Escape from New York Appreciation Thread

Cafe Society
#1

Caught this one on a cable movie channel this afternoon. What a great flick!!! Snake Plissken kicks much ass, Kurt Russel is perfect in the role. One drawback was the tres cheesy 80’s synthesizer soundtrack. And the president played by…Donald Pleasance!!! Yeah…it could happen.

The Harry Dean Stanton rule is in effect, and we even get treated to Ernest Borgnine!!

I never saw Escape from L.A.; something tells me it would pale in comparison with this one. I think along with John Carpenter’s The Thing EFNY rates as an underrated sci fi classic.

#2

“I thought you were dead…”

#3

I remember enjoying EFNY. Specifically, I remember enjoying it on video disc (not laser disc–the old vinyl/stylus discs).

#4

You have to love The Duke’s car, now that’s style.:wink:

#5

I think Escape from New York is a movie that is just begging for a decent sequel or remake.

#6

Whatever you do, don’t accidentally rent Escape From The Bronx instead.

#7

“President of what?”

#8

It’s too late assholes!!!..all your imperialist weapons can’t save him now!

#9

IIRC The cheesy synth music was written by Carpenter himself.

Also, I remember my friend at the time being rivetted by the 3D computer display on the glider as he flies it around the NY skyscrapers. I didn’t find out for nearly 2 decades that Carpenter did this by putting reflective tape along the angles of cardboard boxes and sweeping a camera through them. Love it!!

#10

You’re the Duke!
gun fire
heh heh heh . . .
You’re the Duke . . . A Number One . . .

Classic.

#11

Fun movie, with a perfect ending. When the hell are they going to put out a special edition DVD with some extras?

Don’t bother with Escape From L.A.; it’s practically a remake of EFNY, and a bigger budget didn’t make it any better.

#12

I read this on IMDB this afternoon and was totally mesmerized during this scene because of it. How ingenious!! They don’t make effects like they used to, huh…?

It also says on IMDB that none other than James Cameron painted the matte of a darkened NYC skyline for the movie.

#13

December of this year, apparently. From Corona’s Test Pattern:

Does anyone know if the original commentary track from the laser disc release is on the current, bare-bones DVD? I might grab a copy of it for that, but I’m waiting for December otherwise.

[sub]And personally, I liked EFLA, too. Yeah it was cheesy and hokey, but so was EFNY once upon a time. Though Carpenter really should have gotten Jamie Lee Curtis back to do the intro, again. They’re both still fun flicks.[/sub]

#14

DO NOT see Escape from LA. The movie is an almost exact remake of the first (I am not kidding, you really wonder to yourself who they thought they were kidding.) that is ten times more expensive and three times as bad (I did the math).

#15

Yeah this was a cool film. And as an added trivia, Jamie Lee Curtis is the voice of the narrator/computer in the beginning.

#16

God, I used to worship Escape From LA when I was in sixth grade. I watched it again a few months ago. It was hilariously stupid.

Escape From NY however, is still a good movie.

#17

Ahem. **And ** it has Adrienne Barbeau at her foxiest. Can’t ask for more than that.

#18

Hey, EFLA has Bruce Campbell.

That alone gives it cool points in my book.

#19

What is the Harry Dean Stanton rule?

#20

No commentary on the current DVD. No-frills release.

There were rumors that MGM’s negotiations to license the old laserdisc commentary had gone nowhere, so it’s possible they recorded a new one for the upcoming SE.