ANIMAL FACTORY is an odd little slice of drama that was directed by none other than Steve Buscemi, who also has a small role. It's a mix of coming-of-age drama with prison flick, although it aims to be more realistic than most and avoids delivering the usual action/suspense focus of the latter genre. Danny Trejo appears, of course, but he's not the usual thug for once, which says something about the movie's maturity and intentions. Willem Dafoe and Edward Furlong make for an interesting pairing as the mentor and callow youth, while the film's themes are interesting in terms of character and politics. Mickey Rourke offers random scene-stealing turn as a cross-dresser and Tom Arnold is surprisingly effective as a villain. It's not SHAWSHANK, but it's worth a look.
Review of Animal Factory
