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. (more…)
Posted on September 6th, 2011 at 4:58 pm. Updated on March 26th, 2013 at 9:57 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’. (more…)
Posted on August 29th, 2011 at 10:00 pm. Updated on August 29th, 2011 at 10:10 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. (more…)
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. (more…)
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. (more…)
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. (more…)
Posted on July 30th, 2011 at 10:21 pm. Updated on January 26th, 2017 at 7:20 pm.
I haven’t yet seen Screwed (2011) but The Escapist (2008) would seem to have set a bit of a trend for modern British prison movies; observing all the conventions of the genre, exploring very traditional prison themes… but with a twist. (more…)
Posted on July 27th, 2011 at 11:13 pm. Updated on March 8th, 2016 at 12:39 pm.
How many versions of the one film do you need? Within These Walls borrows very heavily from The Criminal Code (1931) and Penitentiary (1938), films that were to be remade a second time in Convicted (1950). Maybe it was an austerity measure imposed during the war: re-use old scripts rather thhttp://staging.prisonmovies.net/convicted-1950-usaan waste munitions money on new ones. The best that can be said of this apparent lack of imagination is that at least this offshoot has a slightly divergent plot line. (more…)
Posted on July 17th, 2011 at 7:55 pm. Updated on July 9th, 2020 at 4:01 pm.
Let’s face it – for a movie supposedly about a riot in a juvenile prison there’s precious little rioting, far too few juveniles, and way too much sententious guff about prison reform. Not that that detracts from the film in any way… (more…)
Posted on July 11th, 2011 at 10:34 pm. Updated on July 11th, 2011 at 10:34 pm.
This a good, old-fashioned escape story. And an unheralded one at that. It’s a thriller and a noirish love story, rolled into one. With a twist – as all good, old-fashioned escape stories should have. (more…)
Posted on June 25th, 2011 at 10:33 pm. Updated on June 25th, 2011 at 10:43 pm.