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Gran Torino
starring Clint
Eastwood —
a definite ‘must-
see’...

HOLLYWOOD'S FINEST IS BACK AND ON STUNNING FORM. The legendary Clint Eastwood (Unforgiven, Dirty Harry) directs and stars in the unforgettable, critically-acclaimed, box office smash hit Gran Torino — released on Blu-ray and DVD on from Warner Home Video (© 2009 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved) on 29th June.

Set in a down-beaten Michigan suburb, Eastwood plays tough-talking Walt Kowalski — an iron-willed and inflexible Korean War veteran who doesn't have time for anybody.

An embittered Korean War veteran, Walt resents how things have changed in his neighbourhood: the people he once called friends have all moved or passed away, replaced by Hmong immigrants from Southeast Asia who he despises.

Walt finds it hard to let go of his lifelong prejudices and dated values and, following the death of his wife, is simply waiting out the rest of his life. With a strained relationship with the rest of his family and resentful of virtually everything he sees in the neighbourhood, Walt does his best to keep to himself until one night he catches Thao (Bee Vang), the teenage son of the Hmong family who live next door, trying to steal his prized possession — a mint condition 1972 Gran Torino.

Unbeknownst to Walt, Thao has been forced into the crime by the violent gang that infest the neighbourhood and when Walt stands in the way of their attempted heist he unwittingly becomes the reluctant hero of the neighbourhood, especially to Thao's mother and older sister, Sue (Ahney Her), who insist that Thao work for Walt as a means of making amends for his actions.

Drawn against his will into a closer relationship with Thao's family, Walt soon takes on a new understanding of the Hmong people, and a mutual respect develops into an unlikely friendship. When the brutal neighbourhood gang oversteps the mark by targeting Thao and his family directly, Walt takes on the role of protector, with climactic consequences.

Gripping and gritty yet deeply heart-warming, Gran Torino is the thought-provoking tale of the racist war veteran and the shy Hmong boy who defy all the odds to form a life-changing friendship. Superbly directed and acted by the illustrious Eastwood, Gran Torino is the must-own film of the year.

Special Features include:

DVD — Manning the Wheel as Reflected in American Car Culture | Gran Torino: More than a Car | Visit Detroit and the Woodland Dream Cruise, an Annual vintage car event where buffs describe the unique bond between man and vehicles.

Blu-ray disc — The Eastwood Way: Exploring the Actor/Director's filmmaking process up close (a Blu-ray exclusive) | Manning the Wheel as Reflected in American Car Culture | Gran Torino: More than a Car | Visit Detroit and the Woodland Dream Cruise, an Annual vintage car event where buffs describe the unique bond between man and vehicles.

MotorBar has three copies of this brilliant DVD to give away. If you'd like a chance of winning, answer the following question:

What year is Walt Kowalski's Gran Torino?

Is it a) 1972, b) 1970 or c) 1962?

Then email your answer to grantorino@motorbar.co.uk before the closing date of 7 July.

Please make sure you put GRANTORINO in the subject line.

Also include your name, age, address and a daytime telephone number.

Check out the official site at grantorinomovie.co.uk.

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James May’s
Big Ideas...

FLYING CARS, 'petrol' made from air and other mind-boggling innovations, they're all in a day's work for Top Gear's James May.

And in James May's Big Ideas, he scours the globe looking for the most improbable creations of science fiction that have become science fact.

All episodes of this intriguing TV series will be released on DVD on 22 June courtesy of Demand DVD.

May has driven more than a few amazing cars (including being one of the few people in the world to have ever taken the Bugatti Veyron to its top speed) but now gets to try his hand at some vehicles and concepts a little different from the usual Top Gear models.

In conjunction with Open University, James travels the world seeking out the science that could shape our future.

Shot in the UK, US, Spain, Germany, Holland, Japan, Russia and Eire, the show lifts the lid on some of the future's most exciting prospects: the world's smallest helicopter, the personal rocket pack, cyborgs, bionic implants, using air as fuel and finding out whether a solution to the current global energy crisis may in fact be 'out of this world'.

MotorBar has two copies of this highly-watchable DVD to give away. If you'd like a chance of winning, answer the following question:

What TV programme does James May co-present with 'Jezza' and 'The Hampster'?

Is it a) Fifth Gear, b) 4Car or c) Top Gear?

Then email your answer to jamesmay@motorbar.co.uk before the closing date of 30 June.

Please make sure you put JAMESMAY in the subject line.

Also include your name, age, address and a daytime telephone number.

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