Customer Reviews

Animal Factory [DVD]

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In 1996 I was convicted of armed robbery and sent to prison in Washington state for eight years(of which I did seven)and I'm here to tell you that ANIMAL FACTORY is the real deal; I was a lot like the character played by Edward Furlong and I was lucky enough to meet men like the character played by Wilem Dafoe, guys who didn't want to rape me, guys who didn't want to kill me, guys who acted decently amidst all of the indecency.

Since my release from prison in 2003 I am invariably asked the two big questions when it comes to incarceration in this country: A) did I get raped? And B) is prison really like you see on OZ?

Luckily, I didn't get raped and I've never seen OZ but anyone who wants to see what prison is like should get a gander at ANIMAL FACTORY. The entire film drips with authenticity. Within 2 minutes I felt that old queasy feeling in my stomach--exactly as if I were back there myself, all over again.

For those of you out there who might think there is still a bit of rebellious glamour left in going to prison, watch ANIMAL FACTORY and take it from me: being locked up is not cool and its not fun and it is not something that anyone should aspire to.

This was a very good flick. What are you looking for out of a movie? The meaning of life perhaps. Heck all I want is 90-120 minutes of good entertainment.

Being an ex-convict myself I thought it was fairly well written. Prison is rarely what you see on film my friend. Yes it can be brutal and that was displayed in this film fairly realistically however for a long time convict doing time IS MOST DEFINATELY A GAME.

A game of survival of the mind and body. William Dafoe's little gang was pretty well depicted. The mockery made here of other prison films is simply because unlike this one, most are a joke.

As for amazons editorial stating that the convict is obviously attracted to the youngster and that "sexual tension" runs throughout the movie, that writer clearly didn't pay any attention to the movie and I'd bet a dollar perhaps didn't watch it at all.

My bottom line,

Film was pretty damn realistic, very well written and acted. The characters were good to know and unlike most ridiculous prison movies which focus only on the violent side, this one actually shows people for who they were.

Well worth the time to watch. Enjoy

Animal Factory (Steve Buscemi, 2000)

Steve Buscemi is best known as an actor, thanks in no small part to him being a staple in Quentin Tarantino films, but you know the old line-- everyone in Hollywood wants to direct. Buscemi has actually done his share of it, but the movies that result tend to be minor affairs that get little distribution outside the arthouse scene. That's kind of depressing, especially when it comes to a movie like Animal Factory, with a wealth of acting talent and a script to back it up.

Ron Decker (American History X's Edward Furlong) gets busted for selling dope, and under the strict new laws, is sent to prison for five years on a felony rap. Once in the joint, Decker gets to know Earl Copen (Willem Dafoe), a lifer who is, as Morgan Freeman's character calls himself in The Shawshank Redemption, "the guy who knows how to get things." Decker and Copen form an odd, complex relationship that's viewed by those outside the prison walls with some alarm.

Furlong, Dafoe, and Danny Trejo, who plays Dafoe's best friend, are only the tip of the acting iceberg in this movie; a host of other fine actors have parts ranging from supporting to bit, including Buscemi himself, Mickey Rourke, John Heard, Tom Arnold, Larry Fessenden, Seymour Cassel, and a host of others; were there not so much focus on Furlong and Dafoe, this would have easily been billable as an ensemble-cast movie, and to an extent it plays like that anyway; there's too much of a main story here for a straight ensemble film, though. (Rourke, especially, is notable here, in his best performance since Angel Heart.) Either way you look at it, this is a strong movie chock full of good performances; the subject matter, and the rather jaundiced way of looking at it, may make some squeamish, but the caliber of the performances here should be enough to overcome that. Animal Factory is a good'un. You want to see it. ****

This is an excellent movie based on the Edward Bunker book of the same name. The plot revolves around a young man committed to prison who is taken under the wing of an older convict. The film portrays prison life in all its banality and violence as well as the values and psychology of the prisoners and the relationships, both good and evil, that form among them.
Every actor, including Edward Bunker himself, did a fine job with Steve Buscemi as both actor and director. However, the revelation here is Mickey Rourke playing a transexual inmate. His portrayal of toughness and sadness, female in a very male body was absolutely superb. His voice, his mannerisms all were totally authentic. His scenes alone made this movie worth watching. As someone who has worked with convicts, addicts, and transexuals for many years I was astounded at the accuracy of the movie and of Rourke's portrayal in particular.

This is an intellgent film with a lot of good acting. It does not capitalize on abuse and violence, as a lot of prison films do and gives it a realistic treatment. The only comparable prison pixcture would be ON THE YARD out of the 70's, but this one is more positive in that it offers hope, and that in itself makes Animal Factory more realistic.
Willem Dafoe is a living great, and whenever he makes a film he brings in great theatrical elements to his roles. His portrayal of feigning insanity in the hole is a Dafoe original. This film brings in other artists and allows them perform as well. The classic shot pans the yard as you hear the soundtrack and then you actually see a con singing the blues and you realize that it's not just the background music, the guy is actually performing live. Like other prison flicks, this one has its share of the inevitable rape and shankings you would find in a prison film, but this one does not give them the center stage. It doesn't shy away from the difficult issues that other films avoid, but at the same time you can make a claim that it does hold back on repression, abuse and violence you are bond to find in a real prison. It strives and does a good job breaking stereotypes. Tom Arnold is barely recognizable in a cameo that breaks his mold and I did not recognize Mickey Rourke in the aging drag queen he was playing. You can not fault this film for being unrealistic because films are works of arts and this one actually redeems itself.

This is a very interesting movie, not to mention Steve Buscemi directed it. I disagree and agree with Kenecia; prison is a miserable experience - BUT this movie is based off a novel, it's not a docmuntary, so ofcourse is going to be "watered down" and have some unexplaineble weird twist of an ending. Kenecia, you remind of those people who watch cartoons and say " WHAT?! THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!!!"
But for others, i recomend this movie. It's worth the time.

OK film if your cable or dish is off line.

Why did Tom Arnold get top billing? Wish he'd have stayed home during the production of this movie.

Like his first directorial attempt - Tree's Lounge - Steve Buscemi's second full-length film as a director, Animal Factory, falls just short of leaving a long-lasting impression on the viewer. It's certainly a great improvement over Tree's Lounge as far as production is concerned, and all the right elements - directing, dialogue, acting, cinematography - are in place, but the characters and plot are just not interesting enough to make it unique and memorable. There are tons of prison dramas out there; Animal Factory just isn't news

Still, for what it is, it's a great film and certainly worth your time. More realistic than most prison dramas tend to be, Animal Factory shows a picture of prison life that is much less shocking and brutal than we're used to see in this kind of film, and focuses more on the difficulties of actual day-to-day survival. The story focuses on young inmate Ron Decker (the very talented Edward Furlong, memorable as Edward Norton's younger brother in American History X) and tough guy Earl Copen (Willem Dafoe) and on the relationship forming between them. Nothing new, really, but with two excellent actors and some great, unpretentious directing we get a really lovely film. The rest of the excellent cast includes Chris Bauer, Danny Trejo, Tom Arnold, an unforgettable Mickey Rourke and Buscemi himself in a small part.

A very slow and intimate movie, Animal Factory is not much of a masterpiece but it shows a lot of potential and promise for Steve Buscemi as a director. If you're a fan, if you like Trees Lounge, or if you're fond of prison dramas, Animal Factory is well worth a watch.

Out of everything i own, this movie is one that is SACRED to me... This one is my fave.. I've seen it countless times...

It has a great cast, great director.. Willem Dafoe is amazing in it... I'd have to say out of all the movies he's been in, i'd rate this one as his best!

Not the best movie for Edward Furlong though (<-- i'd have to say T2 for him), but he played his role well..

And ya gotta love Danny Trejo... he's great in every movie.

This movie is pretty realistic... i mean it's written by an actual convict.. Edward Bunker... and there are actual convicts in the movie as extra's, and not to mention Trejo (who is a real con as well... the special features in this movie explains this, and gives interviews... the special features are awesome..).

If you like this movie, look into some more works by Edward Bunker, especially his books, "Education of a Felon" etc...

I can't express enough on how great movie is, so i'll end my review here... if i could give this movie an infinite amount of stars i would, cuase it's that good.

When i was searching for a copy of it, the lowest it sold for was $30, that's what i ended up paying for mine... but i was ready to pay $50 for it... it's definitely worth whatever price it sells for...

There seems to be no end to prison movies and no end to those of us who watch them. Steve Buscemi's "Animal Factory" could have made the also-ran list were it not for the really splendid performance of Willem Dafoe who plays the character of Earl Copen, an 18 year veteran of the prison system who takes the young and vulnerable Ron Decker, in prison for dealing drugs (Edward Furlong) under his wing, in this instance without the sex. Dafoe manages to make this character very human, and we root for him in whatever he gets involved in. The usual requirements for a prison movie are here: guards who look the other way, favoritism because of pay-offs, drugs, violence, racial tension and the sexual undercurrents.

Decker's cellmate is a heavily made-up cross-dresser with muscles who when he is on screen steals the show. I was totally blown away when the credits rolled to see that he is played by Mickey Rourke. You could have fooled me. It is worth watching this film for his performance alone.