Alcatraz: Living Hell (2007)

Director: ???

Writers: Dan Bree, Shirley Tatum

Composer: ???

Starring: Bill Graves, Alan Bruce, Matt Farrell, James Ferguson, Mike Gallagher, John Martini, James Geranios, James Going, Michael goode, Ted Machado, Galen Murphy-Hofman, James Rufini, Michael Saldate, Barry Walton, Kevin Moore, Tom Nuckton, Marty Wydra, Jolene Babyak, Bob Foley, Pat Mahoney, Leon 'Whitey' Thompson

More info: IMDb

Plot: It was the world's largest concrete building, housing the world's most dangerous criminals. What design strengths made Alcatraz invincible? And what design failures made it a mecca for escape. Uncover the incredible of story of man vs. prison in ALCATRAZ: LIVING HELL.

WATCH THE ENTIRE DOC HERE

My rating: 6.5/10

Will I watch it again? No.

Earlier this year I visited Alcatraz Island for the first time and I ended up going three more times.  It's fascinating.  This National Geographic Channel documentary is flashier than I prefer.  The music, camera tricks, video and whatnot give you a sense of doom and urgency.  It's too much.  They go over the basics of the escape attempts and a little of the history but it's hardly comprehensive and it's only a surface-scratcher.  If you know nothing to very little, it's a good introduction but it also an overly-stimulated film much like a music video.  I'm curious as to why this is titled, LIVING HELL, as it doesn't really go into the day to day life of the prison which would suggest a title like that but they spend nearly all of the 45 minutes on the escape attempts.  Hmmmm.