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| List of the Best Prison Movies of all Time |
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Though what specifically makes a movie a "prison movie" might differ from viewer to viewer, for the purpose of this list, a movie is eligible if one of the film's major characters spends some time in the slammer and that jail time is shown in the film. In addition, the film's plot must revolve around that prison time or the attempt to avoid going back to the pokey. Here's the list of what we consider to the best prison movies of all time in no particular order:
The Shawshank Redemption (1994) - Tops on any list.
The Blues Brothers (1980) - Of course they'll never get caught. They're on a mission from Gyod! Also features one of the best soundtracks in film. Don't bother with any of the sequels however.
Papillon (1973) - Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman at their best. "Hey you bastards, I'm still here".
Cool Hand Luke (1967) - Stars Paul Newman, but the star of the show is George Kennedy with his Oscar winning performance as best supporting actor.
The Longest Yard (1965 - TV) - The 1974 version starring Burt Reynolds, not the 2005 version starring Adam Sandler.
Escape From Alcatraz (1979) - Clint Eastwood plays Frank Morris, the only man believed to have escaped from the rock. Morris's method was even proven possible on Mythbusters.
American History X (1998) - Powerful film that tackles racism and hatred head on.
Bad Boys (1995) - The version with Sean Penn not the one with Martin Lawrence and Will Smith.
The Birdman of Alcatraz (1962) - John Frankenheimer direction that features Burt Lancaster as Robert Stroud, a prisoner who was probably the most famous inmate ever to reside on Alcatraz.
The Deer Hunter (1978) - Robert DeNiro and Christopher Walken in the 5-time Academy Award winner. Though a prison movie per se, it certainly features on the most oppressive and intense POW scenes in film.
