Escape from New York

Rating:
Summary: STRIPPED VERSION
Review:
This was one of my favorite John Carpenter movies, but as a long-time laserdisc enthusiast, I was saddened by what was left out from this release.

A few years ago, a LBX remastered LD of EFNY was released that had a wonderful commentary track hosted by Carpenter and Russell together.

It was fun listening to them, among other anecodotes, ruefully chuckle about how both their ex-wives were in this film.

Perhaps that commentary was left out since it was done a while back, but if either or both gentlemen were not available to do a new one, a.) MGM should have waited until they were or b.) MGM should have AT LEAST used the old commentary.

This video transfer also shows a print wear line in the scene where Russell happens on Season Hubley in the Nuts shop. Why wasn't this fixed in the transfer?

And why wasn't the great Carpenter/Howarth electronic soundtrack re-mixed for Dolby Digital?

The LD also had a great featurette on the making of the film, which included footage from a deleted opening sequence of the robbery Plissken was eventually captured for.

ALL of this is missing from the DVD! This film really put Russell on the map, and it, and it's fans, deserved better.

Rating:
Summary: The Name is Pliskin
Review: Crime-rate in the US rises 400% in a few short years. The US Police Force is garrisoned at Liberty Island in Manhattan harbor. Manhattan island has been abandoned, walled up, and turned into a place where criminals are exiled. Police helicopters with machine-guns, and a huge perimiter wall that lines the far-shore and machine-gun cops keep criminals from ever returning to society.

The US has developed a doomsday nuclear weapon which will escalate "Mutually Assured Destruction" cold-war cooling, and lead to some kind of peace. But now, socialist revolutionaries have hijacked Airforce One (the US president's aircraft), and then crash it into the skyscrapers of Manhattan. Just like in the 9/11 attacks, the airplane is enveloped by the skyscraper. But, the president has an escape pod fron the aircraft that ejects at the lowest altitude, and he survives. The president was on his way to a summit to avert an imminent nuclear war.

The controlling criminal faction of Manhattan island seize the president and hold him hostage, in hopes of exchange for amnesty.

Decorated special-ops war-hero turned anarchist, Snake Pliskin has entered Liberty Island police-garrison en route to be exiled on Manhattan Island, for his crime of robbing the Federal Reserve. And he is our only hope of getting the President, and the information on the doomsday weapon back...

Pliskin agrees to attempt the president's rescue, and is equipped, and then injected with what he thinks is anti-virus, only to find out he now has microscopic explosives lodged next to his jugulars with a ticking clock set to explode when the President's vital information becomes no longer useful, as the world descends into all-ought nuclear war.

Snake pilots a glider into Manhattan, lands it on the World Trade Center, and begins his decent into pure hell...

Can you imagine what the criminals who have survived must be like in that kind of situation?

The plot and dalogue are great, the acting is consistently good throughout, the action is decent, and the soundtrack (composed by the director) is killer.

The director is a raging Liberal paranoid, but thanks to him we have some really great movies to watch, such as Halloween, the Fog, The Thing, and They Live.




Rating:
Summary: John Carpenter, take me away!
Review: Here is a novel idea: what if the city of New York was turned into one gigantic prison? Wouldn't be able to tell much difference from what it is today, you say? Well, maybe not. However, it's an interesting concept nonetheless.

There is just one problem with this plan: how do you extract a VIP from a city full of condemned prisoners? In this case, the VIP is the president of the United States. Terrorists hijack Air Force One and the pres is forced to bail over Manhattan before his plane crashes into the city. [Note: in the wake of 9/11, the scene of a 747 going down near the Twin Towers is quite chilling].

The know-it-all police / security force (stationed right outside the prison walls) have one chance to rescue the president on such short-notice: Snake Plissken.

Snake (played by Kurt Russell) is a former Special Forces commando gone bad. As the movie opens he is on his way to New York himself to pay for the bad things he has done. Now his daring and soldiering skills are needed to win back his liberty. The rules are simple: if he succeeds, he goes free. If not, he dies.

For fans of John Carpenter flicks this one is a can't miss. It was an instant-classic in the theaters and has remained one ever since. Here is a way to take a tour of New York from your living room - with Kurt Russell as your tour guide! Hopefully NY is a wee bit more tame in real life....

Rating:
Summary: Not quite 4 Stars!
Review: Escape From New York features Kurt Russell's version of Dirty Harry Callahan in the form of Snake Plissken who must rescue the President (Donald Pleasence) from a group of underground thugs. The film is pretty entertaining, with of course, some of John Carpenter's brilliant music.

Rating:
Summary: Awesome sci-fi action flick
Review: Kurt Russel and John Carpenter make a great team, and if anybody didn't know they have done four movies with each other, and all of them are great except the sequel to this movie. Anyway this movie is extremely unusual and I think ahead of its time. I think the idea of using New York city as one big prison was a pretty cool idea. And they could have picked no other awesome actor than one of my favorites, Kurt Russel, who fit the bill perfect. As snake who is a pretty cool anti hero which I think the best kind of hero. This movie has some pretty cool characters and some pretty weird ones too, but all around this movie has good action and some really good visuals. Check it out.

Rating:
Summary: Still classic!
Review: Nearly a quarter century after its release, this grim, gritty vision of the future continues to thrill. Kirk Douglas, in one of his finer dramatic roles, plays hardened criminal Snake. Carpenter's talent for suspense is as evident in sci-fi as his horror gem "Halloween." Also recommend his remake of "The Thing."

Rating:
Summary: One of the most important films in my life
Review: Carpenter's 2nd best. The fact that I'm a loser who does nothing but sit in a room all day and watch movies all day and has no friends and dreams of making movies of his own some day. This is the 2nd most inspiring movie in my life No.1 is Halloween. No 3. is Ghostbusters No 4. is The Thing. and No. 5 is Big Trouble In Little China. I'm not really sure what to say because words can't explain how much I love this movie but I wiil say this Incredible movie very ahead of it's time amazing story, amazing cast including western legends Lee Van Cleef and Ernest Borgnine and my favorite actor of all time Donald Pleasence, Amazing photography by Dean Cundey who I think is the best of all time, the best character of all time (besides Michael Myers) Snake Plissken, best Director of all time and I really really mean that, very funny ending just amazing and believe me I really really mean that too. I will Never forget it. Well I'm gonna go watch some more movies I'm thinking about watching Prince Of Darkness or maybe Halloween 4 The Return of Michael Myers well so long.