{"id":62945,"date":"2021-01-12T01:07:14","date_gmt":"2021-01-12T08:07:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=62945"},"modified":"2021-01-16T09:41:30","modified_gmt":"2021-01-16T16:41:30","slug":"penitentiary-1979","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=62945","title":{"rendered":"Penitentiary (1979)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;You got to keep yourself in shape around here &#8212; this place is full of fools! If you don&#8217;t handle the fools, they handle you.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Penitentiary.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Penitentiary-198x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"198\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-62946\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Penitentiary-198x300.png 198w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Penitentiary-675x1024.png 675w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Penitentiary-84x128.png 84w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Penitentiary-178x270.png 178w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Penitentiary.png 727w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 198px) 100vw, 198px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nWhen a hitchhiker (Leon Isaac Kennedy) gets involved with a prostitute (Hazel Spears) who inadvertently sends him to prison, he must deal with a sadistic cellie (Badja Djola). After joining a boxing league in an attempt to earn his release, he is re-assigned to live with an aging prisoner (Floyd Chatman) whose &#8220;live and let live&#8221; goal is simply to survive.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>African Americans<\/li>\n<li>Boxing<\/li>\n<li>Prisoners<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nThis <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Blaxploitation\">blaxploitation<\/a> film by director <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jamaa_Fanaka\">Jamaa Fanaka<\/a> is notable as a representative flick within the genre, and for featuring a (relatively) realistic look inside mostly-black prisons of the 1970s. Kennedy&#8217;s situation of having no choice to survive other than through boxing echoes many other Hollywood films &#8212; most notably <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=59483\"><em>From Here to Eternity<\/em> (1953)<\/a> &#8212; but primarily serves as the excuse to feature seemingly countless bouts in the ring, fully sanctioned by an overweight white guard (Chuck Mitchell) who is mercifully decent towards his charges. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Penitential-Mitchell.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Penitential-Mitchell.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"528\" height=\"384\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-63511\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Penitential-Mitchell.png 528w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Penitential-Mitchell-300x218.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Penitential-Mitchell-128x93.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Penitential-Mitchell-371x270.png 371w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 528px) 100vw, 528px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Thankfully, Kennedy is a determined and strong enough protagonist to manage every hurdle coming his way. Also of note is Chatman as a lifetime prisoner: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Penitentiary-Chatman.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Penitentiary-Chatman.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"528\" height=\"384\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-63508\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Penitentiary-Chatman.png 528w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Penitentiary-Chatman-300x218.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Penitentiary-Chatman-128x93.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Penitentiary-Chatman-371x270.png 371w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 528px) 100vw, 528px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>who is clearly meant to serve as a powerful and viable contrast to Kennedy&#8217;s get-out-no-matter-what-it-takes attitude; his character rings very true.  <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Semi-realistic footage of life inside prison<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Penitentiary-Still.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Penitentiary-Still.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"528\" height=\"384\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-63506\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Penitentiary-Still.png 528w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Penitentiary-Still-300x218.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Penitentiary-Still-128x93.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Penitentiary-Still-371x270.png 371w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 528px) 100vw, 528px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Penitentiary-Still2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Penitentiary-Still2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"528\" height=\"384\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-63507\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Penitentiary-Still2.png 528w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Penitentiary-Still2-300x218.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Penitentiary-Still2-128x93.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Penitentiary-Still2-371x270.png 371w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 528px) 100vw, 528px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo; you can skip this one unless you&#8217;re curious. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0079709\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.timeout.com\/movies\/penitentiary\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1980\/04\/04\/archives\/screen-penitentiaryjailhouse-blues.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;You got to keep yourself in shape around here &#8212; this place is full of fools! If you don&#8217;t handle the fools, they handle you.&#8221; Synopsis: When a hitchhiker (Leon Isaac Kennedy) gets involved with a prostitute (Hazel Spears) who inadvertently sends him to prison, he must deal with a sadistic cellie (Badja Djola). After joining a boxing league in an attempt to earn his release, he is re-assigned to live with an aging prisoner (Floyd Chatman) whose &#8220;live and&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=62945\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-62945","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62945","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=62945"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62945\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":63699,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62945\/revisions\/63699"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=62945"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=62945"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=62945"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}