ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK (1981)

In a dystopian 1997, a soldier-turned-bankrobber is taked rescuing the US President after he crashes into Manhattan, which has been turned into a giant maximum security prison. 

That's the official description for this gritty, sci-fi action thriller but a couple of key players involved made it more special than that.  The solider is Snake Plissken played by Kurt Russell (The Thing, Tombstone, The Hateful Eight) in one of his more iconic performances.  The director is genre master John Carpenter (Halloween, The Thing, They Live) who inadverdently created a sub-genre with the success of this film forty-five years ago.  And the rest of this film's stellar supporting cast includes Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasance, Isaac Hayes, Harry Dean Stanton, and Adrienne Barbeau. 

See below for a link featuring a key deleted scene of this film which is highlighted within this review: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riSBMj1oLGc&t=20s

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon 

Transcript

ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK         1981

Directed by John Carpenter

Starring Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasance, Isaac Hayes, Season Hubley, Hary Dean Stanton, Tom Atkins, Charles Cyphers, Frank Doubleday, John Strobel, George Buck Flower, and Adrienne Barbeau

Genre: Dystopian Action Thriller (Audio clip)

This has always been a reliable rewatch for me whenever I’m just kind of in a Carpenter mood....which to be honest, occurs pretty frequently. :) I quite like this movie overall but if I'm being honest, it's not one of my favorites among his filmography. And that's not because it's not well done nor entertaining. It's certainly not the cast which is actually QUITE stacked with One-Eyed Kurt leading the way as "Snake" Plisken who's on a 24 hour mission to rescue the President Loomis (Donald Pleasance) from the isolated prison island of Manhattan in the future of 1997. :o And Kurt kills it doing his best Eastwood impression along with a string of bad-ass supporting players including Pleasance, Harry Dean Stanton, Adrienne Barbeau, Isaac Hayes, Tom Atkins, and....the late, great Lee Van Kleef who steals most of his scenes as Hauk, the seasoned lead security force guy who dispatches Plisken and has kind of a unique relationship with him as HIS Colonel Trautman but a bit more complicated. 🤔

Everybody knows the movie they are in and they're all having good, edgy fun.  I really like the grody future-trash production design which obviously makes up for what wer obviously limited resources for F/X (including an up-and-comer named Jimmy Cameron working on the sets), and blockbuster DP Dean Cundey (Jurassic Park, Back to the Future) does a very effective job of keeping everything visually distinctive....you can follow everything despite most of the story taking place in dark, poorly lit areas. I Besides that, the story moves well and ends on a suitably biting note.

However……I guess my overall issue is that I just wish there was a BIT more....and I'm guessing this is where budgetary constrictions played a part.  It’s always just nagged at me a bit that there feels like some stuff is missing.  How the hell does EVERY one know who Snake Plisken is? Just how much of an actual threat are The Crazies? What happened to all of these mines which were supposed to be planted on the 69th Street Bridge? What happened to the actual terrorists who took down Air Force One? Just how much of an actual bad-ass was Hauk? (We really only get to see him smoke)

The movie just always leaves me a bit wanting in the end....as if there's at least two more major action setpieces and/or suspenseful standoffs which were supposed to happen. Unlike a say They Live or Big Trouble in China, it never feels like Carpenter (and co-writer Nick Castle) FULLY milks the overall premise for all it's worth. Still can't deny the influence of this film though....or just how much fun it is. :)

Best Needledrop (best song cue or score used throughout runtime of film): 

As he has with previous episodes Assault on Precinct 13, Christine, and The Thing…Carpenter himself once again delivers yet another banger synth score which I can't seem to get out of my head hours after watching this.  Even though it’s strangely low-key for such a high octane dystopian action thriller like this, it perfectly fits the overall vibe and attitude of our main protagonist – we hear these at a few key points throughout the film, mainly the beginning and closing titles.  I present you with the eminently catchy “Main Theme from Escape From New York” composed and performed by Carthage, NY OWN favorite son, John Howard Carpenter. (Audio clip) 

Wasted Talent (most under-utilized talent involved with film):

Ok I DID mention how it always felt as if there was stuff missing right?  Well here goes what might be a controversial take: I would have preferred that this film kicked off with that now excised opening heist escape sequence.  It’s a relatively easy sequence to find as it’s now posted on YouTube – I’ll share it in the episode description – and I completely get WHY Carpenter didn’t include it in the final cut too. (Audio clip) 

Yes it does demystify Snake as a character a bit and yes it also betrays the low-budget trappings of this film as what we’re basically watching is Snake and his partner mostly run around a convention center and subway platform for about five minutes.  However I just like it as it’s shot very well, has a nice sense of tension, and…..I FEEL that it’s an effective way to not only introduce us to his character and how desperate he is but also just how oppressive this overall world is.  It’s clear how COMPLETELY in control these US Police officers are in their fully covered black suits.  Overall it simply brings this film’s runtime to around 105 minutes….which is perfectly suitable.  I’m always a sucker for an opening heist sequence and I think this is a better movie WITH this opening. (Audio clip) 

Trailer Moment (scene or moment that best describes this movie):

Now even though I wish there was a BIT more action, most of the what we see on-screen is well-done with some fun, tense sequences involving cabs, maces, machine guns, and collapsing floors....that said though, my personal favorite sequence remains Snake’s initial flight to the island of Manhattan at night.  The way his character is incandescently lit center frame as we see him navigating in the cockpit….cut against those early ‘80’s vector graphics showing how he’s navigating, this has to be one of the more iconic examples of just how WELL Russell and Carpenter worked together. (Audio clip)   

And beyond that, I REALLY like the eerie nighttime shots of lower Manhattan from the river even though it's pretty clear much of them were just back-lit matte paintings.  Yes  even beyond the nostalgia of seeing the original Twin Towers, one of which he eventually lands on….the bottom line is that this prison island never seems MORE intimidating than when we  see him first approach it by air. (Audio clip)   

MVP (person most responsible for the success of this film):

As instrumental as Kurt Russell’s ICONIC lead performance is to the success of this film, I still believe it comes down to The People’s Champion…Mr. Carpenter.  He directed this, he composed the score, and he co-wrote the screenplay with Nick “The Shape” Castle….this just has ALL of the hallmarks of his best films: wry humor, quick bursts of action, memorable supporting characters, a sense of dread which is palpable though not overwhelming, and of course a flawed protagonist.  And gratefully unlike several other notable films he would direct throughout the ‘80’s and ‘90’s, this film was ACTUALLY a unqualified box office success upon initial release….hey even the most talented filmmakers out there need SOME hits.  For paying which would be cashed in for previous episode The Thing AND future episode Big Trouble in Little China, John Carpenter is the clear-cut MVP. (Audio clip)    

Final Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 

Look every die-hard Carpenter fan has their own personal favorites and sorry, this just isn’t one of mine.  For me, The Thing, Starman, Assault on Precinct 13, and Christine are top-tier John Carpenter and this is a couple of notches below them even though it’s still a genuine blast.  You also just can’t deny just how Carpenter was laying the groundwork here for SO many genre films to come: Repo Man, Night of the Comet, The Fifth Element, Suicide Squad, Dark City, Freejack, and Lockup – yeah there was actually litigation for that last one - along with previous episodes Robocop, The Book of Eli, Dredd and even Tremors….THINK about that one.  Happy 45th Anniversary to one of the most influential action films of the 1980’s!  

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And that ends another THE NAMES PLISSKEN review!