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Escape from New York (1981)

R | | Action, Sci-Fi | 10 July 1981 (USA)
Escape from New York Poster
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In 1997, when the US President crashes into Manhattan, now a giant maximum security prison, a convicted bank robber is sent in to rescue him.

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2,458 ( 29)
4 nominations. See more awards »

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42 photos | 2 videos | 1078 news articles »
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Taylor (scenes deleted)
Frank Doubleday ...
John Strobel ...
...
Gypsy #1 (as John Cothran Jr.)
Garrett Bergfeld ...
Gypsy #2
See full cast »
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Storyline

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 lone warrior new to prison life, is coerced into bringing the President, and his cargo, out of this land of undesirables. Written by Anthony Pereyra {hypersonic91@yahoo.com}

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

police | year 1997 | 1990s | rescue | prison | See All (167) »

Taglines:

1997. New York City is now a maximum security prison. Breaking out is impossible. Breaking in is insane. See more »

Genres:

Action | Sci-Fi

Certificate:

R | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

|

Language:

Release Date:

10 July 1981 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Escape from New York City  »

Filming Locations:

 »

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$25,244,700 (USA)
 »

Company Credits

Production Co:

, ,  »
Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (Extended Version)

Sound Mix:

Color:

(Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The night street scenes were filmed in East St. Louis, Illinois, which had entire neighborhoods burned out in 1976 during a massive urban fire. Across the Mississippi River from the more prosperous St. Louis, Missouri, East St. Louis was filled with old buildings that look seedy and run-down. See more »

Goofs

Plissken carries an Ingram Mac-10 machine pistol with a rifle-type scope fitted on it. This is useless, since this weapon is very inaccurate. Also, the distance to the eyepiece is too large to be useful in any way. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: In 1988, the crime rate in the United States rises four hundred percent. The once great city of New York becomes the one maximum security prison for the entire country. A fifty-foot containment wall is erected along the New Jersey shoreline, across the Harlem River, and down along the Brooklyn shoreline. It completely surrounds Manhattan Island. All bridges and waterways are mined. The United States Police Force, like an army, is encamped around the island. There are no guards ...
See more »

Connections

Edited into Escape from New Jersey (2010) See more »

Soundtracks

Engulfed Cathedral
By Claude Debussy
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is Plissken's reason for destroying the all-important cassette tape at the ending?
Q: What is on the tape that the President keeps in his briefcase?
Q: Is there going to be a third Snake Plissken-movie?
See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

SF action classic!
8 July 2002 | by (Perth, Australia) – See all my reviews

'Escape from New York' ties with 'Assault On Precinct 13' as my second favourite John Carpenter movie (#1 being 'The Thing'. Of course.) I find it hard to be objective about this movie. Like 'The Omega Man' you either love it or you don't. Kurt Russell rocks as Snake Plissken, a cross between Roger Zelazny's Hell Tanner and Clint Eastwood's Man With No Name. He is one cool dude. Spaghetti western favourite Lee Van Cleef is well cast as Snake's nemesis, and b-grade fave Tom Atkins ('Maniac Cop') and Carpenter semi-regular Charles Cyphers ('The Fog') are excellent as his sidekicks. The rest of the cast is equally impressive, and includes cult legend Harry Dean Stanton ('Repo Man'), veterans Ernest Borgnine ('The Wild Bunch') and Donald Pleasance ('Halloween'), soul singer Isaac Hayes, and the buxom Adrienne Barbeau ('Two Evil Eyes') to name a few. 'Escape from New York' is an SF action classic from an era when ideas and character were more important than big budget FX. Personally I'd take this over the Star Wars series any day of the week. Beware the sequel though, it's a major disappointment...
56 of 73 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?
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