AFI Awards: Top 10 Movies of 2008
On Sunday, December 14, American Film Institute (AFI) have announced their selections for the top ten of most outstanding motion pictures in 2008. Among those making it on the list are two of the summer’s blockbuster comic book adaptations, “Iron Man“and “The Dark Knight“.
AFI’s Top 10 Movies of 2008:
- “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
- “The Dark Knight”
- “Frost/Nixon”
- “Frozen River”
- “Gran Torino”
- “Iron Man”
- “Milk”
- “Wall-E”
- “Wendy and Lucy”
- “The Wrestler”
Much buzzed-about movies like “Revolutionary Road“, “The Reader” and “Doubt” were noticeably absent, along with the National Board of Review and British Independent Film Award winner “Slumdog Millionaire.” Continue Reading…
Oscar Buzz – Gran Torino And Two TV Spots
Warner Brothers recently debuted two short TV spots for “Gran Torino” and here they are. You can also see some images from the movie.
Movie critics were not so thrilled by Clint Eastwood’s “Changeling,” but numerous early reviews of “Gran Torino” put Eastwood’s second movie in 2008 into Oscar consideration.
In “Gran Torino” Eastwood plays Walt Kowalski, an iron-willed veteran living in a changing world, who is forced by his immigrant neighbors to confront his own long-held prejudices.
Australia, Seven Pounds, Soul Men, Gran Torino Posters
Check out some new posters for Baz Luhrmann’s “Australia” starring Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman (November 26, 2008), Will Smith’s “Seven Pounds” (December 19, 2008), “Soul Men” and Clint Eastwood’s “Gran Torino.”
Great Clint Eastwood’s “Gran Torino” Trailer
The trailer for the upcoming Clint Eastwood movie “Gran Torino” is currently playing in front of Eastwood’s “Changeling” which will opens in US cinemas.
In “Gran Torino” Eastwood plays Walt Kowalski, an iron-willed veteran living in a changing world, who is forced by his immigrant neighbors to confront his own long-held prejudices.
Eastwood is producing, directing and even composing music for movies at an age when other filmmakers would be retired. The screenplay was written by newcomer Nick Schenk (I Shot Myself) with story assistance from first-timer Dave Johannson. Warner Brothers has scheduled a limited December 17th release for Gran Torino, which puts Eastwood and company into Oscar consideration again. Continue Reading…
Eastwood’s “Gran Torino”
The last Clint Eastwood’s appearances on-screen was four years ago as the boxing manager in “Million Dollar Baby,” which earned him an Oscar nomination for best actor.
He’s back again in “Gran Torino” in which stars as Walt Kowalski – a racist Korean War veteran.
His Gran Torino character is Walt Kowalski, a racist Korean War veteran whose prized possession is a classic car that catches the eye of local gangs in his Detroit neighborhood. One of the troubled kids who covets the vehicle is from a family of Hmong immigrant neighbors, whom Kowalski has long resented. The story comes down to two objects … his 1972 Ford muscle car and his M-1 rifle. … He worked on the line in the Ford plant and retired and had this one car he bought himself. It’s sort of a symbol of his days with the Ford plant. The M-1 is sort of a symbol of his days in the military. … He’s clinging to the memory of the war. … The young kid, as part of a gang initiation, tries to steal it, and the old guy gets him at the end of the M-1, which becomes kind of a big deal … The kid has to do penance because of the pride of the Asian group. They make him do penance. He has to come over, and the old guy doesn’t want anything to do with him, doesn’t want him anywhere around. … The fastest way to rid himself of the boy, Kowalski decides, is to cooperate.
Eastwood is producing, directing and even composing music for movies at an age when other filmmakers would be retired.
At 78, Eastwood can still look furious as this new teaser poster shows. “Well, I’m older now. It’s easier to look angrier when you’re an old guy,” he tells USA Today with a laugh.
“It’s got a lot of twists and turns in the story,” indicating some darker moments. “It also has some good laughs.”
The first trailer for “Gran Torino” can be seen this weekend before Eastwood’s “Changeling,” while “Gran Torino” opens on December 17th, 2008.
No More Dirty Harry – Confirmed
Clint Eastwood confirmed there will be no more Dirty Harry films, which presumably means his newest film, Gran Torino, will not star everyone’s favorite badass cop.
Asked whether it’s true that we’ll see more of Dirty Harry, Eastwood said definitively,
“That is not correct.” Angelina Jolie then quipped,
“I am!” and Eastwood fired back with a laugh,
“Yeah, Dirty Harriet, starring Tomb Raider.”
Eastwood said that for one thing, he’s just too old to be believably playing the role of a working cop at this point, and that while he enjoyed the role and saying “do I feel lucky?” he’s more interested in being behind the camera at this point than in front of it, which is just where he is now at this point in his career.
