@Daddie0 said:

I went into this film with no expectations. It was an odd experience. While it was in some ways enjoyable, it required a ridiculous amount of suspension of disbelief. It was almost an allegory of sorts, stiff and confused, but with a rigid core of narrative arc. I'm sure the actors in the film understood the lofty--if unexpected--goals of the project, and I'm not sure it has an audience to find. That said, it has the potential to be a film that sticks with you for a while based simply on it's oddity, and it's bizarre pace. I'm not even sure why I'm on here ranting about it. lol

It will definitely find an audience. After doing Bone Tomahawk, writer/director Craig S Zahler became a guy that everyone started following and waiting for his next project, anyone who has seen B.T. will definitely be watching this for sure. He's really starting to make a name for himself and this film as whacky as it is, was purely awesome as a whole. A 7.3/10 IMDb rating is extremely good, hell I gave it a 9/10 as it was definitely a guilty pleasure kind of flick for me. Sure it had loads of unbelievable plot points and is for the most part completely unrealistic, but damn it was a great f'ing watch! That's all that really counts.

I liked BT. Had to look it up. I don't really follow any particular writer/director/etc. I kinda take each film on its own. I can see the similarities now, but I guess BT just worked better because of the western genre...I don't know. It was entertaining, but basically farcical in nature.

As I've been familiar w/ the director's previous major work (the terrific Bone Tomahawk) I wanted to see if his latest film was any count. It didn't sound all that fascinating, but I'll be dang if Vince and Co. make it an energetic thrill-ride for the most part.

A film not be taken seriously, although Vince certainly took his character very, very much so. Johnson is a hoot as the Warden; he could have acted the easy caricature of evil, slimy, No-one-escapes-from-here-ever Wardens. Udo Kier is quietly malicious every time he speaks.

Just when you think the film will stay a certain course, it veers off into unexpected territory. I was impressed as I was w/ BT.

I had a different experience... I went in with moderately high expectations as I had already seen Bone Tomahawk and heard so much praise about this movie... I was dissapointed... It dragged and was the same thing over and over again, he gets in a cell, fights guards and prisoners, rinse and repeat...

It felt a bit average and overlong...

If you want to see an "exploitation" type film with real style, check out Hobo With a Shotgun instead...

@ThrillKillz said:

@Daddie0 said:

I went into this film with no expectations. It was an odd experience. While it was in some ways enjoyable, it required a ridiculous amount of suspension of disbelief. It was almost an allegory of sorts, stiff and confused, but with a rigid core of narrative arc. I'm sure the actors in the film understood the lofty--if unexpected--goals of the project, and I'm not sure it has an audience to find. That said, it has the potential to be a film that sticks with you for a while based simply on it's oddity, and it's bizarre pace. I'm not even sure why I'm on here ranting about it. lol

It will definitely find an audience. After doing Bone Tomahawk, writer/director Craig S Zahler became a guy that everyone started following and waiting for his next project, anyone who has seen B.T. will definitely be watching this for sure. He's really starting to make a name for himself and this film as whacky as it is, was purely awesome as a whole. A 7.3/10 IMDb rating is extremely good, hell I gave it a 9/10 as it was definitely a guilty pleasure kind of flick for me. Sure it had loads of unbelievable plot points and is for the most part completely unrealistic, but damn it was a great f'ing watch! That's all that really counts.

I agree with this. I strongly suspect the director was not seeking gritty realism throughout (see Don Johnson almost as a moustache twirling villain) and seems to have taken pleasure in drawing the viewer in to the tale with a largely serious first part* (at liberty), starting the horror and raising the absurdity and dark humour in the second part (low security prison) and dialling up the absurdity and dark humour to crazy levels in the final third (high security prison). I've not seen his other work but this was an exceedingly well done piece of entertainment.

I don't think I've ever seen Vince Vaughan in anything and didnt even realise it was him until the credits rolled but he was an excellent but of casting for carrying the unusual elements of this role. Some really strange and unnecessary humour in it too. Like the utterly stupid reversing prison bus and the reversing gangster vehicle (when both could easily have turned around). The sort of off beat repeat humour I'd expect in say a Japanese film (like something by Beat Takeshi). I approve! This bit of Pulp Fiction made my day.

8/10

*like the man vs machine fight, in hindsight probably the first sign after the cast that the director had something other than a straight tale to tell.