2025, books, Movies, Mysteries

The Warden Threw a Party

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After Robert Redford’s death last week, I re-visited my goal to see more of his films.  I was able to find The Last Castle for free through my cable so watched it a few nights ago.  As I was watching it, a couple of things occurred to me.  First… while Robert Redford made beautiful and thought-provoking films, a lot of them are dark and depressing.  Second… I really don’t care for jailhouse movies. 

Yes, The Last Castle is a jailhouse movie.  No serious spoiler alerts except to say that it is dark and depressing.  And you know it almost immediately when an inmate, who clearly hasn’t done anything and is panicking in the jail yard, is killed by the prison guards.   I did battle it out until the end, but it wasn’t a feel good scenario. 

The realization that I avoid jailhouse movies occurred to me fairly early into the movie.  I’ve never watched The Shawshank Redemption, despite MANY people telling me it’s the best.  No Green Mile, no O Brother Where Art Thou, no Papillon (although I did read the book).   I haven’t even seen Jailhouse Rock; my aversion to jail movies apparently goes back aways.

That isn’t to say that I’ve taken a pass on all of them.  I have seen Cool Hand Luke, The Great Escape, Escape from New York as well as two other jail movies with Robert Redford – Brubaker and The Chase.  Technically The Chase isn’t in jail but it’s the chase after a jailbreak, so I’m including it.

Not too sure why I don’t like jail movies although it might be tied to the fact that I don’t like a lot of movies in which the chips are obviously stacked against the protagonist.  I’ve shied away from The Hunger Games and the Maze Runner – those kinds of things – for that reason.  And no movies about gladiators at all.

Any jailhouse movies that you’ve liked?  Any types of movies you shy away from?

41 thoughts on “The Warden Threw a Party”

  1. I’m glad you used that header photo because it’s exactly what I thought of…
    That was probably your point.

    O Brother is hardly a jailhouse film. You know it’s a twist on The Odessey, right? It’s one of my favorites.
    I have no interest in horror movies. I know some are supposed to be funny, but I’m not interested.
    I’ve skipped Hunger games too. And the big trilogies / sagas; I just don’t have time or memory space to invest in them. Harry Potter, Rings…
    Kelly doesn’t like too much bloodshed, so Tatentino is out.
    For me, good characters goes a long way. Or an intriguing story arc. And the witty dialogue of old movies.

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  2. These days for my own sanity nothing very dark. Hospice nurse says Sandra is in a gray area, meaning she could tumble over the edge but more likely stay like this for weeks or months unless something else happens.
    Agree with Ben about O, Brother. And the music is special.
    I am running out of movies to watch. And TV shows.

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  3. These days I’m reluctant to invest two hours in any movie, even one on television, and I haven’t wanted to see one in a movie theater for years. I did see O Brother in a theater and, to the best of my recollection there’s no actual jail in it at all. Some hammy acting but no jail.

    If I see a movie, it’s one Robin picked (and I didn’t veto). Left to my own, I would read.

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  6. I loved the Shawshank Redemption. I don’t mind jail house movies, but never thought of them as a sub-genre either.

    I avoid horror movies. I get no thrill out of watching excessive gore and being scared in my seat. And I don’t care for the superhero, save the world epics all that much–the ones with one mega-fight after another, all action and no story or interesting characters.

    That said, I thoroughly enjoyed the first Avengers movie; Iron Man. I thought Robert Downey Jr. was perfectly cast as Tony Stark.

    Chris in Owatonna

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    1. I haven’t watched a whole lot of the superhero movies because they take themselves too seriously. I did like the Iron Mans and the first two Ant-mans because they had some humor.

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  7. I saw the Green Mile when it came out. It was well done, but there is an upsetting scene with a mouse. I don’t know why, but seeing bad things happen to animals in movies bothers me more than seeing bad things happen to people.

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    2. I’m the same about the animal scenes. I try hard not to even go to movies with dogs in them anymore because the chances are better than none that something bad will happen to the dog.

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      1. Oh, yeah, I hate movies with dogs because I can’t bear loosing the dog. What was the one a few years ago, it was the same dog ‘spirit’ in about 5 different dogs. So you get to know this dog, then have it die 4 times?? Eagh. I can’t.

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  8. No horror or slasher movies for me. I’m all about the cozy stuff. Give me a good plot to follow, and great characters, and I’m happy. I’m not a big movie watcher anyway. I do follow some tv series, usually on PBS. I enjoyed shows like Downton Abbey, though I’m in no hurry to go see the recent movie.

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  9. I saw The Green Mile too. I thought it was good. I got emotional about the mouse too. Shawshank Redemption was also very good. I like Morgan Freeman in just about anything.

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  10. silence of the lambs was 35 years ago. great jailhouse movie
    i dont shy away from a genre but do have favorites. my cousin watches movies while he paints canvas and he loves guy films. i never am attracted butcwhen watching i do enjoy. i find these days i do go back and review directors. wes anderson, scorsese, terentino, i lived billy wilder and all the way back to frank capra, detective and movies with a twist are enjoyed but so was barbie. tonite was a toss up between scarlet johansons directorial debut and a time travel love story that looks good. i neverxwant super hero movies but usually enjoy them. batman , superman, spiderman, bring it on. i do start each day with leave it to beaver so life can be simple too. eddie haskel got his own apartment today so its just about time to reset to beaver and wall raising their alligator captain jack. xvv

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  11. I, too, loved Shawshank Redemption; really good movie. I like films that tell a good story, and it doesn’t have to have a happy ending. In fact, I prefer films that leave some room for ambiguity, and subtle humor is appreciated. I don’t care for a lot of graphic violence, high speed car chases, or sentimental blather. I’m not into science fiction, action movies or horror flicks.

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  12. Rise and Shine, Baboons,

    I am on the same opinion page as other Baboons. I love Shawshank and Green Mile. I also love the old westerns which I have on when I work on polymer clay because they do not require close attention. Does Andy Griffith count as a jailhouse TV series? Some of that was pretty funny, if culturally condescending.

    The musical Chicago takes place, in parts, in a jail. I thought that was so creative. I might think of more.

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  13. I avoid prison movies, too, but agree with Ben about O Brother. I also liked The Great Escape, but the characters being POWs made it different. Lots of people rave about Shawshank Redemption but I’ve never been curious enough to seek it out.

    I generally avoid Westerns but liked both versions of True Grit, probably because of the female protagonist. I don’t watch the Marvel superhero movies but have enjoyed several of the Batman films. The scariest horror movie I’ve ever been able to sit through is the original Nosferatu. I enjoy mysteries and thrillers as long as they’re not gory or excessively violent.

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  14. The Great Escape seems to be on late night TV often. Kelly hates it. She’ll come into the middle of it, ask me what it is, then groan and leave the room.

    Speaking of that. First time I had son watch ‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail’ and we get to the ending, which, if you know, is a rather Python sort of quirky ending, and he was pretty upset that was the end.
    Same with “Dr Strangelove” which was just on the other night. Terrible ending to such a funny movie.

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    2. YA doesn’t see the point of Monty Python at all. Part of the problem I’m sure is that Holy Grail seen on the big screen is so much more amazing than watching it on a television screen.

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        1. I had a vague recollection of a cartoon with some cartoon character working on a chain gang, escaping and trying to saw off the chain….but this is what I found when I tried to find that one.

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  16. I have nothing much to add to most of the above – won’t watch horror, liked a few of the favorite prison movies mentioned above. Cool Hand Luke, though sad, had Paul Newman.

    Would like to see that first Iron Man with Robert Downey Jr, just haven’t run into it..

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  18. You do yourself a disservice not seeing “Oh Brother” it’s not really a jailhouse movie, they escape in the opening credits. It’s very funny and the music is great and the story, nominally related to the Odyssey, is just moves right along.

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