Escape from Alcatraz [Blu-ray]

Truth often being stranger, and often more interesting, than fiction Eastwood's Escape From Alcatraz plays it mostly straight, and why not since the actual escape had all it needed for a fantastic story. It only adds to the legend that the open ending is just that.Escape From Alcatraz is probably the second best prison move, escape or otherwise, after The Shawshank Redemption. It could have actually been quite plodding and nowhere nearly as great without Eastwood's "good guy" toughie. He makes you root for the cons to escape without breaking a sweat. Though approached lightly, Patric McGoohan's constant tense portrayal of the heartless warden adds more inhumanity than is actually seen on screen becoming the bad guy outstripping the actual prison bully Wolf who is a murderer itching to add Frank Morris to his body count. I certainly have enjoyed McGoohan's penchant for creating an enigmatic and cagey charactrer from his The Prisoner British TV series, but in far less screen time he manages to give a equally brilliant edge to Alcatraz. Finally, credit must be given to director Don Siegel who Eastwood has publically said he learned everything about directing movies from. Siegel, and writer Robert Finch. wisely steered away from adding bombast allowing the real element of the utterly hopeless incareration on Alcatraz to underpin the excellent performance of the principals. This movie was stripped down to the essentials, masterfully telling a powerful story which lives on yet today as legend. Escape From Alcatraz holds up to repeated viewings as an excellent movie actually propelling the legend. Being available for Amazon Prime made it an easy recommendation which was much appreciated by this viewer. It's at my list's top of a non-western Eastwood flick without doubt.

Have watched this film many times and always find something new i missed the last time i watched it. The four prisoners take on the impossible. Or was it? No one escapes from Alcatraz. Or so they thought when these four men or at least three did so. The high IQ of morris as the mastermind, played very well by Clint is shown in the way he notices things and uses those imperfection to plan a way to beat the odds. In the film things work well for Morris and his crew as they labor for quite awhile to all finish at the same time to escape together. I am sure that a lot of scenes and other things were changed to fit the belief that what we see is just how it happened. This cannot be further from the truth. But putting what was real and fabricated the men did pull it off. Now when the three reach the island beach and begin the water travel to Angel Island, the currants and chill of the water had to have a physical effect on their bodies, or so we have been told. All in all a good film that even today those that remember the escape and even those just finding out about it wonder. DID they make it, or did they succumb to hypothermia? Where did they go from Angel Island? Where did they go, no bodies, no evidence of success, did someone on the outside help? These were criminals sent to the Rock because they were the worst of the worst. But because we like Clint and the rest of the cast we hope they did make it.

There are countless ingredients needed in just the right amount to make a masterpiece of film. The storyline, the casting, the performances, the editing, and the music all have to work together to create brilliance. This movie does exactly that. People born into the age of computers cannot possibly appreciate the effort involved with the use of actual film for movies, and actual 2" tape for audio. Plus unless there are expletives in every other sentence and sex scenes scattered throughout it cannot seem to hold today's viewers attention. Even if I am being unfair with this assessment, it's simply true that you won't find very many movies of this caliber that work so well in a stripped down manner. It is DIFFICULT to make a movie like this and Don Siegel is a genius. I can see the similarities in Eastwood's direction now.Fun fact I learned today:A 2015 History Channel documentary received photographs from the family of the Anglin brothers, allegedly taken around 1975, somewhere in South America. Their facial recognition experts confirm that the photo is authentic, confirming that at least the Anglins survived the escape. As of 2018, they are still considered at large.

Perhaps one of Clint Eastwoods lesser appreciated films. But this film is a cracker, and in my top 10 best films Eastwood has ever made. I am a massive fan of Eastwood and own every single one of his films and the Raw Hide collection. I have multiple copies of his films on DVD and Bluray, including limited editions, box sets etc. I even have many of the movie sound tracks and recently went to his ranch in Carmel By The Sea and had a wonderful meal. Anyway that's enough showing off, but I just wanted to clarify how much of a fan I am.Escape From Alcatraz is true story about inmate Frank Morris, played brilliantly by Eastwood, who is mastermind escapest with a very high IQ. He is sent to The Rock, and immediately starts planning his escape. Also joining in the escape are brothers, John and Clarence Anglin. They devise a plan by slowly digging away at the vents at the back of their cells which are now damp and corroding with the salt air. The Rock had been a federal prison since 1934 and this film takes place from 1960 to 1962 when the escape takes place on June 11th. The building was completed in 1859 as used as a fort until turned into a military prison in 1907 before becoming a federal prison in 1934 but was closed in 1963 due to high maintenance costs. In 1972 the island was claimed by the National Parks and opened to the public. In 1996 Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage stormed the island to save the San Francisco bay area from being blown up by Ed Harris. OK the last part is fiction, but what a great film The Rock is.Back to the review. But I hope you liked a bit of history of Alcatraz. Eastwood looks lean and menacing in the role of Morris but without being macho. The way the escape is slowly set up with gathering the required tools to bust out is realistic. The shower scene is good when Morris is approached by another inmate wanting to hang out the back of him. Come on man, you can't mess with Clint. Patrick McGoohan plays the warden with a slightly eccentric maner which really works.The film was shot mostly on location at Alcatraz and you can't really tell what are sets and what is the real thing. It's that good, which contributes massively to the mood of the film. I have visited Alcatraz recently and can say 100% how authentic the film is and how the story is portrayed. There are no heroes in this film, just honest, real people who are pretty likeable despite being crims.This film was the last time Eastwood and director Don Siegal worked together. The other films he directed with Eastwood were Coogans Bluff, Two Mules For Sister Sara, Dirty Harry and The Beguiled. Oh and Siegal is the barman in Clints directorial debut, Play Misty For Me. A great team together, who made brilliant films. Eastwoods own style also shows through in the films he has directed and has clearly been influanced by Siegals own style of film making.Escape From Alcatraz is a film everyone should see. Spread the word and get the film more noticed. Just to finish, my top ten Clint Eastwood films, he has been in anyway are:Dirty Harry.The Good The Bad And The Ugly.The Outlaw Josey Wales.Unforgiven.Escape From Alcatraz.Million Dollar Baby.Gran Torino.The Bridges Of Madison County.Play Misty For Me.Thunderbolt And Lightfoot.

Clint Eastwood has the leading role on this fantastic movie. This movie challenges big movies like Shawshank of Redemption and The Green Mile. The story is thrilling and full of action. Its a very harsh and very hard life inside Alcatraz, the warden is a very vindictive person too. Frank( Eastwood) is having none of it. The escape plan takes shape bit by bit and the intensity of making it outside is portrayed in the movie really well. This amazing classic captures the prison life in Alcatraz extremely well. Other have tried years later but this still remains one of the most originally done prison movies. Now the blu ray looks good for its age. Don't expect 10/10 as this a 25+ year old movie but the upgrade is well worth it. The detail is all there. A good job indeed.If you yet are sceptical about the blu ray conversion you don't really need too as you will enjoy it even more on blu ray. Just get it as you won't be disappointed. I certainly I am not. I love the movie and my eyes agreeing with me.

A film featuring an escape plot from a high security prison titled Alcratra starring Clint Eastwood as one of leaders of the four gangs, Frank Morris. It also featured Fred Ward (later of Remo fame) as one of the Anglin brothers. It provides fact or fiction insights on life in the prison in San Francisco Bay back in the early 1960s prior to the breakout.

Alactraz 1962, this film is based on a true story of the escape of 3 convicts, Frank Morris (Eastwood) & brothersJohn & Clarence Anglin, from the island prison on the rock, with a series of ingenious manoeuvres that took a year to complete, & out foxing the cruel warden, played here by "Danger Man" himself Patrick Mcgoohan who suspects anybody & anything, the film covers everthing that the trio did, including paper mache' dummy heads with hair to fool the nightime patrols.But the question is did they survive or drown ? they were officially never seen again,I also got the documentary DVD "Breakout from Alcatraz" for the real "true story" with rumours of a waiting boat that picked them up & whisked them to foreign climes, with sightings reported, the story is compulsive viewing & you do wish there was a happy ending for them, but you will have to make your own choice.

I have visited Alkatraz and seen the cell from which the character escapes. Really worth watching.