Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Clint Eastwood’s Cinematic Impact Explored, from ‘Unforgiven’ to the James Bond Near-Miss
Director Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver and Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven have amassed numerous accolades, including Academy Award nominations for Best Picture (with “Unforgiven” securing a win) and placements on the American Film Institute’s list of the 100 greatest films ever made. At first glance, these two movies appear to belong to different genres and…
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Yellowstone Enthusiasts Aflame with Excitement for Taylor Sheridan’s 1954-Inspired Western Starring Wayne
Directed by John Ford, and starring John Wayne, The Searchers is considered one of the greatest Westerns of all-time. The 1954 movie stars Wayne as Civil War veteran Ethan Edwards, obsessively searching for his missing niece, who was abducted by a Native American tribe years previous. That movie was loosely based on a true story,…
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A Maverick’s Response: John Wayne’s Battle with a Beloved Western, Sparking the Birth of His Unique Version
To say that John Wayne was the de facto king of cinema during his heyday would be underselling just how safe and strong a box office draw the actor was. Known mostly for war movies and westerns, Wayne was also an outspoken individualist, American patriot, and conservative person, and that extended into his Hollywood activism.…
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Howard Hughes’ Lost Battle: The Oscar-Nominated John Wayne Western That Defied Suppression
Although John Wayne starred in many of the greatest Westerns of all time, Howard Hawks’ 1948 epic Red River stands chief among them. Although Red River featured stunning visuals that made it enthralling on an aesthetic level, the film was significant because of its darker analysis of capitalistic greed, toxic masculinity, and the inherent violence…
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The Unseen Majesty of ‘The War Wagon’ – A John Wayne Heist Adventure Worth Rediscovering
‘The War Wagon’ Is a Victim of John Wayne’s Success Few stars have a filmography as stacked as John Wayne, both from a volume and quality standpoint. Whether you look at the 1930s or the 1970s, you can find a legitimately great movie with John Wayne top-billed without breaking a sweat. The inevitable consequence of…
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Nitroglycerine and Gold: John Wayne’s Forgotten Western Heist in ‘The War Wagon’ Deserves Your Attention
‘The War Wagon’ Is a Victim of John Wayne’s Success Few stars have a filmography as stacked as John Wayne, both from a volume and quality standpoint. Whether you look at the 1930s or the 1970s, you can find a legitimately great movie with John Wayne top-billed without breaking a sweat. The inevitable consequence of…
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Rediscover John Wayne’s 1970 Variety Show, a Dazzling Celebration of America’s Rich History on July 4th
On July 4th, 1970, John Wayne hosted a variety show celebrating America’s history. it was Wayne’s first television special, originally aired as Swing Out, Sweet Land on NBC-TV in 1970, is a patriotic and poignant journey through American history – with music, comedy and many famous friends. As host and narrator, Wayne walks through pivotal…
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30 Years Ago: Clint Eastwood Demystifies His Legend in ‘Unforgiven’
Clint Eastwood was the Man With No Name, a taciturn, iron-willed and seemingly indestructible antihero whose implacable drive for vengeance/justice left heaps of dusty, bloody bodies strewn all over the unforgiving landscape. It’s a myth the ambitious Eastwood leaned into as much as he began to deconstruct it once he embarked on his directorial career.…
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Clint Eastwood: Shirley MacLaine’s Two Mules for Sister Sara set feud – He got off the horse, looked at the horse, and socked him
Back in 1970, Clint Eastwood starred in the Western Two Mules for Sister Sara, which is on Channel 5 this afternoon, opposite Shirley MacLaine. Elizabeth Taylor had been the first choice, but she’d decided to shoot in Spain with Burton on his latest movie instead. Originally both Eastwood and Two Mules for Sister Sara director…
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Darkness Unveiled, Optimism Neglected: The Flaws That Haunt ‘Trouble with the Curve’
It’s been mere weeks since Clint Eastwood delivered his empty-chair monologue at the Republic National Convention, and audiences will have a hard time shaking it from their memory as they watch “Trouble with the Curve.” Eastwood plays aging baseball scout Gus Lobel, a more doddering and less racist version of the misanthropic retiree he played…
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