Firefox and Clint Eastwood's other Top 5 Movies

Clint turns 95 this week. This is not an artsy list.

Clint Eastwood turns 95 this week, and I've been thinking about his best movies. Not his BEST movies - we all know Unforgiven is supposed to be a masterpiece, but let's be honest, it's a chore. Million Dollar Baby? Sure, it'll make you cry, but when's the last time you threw it on for fun?

No, this is the real list. These are the Eastwood movies for when you just want to sit down and have someone entertain the heck out of you for two hours. The ones you actually rewatch.

#1 High Plains Drifter (1973)

This is peak weird Eastwood, and I love every minute of it. Clint rides into a town called Lago, and within the first ten minutes you're like "wait, is he a ghost? Is he the devil? Is the 4th film of the Man With No Name trilogy? Is he just really, really pissed off?" The movie never tells you, and that's what makes it perfect.

Anytime anyone offers me anything I want, I always say “Anything I want?” and think about this film.

The whole thing is a revenge fantasy wrapped in supernatural Western clothing. Clint makes the townspeople paint the entire town red and rename it "Hell" - and somehow this makes perfect sense by the end. It's got that nasty edge that makes you feel slightly dirty for enjoying it so much, but you can't help yourself.

Plus it's only 105 minutes. Eastwood knew when to get out. It may actually the greatest movie of all time.

#2 Firefox (1982)

Everyone forgets about Firefox, which is criminal because it's basically Top Gun before Top Gun, except with actual stakes and Clint Eastwood stealing a Soviet fighter jet that you pilot with your thoughts.

Yes, you read that right. The MiG-31 Firefox is controlled by THINKING in Russian, which leads to the greatest moment in Eastwood history when he's dogfighting over the Arctic Ocean going "I must think in Russian! I must think in Russian!" in that gravelly whisper.

The first half is pure Cold War espionage - Clint infiltrating the Soviet Union, disguises, close calls. The second half is him stealing the most advanced fighter jet in the world. It's like two different movies that somehow work perfectly together. And that final dogfight?!!

#3 Dirty Harry (1971)

"Do you feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?"

Look, we could argue about whether this holds up in 2024, but as pure entertainment? Harry Callahan is untouchable. This isn't a cop movie, it's a superhero movie where the superhero carries a .44 Magnum and has zero patience for bureaucracy.

The Scorpio killer is genuinely creepy, the San Francisco locations are gorgeous, and Eastwood created a character so iconic that we're still making movies trying to recapture this lightning. Every time someone writes a "loose cannon cop" they're basically doing karaoke to Dirty Harry.

That rooftop chase, the football stadium finale, and of course that final scene with the badge. Pure cinema.

#4 Gran Torino (2008)

This one caught everyone off guard, including me. After decades of Clint playing various degrees of badass, suddenly he's playing Walt Kowalski, a racist old crank who learns to see past his prejudices. It should have been preachy. Instead, it's hilarious and touching and still manages to be badass.

"Get off my lawn!" became a meme, but the whole movie is Eastwood commenting on his own persona. Walt thinks he's still the Man with No Name, but he's really just a cranky widower who needs to learn that the world changed while he wasn't looking.

The barbershop scenes with his Italian barber are comedy gold, and that final confrontation? Eastwood subverting everything you expect from an Eastwood movie while still giving you exactly what you want. Brilliant.

#5 Every Which Way But Loose (1978)

Clint Eastwood. Fighting alongside an orangutan named Clyde. Bare-knuckle boxing matches. A motorcycle gang called the Black Widows. Sondra Locke singing country music.

This movie shouldn't work. It's completely ridiculous. Clint spends half the movie talking to a primate like they're old army buddies, and the other half getting into the most random fights with the most random people. There's a subplot about truckers that goes absolutely nowhere.

And yet... it's incredibly entertaining. Maybe it's because Eastwood is clearly having fun for once. Maybe it's because the whole thing is so committed to its own absurdity. Maybe it's just Clyde the orangutan, who frankly deserved an Oscar.

This made $85 million in 1978 (that's like $400 million today), so clearly I'm not the only one who thinks Clint plus monkey equals entertainment gold.

Now that you’re into Eastwood movies again - can I interest you in this cool new podcast? Well, can I punk?

There you have it. Five movies that remind you why Clint Eastwood became Clint Eastwood in the first place. Not because he made Important Films, but because for 50+ years, the man knew how to entertain people.

Sure, we could have gone with The Good, The Bad and The Ugly or The Outlaw Josey Wales, but those are on everyone's list. These five? These are the ones you actually watch when you want to watch a Clint Eastwood movie.

Happy 95th, Clint. Thanks for Firefox, thanks for making an orangutan your co-star, and thanks for never taking yourself too seriously (except when you did, but we'll forgive you for that).

What did I miss? What's your favorite "just pure entertainment" Eastwood movie? Let me know in the comments.