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Clint Eastwood has been pretty vocal about his politics, although his support for the two parties has been varied. While he is reportedly registered as a Libertarian, many have considered his views to be more conservative and have attributed them to right-wing politics. Eastwood has had a political career, as he served as the mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea.

However, his political leanings have reportedly trickled down to his work as well. In the movie Tightrope, he reportedly vetoed the director’s suggestion of casting Jane Fonda in a supporting role as he did not agree with her politics. Fonda has been quite vocal about her political leanings, too, talking about climate action and was even arrested for the same.

Clint Eastwood rejected Jane Fonda’s casting in Tightrope due to her politics Clint Eastwood in Tightrope | Credits: Warner Bros.

Clint Eastwood is a prolific filmmaker who has been appreciated for his work ethic,...

There are two ways of looking at Clint Eastwood's 1980s. One is to view them as an enshrinement. Eastwood turned 50 at the outset of the decade, and the movies were either mainstream-skewing victory laps or thoughtful departures; the star wasn't above coasting, but he made sure to carve out some time for personal projects about subjects that fascinated him (e.g. the country music drama "Honkytonk Man" and the Charlie Parker biopic "Bird"). Basically, Eastwood could do whatever he wanted at his home studio at Warner Bros., and sometimes he wanted to make "Pink Cadillac."

You can also view Eastwood's '80s as a waste of his time and talent. Of the 11 films he made over that 10-year span, only one was great ("Tightrope"), a few were above-average, and the rest were either misfires or outright garbage. Some argue that he needed the behind-the-camera reps to make his '90s and '00s triumphs,...

Since 1964, Clint Eastwood has been a Hollywood legend, having found stardom by playing the Man With No Name in Sergio Leone's Dollars Trilogy. Taking on a variety of roles, from grizzled cowboys to morally ambiguous detectives, the actor/director has been responsible for some of the most critically acclaimed movies. However, not every one of his movies lands with audiences -- despite some being excellent.

Eastwood has more legendary films under his belt than most actors, from Where Eagles Dare and Kelly's Heroes to Dirty Harry and Unforgiven. Like any actor, however, he has his share of films that, despite being decent stories, didn't make a good impression on audiences or critics. From off-brand dramas to forgotten thrillers, the star has no shortage of underrated movies that are still worth a look.

Cry Macho Was Eastwood's Foray Into the Modern Neo-Western Genre

Director

Clint Eastwood

IMDb Rating

5.7

Cry Macho...

Movie stars are still very much a factor in Hollywood, but they seem a little less special in our social media age. Even those that don't have active accounts on Instagram, TikTok, Bluesky, and the like seem a little more human now that anyone can whip out their smartphone and record, say, Timothée Chalamet popping into a coffee shop for an espresso. We just don't get awestruck by stars the way we used to.

Those of us born before the proliferation of the internet remember a time when stars felt larger than life. Warren Beatty, Barbra Streisand, and Burt Reynolds were like American royalty. When you went to the movies and saw them in a trailer for a new motion picture, you knew you'd be right back in that theater (or one close by) to see that sucker in a few months. And if you were promised two big stars for the price of one,...

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...

Clint Eastwood has been acting since the 1950s, and it's fair to say he's made some underrated gems during that time. Clint first rose to fame with an extended run on TV series Rawhide, but it was the Dollars movie trilogy by Sergio Leone that made him a star. Clint Eastwood Westerns became a subgenre unto themselves, but perhaps more than any other actor, he quickly took control of his own destiny in front of and behind the camera.

Starting with 1971's Play Misty for Me, Clint began to direct his own projects too. Being one of Hollywood's most prolific actors and filmmakers means there has rarely been a year since his breakthrough when he hasn't made a movie. That also means he's made many films that have been neglected or forgotten. Of course, some of those lesser-loved outings - like Pink Cadillac or Clint's worst action movie Blood Work...

If you’re a film fanatic, one book that’s absolutely worth checking out is Quentin Tarantino’s Cinema Speculation (buy it here). On the brilliant Video Archives podcast (which you really should be listening to), Tarantino downplays the autobiographical nature of the book, which is mostly about his reactions to the films that were seminal to him as a child of the seventies. But, along with the film analysis, there’s a lot of interesting, autobiographical material that adds up to a nostalgic depiction of a young film fan coming of age. For a lot of us, it’s tough not to relate.

With that in mind, Tarantino’s formative films are likely different than the ones from those of us who grew up a generation or so later, but every single movie that he mentions is well worth seeking out. Here are five to get started with:

Rolling...

The great director discusses some of his favorite movies with host Josh Olson.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

The Alzheimer Case a.k.a. Memory of a Killer (2003)

Memory (Tbd)

The Protégé (2021)

You Only Live Twice (1967)

Cast A Deadly Spell (1991)

The Mask Of Zorro (1998)

GoldenEye (1995)

Casino Royale (2006)

Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (1969)

Slap Shot (1977) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary

Salt (2010)

Atomic Blonde (2017) – Brian Trenchard-Smith’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing

The Manchurian Candidate (1962) – John Landis’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing

The Manchurian Candidate (2004)

Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957) – John Landis’s trailer commentary

Oliver Twist (1948)

Dr. No (1962) – Brian Trenchard-Smith’s trailer commentary

The Guns Of Navarone (1962)

The Dirty Dozen (1967) – Ed Neumeier’s trailer commentary

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) – John Landis’s trailer commentary, Dennis Cozzalio’s 70mm reissue review

The Spy Who Loved Me...

On the heels of Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club and Weird Science, Anthony Michael Hall was geek cool before Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory knew what pocket protectors were. Anthony Michael Hall was the right actor at the right time, and his performances in those three films would cement him forever as an 80s icon.

The only problem was that Weird Science came out in 1985. Hall was 17 years old and he knew he wanted to have a long career ahead of him. In fact, he said as much when I heard him interviewed at a local film festival that, ironically, Pirates of Silicon Valley was screened at. So, as great as being the star of three John Hughes films probably was, Hall knew that he need to show some range.

Add to this that St. Elmo's Fire also came out in 1985 the pressure for Hall to spread his acting wings probably increased.

Issue #15 of Cinema Retro has just been mailed to all subscribers in North America and territories outside of Europe. As a reminder, this is the last issue of season 5. Subscribers will find a renewal form inside this issue, but you don't need to wait. You can re-subscribe for next season at any time. If you haven't subscribed yet, this is a great chance to enjoy all three issues of the current season - #13, #14 and #15. You will receive them all in one package along with a renewal form should you wish to continue subscribing for next season. 

Here are the highlights of issue #15 :

Lee Marvin Tribute Issue Featuring Rare Unpublished 1974 Interview In Which Marvin Discusses His Key Films; Plus Steve Mori's On-location Report From The Set Of "The Klansman" Starring Marvin, Richard Burton, O.J. Simpson And Luciana Paluzzi - Featuring Unpublished Behind The Scenes Set Photos Taken By Steve.We...

Now Shipping In UK And Europe. Will Ship Soon Everywhere Else! Highlights Include:

Lee Marvin Tribute Issue Featuring Rare Unpublished 1974 Interview In Which Marvin Discusses His Key Films; Plus Steve Mori's On-location Report From The Set Of "The Klansman" Starring Marvin, Richard Burton, O.J. Simpson And Luciana Paluzzi - Featuring Unpublished Behind The Scenes Set Photos Taken By Steve.We Also Feature Steve Saragossi's Tribute To Marvin's Bizarre Crime Classic "Prime Cut"Sir Christopher Lee Recalls The Making Of The Fu Manchu Movies In An Exclusive Interview With John Exshawbruce R. Marshall Interviews Screenwriter Richard Tuggle About The Making Of The Clint Eastwood Crime Classic "Escape From Alcatraz"James Caan'S Exclusive Interview With Steve Saragossi Continues With His Memories Of Making "The Godfather" And The Sci-fi Classic "Rollerball"Sexy Screen Siren Shirley Anne Field Talks To Mark Mawston About Her Remarkable Career And Working With Steve McQueengareth Owen Takes...