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List Price: $28.98 | | Label: MGM (Video & DVD)
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
In the future, crime is out of control and New York City is a maximum security prison. Grabbing a bargaining chip right out of the air, convicts bring down the President's plane in bad old Gotham. Gruff Snake Plissken, a one-eyed warrior new to prison life, is coerced into bringing the President, and his cargo, out of this land of undesirables. Kurt Russell put his Disney days behind him as the nicest bad guy in the picture. All comic-book sensibilities and macho posturing, this is one of writer-director John Carpenter's better brainless escapes. There are snappy one-liners and explosive action scenes. However, the film lacks tension and some believability even within the realm of SF fantasy. Even when it fails to gel, though, it always manages to amuse, thanks in great part to a varied and unusual supporting cast (watch for Ernest Borgnine as a cabdriver). Followed in 1996 by Carpenter's overdone and campy Escape from L.A. --Rochelle O'Gorman
Escape from New York Reviews:
Escapist classic 
2009-11-11 - I really enjoyed this film when it was released in '81 and recently got it on DVD and watched it again this week.
It was also fascinating to listen to John Carpenter and Kurt Russell talk through the film on one of the extra features which I did. It gave me a better understanding of how the film was made and why certain things were the way they were.
What I particularly liked about this story was the premise that crime had forced the authorities in the USA to declare what was tantamount to martial law and turn New York into a prison where all those who violated one of the vast raft of laws was sent. There was no appeal and no return once one was admitted.
Such draconian rules always provokes a backlash and a political activist forces the President's plane to crash into New York and the authorities have to plan a rescue, but their best chance is to use a former war hero turned cynical and bitter to get him out in 24 hours.
Kurt Russell is brilliant as the anti-hero Snake Plisskin, some sort of folk hero who has fallen from grace and is earmarked for prison, but the deal is to pardon him if he manages to get President Donald Pleasence (somewhat miscast in my opinion) out. Plisskin cares little about anything but as his journey is followed you begin to root for him, and the film does unusually for an action film touch on the human side of the character.
There are other strong supporting roles; Lee Van Cleef as the piolice commissioner, a cold-hearted ruthless man who is nothing more than a criminal in uniform; Ernest Borgnine as the naive and simple Cabbie; Harry Dean Stanton as the clever 'Brain', and the late Isaac Hayes as the Duke of New York, the chief bad man who Plisskin has to defeat to get his mission done.
Made on a shoestring budget, its cleverly shot and directed, and there is sufficient action to keep one gripped throughout the film to its conclusion. There is even a nice twist at the end to make you smile.
Call me Snake.
2009-08-09 - After seeing "Escape from New York" on TV, I became a fan. I searched for it on DVD and found this Special Edition version. This release comes with a second disc with some extras, including an appoximate 10-minute clip that John Carpenter removed from the theatrical release. The clip shows what Snake Plissken did to get caught. The transfer quality of this footage is a little rough, but, by no means, would I consider it "unwatchable". Also included in this release is the first issue of "John Carpenter's Snake Plissken Chronicles", which is a four-issue comic book mini-series (being the fan that I am, I have already collected all four issues and must say the mini-series is just awesome).
All in all, if you are a big fan of "Escape from New York", I recommend this release. If you are buying this movie just to add it to your collection, and do not care about special features, then I would suggest just buying the "bare-bones" release (the one-disc release that just has the movie and nothing extra).
TREND SETTING CULT FILM FROM JOHN CARPENTER
2009-07-29 - Escape from New York (Special Edition)
When the film was actually released in India, there were only a very meagre number of people owning television sets or for that matter even VCRs in the entire city of Mangalore. I saw it on the big screen and was immeadiately hooked to the film. The popularity spread through word of mouth and it ran for not less than thirty days. That was a record for any hollywood movie including Star Wars. Eventhough, when viewed today, in 2009, youngsters might complain that the theme feels rather ludicrous (the concept of Manhattan island becoming a maximum security penetentiary in the year 1997, seperated from the rest of the United States and patrolled by highly trained cops.) Kurt Russell plays 'Snake Plisken' a decorated Vet, gone renegade, who is sent on a mission into Manhattan island to rescue the President of the United States, when Airforce One crashes into New York.Donald Pleasence plays the President, held hostage by a criminal named 'the Duke' of New York (Issac Hayes).John Carpenter's crisp direction,the gripping score and the low-light cinematography will surely have you at the edge of your seat. Each and every character is well written and portrayed. Ernest Borgnine as a cabby, Harry Dean Stanton as 'Brain', Adrienne Barbeau, another Carpenter regular, portrays Brain's girl-friend, Maggie. All give terrific performances. Many of my friends have critisized the film as a mere two dimentional pulp. But probably they are comparing it to modern day special effects wizardry in films like The Terminator etc..But I still maintain that in the 1980s there was no other film in the futuristic category which earned it such a mass hysteric CULT following that has not waned even to this day. Even John Carpenter could not come up with a good follow-up movie. 'Escape from L.A', is nothing even remotely near 'Escape from New York'. The film even created a whole new generation of Kurt Russel fans, which significantly benifitted Mr.Russell's career graph. I strongly recommend the film to all die-hard fans of John Carpenter or Kurt Russell. Even if you are not a fan, every time you see this DVD from Amazon, you will get the urge to watch it again and again. The images in the restored version are really good. The sound quality also has been re-masterd, from the original print. If you have a good home-theater with either Dolby 5.1 or DTS, then this film is a treat to watch. You will wonder,"Gosh, the film ended so quickly." That is the magic of this film. 'The Duke of New York", Issac Hayes travels in a special Cadillac fitted with Chandeliars in the front. Plus he has his own theme, which plays ever time the car rolls into frame.Out-Right, Top-Class Entertainment that can be viewed any number of times. Take my word for it. You won't regret buying the DVD. 100% POSITIVE. A word of caution to other buyers from India: A cheaper DVD marketed by an Indian company is available in India, from any retail outfit. But folks, you ARE going to be highly dissapointed because the DVD has been made from an Indian Censored print of the 1980s. The length is way short and all the good scenes are missing. So my advice to Indian buyers is, if you can access, buy the Amazon DVD. It is in a class of its own.
WTF? 
2009-06-14 - DO NOT BUY THIS MOVIE!!! Just give your money to a Drunk, It will be better spent that way.
Escape to Campiness 
2009-03-15 - John Carpenter's camp fest Escape from New York is a pleasure - as one can see from amazon viewer reviews - to the fans of B-movies and sci-fi. It is incredibly dated, a feast of contineous over acting and its script jampacked with logical issues (cassette tapes in 1997? Water, electricity, heat, food? Did the UN relocate? What's harder: finding a person in this wild concrete jungle or an x-ray machine outside of New York to neutralize the capsules?).
Most of us can also ignore the fact that none of the exteriors have actually been shot in New York. But the film's problems add more to its charm than they hurt. The soundtrack, the director's usual minimalistic syntheshizer compositions, is fantastic.
Carpenter has managed to produce pictures that withhold the test of time quite well as we have seen with his worldwide smash hit Halloween and The Thing, which didn't do well at all upon its release to the silver screen but has gained cult status and critic's appreciation in later years. However Escape from New York remains a great flic to pop into your DVD player, fire up your microwave for some popcorn and enjoy hoaky dialogues that will stick with you for a while.
