One of the greatest movies of all time! Amazing story (originally a short story by Stephen King) about 2 men who in "normal life" probably never would have met and definitely would never have been friends, who become extremely close (but NOT gay!) due to their shared horrors and joys of "prison life". The plot is incredibly intriguing, the acting and directing is truly awesome, the set (an actual prison) is an almost overpowering presence and all combine to make this a movie that you don't even want to blink while watching for fear of missing something - I can not think of another movie that I would describe that way except Children of Men. Shawshank is a true masterpiece and while the main flow of the movie is depressing (abusive prison) the overall theme is one of friendship, hope and rising above it all. Something we all need to be reminded of from time to time, especially these days. The blu-ray version is an improvement over the dvd but I am disappointed that the special features are identical, you think they could have added something new. All-in-all I give this movie my absolute highest recommendation.