Top 5 Tuesday: Slammer Cinema

I decided to go a little unconventional today with my 2nd Top 5 list. I debated between epic war movies or baseball movies or something else, but I wanted a movie list after having music last week. However, I went against those ideas, saving them for later. So, here without further adieu, I give you my Top 5 Prison Movies (these are only based upon movies I’ve seen).

Honorable mention: Blues Brothers (most of the movie isn’t in prison, except beginning an end; still a classic) and The Hurricane (can’t go wrong with Denzel and he did a great job portraying Reuben Hurricane Carter).

5. The Great Escape - One of the true classic WWII movies in American cinema. A group of imprisoned American soldiers in a German Nazi camp plan an escape through 3 tunnels - Tom, Dick and Harry. Steve McQueen and others attempt the escape. Wanna see how it ends, go check it out. Great movie!

4. Escape from Alcatraz - Another classic piece of cinema art. Whether or not Frank actually escaped from the notorious prison is unknown, but finding out how they attempted it is great. Clint Eastwood is great in this movie as Morris. There’s just something about movies with ingenious prison escapes.

3. The Green Mile - Tom Hanks and Michael Clarke Duncan are great in this drama of a prison movie. Based on a Stephen King novel, Duncan’s character has a mysterious gift which he uses after being accused and sentenced to child murder. Spoiler alert: Tears will be shed in this movie. I have trouble watching the last 30 minutes if it’s on TV - I know I will cry.

2. Cool Hand Luke - This Paul Newman classic could easily be #1 on this list. Those who haven’t seen it would argue that #1 is clearly better. However, those people need to see this. Paul Newman’s character deliberately disobeys the rules of prison and attempts to eat 50 eggs. The famous quote “What we’ve got here is a failure to communicate” comes from this movie. A must watch with the late, great Paul Newman.

1. The Shawshank Redemption - Not a huge shocker here! Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman deliver some of the best acting in cinematic history. Watching Robbins slyfully weasel his way into the warden’s assistant and then get the best of him is incredible. This movie was on TV every night over a month ago, I watched bits and pieces every night, if not the whole movie. Remember “Hope is a great thing” and “Get busy living or get busy dying.”