Prison-a-Go-Go! (2003) Reviews

• Make your own entertainment

  benjamindlevin2007-06-10

  I am giving Prison-A-GO-GO a rating of ten stars. It is not because I believe it to be a perfect movie or even one of the best that I have seen, but simply because it deserves to be noticed. It also deserves more than the measly 3 stars (which it is at now). I am a fan of Troma films and EI independents and Tempe. . . so, I have seen a lot of one star worthy films. . . this is not one. When I first saw this movie, I went in with a completely open mind. Rhonda Shear is in it, yes. Mary Woronov is in it, yes. But, it also has ninjas and zombies and Borscht. It has howler monkeys and gay prison guards a food fight and a pussy glam-goth band. It has a shower scene countdown clock, a porcupine girl. . . and JOLT! Also, a fat chick wrestling a really fake looking snake. . . one of my favorite scenes. This is not one of the greatest films ever made. But, what this film is (to me, at least) is a very enjoyable way to pass the time. I have seen this scads of times now. . . I have the movie memorized, I can watch it with my back to the screen now and tell you every facial expression and movement. . . when someone is picking their nose even. I love this film and show it to everyone I can. Most seem do like it, because it is entertaining and goofy and is not to be taken seriously at all. Sometimes movies like this are a great break from the more serious stuff we are pelted with so often. I love independent cinema. I love Prison-A-Go-Go.

• Funny as hell!

  sgcim2006-12-23

  Unfortunately, I missed the first few minutes of this film, so I can't comment on the beginning (I came in on the scene where she can't kill the baby), but the rest of the film is hilarious. All the WIP clichés were there- A woman looking for her sister in jail getting arrested on purpose. The leering jail guard, The butch bully, the cafeteria fight scene, the shower scenes, the big escape scene towards the end, the mad doctor experimenting on the inmates, I completely missed Mary Wuronov's character, but I assume she played the tough dyke warden, etc.... The young guy as the new warden was great, as well as the crazy prison doctor and the Barbra Streisand-type inmate. The punk band scene was a pisser, and there's a lot of jazz in the score featuring a baritone sax (like "I Want To Live" with Susan Hayward and Gerry Mulligan on the soundtrack?). I don't think a total spoof of WIP flicks has been done before, but there have been a lot of partial spoofs. Hopefully this director will do more of the same.

• The way they should make films that never should have been made

  liudragon2004-08-01

  There's no reason at all for a film like "Prison-A-Go-Go!" to exist. Let's just be thankful that it does. It's pure fun and exploitation. Not a single raison d'etre to worry about and not much of a plot so you can keep your mind on vacation and just sit back and enjoy the raucous goings on. Whenever Mary Woronov is in the cast you have to sit up and take notice. A little longer in the tooth than you might remember from "Eating Raoul" or "Rock-n-Roll High School", she remains the premiere female thesp of high comic villainary. If you thought Rhonda Shear's career disappeared when she was replaced by Gilbert Gottfried on television, "Prison-A-Go-Go" will surely remind you why she used to keep you up all night. Lots of pretty girls, lots of gratuitous scenes, lots of laughs. You may not find this on your local vid store shelf but pick up a copy somewhere whenever you can smoke one out.

• not as bad as it sounds

  romerozombie1012006-03-06

  if you go into this movie expecting a masterpiece.. your surely going to be let down.. but come on.. you can freakin tell by the name alone that its going to be a over the top, fun, boobalicous little film. Which it is! Sure its doesn't have the best FX or the best acting.. or the best anything for the sake of argument. But its very entertaining and hilarious. there's a scene where this ninja tells another one to look up.. and he proceeds to karate chop him in the throat. Come on people, don't read into indie movies that are made just to entertain. If your going to see this, watch out for the shower scene timer.. thats right there's a little clock that counts down to the next shower scene.. you will be be completely caught off guard of what happens in one of them.

• Great Fun

  dhufford2005-08-08

  If you take this movie for what it is worth, it is actually quite fun. It was meant to make fun of the classic 70's prison movies. It does that in spades. This movie isn't meant to be some deep, great blockbuster. If you go into it thinking that, you will get burned. However, if your looking for a mildly amusing, gratuitous nudity filled movie to waste a couple of hours, then this is for you. The acting is quite poor, but thats to be expected out of a no-budget movie. The sound is also atrocious, but that may have just been the copy I was watching. I especially liked the countdown clock that informs viewers of when the next shower scene will take place. The product placement was brilliant. Besides, there just aren't enough movies about mad doctors turning hot women into porcupines.