Scared Straight! (1978)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Arnold Shapiro

Writer:

Arnold Shapiro (writer)

Genre:

Crime | Documentary

Plot:

The filmed depiction of a program where convicts tell troubled kids about the horrors of prison life.

Plot Keywords:

Prison | Convict | Teen | Juvenile Delinquency | Vulgarity

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Peter Falk

...

Himself - Host

Runtime:

USA:52 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

East Jersey State Prison, Avenel, New Jersey, USA

Company:

Golden West Television

Trivia:

Was broadcast uncensored when aired on television in the late 1970s. For many commercial broadcasters, this was the first time the f-word was willingly allowed on TV.

Quotes:

Convict: I don't like nothin' in the first place and I don't like you!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Freaks and Geeks: Beers and Weirs (#1.2)" (1999)

Potent.

I first saw this nearly five years ago as a high school freshman, in health class. The experience was absolutely riveting, and as has already been pointed out, there's a brutal honesty in this film that simply doesn't come from a screenplay.

While this film is over two decades old, that in no way lessens its impact. With talk-shows now blindly bombarding us with images of indignant, lawless teenagers and trying to dispel the situation with pop psychologists and boot camps, the "Scared Straight!" program looks all the more effective.

This is definitely not one to miss.