Lock Up (film)
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| Directed by | John Flynn |
| Produced by | Charles Gordon Lawrence Gordon |
| Written by | Richard Smith Jeb Stuart Henry Rosenbaum |
| Starring | Sylvester Stallone Donald Sutherland John Amos Darlanne Fluegel Frank McRae Sonny Landham Tom Sizemore Larry Romano William Allen Young Jordan Lund Danny Trejo Frank Pesce |
| Music by | Bill Conti |
| Cinematography | Donald E. Thorin |
| Editing by | Don Brochu Robert A. Ferretti Michael N. Knue Barry B. Leirer |
| Studio | White Eagle Pictures Carolco Pictures |
| Distributed by | TriStar Pictures |
| Release date(s) | August 4, 1989 |
| Running time | 115 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $22,099,847 (US)[1] |
Lock Up is a 1989 prison film starring Sylvester Stallone and Donald Sutherland.
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[edit] Plot
Frank Smith (Sylvester Stallone), a skilled mechanic and footballer, is a model prisoner nearing the end of his sentence in a low-security prison. One night while sleeping in his cell, guards arrive and forcibly take Leone to maximum security Gateway Prison. Warden Drumgoole (Donald Sutherland) claims that Leone will serve hard time—it is revealed that Leone was the only person to escape from Treadmore and did so on Drumgoole's watch. Leone escaped because his mentor and friend was dying; Leone was refused even one hour to see him. Leone went to the press about the warden's treatment of his prisoners, resulting in Drumgoole's transfer to Gateway and Leone serving in minimum security before his transfer.
Leone befriends fellow prisoners Dallas (Tom Sizemore), Eclipse (Frank McRae) and First-Base (Larry Romano). The foursome refurbish a Ford Mustang, which Eclipse nicknames "Maybelline." After Leone reluctantly allows First-Base to start the car he refuses to turn it off and drives the Mustang out of the garage, Drumgoole has them watch as Chink and other inmates destroy the car. As punishment, Leone is confined to solitary confinement in a small, roach-infested chamber for six weeks. After weeks in the hole, Leone is getting beaten by prison guards when Captain Meissner (John Amos) stops them. Meissner learns that the warden ordered the beating.
Leone gets intimidated by prisoner Chink Weber (Sonny Landham), who shows off his belt buckle (a Ford Mustang symbol). Chink steals Leone's food in the mess hall and taunts him.
Drumgoole apparently has ordered that letters addressed to Leone from his girlfriend Melissa (Darlanne Fluegel), be stashed away, but Braden (William Allen Young), the prison's sole conscientious guard, gives them to Leone. The warden wants an excuse to slap Leone with more time, so he allows Chink and his bullying friends to kill First-Base in the gym. Leone fights and defeats Chink, but doesn't kill him because he knows that's precisely what Drumgoole wants. Then one of Chink's friends stabs Leone from behind with a shank.
Leone recovers in the prison infirmary where Wiley (John Lilla) claims to be an old friend from Treadmore. He says that Drumgoole actually has agreed to reduce Wiley's jail time if he will rape and murder Melissa. Leone goes berserk. Dallas offers to help Leone escape and plays along but eventually delivers Leone right into Drumgoole's hands.
Drumgoole says he does not make deals with prisoners; Dallas will rejoin the prison population, who now know he is a "stool pigeon." Dallas attacks Drumgoole, whose guards pummel and almost kill the snitch. The warden leaves his men to subdue Leone, who is enraged when he finds out that Drumgoole wanted him to try to escape so he would receive a mandatory 10-year sentence for the second escape attempt.
Wiley shows up as one of Drumgoole's guards. The guards attempt to shove Leone's face into a cloud of hot steam, but Leone pulls one of the guards into the steam instead. He knocks out Wiley and fights Manly, defeating him. He thehn goes to help Dallas, who is dying, but apologetic. Leone is then attacked from behind by Manly, but Dallas electrocutes himself and Manly with a high-voltage cable.
Enraged, Leone steals into Drumgoole's office and takes him to the room with the electric chair. Leone activates the generator and secures his hand to the switch. Captain Meissner, Braden and their men point their guns at Leone, but if he is shot he will trip the switch and kill Drumgoole. The warden confesses to his plot to increase Leone's jail time. Frank pulls the switch, but nothing happens because Leone removed the main fuse. Meissner's men cuff Frank, whom the warden orders taken to the hole. Meissner and Braden take Drumgoole into custody, though the warden insists that he merely played along with Leone.
Meissner makes a judicial inquiry into the matter, and Leone serves only the jail time required of him in the first place. Frank leaves prison to the cheers of his fellow inmates. He meets up with Eclipse one last time, and receives a Cuban cigar which supposedly was given to Eclipse by Fidel Castro. Leone parts ways with Meissner, saying that he will miss the tough captain's "incredible smile." Frank exits Gateway and embraces the waiting Melissa.
[edit] Reception
Lock Up received generally negative reception.[2][3]
[edit] Box Office
Lock Up did poorly at the US Box office.[4]
[edit] Notes
- ^ "Lock Up (1989) - Box Office Mojo". http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=lockup.htm. Retrieved 2011-07-24.
- ^ "Muscular Madness From Stallone in 'Lock Up'". The Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1989-08-04/entertainment/ca-540_1_sylvester-stallone. Retrieved 2010-09-29.
- ^ "Lock Up". Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/lockuprhinson_a0a94d.htm. Retrieved 2010-09-29.
- ^ "Box Office Cold to Stallone's 'Lock Up' Role". The Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1989-08-16/entertainment/ca-679_1_stallone-film. Retrieved 2010-09-29.
[edit] External links
- Lock Up at the Internet Movie Database
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