Search - Escape From Alcatraz on DVD

MPAA Rating: PG Content Advisory: Violence, Adult Situations, Adult Language Movie Release: 1979 DVD Release: 03/09/1999 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Audio Tracks: English, French Subtitles: English SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 51 mins Studio: Paramount Members Wishing: 1 Genres: Action, Escape Film, Prison Film

No one can escape from Alcatraz, right? Try telling that to lifer Frank Morris (Clint Eastwood). This Donald Siegel-directed nailbiter is a reenactment of Frank Morris' 1962 attempt to bust himself and two other cons out of The Rock. Eastwood, as Morris, tilts with nasty warden Patrick McGoohan for a while, befriends several fellow prisoners, and picks the guys with whom he'll make his escape. Among his break-out buddies are the Anglin Brothers (Fred Ward and Jack Thibeau), with whom he'd served in other lockups, and several others who've got their own special reasons to despise the sadistic McGoohan. Filmed on location at the newly renovated Alcatraz, Escape From Alcatraz was another box-office winner for the Eastwood/Siegel combo. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Clint Eastwood - Frank Morris
Patrick McGoohan - Warden
Roberts Blossom - Doc
Jack Thibeau - Clarence Anglin
Fred Ward - John Anglin

This Paramount DVD release won't stand as the definitive home edition of Escape from Alcatraz, but this is still much preferable to the old video version. The DVD restores the gripping movie to its original theatrical widescreen aspect ratio and the remastered images allow you to see so much more of the images themselves since (like Blue Velvet) the darkly lighted movie was so poorly transferred to video that much of its images were reduced to abstractions. Cinematographer Bruce Surtees is justly renown for his dark, often naturally lit scenes, and his visual style compliments this gritty prison-break movie perfectly. This DVD may not boast an anamorphic transfer or any extra featurettes or commentaries, but at least home viewers will actually be seeing much of the prison escape for the first time. ~ Nick Dedina, All Movie Guide