Congrats to all who put this together and made it the compelling film that it is. Not a weak link here. Better than The Stanford Prison Experiment which has the same tense confined atmosphere throughout. Interesting to compare and contrast the experiences of the characters in these two movies. Canadian. (8/16)

In various aspects, Dog Pound fulfills with its purpose: bringing us a raw and intense look to a "juvenile detention center", supposedly dedicated to the juvenile delinquent's rehabilitation, when it is in fact a sadistic and brutal environment which stimulates the cruelty, the intolerance and the violence as the solution to every problem. I have to say that Dog Pound kept me interested; however, its story is almost non-existent, and it's reduced to a series of vignettes which follows the experience of three young interns of a recent entry.The main problem from Dog Pound is that it doesn't provide too much to the "prison cinema". On the positive side, the performances are very good, and I also appreciated the fact that none of the performers are models/actors, something which helps to the realism of the story. The only problem with the cast is that the actors are too old for the characters they interpret. If director Kim Chapiron had selected 15 or 16-year-old actors, Dog Pound would have been more shocking and subversive. Unfortunateley, he let that chance go.In conclusion, Dog Pound entertained me; it brings an interesting message; the performances are solid; and Chapiron's direction is agile and efficient, with the emphasis on the clarity and free of stylish distractions. However, it didn't leave me completely satisfied, mainly because it doesn't bring anything new to the "prison cinema". I consider it worthy of a moderate recommendation by itself, but there are much better "prison films" out there, such as Bad Boys (1983), Celda 211 and Un Prophéte.

Dog Pound is directed by Kim Chapiron who also co-writes the screenplay with Jeremie Delon. It stars Adam Butcher, Shane Kippel, Mateo Morales, Taylor Poulin, Dewshane Williams, Lawrence Bayne and Trent McMullen.Young offenders Butch (Butcher), Angel (Morales) & Davis (Kippel) are sent to the Enola Vale correctional facility and find that bullying, drugs and abuse are the order of the day.To clear things up, since there seems to be a lot of confusion on internet forums, Dog Pound is to all intents and purposes a remake of Alan Clarke's seminal British Borstal shocker, Scum (1977/79). It's the same plotting, much of the same characters are recycled and all of the big scenes from Scum are recreated as well. Only difference is is that Chapiron has shifted the story to North America, to a fictional correctional facility in Montana. It's basically done what the Farrelly Brothers did with Fever Pitch. What should be noted is that Chapiron hasn't hid from this fact, he didn't make the movie thinking nobody would notice, he actively acknowledged his worship of Clarke's film, making Dog Pound very much the ultimate American homage. Claims of it being a rip-off etc are way off the mark, it's a remake and nobody has denied this.Much like the original British version, Dog Pound is brutal, upsetting and has a loud booming voice. The director follows Clarke's template by keeping it grimy and raw, and by shooting it in semi-documentary style and using rookie actors and real life ex-offenders in the cast, Chapiron has gone, and gotten, gritty realism. He's also added a couple of his own neat touches to the narrative. The pressure the guards are under is scrutinised, how it affects home life, and there's a deft line about AIDS in the story, how people react to sufferers of the disease. The recreation of a young offenders facility is well researched, with laid bare dormitories and depressing corridors, while the cast, particularly a terrific coiled spring Butcher, can't be faulted for excellent serving up of the material to hand.Minor problems do exist, familiarity of genre is always an issue, and here for anyone who has seen either of the Scum movies, there is no surprise factor, it does feel a little old hat. This even though Chapiron appears to be making the comment that problems inside juvenile facilities haven't ceased since the 70s. The Angel character is badly under written in the context of him being one of the central characters, a big misstep since he forms a crucial plot development, whilst the use of music is also a very bad idea. These irritants stop the film from being up with the best of the genre, but it's still a potent firecracker of a picture. Very well made and still it has something to say, in that the cycle of violence continues inside, that juvenile institutions are still questionable tools for rehab, problems are there and Dog Pound ferociously makes its point. 7.5/10

Can't stop thinking about this movie. I'm a huge Adam Butcher fan - loved him in Saint Ralph and now, as a grown-up, he's definitely matured as an adult. It's disturbing and harsh but probably realistic. SPOILER ALERT A few things that did bug me about the film --Never followed up the murder of the one young inmate, the killer didn't seem to be taken to justice or questioned or an investigation launched (unless that's something I missed) --Riot scene was well staged but again, a tad unrealistic --Adam Butcher kicks down the door yet they're able to close it --I hate unfinished movies, a la Coen Brothers. But again, I can't stop thinking about it. Very powerful.