SunnyHello Nice effects though.

StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

KnotStronger This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

Staci Frederick Blistering performances.

NateWatchesCoolMovies Murder In The First examines courtroom intrigue in San Francisco, concerning an Alcatraz inmate (Kevin Bacon) who has been accused of killing a fellow prisoner upon being let out of a cruelly long stint in solitary. In fact, the word cruel seems to be the running theme of his incarceration, at the hands of sinister and sadistic Warden Milton Glen (Gary Oldman). A decade prior, Bacon almost succeeded in escaping the island, which seems to have given the correctional officers the idea that they can do whatever they want to him. His plight creates ripples in the D.A.'s office, and soon a young, inexperienced attorney (Christian Slater) is assigned to his case. His boss (Stephen Tobolowsky) seems to think, and I quote, that a monkey would be more suited for the job. The D.A. (William H. Macy) has hope. And so it happens, with Bacon arriving in an obvious shell-shocked state, Slater trying to exploit his maltreatment at the Warden's hands and win not only his innocence, but his freedom. Bacon can swing his internal com from victim to villain at the drop of a hat, taking up the bruised martyr mantle here and proving to be quite affecting. Slater is... Slater, the guy doesn't have endless range but can carry a scene decently enough. Oldman is sly and scary, covering up the true nature of Glen's monstrosity underneath a bureaucratic sheen. The cast is wonderful, with further standouts from Brad Dourif as Slater's veteran lawman brother, Embeth Davidz as a key witness, R. Lee Ermey as the stern judge overseeing the trial and brief appearances from Mia Kirshner, Charles Cyphers and Kyra Sedgwick. The expert cast carries it along with innate talent and applied teamwork, with Bacon and Oldman taking front and center. Now I'm not entirely sure if this is based on a true story, but it's very fascinating nonetheless and serves to show the rotten places in the penal system which definitely do exist in real life. Solid stuff.

gradyharp It is often interesting how when old movies show up On Demand years after their first release there is a waterfall of response from viewers - almost like the film has been resurrected and given a second life. Such is the case for this 1995 film MURDER IN THE FIRST - there seems to be a more honest evaluation of the film as a film than when it was first released and the public took exception to the 'veracity' of the allegedly true story.According to the reported facts, 'Henri Theodore Young (born 1918) was a prisoner at Alcatraz who attempted to escape with four other inmates, Arthur Barker, Dale Stamphill, William Martin, and Rufus McCain. Young became a bank robber and was known for aggressively taking hostages. In 1933, he committed murder. After spending time in prisons in Washington state and Montana, he was sent to the federal prison on Alcatraz Island. On the night of January 13, 1939, Young, with prisoners Rufus McCain, Arthur Barker, Dale Stamphill, and William Martin, attempted to escape. Martin, Young, and McCain surrendered, while Barker and Stamphill refused to surrender and were subsequently shot. Barker eventually died from his injuries. Allegedly, Young and McCain were sentenced to long each in solitary confinement, but they were back in the prison's general population within months. A year later, Young killed Rufus McCain by plunging a spoon into his neck; he never revealed his motive.' Those are the 'facts' upon which this film was based, but in the film the sequence is different. The film plot follows:Henri Young (Kevin Bacon) stole five dollars from a post office and ended up going to prison - to the most famous, or infamous, prison of them all: Alcatraz. He tried to escape, failed, and spent three years and two months in solitary confinement - in a dungeon, with no light, no heat and no toilet. Milton Glenn (Gary Oldman), the assistant warden, who was given free reign by his duty-shirking superior, was responsible for Young's treatment. Glenn even took a straight razor and hobbled Young for life. After three years and two months, Young was taken out of solitary confinement and put with the rest of the prisoners. Almost immediately, Young took a spoon and stabbed a fellow prisoner in the neck, killing him. Now, Young is on trial for murder, and if he's convicted he'll go to the gas chamber. An eager and idealistic young attorney, James Stamphill (Christian Slater), is given this impossible case, and argues before a shocked courtroom that Young had a co-conspirator. The true murderer, he says, was Alcatraz.Mark Rocco directed from the screenplay written by Dan Gordon and the film was photographed by Fred Murphy, the tense musical scoring is by Christopher Young. The story is tight and made credible by the extraordinarily fine performances of Kevin Bacon, Christian Slater, Gary Oldman and a ing cast that includes Embeth Davidtz, Kyra Sedgwick, Mia Kirshner, William H. Macy, R. Lee Ermey, Stephen Tobolowsky, and Brad Dourif. This is more a character study than reportage of an historical incident and as such the movie succeeds on every level. Grady Harp

deacon_blues-3 Just about every factual detail of this film is a complete lie, right down to the spelling of Henry Young's name (Henri was an alias of this habitual bank robber and murderer). The whole film is just a high-handed defamation of the U.S. penal system, which did not warrant any such besmirching. I'm surprised that R. Lee Ermey was a part of this film. He probably regrets it by now. The real Henri Young jumped parole in 1972, was last seen in Washington State, and may still be alive and at large today with at least two known homicides to his credit. He was not a non-violent offender at the time he came to Alcatraz, he was serving a sentence for murder and bank robbery! He did not spend 3 years or even three months in solitary after the escape attempt, and murdered McCain over a year after reing the general prison population. His solitary time was done in a normal holding cell in the main cell block, with normal lighting, exercise, medical attention, and food supplies throughout the entire period. DO NOT GET YOUR HISTORY FROM Hollywood! They spin sentimentalist lies at every possible opportunity. Check out the facts on "Birdman of Alcatraz" and "Awakenings" for two more infamous pack of lies.

wes-connors Depression-era orphan Kevin Bacon (as Henri Young) is sent to the notoriously brutal island prison Alcatraz, after stealing five dollars to feed his little sister. Caught trying to escape, Mr. Bacon is severely beaten, then sent to the bowels of the penitentiary, where he is left in an isolated cell for three years. Bacon is let out for 30 minutes of exercise every Christmas. His only companion in "The Hole" is a spider. Released to the general prison population in 1941, Bacon is a psychologically damaged "basket case." Hearing the name of the inmate who sent him to "The Hole" leads Bacon to kill the informant with a spoon. Then, Bacon is back on trial, for murder. Bacon's attorney is an idealistic 24-year-old Christian Slater (as James "Jim" Stamphill). At first, Mr. Slater finds it hard to communicate with his client, as Bacon is near catatonic. But, his desire for human companionship leads Bacon to reveal his rather innocent life story. Lawyer Slater learns of the abuse Bacon suffered at Alcatraz, and accuses the institution of murder.Inspired by a true story, "Murder in the First" features a crucifying performance by Bacon, with good balance from Slater, and fine from prosecuting attorney William H. Macy (as William McNeil) and abusive warden Gary Oldman (as Milton Glenn). Bacon's "real-life" wife Kyra Sedgwick is a ho-hum hooker, but Stefan Gierasch's head warden is terrific. Marc Rocco directs Fred Murphy's cameras in an aimless, dizzying fashion - seeming to search for a point-of-view that is already painfully obvious.****** Murder in the First (1/20/95) Marc Rocco ~ Kevin Bacon, Christian Slater, William H. Macy, Gary Oldman