hyped garbage

A Masterpiece!

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

A young man (Edward Furlong) goes to prison and a tough, older convict (Willem Dafoe) takes him under his wing as a mentor.The film is based on the novel of the same name by Eddie Bunker, who plays the part of Buzzard in the film. The novel was written intentionally for the purpose of becoming a film, and anyone who has read the book will notice a large part of the dialogue is used word-for-word. Though Bunker has been involved with many films, he may be best remembered today for playing Mr. Blue in "Reservoir Dogs", not coincidentally co-starring with "Animal Factory" director Steve Buscemi.Bunker, for those who do not know, is not only an accomplished crime writer, but very much the type of hardened criminal he liked to write about. He had been involved in bank robbery, drug dealing, extortion and more, so he knew what he was doing.The book was adapted to film by Bunker and his friend and co-producer Danny Trejo. They had both worked with Steve Buscemi before (Trejo was in "Con Air") and Bunker liked Buscemi's film "Trees Lounge" (1996), so he was actually their first choice. He, of course, agreed. Bunker had also hand-picked Edward Furlong for the lead, in part for his "androgynous" look."Animal Factory" was filmed at Holmesburg Prison in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Filming was completed in 30 days, two days longer than originally scheduled. Buscemi employed hundreds of prisoners from Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility, the prison that replaced Holmesburg Prison in 1995.This is a great standout performance for Danny Trejo; interestingly, Trejo is the godfather of Bunker's son, and the two first met at San Quentin State Prison; the duo has been working on movies together since "Runaway Train" (1985). On the flip side of the coin, Tom Arnold is so awful in his line delivery and his moments ruin an otherwise excellent film.The Arrow Video Blu-ray includes a 20-minute conversation with Barry Forshaw, author of "American Noir", talking about who Eddie Bunker was. In Forshaw's opinion, Bunker was the all-time greatest American prison writer, and he relishes in speaking about the author. Interestingly, he sees "Factory" as a version of the British series "Porridge" (1974-77), which is obviously coincidental. An audio commentary with Bunker and Trejo is ported over fro man earlier release. Beginning to end, this disc is a celebration of Edward Bunker, a it should be.

Steve Buscemi's first feature as director was Trees Lounge, an engaging drama about the bored, alcohol-drenched inhabitants of a small town, and their day-to-day interactions. For his second, Buscemi explores many of the same themes of aimlessness and having too much time on your hands, but changes the setting and tone entirely. Adapting Eddie Bunker's novel of the same name (the real- life ex-con also shares script writing duties with John Steppling), Animal Factory is about as unglamorous as prison drama gets. With a heightened sense of realism, violence and rape lurk at every turn, often happening so quickly that you barely have the chance to comprehend it. Buscemi and Bunker also find time to explore an engaging father-and-son relationship, albeit one taut with tension and distrust.After receiving an incredibly harsh sentence for drug possession, young Ron Decker (Edward Furlong) is packed off to prison where his youthful looks quickly attracts unwanted attention. Proving himself to be completely ill-equipped to handle the danger he faces, he is taken in by the shaven-headed Earl Copen (Willem Dafoe), who teaches him the ropes and how to spot a threat. A man of little physical prowess, Earl has risen to a position of authority by using his background in law to improve the living and working standards of his fellow inmates. Surrounded by his gang of trusted bruisers (including Danny Trejo, Mark Boone Junior, and The Wire's Chris Bauer), Earl promises to protect the vulnerable Ron. Pondering Earl's true intentions, Ron at first keeps the smiling convict at arm's length, until a bond is formed that just may help the young offender to make it out alive.By shaping the drama in the most unsensational way imaginable, Buscemi adds the necessary grit to Bunker's knowing words, with many of Bunker's novels taking inspiration from his own time in the slammer. Performances impress across the board, as you would expect from an ensemble taking direction from such a seasoned pro (who also appears). In particular, there are memorable roles for Mickey Rourke, playing Furlong's motor-mouthed, transvestite cell-mate, and, of all people, Tom Arnold, who is unnervingly convincing as a predatory rapist with his eye on Ron. But the film belongs to its two leads. Dafoe brings extra layers to his somewhat sensitive gang leader, and Furlong, one of many promising young actors who emerged in the 90s to disappear into the ether, is particularly effective as the protagonist. Changing his behaviour to suit his surroundings, we see the prison sculpt him into the type of career criminal the system's suppose to prevent. While the matter-of-fact approach prevents it from generating any real momentum - despite an attempted prison-break climax - Animal Factory is quietly powerful in small moments.

This isn't just a violent prison story, though it certainly has that, it really is a story about an innocent's slide into despair. There are moments where humanity shines through. Furlong's acting is powerful and naive and Dafoe's subtle, menacing and compassionate. It is very disturbing at times and unpredictable in its twists and turns. Fortunately a lot of the gang violence is often hinted at and not shown. there are even moments of humour, though rare. It's not too distant from Shawshank in its ambiance, not story, and I found it just as compelling. There are several minor roles, especially the drag queen, that are wonderfully played, poignant and unsettling and Mickey Rourke is top notch. The setting is dirty and ugly, but it is a prison of course. A film with subtle and natural dialogue, and a film with a nice pace and flow.

What's really the point of this borefest? I want to see a prison film with some sort of story not one which ends up with one of them messing about in a garbage truck for what? To escape? We never saw anything after as the credits rolled up. This of course made it unreal. If anyone entered one of these machines he would be cut up in 10 minutes. Its also not what we see on any of these documentaries about America's most dangerous prisons where blacks,whites and Mexicans are separated and to step into the wrong turf would mean a week in the hospital. These kind of films are supposed to be escapist entertainment so why not throw in a few killings?