Escape from New York (1981)

In 1997, when the U.S. president crashes into Manhattan, now a giant maximum security prison, a convicted bank robber is sent in to rescue him.

Director:

John Carpenter

Writers:

John Carpenter, Nick Castle

Stars:

Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine

4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kurt Russell	...	Snake Plissken
Lee Van Cleef	...	Hauk
Ernest Borgnine	...	Cabbie
Donald Pleasence	...	President
Isaac Hayes	...	The Duke
Season Hubley	...	Girl in Chock Full O'Nuts
Harry Dean Stanton	...	Brain
Adrienne Barbeau	...	Maggie
Tom Atkins	...	Rehme
Charles Cyphers	...	Secretary of State
Joe Unger	...	Taylor (scenes deleted)
Frank Doubleday	...	Romero
John Strobel	...	Cronenberg
John Cothran	...	Gypsy #1 (as John Cothran Jr.)
Garrett Bergfeld	...	Gypsy #2

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

new york city | urban decay | manhattan new york city | violence | blood | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Having worked with Kurt Russell on the TV movie Elvis (1979), John Carpenter lobbied hard for him to take the role of Snake Plissken.

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Goofs

Around 44 minutes, Snake uses his machine gun to cut a hole in a door. As the camera switches to the other side and you can see him break through the "door", it is clearly obvious it is made of Styrofoam sheeting.

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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 ...

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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.

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Connections

Spoofed in Six-String Samurai (1998)

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Soundtracks

Bandstand Boogie
Music by Charles Albertine
Courtesy of Cherio Corporation

User Reviews

SF action classic!

'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...

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 July 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

John Carpenter's Escape from New York

Filming Locations:

Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Tucson, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$25,244,626

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$25,244,626

Company Credits

Production Co:

AVCO Embassy Pictures, International Film Investors, Goldcrest Films International

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min 106 min (Extended Version)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1