Review of Prison (1949) by Johnathon W — 30 Oct 2018
Underrated horror that holds up as a fun B-movie with the occasional A-list quality. The cast is solid, with Viggo Mortensen already making an impression as the stoic car thief Burke, while Lane Smith brings nice gravitas as the warden (you actually believe he could run a prison).
Behind the camera, director Renny Harlin brings a nice visual style and terror to the story from the simple story (it's essentially a haunted house in a prison) and you can see how he got the "Nightmare on Elm Street 4" job from this.
The fact it was shot in a an actual prison, with real prisoners as extras and even actors, give it a real authenticity. Granted, the overall mystery of why the prison is haunted is never fully used, but the visual effects are surprising for the budget (the victims get some nicely gory deaths).
Overall, a fun b-horror that makes great viewing for the October/Halloween season.
This review of Prison (1949) was written by Johnathon W on 30 Oct 2018.
Prison has generally received mixed reviews.
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