Customer Reviews

Prison [VHS]

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Once in a while, a film comes along which blows all its expectations out of the water and delivers a movie which is truly memorable and horrifying. This is such a movie. From the dying breath of Charles Bands defunct production company, Empire Entertainment came this wonderfull, original and truly shocking film about a haunted prison. The atmosphere is efectivly creeping with long, dark corridors, low lighting and suspensful music combining together to create a truly masterful film. Lane smith is really convincing as the warden of the jail. His performance is extreamily powerful and demands respect from all the other prisoners. Viggo (from Lord of the Rings) in one of his earlier performances plays a James Dean character and even though it doesn't seem like he is trying at all, it is the restrained character identity he brings to the role which makes it just a little more believable. The special effects are great for a film of this age and not once did it seem to me that the people who were making this movie were uninspired. A truly great horror film, which was underated and deserves the royal DVD treatment.

Trivia:

Produced by Irwin Yablins (the same man responsible for Halloween and starting John Carpenters career)

Stephen Little was actually a real prisoner whilst this movie was being filmed.

Renny Harlins first American motion picture.

Concider the opening credits sequence: creepy Charles Band music escorts a prisoner and his guards to the electric chair. We don't see the inmate, we ARE him: the entire sequence is seen from his point of view; the camera being both his eyes and ours.
We hear the man gasp none the less, and for a moment we remember being the masked killer Michael Myers in John Carpenter's landmark slasher "Halloween" which had the same cinematic trick in the opening minutes.

But as soon as the condemned man is sitting on his death thrown and a hood is being put on his head, covering his face, the camera angle changes: now we see him sitting in the chair, now sharing the guards' points of view. Meanwhile a clock is ticking, the condemned man is strapped tight, deadpan faces of the people around him looking at each other, and at nothing... Tention builds, and at the climax, when even the most experienced horror adict discovers that he's holding his breath in vain, the switch is pulled and sparks explode in our faces. The body is thrashing with convulsions, we hear the man's breathing being smothered. And just when the scene is about to be unbearable to watch....

Yeah, this is a B-movie with some balls and a spine, but beware the shivers crawling down that spine... for this is not your average prison movie - it's a horror flick, and knowing that, we immediately feel a sense of claustrophobia. Together with the characters, we are inside a prison, iron bars and high walls everywhere: So whatever it is that will cause the horror, there is seemingly no escape from it.

Filmed on location in a real prison and with use of real inmates as extra's, the tense atmosphere is created for the most part by the brooding faces we see. The furious lightning-spitting eyes of warden Sharp, the care-for-nothing glances of the guards, the pale, tired eyes of the inmates themselves, all are looking at each other with distrust, with disgust, and sometimes, with curiossity.

One inmate who constantly feels the eyes of others in his neck is Burke, a young, quiet guy with a flinch of James Dean - perfectly played by the then not-so-well-known Viggo Mortensen. His curious layed-out relationship with an old black guy hints at the much later filmed "The Shawshank Redemption" with the young quiet Tim Robbins hooking up with the old, experienced Morgan Freeman. But these guys overhere are all the more real and captivating, in that their motivation for being there and concequently being the persons they are, is less spelled out and more suggested.

"Lock down!" is being yelled throughout the building and night falls in. And when Burke is being asked to break through the brick wall that covers the entrance of the execution chamber, nasty things start to happen.
What nasty things is up to you to witness: but however cheap and worn-out the B-plot is, the story is tight and crammed with well written dialogue, solid action, touches of black humor, and truly gory effects. Just wait until that string of barbe wire comes to live, you'll understand what I say.

Next to "The reflecting skin" and "The Indian runner", this is easily one of Viggo's most intense performances, showing that less is defenitly more. The same goes for the other actors although most of them will not get into later A-grade movies.
It's also director Renny Harlins best thing - it's his second movie, coming straight after the lesser known but even suspensefull "Born American", another prison movie set in cold-war-Russia.

But for now... Lock down. It's your time to die. Nighty-night boys...

Plot: A prison that has been shut-down since 1968 is being re-opened because the government wont rebuild a new prison. The man who is put in charge was in charge before it was shut-down in the 60's and still has scary visions because of it. So a bunch of convicts are shoved into it. And well in time people start dying.

Atmosphere: I would say this movie starts off strong in the atmosphere and hold it to the very end.

Acting: Very good here just like in Ghost Town(Which was made by the same people). Viggo Mortensen in one of early roles doesn't have to much dialogue, but is in more of a silent role and does a very good job a the lock picking extrodinare convict.

Special FX: Very, very, very good. I mean I was really impressed. Because I don't think this movie had a huge budget, but the effects are great.

Deaths: Oh my gosh, yeah. They are just pretty gruesome. They're very good deaths. I almost couldn't stand watching. I think I was practiclly crying during one death I felt so sorry for the guy. :( hehe

Overall: As someone else said, this movie blows all expectations right out of the water!!! Why isn't this on DVD along with Ghost Town? Well with Viggo Mortensen's recent popularity maybe they'll put this one on DVD. I can *hope*.!

Go rent it or buy it if you can.! :D

*Enjoy*!

God Bless ~Amy

I cant believe this movie doesnt have a collectors edition tape and dvd yet.Its a great 80's horror movie that should not be overlooked.Its directed by renny harlin and stars viggo mortensen,chelsea field and lane smith.Its about an old school prison warden who is asked to take over a badly aged prison, where he was a guard in 1964.Anyway when he has a few of the prisoners on a work detail they let loose a very nasty spirit who goes after everyone.This movie is worth buying if you can find a copy.Get it,you wont be sorry.

I've always loved this movie. I think I originally saw it on H.B.O. late one night. The movie never got any recognition. That's probably why it was only showed at 3 A.M. Those time slots are usually reserved for movies that skipped the movie theatre and came straight to video. This movie is not available on D.V.D. (as of August 16th, 2003). It is also out-of-print on V.H.S. I had to buy a used copy of it on ebay. I'm hoping that one day it will be out on D.V.D., but that may never happen. I won't hold my breath. I won't get into the movie's plot either. You can look that up on the internet. I just wanted to say that I liked this movie a lot and wish more people latched onto it. Another good movie from the 1980's that got little attention, was the movie "Ghosttown". Check it out. It to, is not available on D.V.D. and is also out-of-print on V.H.S. You can get used copies of it on ebay also. Definitely check out "Prison". I think that you will enjoy it. I did.

I don't understand how they can waste time and money putting movies like Attack of the Killer Tomatoes and Killer Clowns from Outer Space on DVD, or how every time you turn around, Hollywood is shoving remakes down our throats but, they can't take a little time and money to take a great movie like this one and remaster it to DVD. This movie was good enough to make a profit off of I'm sure of it. Great stars, great story line, and good special effects, how can you lose?

decent acting,very good effects and a somewhat believable plot (as horror movie plots go.if jason was superhuman because he almost drowned,then anything is possible,right?).

if my memory serves me right,prisoners enter a run down delapidated prison and unleash the spirit of a wrongfully executed guy.said spirit begins offing them in fantastic ways.this,i believe,was viggos big break and harlins first american movie.

i hope when this come to dvdland,its done right.why does it take so long for good movies (5 corners,the incident,last exit to brooklyn,from beyond) to make it to dvd while trash like glitter,gigli,white chicks,little man (sheesh,the list is long !!!!!!!) are released on a weekly basis ?!?!?!?!?!?

yet another gem that has not found its way to dvd.. this is a good horror flim long overdo for dvd. horror fans wont be dissapionted...

My dad played one of the extras in that film. I am from a little place called Rawlins, Wyoming, where that film was made. This movie put our little town on the map...hehehe...my mom, grandma and I even got to see what a 7000-ft elevation does to Tiny Lister when he tries to run in the morning! Linda Blair was dating Irwin Yablan's nephew at the time of filmng too,and she spent some time (with her purple hair) talking to my mom at our shop on Spruce Street. This film was a B movie,yeah,but for those of us who know every inch of that old prison that didn't even have heat until the 60's, it was a godsend. I am proud of this little flick...and it was fun as hell, no matter what. Just ask the people of Rawlins who got to see it happen.