Prison stuff. In prison movies.
This is a remarkable film, partly because of when it was made (in the months immediately after the end of World War II), partly because of the story it tells – a tragedy at many levels – and in even greater part due to the quality of the storytelling. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on September 27th, 2011 at 11:45 am. Updated on September 27th, 2011 at 11:48 am.
The extended Thai version of the film’s title is, I’m reliably informed, more along the lines of ‘8E88 (the punishment block or execution zone in the prison where the action takes place): Cock-a-doodle-doo, happy couple’. No, I can’t work it out, either, but it seems that ‘8E88’ in Thai sounds a bit like a cock crowing, and ‘Fan Lanla’ means something like ‘crazy lovers’. Hope that helps. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on September 20th, 2011 at 9:02 pm. Updated on September 20th, 2011 at 9:05 pm.
Also known as ‘Caged Animal‘ for no good reason, it seems, other than that Ving Rhames starred in the two earlier Animal movies, the second of which was directed by Ryan Combs. This unrelated movie is also directed and co-written by Combs, who allows himself the indulgence of naming the prison where the action takes place ‘Combs State Prison’. But that’s a minor indulgence compared with the decision to make the film in the first place. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on September 6th, 2011 at 4:58 pm. Updated on March 26th, 2013 at 9:57 pm.
Skidoo has all the things that you’d expect to see in a psychedelic 60s comedy – hippies, acid trips, groovy outfits, body painting – and some you might not: a prison escape by a home-made hot air balloon, Harry Nilsson singing the credits, and a sadly unfunny Groucho Marx. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on September 5th, 2011 at 10:58 pm. Updated on September 5th, 2011 at 11:04 pm.
It seems that this is a faithful recreation of a true story featuring real prisoners playing themselves. It brings a different meaning to ‘all the events, names and characters are real’. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on August 29th, 2011 at 10:00 pm. Updated on August 29th, 2011 at 10:10 pm.
The only copy of this movie that I could find is of such poor quality that much of the film looks like it was shot underwater with a filter held in front of the lens by a cameraman with delerium tremens. Which is a shame, because the effort to watch it is repaid mightily; it is a noir gem. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on August 19th, 2011 at 10:16 pm. Updated on August 19th, 2011 at 10:16 pm.
One presumes that potboiler title was designed to drag scandal-seeking customers through the theatre doors. My guess is that the story’s creator, Joan Henry, would have seen only irony in it. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on August 16th, 2011 at 10:13 pm. Updated on August 16th, 2011 at 10:20 pm.
“Dear Lord, violence is the artist and I am just the brush…” prays James ‘Animal’ Allen (Ving Rhames) in his Folsom Prison cell. At least, I think that’s what he says… it’s a bit hard to hear because there’s a riot going on in the background. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on August 10th, 2011 at 9:36 pm. Updated on August 10th, 2011 at 9:36 pm.
“They exploded the ugliest riot in prison history to cover their dangerous, desperate break for freedom.” So says the film’s tag-line. But it’s nonsense. This is the prison riot you have when you’re not having a prison riot. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on August 3rd, 2011 at 9:30 pm. Updated on August 3rd, 2011 at 9:30 pm.
The last two prison movies I’ve watched have been Riot (1969), in which there really isn’t a riot, and Road Gang, in which there are no gangs working on roads. It’s a confusing world. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on July 30th, 2011 at 10:21 pm. Updated on January 26th, 2017 at 7:20 pm.