Plot: What’s it about?
Clint Eastwood, the man, the myth and the legend.á While one of Hollywood’s top superstars for quite some time now, this documentary takes a look at just how he became the man who he is today.á Narrated by Morgan Freeman, his co-star in the Academy Award Winning ‘Unforgiven’, the movies of one Clint Eastwood are profiled here.á We learn what a bumpy road it has been for Clint and what future lies ahead.á As with most actors, Clint Eastwood didn’t grow up wanting to be an actor, he was always interested in Jazz though, a theme that is common throughout a lot of his films.á He started out in small bit parts for Universal, like ‘Tarantula’, not every actor’s dream but everyone must start somewhere.á The documentary then follows him through his days on the television show ‘Rawhide’ which introduced him to the Western.á It wasn’t long after that (his seven year stint on ‘Rawhide’ that is) that he teamed up with an Italian director and made a little movie called ‘A Fistful of Dollars’ and it drew the comparison between this movie and the great Yojimbo.á I found that very interesting.á We either know Eastwood as the man with no name in these westerns or as Dirty Harry and this was the start of him making his name in Hollywood.
But enough about Eastwood. Clint has always had a soft spot for Jazz. Whether it’s in "Play Misty for Me" where he portrays a Dee Jay or directing "Bird" with Forrest Whitticker. It has been known, both on screen and off that Clint and Jazz go hand in hand. So in late 1996, Eastwood was honored with a concert at the famous Carnegie Hall. While Clint is known more for his love of Jazz as opposed to playing it, he does eventually grace the audience (and us) with a piano solo. His son, Kyle, though does lead the "Kyle Eastwood Five" as one of the many numbers that are played throughout the night. Without a doubt, if you’re a Jazz lover, an Eastwood lover or just like good entertainment…this is right up your alley.
Video: How does it look?
Eastwood After Hours is presented in a full-frame transfer that looks surprisingly good. The film, of course, is only 5 years old and like his documentary (Eastwood: Out of the Shadows) is not anamorphic. Still, the image is clean and constant throughout and far be it from me to offend any potential new Eastwood fans by noting the liver spots on old Clint’s face! Only kidding there. Really, this presentation is more about the audio as opposed to the video, but you won’t be let down in the least.
Audio: How does it sound?
I was a bit surprised, ticked rather, to find that this disc is presented in a Dolby Surround mix. But once I played the disc, the music took over and I have to say that I was not really let down. While a Dolby Digital 5.1 track would have certainly been a better choice, found this track to be very robust and the music sounded very clean and clear throughout. Not a bad offering. You can use this DVD as a double if you just turn off the TV and let the Jazz take you away…
Supplements: What are the extras?
Aside from the standard production notes and cast bios, we are treated to a 10 minute featurette entitled "Eastwood After Dark" which is essentially all of his jazz buddies talking about him and how much he has done for music and so on. Not the best featurette, but a welcome addition to what is otherwise a bare-bones disc.
