"Tis the Season..."

I know, I know, It's been a while since I posted but it appears that no one has missed me so no big worries here...Just wanted to check in and wish all my little "SURFACEDWELLERS" out there a very happy and safe holiday season.

The economy being what it is poses many challenges to us all and yes even I am feeling a certain tightness in the wallet, but nevertheless I am keeping busy working my regular and boring day job and at night doing that which I do best...no not that, drawing! If all goes as planned I will be starting the pencilling chores on "Billy the Monster Hunter" #3 in January.

I am currently doing the coloring job for Penny Farthing Press on a book called simply "BANG" which features the art of Courtney Huddleston (Decoy), the book is slated for release sometime in 2010.

Development continues on my series; "KUDU-MAN!", especially on the special preview book that will be premiering at the 2010 Orlando MegaCon, I will be making an official announcement here and on various other comic art communities as soon as it is ready for release, the book will feature the first 10 pages of issue #1 in raw pencils and will also have some character bios and notes including behind the scenes developmental and conceptual art on the series.

2009 is nearly at an end and I for one am not saddened to see it go, I have a lot of heightened anticipation and excitement looking forward to 2010 which hopes to be a big year for my personal career as an artist and creator...so heres to 2010, may it bring nothing but happiness and prosperity to us all.

I wish all of you and your families the very happiest of holidays, and the safest.

GOD bless-peace :)

*ps)see you all next year ;)

"It's all Groovy"!

Hello again boys and girls,

I've been away busy as usual doing the usual 9 to 5 thing and then doing the usual drawing and preparing thing too.

Cool news is that I am finally on the brink of preparing my first creator owned project; "KUDU-MAN!" for it's scheduled Fall/2010 release. Before the official release of Issue #1 a special preview issue will be available to the public, Issue #0 will make it's debut at the next Orlando MegaCon in March of next year here in Orlando, Florida. The preview book will give readers a sneek peek into the world of this character with at least 10 pages from the first issue, some key character designs, pin-ups and character and creator bios.

The series will be published and distributed under the banner of my imprint company; "Groovy Graphics Press" which will be the official sponsor of all my creator owned products ranging from the graphic novels to merchandise items like posters, apparel and additional items.

After a redesigning of the font style and logo art I unveil the final design here. (above)

The new imprint and KUDU-MAN! will also be given there own website which will be connected with my Surface Art Studios website but separate, I hope to have it up and running at least in a preliminary stage by November of this year so stay tuned... I will be promoting this subject heavily on the net and comics forums throughout cyberspace.

"KUDU-MAN!" will also be available for pre-ordering through this website along with other Groovy Graphics Press products....believe me...there is much more to come in the near future from the Surface Art Studios and Groovy Graphics Press...till then, stay groovy my brothers and sisters and thanks to all for there continued visits and support...

...peace out ;)

film review: "District 9"

"They live among us..."

It has been a while since a film has peaked my interest and after first seeing the teaser trailer and following TV spots, "District 9" accomplished just that so I said "hell, why not?"

I and a friend went to go check it out at the local cinema over the weekend and to cover my response in one general statement; "I was mildly disappointed!"

The film is an updated version of the 1988 Graham Baker hit "Alien Nation" which starred; James Caan, Mandy Patinkin, and Terrence Stamp, and like "Nation", "District 9" is an expose of a what if? scenario...what if over a million alien creatures were stranded on our beloved little planet? How would we deal with it? Where as "Alien Nation" takes place in a Los Angeles of the not so distant future, this new film by director Neill Blomkamp("Alive in Josburg") takes place in Johannesburg/South Africa an interesting choice considering that republics recent history. Blomkamp(a native South African) is well acquainted with the current and past living conditions of his country and he depicts it well on screen and the choice of basing this story there was a refreshing one although in my opinion...a bit late! This film would have hit home with much more resonance had it been made about 20 years ago-the message more profound.

The film is directed and shot in a "documentary style" motif and well executed, the effects are very effective and by midway through the film you almost do not register the effects-they seem real, even the alien "prawns", which they are nicknamed by the resident humans, for their similar appearance to the little Crustaceans, except these critters are immensely strong, agile, multi limbed, oh and they average around 6-7 feet tall. One of the main problems I had with the film were the aliens themselves, their appearance was OK and their speech(a series of clicks and clops) it was the almost total lack of background detail or back story that I found annoying, this and other obvious "holes" in the story ultimately led me to give this film a reluctant "thumbs up".

The film is cast with relative unknowns at least to American audiences, but all performances were well done and convincing, the lead role of the film (Wikus Van Der Merwe) went to first time actor Sharlto Copley who handled the role well despite it's importance and length-we see the film and are shown the story through his eyes;he plays a clueless, naive process worker for the local immigration organization whose main task is dealing with the "Alien" neighbors, when he is assigned on a dangerous mission to District 9(the area designated for the alien refugees) to "re-locate" the alien residents to a new, more secure location...all hell breaks loose and things quickly deteriorate. Not only do you have conflicts with the Aliens but also local warlords, gangsters and the all too cliched shady government element who are, as always depicted in such films ,on an alterior mission to exploit and utilize alien technology and weaponry. The film looks good with effects done by Producer Peter Jackson(LOTR trilogy, King Kong) effects company WETA. The documentary take on the film presents a shaky and at times disorienting journey through this tale so do pay attention to the details-I can't recommend this as a permanent addition to a DVD collection but for a night out at the movies or a netflix rental-check it out!

"A Monstrous undertaking"...

"Greetings SURFACEDWELLERS...."

Been a while since I posted last, been busy workin for "the man", paying bills, and generally just trying to stay out of trouble!

UPDATE TIME;

* "KUDU-MAN!" my first creator owned project will be making its debut appearance at next years MegaCon in Orlando, Florida in the form of a special preview book which will be available in limited quantity to the public-it will be a sneek peek into the upcoming series launch coming in the Fall/2010.

* "Billy the Monster Hunter"; I am nearing completion on the layouts and pencils for the 2nd issue of the new series by creator Ramsey Rusef with colors by V.Vinson, the issue is scheduled for a late Summer/2009 release. The final cover art (featured above) was a bit of a "monstrous undertaking" mainly with the effects on the lightning and lighting. In this issue young Billy Hunter learns the origin of his powers and his hammer when he comes face to face with none other than the Norse GOD of thunder himself...."THOR!"

* "BUBBA the Redneck Werewolf"; also just finished a full color poster featuring the popular cult comics character created by Mitch Hyman. The poster is now available at the Scare Tactix Graphix website http://www.scaretactixgraphix.com/ ,you'll find it in the merchandise section under posters.

* "A Tale of REM"; I am continuing to develop my graphic fantasy novel, still working out on the character designs and early drafts of the storyline which has proven to be an even more challenging task than "KUDU-MAN"!

* "HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!"; The great experiment turned 233 years old over the weekend, despite wars, political angst, corrupt bureaucrats, and dire financial straits we have still managed to hang around...here's to world peace and freedom! :)

Well, that's it for now kids, gotta get back to the old drawing board and earn my keep. Keep in touch for further updates here and at my sites at; http://www.surfaceartstudios.com/ and http://www.surfaceart.deviantart.com/

peace ;) Shawn Surface/SURFACE ART STUDIOS.

"Con Game"

Greetings "SURFACEDWELLERS",
Just a few lines to inform any who may wish to attend, about a brand new convention here in Orlando, Florida.
The 1st annual "Creature Con" is actually the off shoot of another convention, the "Repticon", a convention for pet owners specializing in all things Reptilian, and other exotic pets. The Creature-Con will be a small multi media event featuring merchandise, movies, comics and much more.
The people who are organizing the event approached me and asked if I wanted to attend, they were even nice enough to extend me a FREE table to their event, and me being the poor, humble artist that I am...who was I to refuse!
As a gesture of my gratitude for the invitation I designed a con poster for the event.(pictured) They will be available for attendees and visitors at the convention while they last.
"Creature-Con" will be held at the central Florida fairgrounds on the last weekend of May (30-31), to find out more about the upcoming convention visit the official site at; http://www.creaturecon.com/ .
I have also begun work on the next issue and a poster based on Ramsey Rusef''s series; "Billy the Monster Hunter" ,I will be doing the pencils while Vince Vinson will apply the colorwork. The next issue (#2) will be out by late summer/2009 and will be released through Scare Tactix Graphix http://www.scaretactixgraphix.com/ .
I am also wrapping up on the final pages of Robert Wawrzyniak's 12 part space epic; "SUPER-7", and a long overdue project called "Predator & Prey" by Paul Monsky.
I am also working on a special "BUBBA the Redneck Werewolf" poster for creator Mitch Hyman and Scare Tactix Graphix, it will also be available later this summer.
I will also be attending the 1st annual "Mini-MegaCon" which will be held here in Orlando in August, I will be sharing a table with "BUBBA the Redneck Werewolf" writer and creator Mitch Hyman...as always at my convention appearances I will be available for signings and for custom convention sketches so if you plan on attending these events while in town, by all means stop by my spot and say "Hi".
-till next time sports fans...Peace! ;)

film review: "STAR TREK"

I went and did something that I originally said I wasn't going to do....I went and saw the new "STAR TREK" movie.

I fully intended on not seeing it, mainly due to my closed mindedness to the possibilities that someone other than the late great Gene Roddenberry (father of the "Star Trek" universe) could successfully re-envision the all too familiar and traditional world of Trek....I WAS WRONG!

I would not go so far as to say that I am a "trekker" but I am a fan of the show, especially TOS (the original series 1966-1969) I grew up with that all too familiar crew of the starship Enterprise with the now iconic names like Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scott, Sulu, and Uhura. So when I first heard a few years back that Paramount was re-launching the franchise with different faces I was skeptical to say the least, I consider myself a bit of a purist when it comes to certain things and "Star Trek" is one of those things, in my narrow perception there is only one Kirk(William Shatner), one Spock(Leonard Nimoy), and one "Bones" McCOY(Deforest Kelley). I had seen the aggressive ad campaign for the new film, seen the trailers and was initially impressed with the special effects work, so after much inner debating I re-considered and chose to see the film and give it an open minded look...and also to write this review of it.

Director J.J.Abrams (Lost) has boldly gone where no director has gone before, successfully directing a fresh new look into the Star Trek mythos and re-introducing to the world both young and old to the gallant crew of the starship "Enterprise".

As for the crew, the faces have changed but the names stay the same; the cast comprises of some top young talent some familiar , some not so...

Chris Pine(Smokin Aces) portrays the young James "Tiberius" Kirk, the man who would be Captain is played as a rather cocky, independent and rebellious type with a knack of getting into trouble.

Zachary Quinto(Heroes) plays the enigmatic and at times way too logical Mr. Spock, half Vulcan/half Human he is the picture of discipline and logic while within himself he is at constant odds at controlling his mixed pedigree's turbulent emotions.

Karl Urban(Chronicles of Riddick) is Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy, a gruff doubting individual whose faith and trust are lacking in both the individuals around him and the technologies that they control.

Zoe Saldana(Pirates of the Caribbean) is communications officer Nyota Uhura, the beautiful and bright lieutenant who carries a secret.

...and the crew is rounded out by actors Simon Peeg(Shaun of the Dead) as Montgomery Scott ,and John Cho(Harold & Kumar) as helmsman Hikaru Sulu.

All the principal actors turn in fine performances in this action packed film. The story(written by Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman) is a time travel adventure with the Romulans as the antagonists, featuring Eric Bana(Hulk, Troy) as the main baddie, a bald tattooed cat by the name of Nero hell bent on revenge against those who cost him everything ,his life, his family, his world.

Leonard Nimoy reprises the role of Mr. Spock albeit an aged version from the future, and the character of Spock both old and new is pivotal to the storyline. Bruce Greenwood(Nowhere Man) plays Captain Christopher Pike, the original Captain of the Enterprise and mentor to the young Jim Kirk.

But ye be warned for this is not your daddy's STAR TREK, whereas the original spirit and flavor of the classic series is intact with this, the 11th and latest cinematic adventure, there are some subtle visual and character changes to be noticed...In my opinion the big character treatment belongs to a rather minor crew member, helmsman Pavel Chekov(Anton Yelchin) who has been transformed into a confident and quite intelligent character who saves the ship and crew on at least two instances in the film from certain destruction...a far cry from the bumbling uncertain young navigator originally portrayed in the series by Walter Koenig.

Some surprising acting choices are evident in the roles of Spock's parents; Ben Cross plays his father Sarek while Winona Ryder portrays Amanda, his human mother...I guess my biggest reservation visually is shared by many in the re-design of the Enterprise herself, while retaining the general look of the original design it has been given a "hot-rod" treatment, it looks like its on steroids! While I begrudgingly accepted the new look of the ships interiors with the exception of some of the lower decks which resembled a factory floor or at times a plumbers nightmare ,I draw the line at messing with the external look of the now legendary profile of the Constellation Class Starship, especially when you consider that other original ship designs from the series like the shuttle craft were virtually untouched.

All in all the film was acceptable, a lot of action, fine performances turned in by all and with the somewhat disappointing villain and at times muddled storyline it still works on the big screen, and with a few minor exceptions I think the old man(Gene Roddenberry) would have liked it.

The film is dedicated in memory to the series and franchise creator Gene Roddenberry and his late wife Majel Barrett (#1, Nurse Chapel) who re-recorded the ships computer voice for the new film shortly before her death.

-live long and prosper/peace ;)

Film review; "X-Men Origins: Wolverine"

I took a little break from reality this past weekend and went and saw the latest Hollyweird adaptation of a comic book character, the Marvel mutant killing machine we all know and love; Wolverine.

The film has been surrounded with the usual hype and even some controversy over the pre release of a pre post production print onto the internet by a now former employee of 20th Century Fox. Was the film worth losing a great paying job over by leaking it out....in two words! HELL NO!

I feel even a bit ripped off and I saw the movie for FREE, hell I even had a FREE bag of popcorn complete with artificially butter flavored sludge to go with my moviegoing experience.

The powers that be at Hollywood missed the mark yet again as far as producing a viewable comic adaptation on film; "Wolverine" joins recent misses like "Constantine", "Catwoman", and dare I say it..."Watchmen" as the latest in a series of less than satisfactory adaptations.

"Wolverine" played effectively by Hugh Jackman(Australia, the Fountain, X-Men) tells of the early years of the claw wielding Cannuck and his big brother Victor (Liev Schreiber-Sphere,Defiance, Manchurian Candidate) who would later become the maniacal killer "Sabertooth", after surviving a rathger angst ridden and somewhat traumatic childhood the brothers travel the world together for quite sometime, well over a 100 years (their mutant ability is a healing factor which also gives their lifespan an amazing longevity), they have experienced many things together, especially wars, they have served in every major American War starting with the Civil war and leading up to Vietnam. Over the years the brothers grow farther apart ,while Victor grows to embrace his more feral nature and taste for blood the younger Wolverine has grown tired of all the killing and death with which he has witnessed and participated in.

The films biggest disappointment for me was the lack of a real story, and way too many supporting characters, there was a big thing to boost this among comic fans by saying X-Men faves "Gambit"(Taylor Kitsch-Friday Night Lights), and "Emma Frost"(Tahnya Tozzi) would appear in the film, alas they were mere cameos and did not really play a pivotal part of the storyline. Logan and Victor end up being part of a merc squad led by a Colonel with a hidden agenda; William Stryker(Danny Huston-30 Days of Night) ,the squad consists of mutants as well including "Deadpool"(Ryan Reynolds), "Bolt"(Danny Monaghan), "Wraith"(Will I Am), and a fellow who will later become; "the Blob"(Kevin Durand). Things get very nasty with this group quick and that's where Wolverine says enough is enough and leaves the group.

Stryker takes exception to this and plots to get him back...no matter what!

I can go ahead and tell you the entire plot of the film but I have become weary of even doing this, the film has its bright spots though, especially in the acting category. Jackman does a great job at portraying the title character, he should have it down by now( its his 4th time playing the character), and Liev Schrieber plays a convincing psychopath in the making in "Sabertooth".

The film tries to cover a lot of ground in just 2 hours where I think it would have been more effective if it had just concentrated on the relationship of the two brothers, the other characters and subplots were just too much for me and detracted from what was the most important part of the film...the main character-Wolverine!

The film is full of action and was well directed by Gavin Hood despite the fact that he had to work with a rather fragmented screenplay written by David Benioff and Skip Woods, yes, it took two guys to write this film! The film is also rated PG-13 when considering the characters and subject matter should have easily been rated R, but never underestimate Hollywood's gift for catering to the masses.

You want a more effective portrayal of Wolverine on screen- watch "X-MEN 2" again...

-peace :)

"FX; the day after..."

Greetings Surface Dwellers...

I have survived yet another convention....but just barely!

Recently returned from the carnage that was FX International I can safely say that I have come out of it fairly unscathed albeit a bit bruised and fatigued.

FX is held annually here in the great "sunshine state",a venue highlighting the comics genre among other things (toys, merchandise, movies etc...), this year it celebrates it's 20th anniversary, a rare milestone indeed amongst such cons especially ones such as FX that have smaller turnouts compared to it's bigger brothers MegaCon, and DragonCon. I came into the convention showroom knowing this so in the end I was not disappointed, but that doesn't mean that I still wished my visit was more pleasant...and more profitable!

FX is a well organized and well run convention and has been for some years now, but unfortunately the convention Gods have not been kind as of late, despite it's professionalism, it's well trained staff and a rather diverse guest list of celebrities, artists, creators and writers FX has yet to shake off the large stigma that is MegaCon.

This year the organizers moved the event to April away from it usual January date(it was for some time the first Convention of the year), I can only surmise that this was done to help stimulate crowd numbers and to further separate itself from MegaCon (held in late February).

The schedule change did not help matters; it was held on the same weekend as the dreaded national tax deadline , that and the fact that this great nation of ours is going through a tough recession only compounded the situation. FX suffered one of the poorest opening day(Friday) turnouts that I have seen in recent memory for an established con , now I'll admit that I am not a well known artist, in fact I am more unknown than known, and this may come off as "sour grapes" to some who may read this and I'll be honest with you that I wish ,as all who ever have a table at such events, that I had a more financially rewarding weekend-who wouldn't want to make a profit or be better recognized and appreciated for their talents and profession?

Saturday is traditionally the busiest day for any convention, but much to FXs dismay Saturday was not much better, oh the crowds were much larger, and the events, panels, and special signings were plenty but a simple look in the eyes of most of the vendors, and artists attending would shatter that illusion.

I spoke with some creators and artists who were attending their first FX ,and they were a bit disappointed and they ,like most chalked up the poor attendance and sales to the current national financial crisis.

The more recognizable names in the biz on the majority did well but I spoke with a few and they too noticed the poor turnout. Now this report is not all doom and gloom ,there was a ray of sunshine amongst the clouds. I did get to meet up and talk with some old friends and some colleagues from cons I had not been able to attend lately, also had some first time meetings notably with veteran artists Michael Golden (Micronauts, The Nam), Frank Brunner (Man-Thing,Howard the Duck, Dr. Strange) and one of my favorites...Steve "the Dude" Rude(Nexus, the Moth), Steve and his wife Gina were patient and very kind with this one, for a moment, I felt like a "fanboy" again. I also got to meet with other artists like Sean "cheeks" Galloway( animated Spider-Man, Hellboy), Mike Perkins(Union Jack), Robert Atkins(G.I.Joe) ,and Jim Cheung (Avengers) among many others.

I did do quite a bit of signing myself, placing my "John Hancock" on some issues of "BUBBA; the Redneck Werewolf" ,and on copies of my latest release; "Billy the Monster Hunter", I even signed and sold a couple of copies of the limited print that I did for the convention. All in all FX proved to be more of a social gathering for me than anything ,although financially disappointing it was on the other hand rewarding in other aspects...FX is one of the events held in my "backyard", Orlando, Florida and I will most likely attend and have a table next year, at which time we can only hope that the national crisis has passed or at least improved along with the fortunes of FX International....

...till next time my friends, Peace ;)

"FX Bound..."

Hello again SurfaceDwellers!,

Spring is in the air and with it a fresh new batch of oppurtunities lay ahead for this humble artist and his meager little studio aka; the house of "The Dragon".

I am but a few short pencilled pages away from finally finishing my duties on Robert Wawrzyniak's 12 part epic space adventure; "SUPER-7".

I am also nearing completion on pencils and inks for a small 16 page adventure entitled; "Predator & Prey" written by Paul Monsky. I have taken on a new assignment as well one I am not at liberty to go into too much detail about but I can say that it involves design and concept work for a promising new role playing property which will soon make its debut to gamers.

One of my more recent jobs, the recently printed & released "Billy the Monster Hunter" created by Ramsey Rusef and released by the good people at Scare Tactix Graphix has recieved some positive feedback thus getting the greenlight for a second issue.

As always I am continuing on the development of my first two creator owned projects; "KUDU-MAN"! and "A Tale of REM".

I am also attending what will most likely be my last major convention appearance for 2009, the upcoming "FX International Extravaganza". The annual event will be held here in Orlando, Florida this coming April 17th-19th...I will be on hand in "creators alley" with many other artists dilligently plying and promoting they're trade and talents. I will also be available for the usual commission sketches and signing copies of some of my past and present works, including "Billy" issues and of course the rare hard to find "BUBBA the Redneck Werewolf".

I will also have a limited supply of art prints available for purchase at an affordable price...this includes a special limited edition souvenir poster that I designed for the show (art pictured above) so if you find yourself in the area stop on by and look me up at the FX show.

To find out more about the upcoming event be sure to check them out at; www.fxshow.com.

I'll be back soon to give all interested a post con report on FX and I may have some pics to go with it as well so stay tuned kids...

...till next time, Peace... ;)

"the BIG CON!"

Greetings "SurfaceDwellers",

It's that time of year again, convention season is once again upon us here and it is my sincerest hope to make it to some of them this year.

I am a confirmed guest at "Artists Alley" in two of my local cons (Florida); MegaCon-2009 (Feb 28-Mar-1) and the FX Extravaganza (Apr-17-19) both located here in Orlando Florida at the Orange County convention center .

I also hope to attend the annual Heroes Convention (Jun 19-21) in Charlotte, North Carolina.

So, if your in the area stop by and look me up ,I will have some limited edition prints of my work available , some issues of my most recent books which I illustrated like; "BUBBA; the Redneck Werewolf/Rumble in Romania" and "Billy the Monster Hunter" both still available from Scare Tactix Graphix http://www.scaretactixgraphix.com/. I will also, as always,be available for commissions drawing your favorite characters on request...all at an affordable price!

Here at the studio I am close to completing the final issue of Robert Wawrzyniak's 12 issue science fiction adventure; "SUPER-7" , its been a long time coming but finally the end is in sight, the epic series will end in a special double sized action packed issue. To read more on the upcoming series pay a visit to the official website at; http://www.kickasscomics.com/.

I am also at the early layout stage on a special "BUBBA;the Redneck Werewolf" poster that will be available soon...stay tuned for some special sneek peeks of the art as it develops.

In other developments from "the SURFACEWORLD"; I am nearing completion on writing the debut story arc on my first creator owned project; "KUDU-MAN!" Once completed I'll move onto the easy part...drawing it!

I am continuing to develop my long conceived fantasy "A Tale of REM" which will not be an ongoing series but a limited and eventually a graphic novel, this is a story that has been with me for quite some time now and its a relief to finally be at the stage now that I can seriously start work on it.

As always stay tuned for further developments, hope to see you at some upcoming conventions if funding allows ,if not ,just drop me a line here or contact me at; surfaceartstudios@yahoo.com

Hope to hear from you...

Peace,

Shawn Surface/SURFACE ART STUDIOS.

Film Review; "GRAN TORINO"

A new year begins and with it a new crop of feature films ranging from romance to science fiction featuring the top stars of today and tomorrow.

But it is the return of a living legend to the big screen that has made my cinematic mouth water. He is among the last of the great American movie icons, a leading man who's career has spanned over 50 years, a career not only in acting but also including producing ,writing, and directing. He has given us such unforgettable characters like; Rowdy Yates, the man with no name, Will Munny and of course..."Dirty" Harry Callahan, and such unforgettable films like; "Flags of our Fathers"(2006), "Mystic River"(2003), "Million Dollar BABY"(2004) ,and "Unforgiven"(1992), I am speaking of none other than Clint Eastwood.

His latest venture which he wrote ,produced, and directed is "Gran Torino", one of his darkest films in which he has starred in since his academy award winning film..."Unforgiven".

Clint plays Walter Kowalski, a grizzled ,tough old Korean War veteran and retired auto worker living in suburban Detroit, recently widowed and estranged from his children and their families, he keeps to himself, spending his days sitting on his porch smoking his cigarettes and drinking beers observing with disdain the slow deterioration of his once proud and peaceful neighborhood.

Much to his chagrin his neighbors nearest to his residence is an extended Hmong family (Laos/Thai) who are noisy and disturbing, being a Korean War vet he has grown biased towards minorities over the years, especially those of Asian decent. Late one night Kowalski is awakened and discovers that someone is trying to steal his car, a prized possession...his 1972 Ford Gran Torino ( a souvenir from his many years on the assembly line at Ford motors), the wannabe car thief...one of his neighbors, a teenage kid by the name of Thao (Bee Vang), the shy teenager is actually a good kid but is being pressured into initiation by a local Hmong gang using strongarm tactics...Despite Kowalski's prejudicial thoughts he can't stand to see people bullied and pushed around so he decides to take action as only he knows how to do...with force!

Now if your going into this film expecting a typical "guns blazing" Clint Eastwood film...you may be dissapointed cause its not that kind of film, If I were to compare it to other films I would say it was a mix of "the Shootist"(John Wayne's final film/1976), "Death Wish"(Charles Bronson/1974") with a little "Finding Forrester"(Sean Connery/2000) mixed in for flavor.

The film is rather dark in tone but with some moments of humor but be warned ,some racially sensitive individuals may find the content objectionable but the film is primarily about race relations and the innacuracies and misunderstandings of bigotry and the damage that it can cause. Director Eastwood has cast first time unknown Hmong acors in most of the supporting roles...Ahney Her(who plays Sue Lor, Thao's sister), stands out among this group of unknowns, she turns in a believable, and strong supporting performance in the film.

Also starring in the film are; Christopher Carley( who plays reverend Janovich), John Carroll Lynch( who plays a local barber/friend-Martin), and also look for a performance by young Scott Eastwood (yes Clint's youngest boy) as Trey, he has a small role but memorable.

Eastwood directs from a screenplay by Dave Johnson based on a story by Nick Schenk.

The movie has a surprisingly shocking ending to it, one I am hesitant to reveal here but something happens in this film to the main character that hasn't happened in a Clint Eastwood film since way back to his feature "the Beguiled"(1971).

Nonetheless if you're an Eastwood fan like I am and have been over the years you'll be pleased with this, his latest cinematic adventure...it will "make your day"!