Die Klapperschlange

It's 1997 (but it's the future since this movie was made in 1981) and the United States crime rates have skyrocketed, particularly in New York City. To handle the rising prison population and abundance of violent inmates, the government opts to turn New York City into a maximum security fortress for individuals who have committed the most vile crimes. There are no guards inside the prison, only inmates. They form their own society. Guards only intercede if a prisoner attempts to escape. No one gets out alive.

When the president's plane is hijacked and terrorists bring him into the prison city, convicted felon and soon-to-be resident of the prison, Snake Plissken is asked to do the impossible and bring the president out alive.

The setup is rich and compelling, yet there's a tremendous amount of backstory that is left untold in "Escape from New York" and that's part of what makes it work. There's an air of mystery wafting through the movie that continually begs questions but leaves it up to the viewer to imagine what the answers might be. "Why does Snake have an eyepatch?" "What caused the explosion in crime rates?" "Why does the president have a British accent?" All these questions and more make the movie fun to discuss and re-watch repeatedly, searching for hints that help unravel the mystery.

Kurt Russell is unforgettable as Snake, who should be a loathsome character but instead becomes a hero we have no trouble rooting for. He practically growls every line of dialogue because he crackles with too much anger to simply speak. Somehow, despite everything about him being ostensibly unlikable, he's still charming in a way. He would make for an incredible dinner party guest. On one hand, he would likely scare most of the guests and make them feel dumb. But on the other hand, he would probably make all of the guests think, "wow, if you have a friend like this guy, you must be a really interesting person." Inviting him is a big gamble, for sure. Though, it just might pay off.

Along with Snake, the highlight of the movie is John Carpenters music. Find another 1980s movie with a cooler score. I dare you. Carpenter has created two of the most recognizable and undeniably excellent theme music tracks of the 70s and 80s ("Halloween" is the other). And he directed both movies. What an achievement.

First things first, Kurt Russel is just plain cool. That said, on to the review. Escape From New York is a classic action movie with a great horror cast, including Donald Pleasence, Tom Atkins, Charles Cyphers, and who could forget Buck Flower. Buck, who has one of the best scenes in the movie ("Sure, I'm the president!"), is hilarious. John Carpenter proves that he is a versatile director and can make a hell of a film outside the horror genre. In Carpenter's classic, Kurt Russell plays the immortal Snake Plissken, New York has become a prison state, and the president has just crash landed there. Enter Snake Plissken. Freshly captured and about to be incarcerated in New York, he must save the President (Pleasence, who isn't even American but pulls it off well) from the clutches of Isaac Hayes in order to regain his freedom. It's all great stuff and you can't stop watching as Snake fights his way from one famous landmark to another (he even has to wrestle Ox Baker). But it leaves me with one unanswered question: What did happen to Fresno Bob?

Note: A couple of the Duke's cronies are credited as Romero and Cronenberg. Also, Jamie Lee Curtis does the opening computer dialogue.

An island's now used for, incarceration, it's a bit like if you get sent to damnation, no escape, you cannot flee, you'll not be an absentee, you're stuck inside the walls for your duration. Then President John Harker comes to town, Air Force One has been hijacked and now it's down, he's the hostage of some inmates, who want to open all the flood gates, but there's one who might just help out and atone.

Never a dull moment, as Snake Plissken takes the chance to save the President in return for a pardon, as he battles his way through the prison ghettos, finding some not insignificant opposition to his mission, while encountering an array of curious characters on his way. Legendary stuff indeed.

I saw this movie in 2018. But in past i used to listen to its background theme. Had always heard about this movie, But never saw it before. And i really enjoyed it. Even after 37 years, this movie seems as fresh as it was when it released. This movie have aged well with the time. First time saw Kurt Russell and Lee Van Cleef face to face in one on the big screen. But mind me Lee van cleef is not the Antagonist in this movie. But the person who sends snake plissken to new york on the rescue mission. looking both of them i remembered John Rambo & Col. Trautman. In all a nice & watchable movie. In this movie John Carpenter shows he can make movies in this genre also. And he succeeded also.

Nearly 25 years and an endless amount of viewings later, John Carpenter's "Escape from NY" still ranks high among the chosen few, quintessential cult films of the 80's. This is, simply put, one of the coolest productions ever with legendary characters, ingenious plot and pitch-black humor. Kurt Russell, with eye patch and nihilistic 'you-don't-like-it-go-to-hell' attitude, plays the role of his life as anti-hero Snake Plissken, recruited by his authority-nemesis Bob Hauk to bring back the American president who crashed with his plane in New York. One problem though; ever since crime rose with 400% in 1987, New York has become one giant and demarcated prison where criminals determine their own "civilization". Offered no other choice, Snake infiltrates NY for his mission …and for a personal race against the clock. Especially the first sixty minutes of this movie are terrific, since there constantly is the introduction of new and imaginative characters. Class-A actors play all these utterly cool characters, which makes it even more memorable! Apart from Kurt Russell, "Escape from New York" also stars icons like Lee Van Cleef ("The Good, the Bad and the Ugly"), Isaac Hayes ("Truck Turner"), Donald Pleasance ("Halloween") and Harry Dean Stanton ("Repo Man"). Even the smaller supportive roles are well distributed, with the underrated Tom Atkins as Van Cleef's sidekick and Adrienne Barbeau in a very sexy part. The downfall of America's number one city is atmospherically portrayed and Carpenter's own music score creates an excellent mood of despair. The action sequences are impressively photographed and John Capenter professionally camouflages that his film is, in fact, and independent production. My only slightly negative remark is that the story should have had a better, more explosive climax. Particularly because the first hour is so great, the ending seems quite tame. But, what the hell, this movie is a must for every film lover! In 1996, Carpenter also made "Escape from L.A." and even though it's good entertainment, it can't compete with "NY".