Escape from Alcatraz (1979)
If you’ve never gone in for prison break movies, give the genre another chance with a couple of classics: Escape from Alcatraz or The Great Escape. Both have a host of characters you can care about, only to wonder later if they’re going to make it out alive. Both have complicated plans that require your brain to keep up, and both have a fair amount of eye candy to keep you happy.
The hilarious thing about some really famous prison or POW movies is the lack of realism in the prisoners’ appearance. In Stalag 17, Peter Graves looked like he just came back from the salon. Cool Hand Luke showed everyone with baby-smooth cheeks in the morning. Escape from Alcatraz is no exception: Clint Eastwood has his classically feathered haircut without any styling aids. Everyone’s hands, cheeks, and clothes are clean. If you don’t have a problem with that, you’ll be able to focus more on the story and the tense twists and turns. Lots of people (myself included) have been to Alcatraz on school field trips or other tours, and it’s a lot of fun to be able to compare the real thing with the movie. Just imagine trying to escape into shark-infested, freezing waters! This is a real classic and a great choice for retro movie night.
More Danny Glover movies here!
The hilarious thing about some really famous prison or POW movies is the lack of realism in the prisoners’ appearance. In Stalag 17, Peter Graves looked like he just came back from the salon. Cool Hand Luke showed everyone with baby-smooth cheeks in the morning. Escape from Alcatraz is no exception: Clint Eastwood has his classically feathered haircut without any styling aids. Everyone’s hands, cheeks, and clothes are clean. If you don’t have a problem with that, you’ll be able to focus more on the story and the tense twists and turns. Lots of people (myself included) have been to Alcatraz on school field trips or other tours, and it’s a lot of fun to be able to compare the real thing with the movie. Just imagine trying to escape into shark-infested, freezing waters! This is a real classic and a great choice for retro movie night.
More Danny Glover movies here!