Any Which Way You Can 114min. PG 1978
Clint Eastwood's 1978 comedy introduces Filo Beddoe, a truck driver and mechanic whose daily life is an absurd grind. He's constantly coming up short on money, love, and anything else to help him get through the day, while also saddled with a loony mother (deliciously played by Ruth Gordon), a best friend (Geoffrey Lewis) who's not too swift on the uptake, and an orangutan named Clyde who fights almost as well as Clint. While moonlighting as a bare-knuckle fighter, Clint finally meets the girl of his dreams (Sondra Locke), a snooty country singer who rebuffs him even as he pursues her, trailed by bikers and brawlers. It's Eastwood's magnetism and charm that make this more than a mere string of comic sketches, and things move along quickly enough to be entertaining, if a little thin. Clyde is a natural scene-stealer, but it's Ruth Gordon's crazy, cranky old coot who steals the movie.

Every Which Way But Loose 116min. PG 1980
Philo Beddoe (Clint Eastwood) is back in this sequel to Every Which Way but Loose, once again brawling to make ends meet and just trying to manage his life with a crazy mother (Ruth Gordon), a dimwitted best friend (Geoffrey Lewis) and, of course, Clyde the Orangutan. He's had enough of this life, but when a mobster (Harry Guardino) comes along to make him an offer he can't refuse, Philo must use his wits as well as his fists to get himself out of yet another jam. The humor is thin and sporadic (though Gordon is in fine form), and Eastwood has since gone on to better things; but a film that features a brawl with a monkey and a motorcycle gang can't be all bad.

Philo Beddoe, the easygoing truck driver and bare-knuckle brawler, and his 165-pound orangutan pal Clyde get into more mischief in this faster and funnier sequel to Every Which Way but Loose. Clint Eastwood is Philo, hoping to “retire” from fighting. But a new contender lures him back – and mobsters kidnap Philo’s girl (Sondra Locke) to ensure he’ll turn up for the showdown. Ruth Gordon as Ma, Geoffrey Lewis as Orville and those hapless motorcycle morons called the Black Widows all return in fine form. Songs by Glen Campbell, Jim Stafford and Snuff Garrett make up a tuneful country score, including an Eastwood/Ray Charles duet on Beers to You. As ever, Clyde steals the show, especially in a courtship scene with the lady orangutan of his dreams. Any Which Way You Can, you'll be entertained.