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About These Films
Gallery
Escape From New York (1981)
Escape From L.A. (1996)
About These
Films: I love both of these films! They're sometimes
labeled as sci-fi films due to their futuristic settings, but this is
really more of an action series. The futuristic timeline is
incidental and only sets the tone. John Carpenter, inspired by
the Watergate scandal, came up with a first draft for "Escape From New
York" as far back as 1976. At the time, no studio wanted to touch
it. Like a lot of people, Carpenter felt hurt and mad by the
goings-on of our President. But studios thought his idea was too
dark, too violent, and too weird. As the 70s moved into the 80s,
and the economy was going tits-up for most everyone, Carpenter's idea
finally struck a chord and was given the green light.
It's important to state that in the first film, the President isn't necessarily evil or corrupt; he's basically for his own agenda. Like most politicians, the President of this film is selfish and cares about his own objective. That's how Carpenter and a lot of people saw Nixon, and LBJ before him. In the second film, the President (a different one) IS evil.
The first movie was a huge hit. The second movie was a commercial failure. I think the second movie is awesome, but it's really just a loose remake of "Escape From New York" rather than a direct sequel. This is probably what disappointed some fans of the first film. After "New York", you want to see what new things happen to Snake Plissken. In "L.A.", he's stuck in the same old rut.
Snake Plissken is one of the most memorable action movie heroes of the 1980s. There really is nobody else who can do him but Kurt Russell. However, the studio really tried to avoid casting him. Russell was thought of as more of a lightweight. He was a child actor and, as an adult, had done mostly lighthearted fare. "Escape From New York" is the film that brought out his action side, and he's been in many action films since. Russell proved that he could play a real bada** character with snappy wordplay. Kurt Russell as Snake Plissken is what really makes the movies work. He has since admitted that "Escape From New York" is the favorite of his many movies, and that Snake Plissken is his favorite character.
"Escape From L.A." was made pretty much on the persistence of Russell, himself, who really wanted to play the character again. The movie was very well-done and, in many ways, surpassed the original for action sequences and dialogue. However, it wasn't a very original story and seemed to mirror the first film. I love "Escape From L.A.", but it didn't achieve the commercial or critical success of the first film. And it might just be that the sequel came too late. Fifteen years is a long time, and a lot of people didn't know who Snake Plissken was. I think it's because this movie came out so late that it didn't find its intended audience, and nothing else. Egghead critics are always going to pick apart a movie for something, so I don't buy into most people's reviews.
A remake of "Escape From New York" was talked about as early as 2001 (from my sources), but was in "development hell" for many years. In recent years, it looks like the idea of a remake is getting more serious. Although I'm eager to see the film, and hopefully a new Snake Plissken series, it's going to be hard to recapture the spirit of Kurt Russell's Snake.
It's important to state that in the first film, the President isn't necessarily evil or corrupt; he's basically for his own agenda. Like most politicians, the President of this film is selfish and cares about his own objective. That's how Carpenter and a lot of people saw Nixon, and LBJ before him. In the second film, the President (a different one) IS evil.
The first movie was a huge hit. The second movie was a commercial failure. I think the second movie is awesome, but it's really just a loose remake of "Escape From New York" rather than a direct sequel. This is probably what disappointed some fans of the first film. After "New York", you want to see what new things happen to Snake Plissken. In "L.A.", he's stuck in the same old rut.
Snake Plissken is one of the most memorable action movie heroes of the 1980s. There really is nobody else who can do him but Kurt Russell. However, the studio really tried to avoid casting him. Russell was thought of as more of a lightweight. He was a child actor and, as an adult, had done mostly lighthearted fare. "Escape From New York" is the film that brought out his action side, and he's been in many action films since. Russell proved that he could play a real bada** character with snappy wordplay. Kurt Russell as Snake Plissken is what really makes the movies work. He has since admitted that "Escape From New York" is the favorite of his many movies, and that Snake Plissken is his favorite character.
"Escape From L.A." was made pretty much on the persistence of Russell, himself, who really wanted to play the character again. The movie was very well-done and, in many ways, surpassed the original for action sequences and dialogue. However, it wasn't a very original story and seemed to mirror the first film. I love "Escape From L.A.", but it didn't achieve the commercial or critical success of the first film. And it might just be that the sequel came too late. Fifteen years is a long time, and a lot of people didn't know who Snake Plissken was. I think it's because this movie came out so late that it didn't find its intended audience, and nothing else. Egghead critics are always going to pick apart a movie for something, so I don't buy into most people's reviews.
A remake of "Escape From New York" was talked about as early as 2001 (from my sources), but was in "development hell" for many years. In recent years, it looks like the idea of a remake is getting more serious. Although I'm eager to see the film, and hopefully a new Snake Plissken series, it's going to be hard to recapture the spirit of Kurt Russell's Snake.
Escape From
New York (1981)-
This
movie is SO easy to watch. You can't help but get
involved. The cast is awesome, but Kurt Russell is the one that
definitely makes the film work as anti-hero Snake Plissken.
The year is 1997. In 1988, the crime rate in America rose to 400%. Manhattan Island was then made as the ultimate prison colony for the country. Prisoners sent to New York didn't come out. You could do whatever you wanted once in New York, except leave. A giant, 50-foot wall was erected around the entire island.
Snake Plissken, a former war hero, was arrested for robbing a high-security, federal bank. He had just been taken into custody when the President was kidnapped in New York. Hauk, the United States Police Force Commissioner, recruits Snake to rescue the President due to his military expertise. After Snake agrees, Hauk has Snake injected with microscopic explosives that will kill him in 24 hours unless he gets the job done.
Well, Snake gets the job done and survives. Anything else you want to know? Watch the movie!
The year is 1997. In 1988, the crime rate in America rose to 400%. Manhattan Island was then made as the ultimate prison colony for the country. Prisoners sent to New York didn't come out. You could do whatever you wanted once in New York, except leave. A giant, 50-foot wall was erected around the entire island.
Snake Plissken, a former war hero, was arrested for robbing a high-security, federal bank. He had just been taken into custody when the President was kidnapped in New York. Hauk, the United States Police Force Commissioner, recruits Snake to rescue the President due to his military expertise. After Snake agrees, Hauk has Snake injected with microscopic explosives that will kill him in 24 hours unless he gets the job done.
Well, Snake gets the job done and survives. Anything else you want to know? Watch the movie!
Cast:
Kurt Russell as Snake Plissken
Lee Van Cleef as Hauk
Donald Pleasance as President
Adrienne Barbeau as Maggie
Harry Dean Stanton as Harold "The Brain" Hellman
Ernest Borgnine as Cabbie
Isaac Hayes as The Duke
Alternate
Titles:
- John Carpenter's Escape From New York (U.S., full
title)
- New
York 1997 (Canada, French title; France; Japan (English title); Norway;
Slovenia (original subtitled version)
Fun
Facts:
- This movie has a notorious reputation for being retitled with goofy names in different countries.
- In this film, the President has an important
peace conference to attend with China and the Soviet Union. In
1991, the Soviet Union collapsed!
- Snake's eyepatch was recommended by Kurt Russell in an attempt to make him look tougher.
- Snake's
full name, given in this movie, is S.D. "Snake" Plissken. We're
not told what the S.D. stands for.
- Kurt
Russell has stated this is his favorite of all his films, and that
Snake Plissken is his favorite character.
- Tommy Lee Jones was an early choice by the studio for Snake Plissken.
- Nick
Nolte and Jeff Bridges were also approached with the role of Snake
Plissken, but they turned it down. Nolte might have been good as
Snake.
- Charles Bronson was really wanted by the studio to play Snake Plissken but John Carpenter refused on the grounds Bronson was too old. Bronson really WAS too old at that time. What the heck were they thinking?
- In the Italian release of this film, Snake Plissken's name was changed to Hyena. In the Korean release, his name was Cobra.
- The
original German one-sheet poster for this film misspells Snake's last
name as Plessken.
- A scene where Snake Plissken and an accomplice rob a high security bank, and Snake gets caught, was in the original script but cut before the film's release.
- Joe Unger as Taylor, Snake's accomplice in the cut out bank robbery scene, is still given a credit at the end of the film.
- Maggie's character was written with Adrienne Barbeau in mind. At the time, Barbeau was married to director John Carpenter.
- After
filming wrapped, Carpenter realized he hadn't filmed the death scene of
Maggie! Maggie's death was shot very on-the-fly in their very own
garage.
- Donald Pleasance came up with a backstory to explain how he could be the American President with an English accent, but John Carpenter didn't use it.
- Season Hubley, the ill-fated girl in the Chock Full of Nuts store, was Kurt Russell's wife at this time. Her role was very brief.
- Season Hubley's character was supposed to be named Maureen, but her name was never mentioned in the movie. The only source that gives her name as Maureen was the novel adaptation of the movie.
- This
movie was first released in Japan (May 23, 1981) and France (June 24,
1981) before it saw American release (July 10, 1981).
- The only scene of this movie actually filmed in New York City was an opening dolly shot, which follows a character past the Statue of Liberty.
- The night scenes of this movie, which is the majority of the movie, were filmed in East St. Louis. This neighborhood had lots of buildings that looked seedy and run down. In 1976, a massive urban fire took out entire areas.
- The
shot with the helicopter flying over Central Park was actually filmed
in San Fernando, California. The buildings in the background were
matte paintings done by future legendary director James Cameron.
- The manhole covers in this film were all made of wood. Real metal ones would have been too heavy for the actors.
- The
model of the city set was repainted and reused for the legendary sci-fi
film, "Blade Runner" (1982).
- John Carpenter's success with the lower-budget films "Halloween" (1978) and "The Fog" (1980) got him the attention needed for this bigger-budget sci-fi action flick.
- This
film's budget of $7 million was the largest director John Carpenter had
worked with up to this point.
Escape From L.A. (1996)- This movie is
awesome! Totally underrated. It did take some heat from
audiences because it mirrored the first film and wasn't a completely
unique sequel, but you can't deny that it was well-filmed and
well-written. Another critical complaint was that it was too
violent, but I never thought that. There were many movies before
1996 that were much more violent.
The previous movie was set in 1997. In the year 2000, a 9.6 earthquake hit Los Angeles and caused it to separate from the mainland. The man running for President, a Christian fanatic, made a doomsday prediction about the fate of Los Angeles and has since been regarded as an almost godlike figure. He wins the Presidency, and is appointed President for life. He moves the capitol to his hometown of Lynchburg, Virginia and starts passing all kinds of extreme laws. Anyone who doesn't conform to his "Moral America" will be sent to the new prison colony of Los Angeles. Once you're put in Los Angeles, you don't come out. You are given the option to repent, but your only choice is death by electrocution.
It is now 2013. A revolutionary by the name of Cuervo Jones seduces the President's daughter, Utopia, and convinces her to steal the remote control to her daddy's super-weapon, the Sword of Damocles. This weapon is actually a series of high-tech satellites capable of destroying electronics anywhere on the planet using a focused, electromagnetic pulse. The President plans to use this weapon to destroy other countries' "ability to function" and take over the entire world. In other words, this President is not a nice guy.
Utopia, while aboard the Air Force Three, escapes in a life pod and lands in L.A. to join Cuervo. Like the President, Cuervo is only interested in the remote control and NOT Utopia. Meanwhile, Snake Plissken has been caught by the law, again and is sentenced to be exiled to Los Angeles. The President offers Snake a full pardon for all his crimes if he retrieves the remote control from Cuervo Jones. To insure Snake's compliance, Snake is infected with the Plutoxin 7 virus which will kill him in ten hours. Only Snake's return with the control will make him able to receive the antidote.
Long story short, Snake saves the girl (against the President's wishes), eliminates the Cuervo Jones threat, and gets the remote control back. The President tries to doublecross Snake, but Snake is ready for it and screws EVERYBODY. He kills all electricity on the planet and sends everyone back to the prairie days. The ending to this film is one of the most profound film endings I've ever seen...and quite cool.
The previous movie was set in 1997. In the year 2000, a 9.6 earthquake hit Los Angeles and caused it to separate from the mainland. The man running for President, a Christian fanatic, made a doomsday prediction about the fate of Los Angeles and has since been regarded as an almost godlike figure. He wins the Presidency, and is appointed President for life. He moves the capitol to his hometown of Lynchburg, Virginia and starts passing all kinds of extreme laws. Anyone who doesn't conform to his "Moral America" will be sent to the new prison colony of Los Angeles. Once you're put in Los Angeles, you don't come out. You are given the option to repent, but your only choice is death by electrocution.
It is now 2013. A revolutionary by the name of Cuervo Jones seduces the President's daughter, Utopia, and convinces her to steal the remote control to her daddy's super-weapon, the Sword of Damocles. This weapon is actually a series of high-tech satellites capable of destroying electronics anywhere on the planet using a focused, electromagnetic pulse. The President plans to use this weapon to destroy other countries' "ability to function" and take over the entire world. In other words, this President is not a nice guy.
Utopia, while aboard the Air Force Three, escapes in a life pod and lands in L.A. to join Cuervo. Like the President, Cuervo is only interested in the remote control and NOT Utopia. Meanwhile, Snake Plissken has been caught by the law, again and is sentenced to be exiled to Los Angeles. The President offers Snake a full pardon for all his crimes if he retrieves the remote control from Cuervo Jones. To insure Snake's compliance, Snake is infected with the Plutoxin 7 virus which will kill him in ten hours. Only Snake's return with the control will make him able to receive the antidote.
Long story short, Snake saves the girl (against the President's wishes), eliminates the Cuervo Jones threat, and gets the remote control back. The President tries to doublecross Snake, but Snake is ready for it and screws EVERYBODY. He kills all electricity on the planet and sends everyone back to the prairie days. The ending to this film is one of the most profound film endings I've ever seen...and quite cool.
Cast:
Kurt Russell as Snake Plissken
Steve Buscemi as Map to the Stars Eddie
Cliff Robertson as President
Peter Fonda as Pipeline
Stacy Keach as Commander Malloy
Georges Corraface as Cuervo Jones
Alternate
Titles:
- G
Similarities
(and Differences) to the First Film:
- Some huge disaster prompts a major city to become a giant penal colony. In the first film, an intense jump in the crime rate leads to New York City becoming an island prison. In this film, a devastating earthquake leads to Los Angeles becoming an island prison.
- The Presidents in both films are self-centered a**holes. In the first film, the President isn't really evil, but follows his own agenda. In the second film, the President is purely evil and uses a mask of extreme Christianity to cover his dastardly plans.
- Like the first film, once you're sent to the island prison you're there for life. Unlike the first film, this movie states that you had an option (death by electrocution).
- In the first film, the President leaves the Air Force One in a life pod and lands in New York. In the second film, the President's daughter leaves the Air Force Three in a life pod and lands in Los Angeles.
- The first film featured a really nasty character that was the self-proclaimed leader of the prison island. In "New York", it was The Duke. In "Los Angeles", it was Cuervo Jones. Both of them tried to do a shakedown on the President.
- Both films had an object that was important to the President for some purpose. In "New York", the President had an audio cassette. We're never told what's exactly on it. In "Los Angeles", everyone is chasing after a remote control.
- The idea of a super-weapon, the Sword of Damocles, is unique to this film. However, its essence is not. In the first film, Snake Plissken has tiny explosives put in his body that could only be destroyed with an electromagnetic pulse. In this film, the Sword of Damocles is a way to destroy the electricity of other nations with an electromagnetic pulse.
- Like the first movie, Snake Plissken has just been caught and is ready to be sent to the prison island. Someone offers him a chance to redeem himself and be fully pardoned if he accomplishes a dangerous mission. Snake reluctantly agrees both times.
- Like the first movie, Snake is infected with something to make him conform. In the first movie, it was microscopic explosives. In the second movie, it was a man-made virus (which turns out to be a hoax).
- Like the first movie, Snake accomplishes the mission with a less-than-grateful President. Only in the second movie is Snake doublecrossed.
- Once in "New York", Snake met a man named Cabbie that drove him around and helped him out. In "L.A.", Snake meets Map to the Stars Eddie who serves the same purpose.
- There
is a sexy, big-breasted lady in both films who meet their respective
demises. Maggie (Adrienne Barbeau) was in the first.
Taslima (Valeria Golino) was in the second.
Fun
Facts:
- At
the beginning of this film, Kurt Russell wears his costume from "Escape
From New York". It still fit after 15 years!
- Kurt Russell really did do his own basketball scenes and made all his own shots; even the full-court shot.
- There are many references made to Snake Plissken and what went down in Cleveland. This was a nod from director John Carpenter to a real guy he knew from Cleveland named Snake Plissken. This man was, in fact, who Carpenter got the name for his character so many years ago.
- "Escape From L.A." was in development hell for ten years before it finally got made. An early idea for a script came in 1985, but Carpenter thought it was too light and too cheesy. To Carpenter's credit, he wanted to make the sequel a real action film.
- Kurt Russell came up with and wrote the entire ending of the movie. John Carpenter confirmed this in an interview. The ending is awesome and still leaves a strong impression with me. I would love to have seen this story continue into another film.
- The
Plutoxin 7 virus hoax was going to be part of the first film, but was
not used.