Reform School Girls -- Overlooked for plenty of reasons, not the least of which would be a poor plot line and less-than-B-grade acting.

But any prison movie with Wendy O. Williams has to be on the list.

tony b.

...heading over to Name That Tune so I can post the lyrics to a Plasmatics song...

yeah it my fav too you seen what they did to
him in the bathroom

yeah it my fav too you seen what they did to
him in the bathroom [/b][/quote]What about when the guy has to put him mouth on the curb (sidewalk)and he stamp on his head

Ouch

Well I didn't know you had a picky criteria for what movies to list Capo. I think QTN named MIDNIGHT EXPRESS for one reason only................................................................................................ ................you know, that it was a GOOD movie. Depressing, but good.

Aren't you guys forgetting 'The Rock'? Sean Connery, Nicholas Cage. The best though is a British film called 'Scum' it is the best of all time based in a prison.

i will never forget that scen De Niro with the guy on the crub. thats why he goes to jail. and the shower scen I do not even think about it

Lots of good ones. Here's a couple more I think we missed:

Papillion - Steve McQueen, Dustin Hoffman
King Rat - George Segal

How could I forget Papillion! Another great, and well reocmmend film. And you thought McQueen was a good escapist in The Great Escape!

Mick

Am I really the only one who thought Cool Hand Luke was better than most of the other movies mentioned here? Wow.

I said Papillon yesterday. :rolleyes: :p

DC, we seem to be on the same wavelength always. "Brute Force" is my all-time favorite prison movie, and I have a weakness for that genre. And SC: Hume Cronyn really showed his acting chops in that film--a little, harmless-looking guy made a totally convincing sadistic prison captain. ("Captain Monsey is now Warden Monsey"--"nyah, nyah, nyah!" Great stuff!)
I want to include two others:
1. "Women's Prison" with Ida Lupino (very effective as a brutal, dykey jailer) and Howard Duff, plus an all-star cast of B-movie specialists. Every prison cliche known to man and woman in perfect harmony. Thoroughly enjoyable. Can't miss!
[/QB][/quote]Yes Turnbull, we must be on the same wavelength! "Woman's Prison" is one of my favorite female prison movies! Ida Lupino was superb in that movie!


Don Cardi

I love it, but as far as I can remember, isn't it a chain gang? Still, brilliant picture all the same.

Mick

A german film called des experiment thats a good film.

Yeah SCUM is a very good film. about life in a youth detention center.The film is defo a 18+ as it contains some violant scenes

Has anyone seen 'Murder in the first'?

I was surprised to find out the movie was almost all fiction.

spoiler
the real man did not die, and could still be alive today. He was also no good guy. He went to Alcatraz for brutalizing a hostage.
spoiler

Has anyone seen The Prisoner (1955) with Alec Guinness? It's an absolutely amazing movie. That's up there on my list, too.

The two best prison films ever.

I remember watching am movie called Bound by Honor showing San Quentin State Prison. The blacks, Mexicans, and whites were all in one prison.

Besides all the WWII POW movies I have to say it is a tie between Papillon and Cool Hand Luke for best. Shawshank is good yes, but I feel that the others have such greater underlying messages.

Shawshank Redemption
The Last Castle
Green Mile

The first two are feel good movies, but that doesn't make them less enjoyable.

Cool Hand Luke and the Birdman of Alcatraz

Did anyone already mention "Midnight express" (1978) by Alan Parker? An amazing movie! Definitely a must-see for the prison films fans (I'm one!)

Having only seen Midnight Express once (I own it), I must say that Parker's brutal, outright nasty film has little redeeming qualities about it, for me. I almost hate(d) the main character, and would have been utterly happy had he not escaped.

Bangkok Hilton (1989) with Nicole Kidman.

well, would you watch it again then, please? The brutality and violence the film shows is such a credible reality of any prison, let alone a Turkish one. The main character was just a young naive asshole as many others, but he definitely had to pay too much for his stupidity. Mind you, it's based on a true story. Oh, and the music score by Giorgio Moroder (the work gained him an Oscar I think) is excellent.
Just my two cents, Cucciolo!

As much as I want to see Midnight Express, the real life guy has stated that the film is very exaggerated.

DV, watch it please as soon as you can. I'd be more than interested to know what you think about the movie.

PS. Exaggerated or not, who cares? Movies are always fictional. Otherwise you got documentaries. :p

PS. Exaggerated or not, who cares? Movies are always fictional. Otherwise you got documentaries. :p [/b][/quote]I know, but I hate the whole "My God, it's a true story" thing when it's wither exaggerated or not even close. Look at that new Eight Below movie everyone's comparing to Jack London's books. "Inspired by a true story." The true story, depicted by the original Japanese film Nankyoku monogatari is much more grim.

While Billy Hayes may feel like his story was exaggerated, I know somebody who has spent time in Turkish jail, and said it was more or less worse than what the film shows.

Whatever, I'll rewatch it soon, just for you, Lav; my love.