Cheap Escape from Alcatraz (DVD) (Clint Eastwood, Patrick McGoohan) (Don Siegel) Price

Related Products

Customer Reviews of Escape from Alcatraz

Escape from Alcatraz (from a reality stand point!)
I have had a fasination about what it was like being a prisoner on the rock.Recently I went to visit Alcatraz to take a look for myself and I was so stunned that I was actually on the rock, where they kept the worst of the worst. After my trip I immediatly rented Escape of Alcatraz(because out of all of the movies made of Alcatraz this one is the most acurate!).The movie was based on a true story about the 1962 breakout. After watching it I found interesting little things that hollywood changed just to make it unique. In the movie there were three people in on it ,but in reality there were four and Clint Eastwood's charactor wasn't the one that planned it. Sure his charactor made it out ,but since this was hollywood and Clint Eastwood was star of the movie his charactor needed to plan it and escape. The one who planned it didn't make it out with the others. He did try five hours after the other three made it out.
It's still a hollywood gem. I loved the movie a lot. Clint Eastwood is great in this one (as he does with all of his other films) I enjoyed it even more that they acually filmed the movie on Alcatraz(so if you've been there you would notice many of the places they filmed at). The story is very straight forward and rock hard performances. As well as an ending that leads you to differant conclusions.

---

Amazon reviewers agree -- a great film.
Seldom do Amazon.com reviewers agree on ratings for films they watch, but for this one, the vote is in and it is unanimous. Escape from Alcatraz is a winner.

Director Don Siegel is pitch perfect from beginning to end. Many reviewers who have been to Alcatraz comment on the realism of this film. Siegel gives us an inside look at what it might have been like to be imprisoned on "the rock." From the black hole of solitary confinement to the painfully small individual cells of the prisoners, Alcatraz was a nasty place meant for only the nastiest criminals.

One of these prisoners is Frank Morris, expertly played by Clint Eastwood, who is transferred to Alcatraz, gets into a fight with an inmate who wants to make him his "punk," and spends time in the black hole. When he gets out of solitary, Morris begins to plan his escape. Several reviewers comment on the fact that Hollywood does not get these facts straight, but I didn't much care. I was pulled very quickly into Morris's plans and then the actual mechanics of the breakout, which were genuinely interesting and toward the end, had me sitting at the edge of my chair as I waited with suspense to see how the story would end.

The escape is obviously central to the entire plot, but the life of prisoners at Alcatraz is also dramatized expertly by Don Siegel. The warden, Patrick McGoohan, is aloof and professional, but he has a mean streak, which makes life harder than it needs to be on the rock. Frank Morris is smart enough not to get mad, but to get even, and this he does with three other inmates who assist him in the breakout. The warden and his guards are constanly on the alert for any suspicious behavior and we hold our breath from time to time as the escape plan is almost detected.

At last the time comes and we go step by step with Morris and two of his crew as they head for the icy waters surrounding Alcatraz. The fourth member of the crew hesitated and was left behind. This appears to follow the real-life events as mentioned by other reviewers.

Did Morris and his buddies successfully navigate the treacherous waters surrounding Alcatraz? I'll leave that question unanswered. Viewers can decide for themselves.

What is certain, at least to the reviewers of Amazon.com, is that Escape from Alcatraz is a well-made, highly suspenseful film from beginning to end, and it is one of Clint Eastwood's best roles -- that's saying something. Highly recommended!

---

questionable altogether
first things first--escape from alcatraz is for prison film completists only, and is worth watching only for the performances of clint eastwood and patrick mcgoohan. it's pretty much a snoozefest, though fans of either actor will definitely enjoy it, as they're both showing off their acting chops in this one. still, the process of scraping holes in a wall does not for exciting cinema make.

second--i have no idea what the reviewer below is talking about with regards to mr. mcgoohan's personal life. it's a hurtful and ridiculous accusation to begin with, one that i've never heard before in any interview, trade; or coming from any source; and at any rate, it has absolutely nothing to do with an actor's skills or their ability to be a great performer.

in fact, i've never even heard of this idiotic rumor in a tabloid. perhaps the reviewer below needs to get his facts straight before talking trash about a great actor like mr. mcgoohan, who is undoubtedly one of the most underrated performers out there, but still one of the best.