150 Word Review: 'Escape From Alcatraz' (1979)
The jail gaze
We never learn much about Frank Morris, except he's an escape artist with a high IQ. He's also dryly funny, good in a knife fight, and an excellent climber: pipes, poles, fences, whatever is in the way between him and freedom. As Morris, Clint Eastwood cranks his inner-Clint Eastwood Dial to Maximum Clint Eastwood, his performance is squints, smirks, and sassy one-liners. He's not breaking a sweat here. Director Don Siegel worked with Eastwood before, including 1971's Dirty Harry, about a trigger-happy San Fran cop. This may explain why the movie's in no hurry to impress.
Escape From Alcatraz is a mostly true, no-frills prison picture without the soul of The Shawshank Redemption or the rebellious spirit of Cool Hand Luke. Patrick McGoohan, TV's The Prisoner, also doesn't work very hard as a psycho warden. Alcatraz was meant for the worst of the worst, but it can't hold flinty Clint.
More Mediocre Clint: ‘Pale Rider’ (1985)
Saw this with my then-gf when it was released. Loved it. Love that our "Prez'nint" is so stoopit that he gets his "ideas" from late night movie reruns. We're in a pickle...but keep writing, it gives me a tickle!