American Marconi Wireless News - Austrian daily under fire after Clint Eastwood slams 'phony' interview

The row was sparked by a purported interview with the Oscar-winning actor and director carried by the German-language Kurier newspaper Friday.

In the interview, which was picked up widely by American media over the weekend, Eastwood criticises a lack of fresh ideas in the current film industry as "we live in an era of remakes and franchises".

"I long for the good old days when screenwriters wrote films like 'Casablanca' in small bungalows on the studio lot. When everyone had a new idea," he was quoted as saying.

"My philosophy is, do something new or stay at home," it adds.

In a statement to Deadline magazine published Monday, Eastwood said "I thought I would set the record straight".

"I can confirm I've turned 95. I can also confirm that I never gave an interview to an Austrian publication called Kurier, or any other writer in recent weeks, and that the interview is entirely phony," he added.

Contacted by AFP, the editorial team of Vienna-based Kurier, which has a circulation of around 100,000, said it had "only heard about the accusation this morning".

It has since added a note to the interview published online, saying it is "currently investigating the matter, which will take some time due to the time difference with the United States".

D.Moore--AMWN