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Malpaso Productions
Paramount Pictures
Not part of a collection.
No one has ever escaped from Alcatraz… and no one ever will!
San Francisco Bay, January 18, 1960. Frank Lee Morris is transferred to Alcatraz, a maximum security prison located on a rocky island. Although no one has ever managed to escape from there, Frank and other inmates begin to carefully prepare an escape plan.
CinemaSerf
Jun 5, 2023 · via TMDB
Clint Eastwood is at the top of his game in this thriller. He is bank robber Frank Morris, Incarcerated in one of America's most impregnable prisons, under the menacing gaze of warden Patrick McGoohan. He quickly concludes that he has little left to live for but escape. Together with twins Clarence and John Anglin (Fred Ward and Jack Thibeau) he puts together an intricate plan to escape their prison by using the utility tunnels to escape the complex then some makeshift inflatables to get across San Francisco bay. The facts of the story mean the ending is never in doubt - insofar as we actually know what the ending was/is! Now that rather detracts from any sense of jeopardy with the screenplay, but is one of the aspects that make Eastwood all the more compelling - his meticulous planning, ingenuity and sheer perspicacity is enthralling - ok, at times a little slow - to watch. He has to deal with the odd internal fracas, most notably from "Wolf" (Bruce Fisher) who would have some fun with him, if you get my drift... but none of that detracts him from his goal. Aside from this mission, Don Siegel offers us quite a detailed glimpse into life behind bars towards the end of this crumbling building's life; and we are exposed to the relentless tedium and despair of many which engenders some sympathy - however evil they may have been to be sent there in the first place. What Siegel doesn't really do, though, is use McGoohan to much effect. His usual less-is-more style of performance is certainly here, but all to infrequently to really build an sense of menace. Still, it's Eastwood's film and he is great...
JPV852
Nov 8, 2022 · via TMDB
Seen this one several times and still is a well done and straight forward, well shot, escape-thriller with fine performances all around. Nothing fancy and just enough character development to make you care. **4.0/5**
r96sk
Jan 21, 2022 · via TMDB
Gotta feel for this due to the later emergence of <em>'<a href="https://letterboxd.com/film/the-shawshank-redemption/">The Shawshank Redemption</a>'</em> and even <em>'<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prison_Break">Prison Break</a>'</em>, but <em>'Escape From Alcatraz'</em> still merits its own props as a great film. I love a good prison escape flick, shown by my love for those two aforementioned productions which do improve on the formula; TSR - one of my favourite films, fwiw - particularly must've took a lot of inspiration from this, I noted a fair few similarities. With the cast, you have an excellent performance from Clint Eastwood. Patrick McGoohan fits his role nicely, while Paul Benjamin and Larry Hankin are the best of the rest. I would've liked more development for the characters of Fred Ward and Jack Thibeau, who felt a little tacked on. Elsewhere, Danny Glover makes his acting debut in a tiny, tiny role. I found the pacing to be very good, sure the story I guess is obvious in terms of its direction but I still got tense and edgy whilst watching the escape take place. The ambience of the film is a positive too, with the exception of one moment early on where there's an overly on the nose lightning strike as one of the characters mentions Alcatraz - nothing major, it's a nit-pick and it's my only one so that's a big plus. Interesting to note this was the final collaboration between Eastwood and director Don Siegel, take out <em>'<a href="https://letterboxd.com/film/coogans-bluff/">Coogan's Bluff</a>'</em> and that was an extremely effective partnership - this 1979 release and <em>'<a href="https://letterboxd.com/film/two-mules-for-sister-sara/">Two Mules for Sister Sara</a>'</em> being my favourites.
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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Clint Eastwood
Frank Morris
Patrick McGoohan
Warden
Roberts Blossom
Doc
Jack Thibeau
Clarence Anglin
Fred Ward
John Anglin
Paul Benjamin
English
Larry Hankin
Charley Butts
Bruce M. Fischer
Wolf
Frank Ronzio
Litmus
Fred Stuthman
Johnson
Hank Brandt
Associate Warden
Madison Arnold
Zimmerman
Garry Goodrow
Weston
Regina Baff
Lucy
Joe Miksak
Police Sgt.
Jason Ronard
Bobs
Jim Haynie
Guard
Fritz Manes
Guard
Lloyd Nelson
Guard
George Orrison
Guard
Gary Warren
Guard
Joseph Whipp
Guard
Sheldon Feldner
Inmate
Danny Glover
Inmate
Carl Lumbly
Inmate
Eugene Jackson
Inmate
Don Siegel
Director
Lloyd Nelson
Script Supervisor
Joel Cox
Assistant Editor
Fritz Manes
Associate Producer
Marion Dougherty
Casting
Don Siegel
Producer
Jerry Fielding
Original Music Composer
Alan Robert Murray
Sound Effects Editor
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2024
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Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
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2008 · 14 wins
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2000 · 12 wins
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2022 · 11 wins
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2019 · 11 wins
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