Maximum Security (1984)
DIRECTOR: Bill Duke (A Rage in Harlem) / Gilbert Moses (Willie Dynamite)
STARS: Robert Desiderio (“The Sopranos”), Geoffrey Lewis (Every Which Way But Loose), Trinidad Silva (Colors, UHF), Jean Smart (Overkill: The Aileen Wuornos Story), Stan Shaw (Tough Enough), Kerry Sherman, Murphy Cross, Gene Ross (The Legend of Boggy Creek), Art Evens, Tony Plana, John Philbin (Return of the Living Dead)
SYNOPSIS: Originally a 7-episode series on cable TV, this is the feature film version made up of two episodes: the “Pilot” and “I Never Ran for My Father”. The main character is “Harry“ (Desiderio) a likable convict in prison on a 7 year sentence for robbery, drugs and assault. Most of the time he’s a high energy jokester liked by most of the convicts but when things don’t go his way his humor turns to sarcasm and outright insults that get him in trouble. The first half of the film focuses on a parole hearing that could dramatically reduce his sentence. His sympathetic parole officer (Smart) tries her best to keep him on course. The second half of the film revolves around a sort of “prison Olympic games” as the cons compete in long jump, shot put, track, etc. The film is filled with 80’s character actors, most notably Stan Shaw as a tough but moral character and Geoffrey Lewis (getting plenty of screen time) playing a lifer who knows the ins and outs of prison. But the surprise here is a memorable performance by Trinidad Silva as “Puck“, a soft spoken, gentle, figure who helps out Harry and has a pen pal type relationship with a woman he’s never seen. Plenty of drama, action and violence but it’s not quite as dark as later cable prison shows (like Oz for example).
Fullscreen / Color
Region Free / Code Free DVD-R
DIRECTOR: Bill Duke (A Rage in Harlem) / Gilbert Moses (Willie Dynamite)
STARS: Robert Desiderio (“The Sopranos”), Geoffrey Lewis (Every Which Way But Loose), Trinidad Silva (Colors, UHF), Jean Smart (Overkill: The Aileen Wuornos Story), Stan Shaw (Tough Enough), Kerry Sherman, Murphy Cross, Gene Ross (The Legend of Boggy Creek), Art Evens, Tony Plana, John Philbin (Return of the Living Dead)
SYNOPSIS: Originally a 7-episode series on cable TV, this is the feature film version made up of two episodes: the “Pilot” and “I Never Ran for My Father”. The main character is “Harry“ (Desiderio) a likable convict in prison on a 7 year sentence for robbery, drugs and assault. Most of the time he’s a high energy jokester liked by most of the convicts but when things don’t go his way his humor turns to sarcasm and outright insults that get him in trouble. The first half of the film focuses on a parole hearing that could dramatically reduce his sentence. His sympathetic parole officer (Smart) tries her best to keep him on course. The second half of the film revolves around a sort of “prison Olympic games” as the cons compete in long jump, shot put, track, etc. The film is filled with 80’s character actors, most notably Stan Shaw as a tough but moral character and Geoffrey Lewis (getting plenty of screen time) playing a lifer who knows the ins and outs of prison. But the surprise here is a memorable performance by Trinidad Silva as “Puck“, a soft spoken, gentle, figure who helps out Harry and has a pen pal type relationship with a woman he’s never seen. Plenty of drama, action and violence but it’s not quite as dark as later cable prison shows (like Oz for example).
Fullscreen / Color
Region Free / Code Free DVD-R
DIRECTOR: Bill Duke (A Rage in Harlem) / Gilbert Moses (Willie Dynamite)
STARS: Robert Desiderio (“The Sopranos”), Geoffrey Lewis (Every Which Way But Loose), Trinidad Silva (Colors, UHF), Jean Smart (Overkill: The Aileen Wuornos Story), Stan Shaw (Tough Enough), Kerry Sherman, Murphy Cross, Gene Ross (The Legend of Boggy Creek), Art Evens, Tony Plana, John Philbin (Return of the Living Dead)
SYNOPSIS: Originally a 7-episode series on cable TV, this is the feature film version made up of two episodes: the “Pilot” and “I Never Ran for My Father”. The main character is “Harry“ (Desiderio) a likable convict in prison on a 7 year sentence for robbery, drugs and assault. Most of the time he’s a high energy jokester liked by most of the convicts but when things don’t go his way his humor turns to sarcasm and outright insults that get him in trouble. The first half of the film focuses on a parole hearing that could dramatically reduce his sentence. His sympathetic parole officer (Smart) tries her best to keep him on course. The second half of the film revolves around a sort of “prison Olympic games” as the cons compete in long jump, shot put, track, etc. The film is filled with 80’s character actors, most notably Stan Shaw as a tough but moral character and Geoffrey Lewis (getting plenty of screen time) playing a lifer who knows the ins and outs of prison. But the surprise here is a memorable performance by Trinidad Silva as “Puck“, a soft spoken, gentle, figure who helps out Harry and has a pen pal type relationship with a woman he’s never seen. Plenty of drama, action and violence but it’s not quite as dark as later cable prison shows (like Oz for example).
Fullscreen / Color
Region Free / Code Free DVD-R