PENITENTIARY

Restoration courtesy the Gordon Trust.

"A tough, disturbing, and relatively uncompromising look at contemporary prison life." -- VARIETY

The story of boxer "Too Sweet" (Leon Isaac Kennedy), whose only way out of lockdown is by winning the big fight. Highly plausible scenario? Of course not. Entertaining? You bet. The breakout action hit from filmmaker Jamaa Fanaka (WELCOME HOME, BROTHER CHARLES), PENITENTIARY remains one of the crowning achievements of Black cinema in the 1970s. Gritty, violent, and maddeningly entertaining, the movie has been newly restored in 4K from its original 35mm camera negative.