Scott LeBrun Nowadays not too many people may remember "On the Yard" when this type of film is brought up, but that's too bad as it's not a bad film at all. It does achieve a sort of "docu- realism", treating the daily routine of convicts in a thoroughly straightforward manner. Everything about it is so matter-of-fact, including the violence, the pecking order among the prisoners, the attempts by the guards to keep them in line, etc. It never goes too far into melodrama, although it does have its poignant moments nonetheless. The characters are reasonably interesting if never that commanding, save for the veteran convict played appealingly by the sad eyed Mike Kellin, who keeps trying to get paroled even though he knows that he can't really function on the outside.A fairly likable John Heard stars as Juleson, who's locked up for the murder of his wife. Desperate for a smoke, he acquires some from jailhouse kingpin Chilly (Thomas G. Waites). However, he soon finds that he will be unable to settle the debt. And the more time that goes on, the more the interest increases. There's also the timid Morris (Joe Grifasi), who's attempting to put together a hot air balloon so he can escape. Chilly realizes that his little empire is threatened by ambitious fellow inmates. And Blake (Lane Smith), the captain of the guards, is likewise determined to put Chilly in his place.As you can see, there are some top notch character actors in this thing. Also among them are Richard Bright of the "Godfather" series, Dominic Chianese of 'The Sopranos', David Clennon (Waites's future co-star in John Carpenters' "The Thing"), Don Blakely, J.C. Quinn, Eddie Jones, Ben Slack, and James Remar. The casting of Waites (best known as Fox in "The Warriors" and Windows in "The Thing") as the top con is interesting as one has to wonder just what it is about this man that's allowed him to obtain such influence. As it is, he does deliver a subtle, nuanced performance; Chilly is usually not the type to throw his weight around when he can have other people do that for him.Granted, the subplot about the balloon is hard to swallow, but for the most part, "On the Yard" is a decent tale well told by director Raphael D. Silver, and produced by "Hester Street" director Joan Micklin Silver (Raphaels' wife). Authentic location shooting in a real Pennsylvania institution and an effective music score by Charles Gross also help to make this good entertainment.Seven out of 10.

merklekranz "On the Yard" has good acting, and a great prison location. What is missing is a compelling story. The "Rockview State Correctional Facility" where this was filmed is an actual Pennsylvania prison, but even though the drama has a very realistic feel to it, the story itself is not that interesting. Everything revolves around "top con", Tom Waites, and his control of the cigarette trade within the walls. John Heard makes a habit of making enemies, bucks the system, and finds out that a carton of cigarettes can be very expensive. Meanwhile a no nonsense guard captain, Lane Smith, is trying to shut down Waites enterprise, while a totally superfluous hot air balloon escape is thrown into the mix. Not bad of it's type, but I've seen better. - MERK

Woodyanders One of the best, most grimly realistic and, alas, very neglected and under-appreciated 70's prison films, a meticulously detailed and unflinching portrait of the harsh, rigidly set, and strictly enforced caste system which exists within your average penitentiary. Thomas Waites gives a fine, sturdy, quietly menacing performance as Chilly, a brutal, cagey, ruthless top con who governs over a Pennsylvania calaboose's black market with the proverbial iron fist. John Heard delivers a strikingly excellent and appealing turn as a shy, soft-spoken wife killer who winds up locking horns with Waites after he borrows cigarettes from him without paying for them first. Lane Smith (Nick Nolte's sympathetic cell mate in the lovely drama "Weeds" and the nasty authoritarian warden in the superior supernatural revenge horror picture "Prison") as the hard-nosed security captain, Joe Grifasi as a timid, browbeaten inmate, Richard Bright (Al Neri in the "Godfather" movies) as a shrewd, sneaky top con determined to knock Waites off his throne, and a young James Remar in his film debut as a surly punk kid lend top notch support.But the guy who clearly makes off with the entire feature is Mike Kellin, an always outstanding heavy-set, craggy-faced character actor who never received his full due. Kellin's terrific, touching, wistfully funny portrayal of Red, an amiable, but pretty imbecilic elderly felon who's been in the joint for so long that he's completely lost sync with the outside world and thus will forever remain behind bars for life, radiates a frail yearning and wounded hangdog humanity that's simply a wonder to behold. The scene where Red makes a game, albeit futile attempt at persuading the parole board to spring him rates as a tragicomic gem; it's both sadly affecting and wryly amusing at the same time -- and it's followed by an extraordinarily moving moment of devastating heartbreak that's made all the more poignant by being presented with commendable taste, subtlety, and understatement. Raphael D. Silver's tough, steady, laudable direction, aided by Alan Metzger's silvery, velvety cinematography and Charles Gross' haunting, low-key, melancholy jazz score, forcefully renders a properly grim, desolate and credibly down'n'dirty jailhouse milieu. Only the somewhat rambling and occasionally scattershot narrative and an incongruously light-hearted finale fail to fully pass muster. Those faults aside, "On the Yard" overall cuts it as a gritty, hard-hitting, totally absorbing, and convincing guys doin' time sleeper.

jcurrie58 I watched this film, which was on TV recently (in the early hours of the morning - I taped it, naturally!). I agree with the comments made about the ludicrous plot situation re the balloon. If the author (who has served a prison sentence) based this on fact, that's fair enough. But there was more than enough to enjoy apart from that. Particular mention should be made of Mike Kellin ("Red")who gave a very poignant portrayal of a man who's spent the majority of his adult life in prison, and Ron Faber (Manning, the first time offender) whose face told it all at the devastating effect of prison. The swearing was kept to a minimum, which was no bad thing, though offenders tend to use four letter words every other word. Whilst this is not THE prison film, it's certainly worth a viewing.