best prison movies....

I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang
Brute Force
In the Name of the Father

How do the angels get to sleep when the Devil leaves his porch light on?

Add the spanish "Cell 211" pretty great for a prison film.
And don't forget the amazing "a man escaped" from Bresson.

Lastly, I second the following movies already mentioned:
"Un prophete" and especially "le trou" which is a timeless masterpiece in the category.

movies:
http://www.imdb.com/list/_7vsFPVeXwQ/
animation:
http://www.imdb.com/list/XCvG_EK1ngk/

Try a Jim Jarmusch film called down by law it's a better. And it's got Tom Waits in, can't go wrong.

This post is almost 7 years old now, but TCM is doing "Stars Behind Bars" this month. Check out "Brute Force" with Burt Lancaster and Hume Cronyn, and "Each Dawn I Die" with James Cagney and George Raft.

I'm adding....

Kiss of the woman

And

Down by law

Many great movies listed above, I'll have to add -

A Man Escaped

I saw it on TCM last year. I was so lucky to see it too, I got a phone call and never turned the channel from what I had previously watched... Saw a movie was starting up so I gave it a shot.

"PHUK ME IT'S SUB-TITLED" I thought to myself or probably actually did say it out loud.

I HAVE TO EDIT THAT LAST PART. .... There are no subtitles, I just looked up a clip, it is all in French and German. Which amazes me even more that I stuck with the movie.

I paused the movie after 10 or so minutes... Took a leak, grabbed a drink, made me some popcorn, turned off the phone, I wanted no interruptions.


Such a good movie.

I also would like to say that it's pretty cool that being six or so years later and you're still involved in your original post is pretty cool.

Enjoy your day people.

The Shawshank Redemption
Bad Boys(1983)
Escape From Alcatraz
Stir Crazy
Escape Plan

All of the above, but I want to add a pre code movie: I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang with Paul Muni in the main role. Amazing movie1