Animal Factory - movie recommendation - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Solitude · 10-26-2003, 10:08 PM

Four and a half out of five stars.

Definitely one of the most realistic portrayals of prison life. Written, advised, and acted by convicts.
All I can say for sure, is that this film reinforces the need to not get caught, ever.

I highly recommend this film to anyone who is curious about prison, or to anyone who might be on a path in life that will lead to prison. You will have a better understanding of what will happen to you.

Also, anyone who is a fan of Willem Dafoe, Edward Furlong, Mickey Rourke, Steve Buscemi, Tom Arnold, Danny Trejo, and Edward Bunker will enjoy this film on several levels.

Stare At The Sun · 10-26-2003, 10:54 PM

Is this out on tape, coming to theaters or what? Release date?

XenuHubbard · 10-27-2003, 12:10 AM

It's been out for a while. Directed by Steve Buscemi, the book was written by Edward Bunker, who once held the record for being the youngest inmate in the US in a prison for adults.

His books are great as well. None of that bling-bling bullshit. Doesn't exactly make you feel like picking a life of crime.

Astrocloud · 02-11-2004, 10:28 PM

Here are some pictures from this EXCELLENT MOVIE

Mickey Rourke(!)

Quote:

"Prison flick from ex-con screenwriter is raw and realistic, with powerful acting."

If there's any such thing as karma, then Animal Factory does much to repay the psychic debt Steve Buscemi incurred with his creepy performance as the likable, child-murdering convict in Con Air. Animal Factory doesn't paint prison as a prelude to adventure (48 Hrs., Con Air) or as a Norman Rockwell backdrop (The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile). Instead, Animal Factory chooses to examine human interaction -- from kindness to cruelty -- within the confines of prison.

The movie begins as an affluent, upper-class white kid (Edward Furlong) is arrested carrying $200,000 worth of pot and LSD. Sent to an unnamed prison (wonderfully captured in grainy cinematography), he meets Willem Dafoe, a glowering lifer who rules the prison roost. Dafoe has surrounded himself with cronies and peers in a partially color-blind gang (which includes character actor Danny Trejo, a producer on this project and an ex-con in real life). There's no reason for Dafoe to reach out to Furlong or to protect him. But Dafoe does.

Furlong, with the deer-in-the-headlights look of someone in deeper trouble than he ever imagined, isn't sure why Dafoe wants to befriend him. Consequently, Furlong is wary of the quid pro quo that Dafoe might ask in return. But it's not about sex; if it were, Dafoe assures Furlong, the matter would be a done deal -- regardless of his objections. The two become friends, with Dafoe mentoring and advising Furlong about prison jobs, what to do during a riot, how to fake an injury and legal procedure.

Animal Factory isn't a story in which everyone gets to live happily ever after: Some people never leave prison; others, even after release, never leave prison behind.

A gritty, superbly acted drama from a script by ex-con, author and occasional actor Edward Bunker (Runaway Train, Reservoir Dogs), Animal Factory is Buscemi's sophomore directorial effort. Buscemi has broadened his canvas, and the methods used in his alcoholism drama, Trees Lounge (giving a talented ensemble a good script and letting them riff), continue to serve him well. It's worth noting that Buscemi directed an episode of Home Box Office's prison drama, "Oz," in obvious preparation for Animal Factory.

The movie isn't perfect; there are minor hitches in the story's structure, and many obvious issues (such as Dafoe's criminal record) remain unexplored. But the film provides a convincing, compelling look at the confederation among prison inmates and at the society that put them behind bars.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/click/...e=1&rid=809924

10-26-2003, 10:08 PM	#1 (permalink)
Solitude Tilted Location: LA and Orange Counties	Animal Factory - movie recommendation Four and a half out of five stars. Definitely one of the most realistic portrayals of prison life. Written, advised, and acted by convicts. All I can say for sure, is that this film reinforces the need to not get caught, ever. I highly recommend this film to anyone who is curious about prison, or to anyone who might be on a path in life that will lead to prison. You will have a better understanding of what will happen to you. Also, anyone who is a fan of Willem Dafoe, Edward Furlong, Mickey Rourke, Steve Buscemi, Tom Arnold, Danny Trejo, and Edward Bunker will enjoy this film on several levels. __________________ Champagne for my real friends... and real pain for my sham friends.

10-27-2003, 12:10 AM	#3 (permalink)
XenuHubbard Cute and Cuddly Location: Teegeeack.	It's been out for a while. Directed by Steve Buscemi, the book was written by Edward Bunker, who once held the record for being the youngest inmate in the US in a prison for adults. His books are great as well. None of that bling-bling bullshit. Doesn't exactly make you feel like picking a life of crime. __________________ The above was written by a true prophet. Trust me. "What doesn't kill you, makes you bitter and paranoid". - SB2000

10-26-2003, 10:54 PM	#2 (permalink)
Stare At The Sun Eh? Location: Somewhere over the rainbow	Is this out on tape, coming to theaters or what? Release date?