Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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The Untold Story Behind ‘High Plains Drifter’ Sparks a Legendary Clash Between John Wayne and Clint Eastwood
It’s well-known that John Wayne seemed to hate almost every actor other than himself, but there were a few figures within the film industry with whom The Duke had serious and bitter feuds. Most notably, Wayne held a particular distaste for Clint Eastwood, the western movie icon who looked to take Wayne’s position as the…
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John Wayne’s Untold Saga of Lost Stardom—From an Iconic Rejection to Playing a Corpse
Actor John Wayne starred in over 165 movies over the course of his successful career. He starred in several legendary Western films, including Stagecoach and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, but there was one that he turned down. As a result, he lost the “top Western star of the year” award, which sent him…
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Clint Eastwood’s Hollywood Enemies Exposed—DiCaprio, Hanks, and a Fiery Face-Off with John Wayne
Well-known as one of the best directors of modern cinema and one of Hollywood’s most prized assets, Clint Eastwood is an undisputed icon of American culture. Rubbing shoulders with the likes of John Wayne, James Stewart and Gary Cooper in the western genre, Eastwood created some of the best movies of the 20th century, including…
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Hollywood’s Pleas Ignored: Clint Eastwood’s Risky Move in the Film ‘Everyone Begged’ Him Not to Make
Epitomising the rugged coolness expected of the western and action movie genres, Clint Eastwood stands at the head of an expansive canyon, looking down at his competitors lying strewn across the ground in the valley below. His iconic gaze and almost affectless style made Eastwood one of the go-to stars in the hyper-masculine world of…
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Clint Eastwood Spills on His Unpleasant Movie—A Rare Peek Behind the Icon’s Curtain
Very few actors in the history of cinema can compare to the sheer cultural might of Clint Eastwood, with only a few American stars able to rub shoulders with the western icon, including John Wayne, Marlon Brando and James Dean. One of the few actors to successfully transition into being a director, Eastwood never won…
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The Cryptic Legacy of Doc Holliday: Val Kilmer’s Final Words in Tombstone – Why So Funny?
Tombstone was one of two competing biopics about legendary lawman Wyatt Earp, with Kevin Costner’s rival movie having a much larger budget. Ultimately, Tombstone won out by not only being released first but having a superior screenplay and outstanding performances. Val Kilmer’s work as Earp’s best friend Doc Holliday is worthy of particular praise, as…
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Step Aside, Yellowstone! Kevin Costner’s Hidden Western Treasure Packs the Best Shootout of His Career
Acclaimed for his talent both in front of and behind the camera, the Oscar winner has consistently displayed an affinity for the frontier for the better part of four decades. But despite stellar work in the aforementioned titles, his greatest contribution to the genre remains 2003’s Open Range. Once again, grabbing the directorial reins, Costner…
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Kevin Costner’s Explosive Comeback! From Yellowstone Triumph to Unseen Depths in ‘Let Him Go’—A Dual-Genre Revelation
Kevin Costner’s success with Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone series has relaunched his career and introduced him to a whole new audience. He may have even earned more fans thanks to his television work than any of the films he appeared in during the first half of his career. Is Costner a movie star or a Western…
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Kevin Costner Abandons ‘Tombstone’ for Dennis Quaid?! The Shocking Move That Redefined Western Legends
There was a time when Kevin Costner was on top of the world. Though people are most familiar with his work on Yellowstone, his body of work in the late ’80s to early ’90s catapulted him to prominence. Unsurprisingly, most of these films were Westerns: the epic Dances With Wolves, Open Range, and the modern-day…
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Beyond the Screen: Clint Eastwood’s Musical Marvels from 1993 and the Birth of Malpaso Records
While his skills as an actor and director are quite familiar and widely celebrated, Clint Eastwood coolly flexes one of his lesser-known talents in the 1993 action thriller In the Line of Fire. In the movie, Eastwood plays former Social Security Agent Frank Horrigan, a man tormented by the guilt of failing to protect John…
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