"Kubrickian" is in the Oxford English Dictionary, but "Carpentersque" isn't. Here's why John Carpenter's style and influence should have earned him the honor.
Snake Plissken is once again called in by the United States government to recover a potential doomsday device from Los Angeles, now an autonomous island where undesirables are deported.
An unlikely partnership between a Highway Patrol Officer, two criminals and a station secretary is formed to defend a defunct Los Angeles precinct office against a siege by a bloodthirsty street gang.
Director:
John Carpenter
Stars:
Austin Stoker,
Darwin Joston,
Laurie Zimmer
Recovering from an ambush that killed his entire team, a vengeful vampire slayer must retrieve an ancient Catholic relic that, should it be acquired by vampires, will allow them to walk in sunlight.
In 2176, a Martian police unit is sent to pick up a highly dangerous criminal at a remote mining post. Upon arrival, the cops find that the post has become a charnel house.
In the future, crime is out of control and New York City's Manhattan 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}
Lee Van Cleef flew in from Los Angeles for a one-night shoot, and flew out the next day. When John Carpenter watched the dailies, he discovered that some of Van Cleef's close-ups were out of focus. Carpenter was forced to use some of the close-ups in the movie, since they couldn't afford to get the actor back. Cleef had also suffered a knee injury prior to filming, and wasn't fully recovered when it came time to film his scenes. Van Cleef's wife Barbara Havelone was on-set to make sure the actor could get through his scenes. See more »
Goofs
After Snake takes off in the glider, Charles Cyphers is seen in the control room wearing a shirt and tie. In the next shot, he is wearing a suit jacket, which he then takes off. He wears the shirt and tie for the remainder of the scene. 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 »
Alternate Versions
Columbia Tristar Home Video released a director's special editon on VHS (now out of print). It basically has same the material as the collector's laserdisk. An interview with John Carpenter which contains extra footage not in the theatrical release. Also the orginal theatrical trailer. The movie is Letterbox, digitally remastered, and Dolby Surround Stereo. See more »
We are in the year 1997,the Air Force One is hijacked by a band of revolutionaries and the President(Donald Pleasence:Halloween)is dropped into a capsule crashing in a nearly deserted Manhattan which is an island turned into a maximum security jail and finds itself under siege by violent gangs. A previous war hero named Snake Plissken(Kurt Russell) gone rebel must effect a daring recapture and bring up the President in twenty four hours but an interior device(installed by Lee Van Cleef and Tom Atkins)blowing up him.Snake must to recovery him and facing off villains like the Duke(Isaac Hayes: Shaft's musician).He's only helped by a sympathetic cab-man(Ernest Borgnine:Dirty dozen),an action women(Adrienne Barbeau and Season Hubley,at the time Kurt Russell's wife) and a veteran(Harry Dean Stanton:Paris,Texas).
The film is a comic book plenty of action,fun,adventures,thriller and susprise-filled entertainment.Magnificent plethora of characters with exceptional performances by its entire cast.Kurt Russell as tough and valiant renegade is terrific.Lee Van Cleef was hired by Carpenter and Debra Hill(the producer) for their admiration on spaghetti Western's heroes roles.Adrienne Barbeau (at the time Carpenter's wife)is gorgeous,her role(such as in The Fog)were written specifically with her in mind.The picture contains an imaginative and memorable production design by Joe Alves(Jaws).Colorful cinematography by Dean Cundey.John Carpenter also made the eerie and atmospheric music score such as he did in Halloween.The movie likely satisfy action enthusiastic and Kurt Russell fans .It's followed by an inferior sequel by the same actor and director : ¨Escape from L.A.¨. Rating :Better than average,good and enjoyable.
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We are in the year 1997,the Air Force One is hijacked by a band of revolutionaries and the President(Donald Pleasence:Halloween)is dropped into a capsule crashing in a nearly deserted Manhattan which is an island turned into a maximum security jail and finds itself under siege by violent gangs. A previous war hero named Snake Plissken(Kurt Russell) gone rebel must effect a daring recapture and bring up the President in twenty four hours but an interior device(installed by Lee Van Cleef and Tom Atkins)blowing up him.Snake must to recovery him and facing off villains like the Duke(Isaac Hayes: Shaft's musician).He's only helped by a sympathetic cab-man(Ernest Borgnine:Dirty dozen),an action women(Adrienne Barbeau and Season Hubley,at the time Kurt Russell's wife) and a veteran(Harry Dean Stanton:Paris,Texas).
The film is a comic book plenty of action,fun,adventures,thriller and susprise-filled entertainment.Magnificent plethora of characters with exceptional performances by its entire cast.Kurt Russell as tough and valiant renegade is terrific.Lee Van Cleef was hired by Carpenter and Debra Hill(the producer) for their admiration on spaghetti Western's heroes roles.Adrienne Barbeau (at the time Carpenter's wife)is gorgeous,her role(such as in The Fog)were written specifically with her in mind.The picture contains an imaginative and memorable production design by Joe Alves(Jaws).Colorful cinematography by Dean Cundey.John Carpenter also made the eerie and atmospheric music score such as he did in Halloween.The movie likely satisfy action enthusiastic and Kurt Russell fans .It's followed by an inferior sequel by the same actor and director : ¨Escape from L.A.¨. Rating :Better than average,good and enjoyable.