Dirty old man?

From filmstalker, Get that bag of salt out right now and start wallowing in it. Word is that the article I wrote the other day about Clint Eastwood heading to the front of the camera is actually a revival of one of his old franchise characters, one of the most famous in fact.

Like Stallone and Rocky, Willis and McClane, Stallone and Rambo – did I say Stallone twice?! - Eastwood might be reviving his old character of Callahan.

Harry Callahan? Oh come on you know who, Dirty Harry.

Yeah, I find it hard to believe as well. For the other revivals there was a great motivation, their careers really weren't going anywhere and a successful revival could mean everything to them – although to be fair I think Hostage was a great film for Bruce Willis – but what does Clint Eastwood have to prove?

He's been hugely successful behind the camera and has more to come I'm sure, so why would he feel the need to go and revive Dirty Harry I'm not sure.

Of course there could be something new to come from the story, and perhaps there is with it taking a look at the embittered and violent cop in the same way Unforgiven did for his cowboy character.

Actually that would work, I was just writing and that thought popped out, a modern, realistically driven look at an ageing cop taken out of retirement for some reason. If it is as unforgiving as that film was to his cowboy character, then this could be interesting.

However I still have to wonder why, even if he is directing.

The story comes from AICN who have an anonymous scooper writing in saying that someone was looking to buy his car, a Gran Torino, for a film at Village Roadshow Pictures. Apparently this person tasked with buying the car knew everything about the film as well, something I find rather strange myself.

“I recently advertised my 1974 ford grand torino classic original for sale in the local here, and within 24 hours had someone from Village Roadshow Pictures interested in having a look at it. He came. He wasn’t interested for numerous reasons (probably the modifications). He told me they were looking for the right car for a new Clint Eastwood movie.
He said it was a thriller about a killer that drives a certain torino. His 1972 Ford Gran Torino is the only thing the police have on him. A retired police lieutenant, one Harry Callahan, makes it his mission to track down the culprit when two young police officers, one Callahan’s grandson, are shot and killed by the guy.”


What do you think, is that likely? I think it's a bit of a stretch that the guy was told all this and that the person buying the car new so much about the film, but then of course it could be genuine. I'm sceptical about that though.

Do you think Eastwood should do more behind the camera rather than stepping in front again, and should he resort to bringing back to life a character so long past?