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Escape From Alcatraz
1979
Based on the true story of the only escape from Alcatraz--a maximum-security prison built on an island located in shark-infested waters to contain the most dangerous, hardcore criminals and most gifted escape artists in the U.S.--ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ stars Clint Eastwood as inmate Frank Morris, the man who plans the escape. .. Read more
| Starring | Clint Eastwood, Patrick McGoohan, Roberts Blossom, Larry Hankin |
|---|---|
| Director | Don Seigel, Don Siegel |
| Genres | Drama |
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Critics' reviews (4)
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Don Siegel did much to establish his reputation with Riot in Cell Block 11 in 1954, and he went back behind bars for this tough and compelling reconstruction of the only successful escape from San Francisco's notorious island prison in its 29-year history. Driven stir crazy by the strictures of warden Patrick McGoohan's regime and the brutality of his fellow inmates, Clint Eastwood plans an ingenious bid for freedom with Fred Ward and Jack Thibeau. Blessed with expert performances, Siegel shoots the preparations with an attention to detail that exerts as strong a grip as the events of the escape itself.
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A dour, terse, depressing prison movie which makes an uncomfortable star vehicle and not very much of an entertainment, but does preserve a certain integrity right to its ambiguous ending.
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Siegel's finest film since The Shootist, thistells the story of the one successful escape ever believed to have been... read more on Time Out
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Most helpful members' reviews (3)
View all -
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful
Very interesting!
I thought this film was extremely well written as it was exciting to see how the 4 men would escape from the prison and was suspensing to see if the wardens would catch them!
It was interesting to see how the men actually made their way out of the jail, and the different types of methods and tools they used to escape. I thought the ending happened very quickly and unknowingly but then again, no one knows if they survived or not! -
5 out of 6 people found this review helpful
TOP MOVIE !!!
No one can escape from Alcatraz, right? Try telling that to lifer Frank Morris (Clint Eastwood). This Donald Siegel-directed nailbiter is a reenactment of Frank Morris' 1962 attempt to bust himself and two other cons out of The Rock. Eastwood, as Morris, tilts with nasty warden Patrick McGoohan for a while, befriends several fellow prisoners, and picks the guys with whom he'll make his escape. Among his break-out buddies are the Anglin Brothers (Fred Ward and Jack Thibeau), with whom he'd served in other lockups, and several others who've got their own special reasons to despise the sadistic McGoohan. The film leaves open the possibility that Morris might just have made it. Filmed on location at the newly renovated Alcatraz, Escape From Alcatraz was another box-office winner for the Eastwood/Siegel combo.
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4 out of 5 people found this review helpful
A classic
Slow paced and darkly filmed, Eastwood's prison drama based on a true story is a masterpiece. From start to finish the bleakness of "the Rock" is well portrayed and this, along with the excellent acting and obligatory evil prison governor, makes this a film not to miss.
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Most recent members' reviews (2)
View all -
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful
A classic
Slow paced and darkly filmed, Eastwood's prison drama based on a true story is a masterpiece. From start to finish the bleakness of "the Rock" is well portrayed and this, along with the excellent acting and obligatory evil prison governor, makes this a film not to miss.
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6 out of 6 people found this review helpful
Very interesting!
I thought this film was extremely well written as it was exciting to see how the 4 men would escape from the prison and was suspensing to see if the wardens would catch them!
It was interesting to see how the men actually made their way out of the jail, and the different types of methods and tools they used to escape. I thought the ending happened very quickly and unknowingly but then again, no one knows if they survived or not!
-
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful
Very interesting!
I thought this film was extremely well written as it was exciting to see how the 4 men would escape from the prison and was suspensing to see if the wardens would catch them!
It was interesting to see how the men actually made their way out of the jail, and the different types of methods and tools they used to escape. I thought the ending happened very quickly and unknowingly but then again, no one knows if they survived or not! -
5 out of 6 people found this review helpful
TOP MOVIE !!!
No one can escape from Alcatraz, right? Try telling that to lifer Frank Morris (Clint Eastwood). This Donald Siegel-directed nailbiter is a reenactment of Frank Morris' 1962 attempt to bust himself and two other cons out of The Rock. Eastwood, as Morris, tilts with nasty warden Patrick McGoohan for a while, befriends several fellow prisoners, and picks the guys with whom he'll make his escape. Among his break-out buddies are the Anglin Brothers (Fred Ward and Jack Thibeau), with whom he'd served in other lockups, and several others who've got their own special reasons to despise the sadistic McGoohan. The film leaves open the possibility that Morris might just have made it. Filmed on location at the newly renovated Alcatraz, Escape From Alcatraz was another box-office winner for the Eastwood/Siegel combo.
-
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful
A classic
Slow paced and darkly filmed, Eastwood's prison drama based on a true story is a masterpiece. From start to finish the bleakness of "the Rock" is well portrayed and this, along with the excellent acting and obligatory evil prison governor, makes this a film not to miss.
-
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful
Eastwood Classic
This is a great movie with Clint Eastwood on supurb form as Frank Morris, a convict who has escaped from so many prisons that he is sent to Alcatraz. No prisoner has ever managed to escape from the legendary prison on an island in San Fransisco Bay. Morris is out to re write history.
Patrick McGoohan stars as the warden, a corrupt official who likes to run the prison by his own rules.
This is an excellent movie which however does go at a slow pace at times. Highly recommend though. -
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
thrilling enthralling very entertaining
this film was very entertaining from start to finish clint eastwood was excellent in his role as the ingenious frank morris escapee great film would definately recommend it to every one
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
a good escape movie
clint eastwood did his best and so did the movie.
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
Classic one-liners
This is one fan-bloody-tastic movie of Clint Eastwood. This movie has good mixture of acting & is chock-a-block with one-liner (in Clint Eastwood style, course).
Enjoyed the movie throughly & I still wonder (as does many) if Frank Morris is still alive & well. -
2 out of 4 people found this review helpful
Another quality clint eastwood film, an absolute classic. Highly reccommended.Fantastic!!!!!
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1 out of 2 people found this review helpful
did they survive
to this day no one knows if they escaped or perished in the crossing. this is the way prisoners should be treated, then perhaps when they get released they wont be so keen to return
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Great
Although this film is so old it is still a great film.
Critics' reviews (4)
-
Don Siegel did much to establish his reputation with Riot in Cell Block 11 in 1954, and he went back behind bars for this tough and compelling reconstruction of the only successful escape from San Francisco's notorious island prison in its 29-year history. Driven stir crazy by the strictures of warden Patrick McGoohan's regime and the brutality of his fellow inmates, Clint Eastwood plans an ingenious bid for freedom with Fred Ward and Jack Thibeau. Blessed with expert performances, Siegel shoots the preparations with an attention to detail that exerts as strong a grip as the events of the escape itself.
-
A dour, terse, depressing prison movie which makes an uncomfortable star vehicle and not very much of an entertainment, but does preserve a certain integrity right to its ambiguous ending.
-
Siegel's finest film since The Shootist, thistells the story of the one successful escape ever believed to have been... read more on Time Out
-
Included in the New York Times's "10 BEST FILMS OF 1979"
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Based on the true story of the only escape from Alcatraz--a maximum-security prison built on an island located in shark-infested waters to contain the most dangerous, hardcore criminals and most ... -
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