EPISODE 10: BOO, PUNK!
Welcome back to Clint-ville eager readers.
Last month we got to dive into Clints musical side, and boy could he play a tune.
As it has been exhausted in this series, the fact remains that Mr. Eastwood can run the gamut with efficiency. And as we learn today, sometimes that even means exploring the weird alleys many “prestigious” men dare not tread.
I’ll be frank, the three films examined for this article are the closest Clint has gone towards the science fiction and horror realm. It is certainly not what you expect from him. Yet in watching them we get to see a part of him that is honestly his most admirable. In an interview, Clint once proclaimed his eagerness to keep learning even in his later years. He boasts rightfully that it allows him to try new things, and while the three films today are not among his mainstream classics, they prove his willingness to say “Fuck it” and move with full force.
So join us as we delve into tales of obsession, the supernatural, and elderly regret in the stars.
PLAY MISTY FOR ME
4 outta 4 Slashers
PLAY MISTY FOR ME is an important picture for Clint, as it marks his directorial debut… and what a debut. MISTY is a straight forward horror film. Many will put this into the thriller barrel to save face (Horror is a dirty word in Hollywood despite it bringing in so much money for them), but I know a horror film when I see one and this is definitely one. The film centers around Clint’s disc jockey character, Dave Garver, who’s one night stand with die hard fan Evelyn (Jessica Walter) turns into a nightmare when Evelyns obsession with him turns downright deadly for him and those around him. The main selling points on this being a horror film are Jessica Walter’s amazing performance as the deranged Evelyn, whose actions move into some of the creepiest slasher sequences I’ve seen from a film that early in the 70’s, and it plays with the dark so well. Clint and DP Bruce Surtees paint a dark portrait in this film, making Carvel, CA almost the sister to Antonio Bay in THE FOG. Its a superb triumph for any first time filmmaker to handle tension so well, and frankly suggests that Clint could’ve been an effective horror director going forward if the cowboy/cop thing ever collapsed.
HEREAFTER
2.5 outta 4 Ghosts you shouldn’t be afraid of…
This film is without a doubt the strangest beast in Clints filmography. It’s also one of his most ambitious in many ways. The film surrounds how the supernatural affects the lives of three different sets of people, including Matt Damon as a former clairvoyant who no longer wishes to speak to the dead. The three interchanging stories don’t balance out as well as one would hope, with the only truly fascinating story being about a French newswoman (Cecile de France) who deals with the aftermath of having survived a tsunami. The other two series are sadly… just kinda there. The star of the film is honestly the cinematography and the extent in which Clint plays a role in it. The three stories are separated out by three distally different color palettes which makes the film more fun to examine and dissect on a purely academic level. Its a shame too because all the pieces are there for Clint to tell a grown up ghost story.
SPACE COWBOYS
3 outta 4 Cowboys, but in SPACE!
The first Clint Eastwood film I ever saw in a theater is also the strangest. Its also Clints only real dip into Science Fiction, even if that dip is extremely shallow on defining its genre (It involves science and is a fictional story. Math). Truth is, this is much more of a comedic Geezer-sploitation film that has a surprising amount of heart. The story revolves around 4 Air Force pilots who in their waning years finally get their shot at going to space when a Russian satellite is about to crash to Earth. Clint shows off his usual swagger and leaves plenty of room for Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland, and James Garner to show off their comic chops. Its certainly not a perfect space movie or even a perfect Geezer-sploitation film, as it tails off into heavy handed revelations a bit late in the over 2 hour game. Still, its probably the closest Clint will ever come to playing a Space Cop, so I say enjoy.
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Well boils and ghouls, that was what happens when Clint goes creepy or beyond the stars. Tune in next month when we will dig into the second part of Tender Clint.