Escape from New York
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Movie Reviews of Escape from New York
Movie Review: Starting in 2003, SE and single-disc transfers identical
Summary: 4 Stars
Since everything has been said about the film and the 2-disc Special Edition with the commentary, documentary, omitted scene, etc., I would just like to add an important note about the transfers. At the time the Special Edition came out in 2003, MGM quietly replaced the poor transfer on the 2000 single disc with the same version seen in the Special Edition, minus the commentary tracks. Even a new copyright date is given on the liner and in the content of the single DVD itself. The catalogue number and UPC code were *not* changed (hence, the "quietly"). You can tell immediately from reading the box: the single disc in 2000 had Dolby "Surround" sound in English only, and subtitles for French and Spanish with close-captions for English. Starting in 2003, the sound is Dolby 5.1 (though not necessarily an improvement as it places the voices slightly further back); there is also a new French mono dubbed track. Subtitles are in English as well as French and Spanish. The menus are completely redesigned. The 2000 print of the film itself begins with the logo "Polygram Video"--indicating that it was simply lifted from the old laser disc. Starting in 2003, that logo is gone. Most importantly, the graininess and print damage--white specs, etc.--that afflicted the original pressing very noticeably, are gone from the 2003 single-DVD version. So, if it's the extras you want, get the SE; but if you just want an improved transfer from a better source, you can still buy the cheaper one-disc version (it's no longer in the MGM catalogue but all on-line vendors carry it--most for less than amazon), which has been the same transfer as the SE since 2003. The version of the single-disc pictured on amazon is still the old version, but I doubt that it has been sold (except used, of course) for three years. An easy check on the version: the 2003 single-disc liner has roughly the same back as the SE, beginning with the NY Times quote, "Riveting," instead of the older design's opening quote from Newsweek, "Dark and dangerous."Movie Review: Head for New York, it'll be fun.
Summary: 4 Stars
ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK is a movie that proves that action doesn't have to be excessive and messy to be fun and that if it's kept simple enough it can still be good quality entertainment. The makers tried to practically remake this movie years later as ESCAPE FROM L.A. throwing in everything they could think of and it was a flop. I asked my friend what he thought of L.A. and he said it was great, I showed him NEW YORK and he loved it. Almost same story, and much simplar. Anyway on with the review. Future society's crime rate has risen skyhigh (400%) To help combat this, Manhattan island is transformed into a super lock up prison surrounded by walls, armed guards and mines. The worst criminals get sent here to live till they die, no pardons.
Former war hero Snake Plisskin (Russell plays such an unpleasant character, he could almost be one of the villians,) is on his way to New York for getting caught robbing the Federal Reserve, when he is offered a deal. He must rescue the President who'se plane has crashed into New York by terrorists. It is important that the President be rescued in 24 hours so that he can attend a peace summit that could prevent nuclear war. To ensure Snake's loyalty, small explosives have been implanted inside of him that will go off in 24 hours. If he succeeds, he'll get a pardon. It's do or die, but Snake accepts. "Either way, I go in."
Maneuvering through the decayed urban mess of New york, Snake must battle scavengers, "crazies" and other unpleantness on his mission to rescue the President. Snake even gets help form some old friends, all of whom tell him, "I thought you were dead!"
Chock full of some terrific paseing, great characters, and decent action scenes, ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK is a cool movie that today's action movies can learn a lesson from. Cool box art too.
Movie Review: The best escape...EVER!
Summary: 4 Stars
I remember seeing thi smovie over 20 years ago, and i had my doubts at first. (the idea of kurt"disney" russel playiong an anti-hero, and what's with soul legend issac hayes as the main baddie? would it be a musical or somethin? lol)But under carpenter's direction, kurt managed to pull it off and made a beliver outta me, the movie was very ambitous especially coming from a b-movie company (avco embassay)
the specail effects,the chessy dialoug" call me snake" "i heard you were dead" and not to mention the cool casioesque synthersizer music. composed by the multi-talented carpenter.
The ending is one of the best parts about this classic flick
where anti-hero snake plissken finds some kinda redemption and does a "f**k you" to the president and the other high ranking athourities. I think it was this movie (not elvis) that helped
to push russel further into the spotlight,and made people aware of his potentual. after escape, came the thing which was an even bigger hit. and so on.
my only gripe with this DVD was that the sound was still kinda mono and there were no special features other than the trailer,
i would have loved to see the deleted scenes like the bank robbery, or the fight with the indians on world trade center.
oh well what do u expect from MGM? another movie co like warner home video wouldv'e bought out all the bonuses.
Now here's a sad irony of how life imitates art, in the begining of the movie u see a terrorist hijacking a passenger plane (air force one) then crashing it into a building, in new york nontheless.. that scene mirrors the tradgic 911 attack.what may seem like science fiction, may turn out to be fact.
Movie Review: Carpenter's Escape ... 1 of his Finest
Summary: 4 Stars
This disc despite it's lack of extras with only trailer included was a joy to watch over the VHS I owned.Irregardless of some grain and ect ...
It look's the best I've ever seen it and since I was 13 when I viewed EFNY in the cinema at 13 I thought it looked & sounded pretty good. Not excellent but OK.
I had to adjust color & picture darkness on NTSC/PAL compatible TV set to see more clearly but in widescreen and it's price this classic still without regret get's my money over a tape-version any day.
As a favourite cult-classic you can't beat John Carpenter/Kurt Russell's action futuristic story of an-anti-hero to the federal-police state of 1997 recuing the President for his life and pardon by Lee Van Cleef.
With cool music by Capernter & direction of a quality cast and then production values given a $7 Million budget EFNY is a rare and enjoyable creative endeavour that was due for a higher standard of restoration to DVD.
The Laserdisc version owned by a friend at least includes a commentary a deleted scenes as well Making of ...
Nonetheless a good story with players as Russell as Snake, Donald pleasence(Halloween), Harry Dean Stanton(Alien) Ernest borgnine & the voluptous ex-Mrs.Carpenter Adrienne Barbeau(Creepshow) as Brain's main squeeze Maggie .
Somehow I think someday they'll release a special-edition never-the-less this movie in it's present dvd is if you love the movie very much worth the $ you'll pay because it's worth it.
Movie Review: Escape from New York (1981)
Summary: 4 Stars
For this inventive sci-fi actioner, director John Carpenter (who also co-wrote and scored the film) depicts a dystopian future--the film's events take place in 1997--in which New York's Manhattan Island is a lockdown penitentiary that holds only the most dangerous of prisoners. A prisoner himself, ex-soldier Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) is tossed into the apocalyptic metropolis, pressured with the burdensome task of finding the President, who was recently kidnapped by inmates following the crash-landing of Air Force One on the island.
Carpenter had a hard time getting his film into the production stages, though one wouldn't know it. More than a half-decade after the story's conception, Escape from New York grossed over $50 million worldwide (a huge number in the early '80s) and was followed by a sequel in 1996. A remake was originally slated for a mid- to late-2009 release, but both star Gerard Butler and director Len Wiseman pulled themselves from the film. But that might be a good thing; it's hard to imagine any technologically upgraded remake retaining the focal essence of Escape from New York, which was and remains its ingenuity.