippy

Willie Weathers: Jade Yorker

Kenny Bates: Trever O'Brien

Bug: Brandon Mychal Smith

Leon Hayes: Mo

Kelvin Owens: David Thomas

Junior Palaita: Setu Taase

Donald Madlock: James Earl III

Jamal Evans: Jamal Mixon

Danyelle Rollins: Jurnee Smollett

MPAA rating PG-13

Running time -- 126 minutes...

Hollywood has always loved tales of redemption -- the poor, downtrodden or otherwise disenfranchised finding their true value with the help of an inspirational mentor. Sometimes the formula works. Unfortunately in Gridiron Gang, Dwayne The Rock Johnson is about as inspirational as a yawn.

A true story, based on an award-winning documentary, about inner city kids in juvenile detention who come together to forge a winning football team, is great material, but the film never catches fire. With rabid interest in the new football season and a major marketing blitz by Sony, the film could score a few early touchdowns in its first weekend but should tail off quickly after that.

Johnson plays Sean Porter, a dedicated probation officer at Camp Kilpatrick, the last stop for teenage gang members and violent offenders before the state locks them up with adults.

Frustrated by the frequency with which the kids return to the camp after being released, he imagines that by creating a football team he can instill discipline and a sense of self-worth in his charges. In other words, he's a man on a mission, and he's got plenty of work to do.

First, he must get the institution to go along with his plan. That means convincing reluctant camp director Paul Higa (Leon Rippy) and his assistant Dexter (Kevin Dunn) that it can work, and then finding other high school coaches willing to compete against convicted felons.

Then he has to put the team together. These kids, most of them from the Los Angles area, and many from rival gangs, already live in an environment of distrust and hatred.

His main reclamation project is Willie Weathers (Jade Yorker), a surly youth who killed his mother's boyfriend after losing his cousin in a drive-by shooting. Then there's his gang nemesis Kelvin (David Thomas), the angry Samoan Junior Palaita (Setu Taase), the team's water boy and mascot Bug (Brandon Mychal Smith) and the white but-not-too-trashy Kenny Bates (Trever O'Brien). In this sanitized version of street life, none of them are really bad kids, they just made bad choices.

Porter peppers them with uplifting messages about grit and determination and not being losers anymore. And -- surprise, surprise -- after numerous hardships and disappointments, the Mustangs, as they are called, become a self-respecting team that wins enough games to make it to the regional championship.

Director Phil Joanou, making his first feature in seven years, does a nice job giving the film a gritty, lived-in quality (much of the picture was shot at the real Camp Kilpatrick in the Santa Monica Mountains), and the football sequences, coached by Alan Graf, look and sound like The Real Thing. But screenwriter Jeff Maguire hasn't given them enough to work with.

The characters all have back stories -- Porter's mother is dying and he hates his father; Weathers is trying to go straight and win back his girlfriend; Junior longs to be reunited with his 2-year-old -- but not the depth to make them seem like anything more than types.

At an unbelievable 126 minutes, the film is bloated with story; too many things happen, mostly setbacks, to allow the movie to gather any momentum and soar, as this kind of picture must do to succeed. But Johnson is the real problem because the film is built around him. He is the latest in a long line of muscular hunks who don't so much emote as deliver lines. But in fairness, it is not easy to sell dialogue like, "accept this challenge and I promise you, you'll be winners."

Lensing by Jeff Cutter, production design by Floyd Albee, editing by Joel Negron and other tech credits are good enough to draw you into the film; unfortunately, there's nothing to keep you there.

GRIDIRON GANG

Sony Pictures

Columbia Pictures presents in association with Relativity Media an Original Film production

Credits:

Director: Phil Joanou

Screenwriter: Jeff Maguire

Executive producers: Michael Rachmil, Shane Stanley, Ryan Kavanaugh, Lynwood

Spinks

Producers: Neal H. Moritz, Lee Stanley

Director of photography: Jeff Cutter

Production designer: Floyd Albee

Music: Trevor Rabin

Co-producer: Amanda Cohen

Costume designer: Sanja Milkovic Hays

Editor: Joel Negron. Cast: Coach Sean Porter: Dwayne The Rock Johnson

Malcolm Moore: Xzibit

Ted Dexter: Kevin Dunn

Paul Higa: Leon Rippy

Willie Weathers: Jade Yorker

Kenny Bates: Trever O'Brien

Bug: Brandon Mychal Smith

Leon Hayes: Mo

Kelvin Owens: David Thomas

Junior Palaita: Setu Taase

Donald Madlock: James Earl III

Jamal Evans: Jamal Mixon

Danyelle Rollins: Jurnee Smollett

MPAA rating PG-13

Running time -- 126 minutes...

Xzibit is in final negotiations to join Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in Columbia Pictures' upcoming drama Gridiron Gang. Xzibit will play Malcolm, assistant coach of the team in the film, which was inspired by a 1993 documentary and follows a probation officer (Johnson) who forms a football team of juvenile inmates. The players overcome huge obstacles, gain self-esteem and discipline and, in one season, go from brawling beginners to contenders for the division title. Jeff Maguire wrote the screenplay. Neal Moritz is producing through his Original Film banner together with the documentary makers Lee Stanley and Shane Stanley. Phil Joanou is directing. Filming is scheduled to begin at the end of May at Camp Kilpatrick, a juvenile detention facility in the Santa Monica Mountains. Xzibit will next be seen in XXX: State of the Union and Derailed. His past credits include 8 Mile and The Chronicles of Riddick. Xzibit is repped by CAA.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has signed on to star in Gridiron Gang. The Columbia Pictures project is based on a true story about a group of teenagers at a juvenile detention center who gain confidence and self-respect when their counselor puts them on a football team. Jeff Maguire is writing the script. The story was made into a documentary in 1993, which was directed by Lee Stanley, who will produce with Original Film. Matt Tolmach will oversee along with Rachel O'Connor for the studio. Amanda Cohen is overseeing development for Original. The film will be shot in Camp Kilpatrick, the Los Angeles County Probation Department facility where the story takes place. Johnson most recently appeared in Walking Tall. Maguire's credits include Timeline and In the Line of Fire. Johnson and Maguire are repped by UTA.

Opens

Wednesday, Nov. 26

Time machines certainly aren't what they used to be. The one in "Timeline" conveys our bumbling heroes into a medieval world, where they change history with nearly every hiccup and someone actually agonizes over killing a man who has in fact been dead for 650 years. "Timeline" is a glorious so-bad-it's-good entertainment that, whatever audiences' initial reaction is in its theatrical run, should prove a hit in home entertainment. This is definitely a movie to which you want to talk back or, even better, supply alternative dialogue.

While it may be surprising that such a corny/fun movie would come from tentpole director Richard Donner working from a novel by Michael Crichton, who usually nails the scientific-fiction stuff, one is grateful for such an unpretentious diversion prior to all the solemn and sometimes downright gloomy holiday films. "Timeline" is harmless fun with a game cast in the grand tradition of '50s B movies that don't seem to realize how funny their dialogue is. ("We'll be back before you know it!" says one cheerful soul as he steps into a time machine ready to blast him back to the 14th century.)

The story goes like this: Once upon a time -- so to speak -- a team of student archeologists are happily digging in the ruins of La Roque Castle in France's Dordogne Valley under the direction of chummy Professor Johnston (Billy Connolly). The fortress is the site of a famous battle between the French and English in 1357. This crew includes the professor's son Chris (Paul Walker), who digs fellow student Kate (Frances O'Connor), which is where his interest in digging ends; enthusiastic assistant professor Andre (Gerard Butler); the passionate Stern (Ethan Embry);

and a quiet Frenchman named Francois (Rossif Sutherland).

Only something is not right. The professor is disturbed by the prescient suggestions coming from the dig's sponsor, an ominous corporation in New Mexico. Determined to get to the bottom of the corporation's unusual interest in this dig, the professor jets off to headquarters and isn't heard from again. Then the students unearth a chamber sealed for 600 years only to discover a plea for help dated April 2, 1357, from ... Professor Johnston.

Demanding an explanation from the ominous corporation, the students also are flown to New Mexico, where the top scientist (David Thewlis) fesses up: A while ago, in an attempt to devise a machine to transmit 3-D objects through space much as one would send a fax, his scientists inadvertently discovered a "wormhole" in space that leads directly to La Roque Castle in 1357. When the professor learned of this, he insisted that they "fax" him back in time to have a look around. He never returned.

So his students immediately form a 21st century rescue party to go fetch the professor. The group, accompanied by a couple of henchmen from the ominous corporation, make up some strange rules such as no modern weaponry, which would have really come in handy. Each wears an amulet of some sort around his neck that, when you rub it, whisks you back to present day. The ominous scientists tell the rescue party they can only last six hours in the past.

Once deposited in 1357, they make a botch of nearly everything. Two in the party are immediately killed by marauding English troops. Others get themselves captured, and one henchman, who rubs his amulet as arrows pierce his body, whisks himself back to 2003. Only he cheated by bring a grenade with him. It blows up, damaging the time machine and thus stranding the rest of the crew in 1357.

Meanwhile, the contempo crew finds themselves caught up in the siege of Castle La Roque. No worries, chimes one optimist, they can lick these medieval knights because they have "600 years of knowledge" on the warriors. A moment later, one student picks up a rock to attack a knight. So much for 600 years of knowledge.

For some reason, the time travelers decide that the French are the good guys and the English the bad, thereby blowing any chance of "Timeline" getting a White House screening. Yet every strategy proves disastrous. Worse, they keep tampering with history. Andre, for instance, falls in love with Lady Claire (Anna Friel) and is determined to save her from her fate despite the fact that her death will lead to a French victory. Meanwhile, Professor Johnston promises to give to the English forces "Greek fire" -- whatever that is -- to tip the battle in their favor.

Donner paces the action briskly and seems unaware or simply unperturbed by the campy dialogue supplied by Crichton's adapters -- writers Jeff Maguire and George Nolfi. Similarly, the actors tear into these thin roles with a passion worthy of Shakespeare. Walker is stiff and earnest as befits a '50s matinee hero, while O'Connor and Friel smile sweetly but prove their mettle when action is afoot. Michael Sheen has fun with the haughty English lord. Lambert Wilson is his fire-breathing French adversary.

The film's technical credits look very cost-conscious but get the job done nicely. The best things in the movie are Caleb Deschanel's colorful, atmospheric cinematography and the film's portrait of how a medieval army lays siege to an enemy fortress.

TIMELINE

Paramount Pictures

Paramount Pictures, Mutual Film Co. and Cobalt Media Group present

A Donners Co./Artists Production Group production

Credits:

Director: Richard Donner

Screenwriters: Jeff Maguire, George Nolfi

Based on the novel by: Michael Crichton

Producers: Lauren Shuler Donner, Jim Van Wyck, Richard Donner

Executive producers: Michael Ovitz, Gary Levinsohn, Don Grander

Director of photography: Caleb Deschanel

Production designer: Daniel T. Dorrance

Music: Brian Tyler

Costume designer: Jenny Beavan

Editor: Richard Marks

Cast:

Chris: Paul Walker

Kate: Frances O'Connor

Andre Marek: Gerard Butler

Professor Johnston: Billy Connolly

Robert Doniger: David Thewlis

Lady Claire: Anna Friel

Frank Gordon: Neal McDonough

Steven Kramer: Matt Craven

Stern: Ethan Embry

Running time -- 116 minutes

MPAA rating PG-13...