Lockdown

I've always felt "Escape from Alcatraz" starring Mister Eastwood was the best PM ever made but this one is just as good though a much different story. Some black dudes in their early 20s are convicted of a crime even though only one of them did anything wrong. Anyway, they get sent up for 10 years or so and the movie follows their experiences. Lots of fighting and action and, bless his soul, the director allows no talk unless it pertains to the action. Solid ending.

Lots of anti-white racism in the movie. The guards are all white and they are bastards and the white inmates are monsters. Graffiti, played by David Fralick, is really bad. Good-looking, super-fit guy and vicious as they come.

Needless to say, the movie portrays prison life as ultra-violent but that's just Hollywood for you. It makes for a good movie but prison is mostly about boredom not violence. Hell - you've got guards and cameras everywhere; you can't get away with much in prison and real convicts know it.

Yes, this is a brutal film. It's scary to us who are not criminals or have not been around these types for any length of time. Since I am a fan of HBO's "OZ," I felt that I'd partake in this much talked about flick. I ordered the DVD and I'm pleased to have it in my collection, mainly because it introduced me to a couple of really good actors. Bill Nunn, as Charles, the college scout, I've seen for years on TV and in the movies.

Richard T. Jones was new to me. If he is going to be a star, he shouldn't do what Sidney Poitier did: ignore his own lighting. The star MUST always be lit correctly, especially if he is darker skinned. Mr. Jones is a good-looking leading man type and he should "tend to his business" and make sure HE looks good on that screen.

"Lockdown" is an okay movie. Gabriel Casseus as Cashmere was appropriately ignorant and vacuous. His "don't care" attitude is pervasive in poor neighborhoods where people feel helpless and hopeless in America. It was not surprising that he, a drug dealer, with a violent demeanor ended up in jail and adapted easily to that macabre world behind bars.

Of course it was different for Dre (De'Aundre Bonds) as the sensitive brother of Jones' girlfriend, Krista (Melissa De Sousa). Dre is not gay, but his good looks scream "woman" to brutes behind bars. He is viciously raped by two Aryan thugs the first day he arrives in the big house. He is immediately frightened into becoming Graffiti's "bitch," sexually available at "his man's" will. Graffiti (David "Shark" Fralick) is a muscular and insane drug dealer who is in competition with the head black dealer, Clean Up (played by rapper, Master P) who is a psychotic, disgusting character who would kill you for a nickle, no problem. His speech is as brutal as the part he portrays.

The movie is about survival, and that is what Avery (Jones) has to do, if he wants any kind of life and future. Yes, the characters are sterotypical, but aren't they always in this kind of vehicle?

The sex was played down in this, as it is in all American-made prison films. Americans are very squemish about man/man sex and DO NOT want to see it on the screen. Two woman. That's okay. When are we going to grow up?

If you liked "OZ" you might like this. But be prepared. It's not an easy watch.

Many references to HBO's Oz have been made about this movie. The two are similar, but the gangs focused on here are limited to the Blacks and Aryans. The colorful actors are convincing in their roles. Master P comes across as a worthy heavy. Craig T. Jones provides the great contrast of clean cut protagonist. With a plethera of unwatchable exploitive black urban videos, Lockdown is a high quality cut above.

Lockdown is a Low class Prison Movie that Entertains Big time. I enjoy watching Black Crime movies and like Prison Movies. I saw the cover of Lockdown and did'nt expect much. I still rented it out, since i had nothing else to watch. Surprisingly, the movie was very good with just a few bad scenes. If you enjoy watching Prison Break and like brutal prison movies, then this is a good choice. The movie shows some disturbing, brutal and harsh realities of American Prison life. It focuses on three friends who get arrested in suspection of murder. One of the friends, stupidly shoots at the police, which is why they get arrested. The acting ain't so professional, with not so popular actors and rappers in main roles. The storyline and direction was however very impressive. For all fans of this genre, i know there have been some crap movie with rappers in recent times, but this is worth the watch.

This movie was very moving for me especially considering the current situation in the Calif. jails system. I was very impressed with the content and acting of Master P and company. I do not appreciate his dancing ability, but I do think that his acting is something that he should continue to work on. I would like to see more quality black movies of this caliber. I love the actor that portrayed the driver of the top-down mustang, I can't recall his name, but I think his acting ability is under-rated. He is a very good quality actor, also the black swimmer is a wonderful actor as well. I love seeing my black brothers doing quality work.

Kudos to the entire crew of the movie. Keep up the good work.

Thank you, JC