Escape from New York Collector's Edition Blu-ray Review

In 1988, following a four-hundred percent spike in national crime rates, the city of Manhattan was turned into a Federal maximum security prison. Sealed by a fifty-foot wall that surrounds the island, there are no guards, there’s no electricity and prisoners are left to their own devices. The only rule is once you go in you do not come out. Now, in 1997, extremists have brought down Air Force One into the metropolis and the president is being held captive by the self-proclaimed Duke of New York. Commissioner Hauk recruits former Special Forces war-hero-turned-notorious-outlaw Snake Plissken to rescue the president in exchange for a full pardon. As insurance, Snake is injected with an explosive device in his neck and has twenty-four hours to complete his mission.

The adventure begins with Snake landing a glider atop the World Trade Center and following the president’s tracking device into the theatre district. The hostage is not there and Snake ventures deeper into the city, avoiding roving gangs of violent marauders. He seeks the guidance of a man named Brain with whom he has history and together with Brain’s squeeze Maggie and an eager-to-please taxi driver named Cabbie, they seek audience with the Duke in hopes of working out a deal. Time is running out and the obstacles keep piling up as Snake is forced into several deadly confrontations leading to a pursuit across the heavily mined 69th Street bridge in hopes of an escape from this living hell.

In Escape from New York, director John Carpenter (Assault on Precinct 13) takes you on an adventure through a dystopian future based on the ingenious idea of turning Manhattan into an island prison. Working from a script he co-wrote with Nick Castle (future director of The Last Starfighter), Carpenter explores the dark side of urban blight with a reluctant protagonist set upon on all sides with life and death consequences. Kurt Russell (Big Trouble in Little China) sheds his skin as a Disney performer and assumes the role of tough guy anti-hero Snake Plissken, a man of few words, a lot of attitude and no time for bullshit. Russell delivers in spades with a nuanced performance that is reminiscent of Clint Eastwood’s “Man with No Name “character. Snake is the ultimate badass whose reputation precedes him, but he feels no need to prove himself. He excels at getting himself out of trouble, which always seems to find him.

The supporting cast is filled with familiar faces, including such notables as Lee Van Cleef (The Good, the Bad & the Ugly) as Commissioner Hauk, a tough-as-nails authority figure who is used to being in command. Van Cleef brings a gravitas to the role that matches Russell’s and you want to see what happens when these two face off. Ernest Borgnine (Willard) plays Cabbie, the most pleasant taxi driver in New York. His good nature and dependability offer a reprieve from the chaos and violence that permeate the city. The always-welcome Harry Dean Stanton (Repo Man) co-stars as Brain, the man who specializes in information. He and Snake share a troubled history, but he’s reliable when needed. Maggie is Brain’s girlfriend and in the skilled hands of Adrienne Barbeau (Someone’s Watching Me), she is just as strong and capable as her male counterparts.

Donald Pleasance (Prince of Darkness) plays the president whom Snake must rescue. He lends a touch of class to the character who is hopelessly in over his head. The man who threatens to steal the show is the one and only Isaac Hayes (Truck Turner) as the Duke of New York. His imposing size and booming voice make him quite the adversary. Carpenter manages to work in space for a few of his family of regulars, including the great Tom Atkins (Halloween III) as duty officer Rehme; Charles Cyphers (The Fog) as Secretary of State; and the affable Buck Flower (They Live) as a homeless person. Jamie Lee Curtis (Terror Train) provides an uncredited voiceover narration for the intro. Other memorable actors include Season Hubley (Vice Squad) as the “Girl in Chock Full o Nuts”, who is the first person to help Snake, and Frank Doubleday (Nomads) as the creepy spikey-haired henchman, Romero.

In addition to being beautifully written and wonderfully cast, Escape from New York is blessed with a fantastic team of artists working behind the camera. Cinematographer Dean Cundey (Psycho II) brings a sophisticated visual style to the picture with his exciting camera work and masterful lighting design. Coupled with the equally impressive production design by Joe Alves (Jaws), it looks like Snake is walking through the urban streets of Hell. Longtime Carpenter producer Debra Hill (Halloween) is on hand to keep the tightly budgeted picture on track. The visual effects are dated but hold up well with terrific use of matte paintings and miniatures. Carpenter once again composes the driving score for the feature, joined by frequent collaborator Alan Howarth (Christine).

Escape from New York is a futuristic Western that has earned its place as a cult classic with its iconic lead character, quotable dialogue, lean script and striking imagery. Fifteen years after its release, the team of Carpenter, Russell and Hill reunited for the more satirical Escape from L.A. with mixed results. While it is nice seeing Snake back in action, do yourself a favor and stick with the original – it’s a trip well worth taking.