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The Thing, Big Trouble in Little China, and Escape from New York. These are the holy trinity of John Carpenter/Kurt Russell collaborations and are generally seen as anything from best cult film of all time to the best horror movie of all time. The Thing would get a prequel movie but that was only after years of being unappreciated and it would take a re-evaluation for that movie to come to life. Big Trouble wouldn’t even get that as the IP would die at the box office and stay dead to the creators. While all 3 would share some form of a collection of video game tie-ins, comic books, toys, and board games, only Escape from New York would get the direct sequel treatment, and even that was 15 years later. While it is not usually held in the same regard as its oft-imitated predecessor, it’s slowly gaining traction...

March 17, 1951 was a great day in history, because that’s the day Kurt Vogel Russell entered the world. And while he would go on to become one of the biggest icons of the eighties and nineties, many folks don’t know that Russell started as a child star for The Walt Disney Company, even acting opposite his future life partner Goldie Hawn in The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band (1968) – although they wouldn’t get together until Russell ended up in another movie starring Goldie Hawn, Swing Shift (1984). From the sixties into the seventies, he starred in Disney flicks like The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969), but as the studio’s movies started to flop and Russell got older, a change of pace was needed. Arguably, Russell’s career took off when he began working with director John Carpenter, with the first movie being 1979’s TV movie Elvis, but what...

The universe can be a pretty crummy place sometimes, so it's important to seek out every last nugget of joy or, absent something so extravagant, just a smile here and there to ward off total despair. You could argue that we don't even deserve the latter in extraordinarily crummy times such as these, and maybe this is true, but I like getting out of bed in the morning, so I'll afford myself the privilege of hope however it materializes. Did the Cleveland Cavaliers win last night? That's one foot on the floor. Did I text with some out-of-town friends I haven't personally seen in months or years? There's another. Did John Carpenter just win a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association? Oh baby, we're up and headed for that first cup.

The New Hollywood era produced more commercially successful and critically acclaimed filmmakers than the man who gave us "Halloween,...

Kate Hudson is opening up about the possibility of reality TV!

The 45-year-old actress will be starring in the upcoming series Running Point on Netflix, and it’s all about family and the family legacy.

While attending the show’s premiere on Thursday (February 13), Kate was asked if her famous family, which includes musician partner Danny Fujikawa, parents Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, and brothers Oliver Hudson and Wyatt Russell, who are all actors, would ever take part in a family reality series.

Keep reading to find out more…

“It’ll never happen. It’ll never,” she told Et. “Listen, listen, my dad [Russell], he’s just too cool. Like he just, he’d rather just like be in Colorado, like just being dad. You know?”

When asked if Kurt was the one holding up the possibility, she said, “Yeah, Snake Plissken doesn’t do reality,” referring to his Escape from New York character.

We’ve discussed John Carpenter on this channel as much or more than nearly any other director. Some of his movies, like The Thing, have gotten a different type of show appreciation via discussions on its behind the scenes in a Wtf, a comparison with its novella source material, and a look at what its legacy is in a Deconstructing video, amongst a few others. Looking at his catalogue, there is a wealth of stuff that is firmly in the horror realm from Christine to In the Mouth of Madness, Prince of Darkness to Halloween. While he has some movies that are outside that wheelhouse like the western homage Assault on Precinct 13 or Academy Award winning sci-fi drama Starman, Escape from New York is something special. In addition to being one of my favorite films of all time, full stop, it’s also sneaky in its ability to horrify. While...

When the sci-fi action flick “Virtuosity” was first released in the summer of 1995, it opened to mixed reviews and modest box office. It was the kind of mid-range studio programmer (it came from Paramount under the Sherry Lansing regime) that came out with dependable frequency in those days, a movie enjoyed by some but quickly forgotten by most before it left theaters to make way for other genre films like “Desperado,” “The Tie That Binds,” and “Hackers.”

Looking back now, studio slates like the ones Lansing oversaw — release schedules that made room for an abundance of medium-budget comedies (“Clueless”), thrillers (“Primal Fear”), sci-fi films (“The Relic”) and adult dramas (“Nobody’s Fool”) in between large-scale blockbusters like “Mission: Impossible,” “Braveheart,” and “Titanic” — seem far more varied and artistically fruitful than they did at the time, when we never knew such range was in any danger of disappearing. It was easy at...

Escape from New York is one of my favorite movies, so I'm glad the remake appears to have finally died in development. The original 1981 John Carpenter movie has one of the all-time great movie hooks; the most dangerous convict in the world, Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell), is forced to rescue the kidnapped President from New York, which has been walled off and turned into a hellish prison. Escape from New York is one of Carpenter's best, filled with great sequences and dialogue.

I've always felt that one minor flaw is that the film's modest budget meant it couldn't fully use its setting. Escape From New York's action is relatively small-scale, and it doesn't take audiences to some of the city's most iconic locations, like Central Park or the subway. In theory, a big-budget reboot could really flesh out the concept and make it much larger, but the Escape from New York...

Among the many abandoned movie reboots to have fallen by the wayside in Hollywood in recent years, Leigh Whannell’s remake of John Carpenter’s dystopian action movie Escape From New York is one that appears to have been lost in the churn. While there has never exactly been confirmation of what happened to the project based on the cult classic that saw Kurt Russell taking on the iconic role of Snake Plissken, Whannell has addressed the chances of him ever getting to bring the project back to life.

Whannell is currently promoting his new Universal horror movie, Wolf Man, and during an interview with ComicBook, the director said that he would certainly be open to revisiting the classic movie, but doesn’t see it happening anytime soon. He said:

“It’s so funny, with the movie industry, projects can die for various reasons. It can be something as simple as,...

Director Leigh Whannell, a former candidate to lead a remake of Escape from New York, has addressed what the chances are that the project will happen. Originally released in 1981, the sci-fi action film focuses on Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell), a former Special Forces soldier who must rescue President John Harker (Donald Pleasence) from inmates in Manhattan. The film has become a classic, with plans for a remake later taking shape under Whannell's leadership in 2019. However, the project has since been shelved, with the director's upcoming Wolf Man film being his primary focus now.

Speaking with ComicBook about Wolf Man, Whannell explained how he would be open to directing an Escape from New York remake in the future, if the project was ever revitalized. Speaking about how some film projects simply don't make it past the planning stage, the director explained how many different factors can result in a movie no longer being made.

In a remarkable career spanning over 60 years, Kurt Russell has just about done it all. He's been a Disney child star, an action hero, a serious dramatic actor, an unabashedly silly comedic lead, and Elvis Presley. Though Russell was never a box office titan on par with contemporaries like Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Bruce Willis, he is worshipped as a god by genre fandom for having played such iconic s***kickers as Snake Plissken in "Escape from New York," R.J. MacReady in "The Thing" and Jack Burton in "Big Trouble in Little China." Those last two were flops theatrically, but they've gone from being cult favorites to bona-fide mainstream classics. As a result, Russell, at the age of 73, might be more beloved now than he's ever been.

For Russell fanatics, there's a lively discussion to be had over what his best performance outside of that aforementioned holy trinity of John Carpenter movies might be.

Few filmmakers know how to craft a great cinematic hero like John Carpenter, leaving in his legacy many alluring characters throughout his directorial career. Perhaps better known for his horror movie villains, Carpenter's grim sense of creativity perhaps lends itself more to the darker side of a given narrative, with iconic antagonists like Lo-Pan, The Thing, and the Halloween serial killer Michael Myers all springing from his twisted mind. But as great as John Carpenter's best villains are, he also deserves recognition for his entertaining cinematic heroes.

The success of John Carpenter's characters can be measured in various ways. Some of them are legendary simply for their ability to weather the insidious circumstances of John Carpenter's best films, surviving slashers and subhuman creatures alike. Others are more watchable than likable, responsible for classic line deliveries and bold maneuvers that keep them worthy of rooting for even decades later.

Dr. Loomis...

John Carpenter's 1981 dystopian sci-fi action movie Escape From New York is about to come home in a new Limited Edition 4K Steelbook. Starring Kurt Russell as the iconic anti-hero Snake Plissken, the cult classic has received the new 4K restoration by Studio Canal, and comes with a host of extras including multiple audio commentaries, Dolby Atmos sound and several featurettes, as well as a cool Steelbook with new design. This limited release will be available from November 5.

Escape from New York takes place in a dystopian future where Manhattan has been converted into a maximum-security prison. When Air Force One crashes into the chaotic and dangerous zone, Russells Plissken is given little choice but to save the president within 24 hours, otherwise an explosive device implanted in his neck will be detonated.

The movie came just a few years after John Carpenter cemented himself as a force to be reckoned...

Building on what is already the largest film-related collection in the world, comprised of more than 52 million items, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed some of their most recent acquisitions today, including the Studio Ghibli animation collection, which contains more than 80 pieces of original art by Hayao Miyazaki and Noboru Yoshida, as well as the studio’s Japanese movie posters and animator’s desk. Another hot ticket item, presented at the Academy Museum Gala on October 19 in Los Angeles, is Quentin Tarantino’s personal, handwritten script for “Pulp Fiction,” which won the Best Original Screenplay Oscar and celebrated its 30th anniversary this year.

Filmmakers Curtis Hanson, Nicole Holofcener, Barbara Kopple, Oliver Stone, and Paul Verhoeven also donated their personal collections to the Academy, which features production records, photographs, scripts, and more from films such as “L.A. Confidential,” “Harlan County, U.S.A,” “Platoon,” “Showgirls,” and “Enough Said.

Back in 1981, director John Carpenter and actor Kurt Russell introduced the world to one of the coolest antiheroes in cinematic history, war hero turned criminal Snake Plissken, the lead character in the sci-fi action classic Escape from New York. Fifteen years later, Carpenter and Russell came back for the sequel Escape from L.A.… which isn’t nearly as popular as its predecessor, but is still a worthwhile movie because it gives a chance to spend more time with Snake. Author Andreas Johansson has given nearly equal time to Escape from New York and Escape from L.A. with his newly released books Escape Artists Vol. 1: Escape from New York Interviews and Escape Artists Vol. 2: Escape from L.A. Interviews, which have page counts of 406 and 403, respectively – and both books are now available for order through Amazon! You can get Escape Artists Vol. 1 at This Link and Escape Artists Vol.

In a recent video for the movie-focused social media platform Letterboxd, "Alien" and "Gladiator" director Ridley Scott was asked to select his four favorite movies. In a move that a YouTube commenter referred to as "pretty based," one of the films Scott chose was his own 1982 sci-fi classic, "Blade Runner." The director justified the choice by saying the movie "set the pace for many, many, many, many things," and if you've seen a science-fiction movie in the past 40 years, you know that's an accurate statement.

Kurt Russell has not yet worked with Ridley Scott, but he did star in "Soldier," something of a spiritual sequel to Scott's original "Blade Runner." Russell's impressive and extremely long career (he spent his early years working as a young actor for Walt Disney) has been influential in its own ways -- you can see echoes of characters like Snake Plissken, R.J. MacReady, Wyatt Earp,...

If there's one thing we know about the alien known only as The Thing, it's that it can appear as just about any living being that it wants to. In that spirit, it's no big surprise that the role of R.J. MacReady, the resident helicopter pilot of Outpost 31, was one that could've gone to any number of actors when director John Carpenter was developing "The Thing" at Universal Pictures in the early '80s. On the other hand, this fact may come as a surprise to those who hadn't realized other actors were in the running for the part, given that the role eventually went to one of Carpenter's muses: Kurt Russell. The marriage of Russell, Carpenter, and MacReady seems so natural in hindsight that it's wild to think about anyone else playing the part.

Even more surprising is Carpenter's admission that Russell wasn't his first choice for MacReady. There...

Killer Collectibles highlights five of the most exciting new horror products announced each and every week, from toys and apparel to artwork, records, and much more.

Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!

Ben Cooper Costume Figures from Neca

As previewed at San Diego Comic-Con, Neca is adding four new characters to its Ben Cooper Costume action figure line: Alien‘s Xenomorph, Gremlins‘ Gizmo and Stripe, and Beetlejuice (based on the animated series).

Each 6″ toy is outfitted in retro-inspired soft goods clothing and comes with a trick or treat bag. They’re packaged in numbered window boxes. Due out in October, the set of four is available for $79.99.

Escape from New York Steelbook 4K Uhd from Scream Factory

Escape from New York will be released on SteelBook 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray with artwork by Orlando Arocena on November 5 via Scream Factory. The 1981 post-apocalyptic action film been restored in...

John Carpenter defined the 80s. With horror classics like The Thing, Prince of Darkness and Christine, the filmmaker was on top of the genre world. However, while horror made him a household name, the director also created some of the most inventive action thrillers of all-time. The prime example being 1981s Escape From New York starring Kurt Russell. Now Snake Plissken is back this fall with a new 4K steelbook from Scream Factory.

John Carpenter's 1981 sci-fi action flick "Escape From New York" is a hugely influential dystopian cult classic that inspired everything from the "Metal Gear Solid" video games to William Gibson's seminal cyberpunk novel "Neuromancer." It's a fantastic showcase for everyone involved and went on to spawn a less-successful but cult-appreciated sequel, but making "Escape From New York" was a unique challenge for co-writer and director John Carpenter, who had a very specific vision in mind. That meant that unfortunately, some sequences ended up on the cutting room floor. One of the most famous examples is an opening sequence with a bank heist that showed Kurt Russell's Snake Plissken trying to help his fallen comrade and getting arrested in the process, but Carpenter felt that it humanized the almost inhumanly stoic Snake too much.

Some of the footage has been found and fans have gotten a peek at Snake's lost partner and the extended,...

John Carpenter's "Escape from New York" gifted us with an unforgettable character referenced frequently in pop culture: Snake Plissken, brought to life by the brilliant Kurt Russell. Russell's cynical, no-nonsense approach to Plissken endures even after plans for a third "Escape" film fell through, and fans have been clamoring for the character's return, for good reason. A former U.S. Army Special Forces lieutenant who fought in World War III, Plissken was quick to turn to a life of crime after feeling betrayed and disillusioned by the country's federal government, firmly establishing him as an anti-hero figure of sorts. However, both in "Escape from New York" and "Escape from L.A.," Plissken is the one we unconditionally root for, as the rot of corruption that grips the dystopian future emerges as far more deep-rooted and disconcerting than the flaws of one man.

A canceled Plissken sequel did not mean a complete discontinuation of the franchise,...

John Carpenter's 1981 sci-fi film "Escape from New York" has a novel premise: in the distant future of 1997, crime skyrocketed 400%. Instead of stopping crime in New York City, the government merely built walls around the island of Manhattan and transformed the whole burg into a massive prison. There are no cops on the inside, and only armed guards — and mined bridges — keep people inside. Anyone who commits a major crime is dropped into New York and forced to fend for themselves.

Naturally, Air Force One is shot down, and the President's escape pod lands inside New York Prison. The president (Donald Pleasance) is trapped! The dangerous, eyepatch-sporting criminal Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) was recently apprehended for robbery and is offered an ultimatum by the smarmy Police Commissioner (Lee Van Cleef). Snake will have his record expunged if he agrees to break into New York and rescue the president. Also, as additional motivation,...

The term "iconic" is often loosely thrown around, but it does encapsulate Kurt Russell's Snake Plissken, who emerges as one of the coolest action heroes in film. Plissken came to life in John Carpenter's brilliant "Escape From New York," and Russell's sincere love for the character propelled its much-anticipated sequel, "Escape from L.A." Although both entries would become cult classics down the line, the critical and commercial failure of "Escape from L.A." at the time of its release failed to justify a third Plissken film, which was titled "Escape from Earth."

The disappointment surrounding the called-off "Escape" sequel is understandable: after all, who wouldn't want Russell's Plissken to return after brandishing the Sword of Damocles, which is the perfect lead-up to an unforgettable space adventure? However, for some reason, a rumor started bubbling about a 2001 Carpenter flick — "Ghosts of Mars" — which was believed to sport a plot repurposed from "Escape from Earth,...

The 1998 sci-fi war film "Soldier" might be the best film in Paul W.S. Anderson's career. A kind-of-spinoff to "Blade Runner" (both films were written by David Webb Peoples), "Soldier" begins in 1996, when the American government implements a new program to raise children, from birth, to engage in combat. Over the course of decades, their souls are meticulously erased and they become wholly devoted to military conquest. The soldiers barely speak and don't appear to possess empathy or compassion. If anyone falls behind or displays weakness, they are executed. 

One of the star soldiers of the program is Todd-3465 (Kurt Russell), who has been molded into a ruthless killing machine over the past 40 years. It is now 2036, and the Soldier program is under threat. It seems that a new breed of soldiers, genetically engineered ones, are stepping up to take Todd's place. The new soldiers are faster, stronger, can live much longer,...

When Kurt Russell shed his Disney child star image once and for all as the leathery, laconic renegade Snake Plissken in John Carpenter's dystopian action hit "Escape from New York," he seemed poised for a long career as a handsome, rough-and-tumble leading man, the John Wayne-Steve McQueen hybrid America needed now that both had hit the soil. Russell, however, had other plans.

For starters, Russell didn't dig the laconic shtick. After a tonally similar performance as the perpetually cheesed-off R.J. MacReady in Carpenter's "The Thing," the actor sought to send up his tough-guy persona in goofball action flicks like "Big Trouble in Little China" and "Tango & Cash." He also gleefully made a fool of himself in broad comedies (memorably/infamously in "Overboard" and "Captain Ron"), while playing in-over-their-heads everymen in thrillers like "The Mean Season" and "Unlawful Entry." He could still do the gruff act when...

Actors Kurt Russell and Charles Bronson are among the best-known names in the Western film genre, with quite a few important cowboy films beneath their belts. Still, did you know that they worked together? Once upon a time in the west, Bronson and Russell starred together on a 1963 television series called "The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters," and a year later in the movie "Guns of Diablo," which served as a bigger, full-color version of the show's finale. Both are known mostly for introducing the world to Russell, who had done a few background spots on TV but hadn't gotten much attention until his starring role on "Jaimie McPheeters." However, it turns out that filming with Bronson had a surprising impact on the young actor.

In a 2015 interview with Vice, Russell shared a charming story about how he and Bronson exchanged gifts while working together and Bronson ended up sticking up...

World-ending apocalypses are inherently terrifying, but sometimes what comes after is even scarier. The remnants of humanity are left to pick up the pieces of a world torn apart by devastating catastrophe, with resources far scarcer than ever-present threats.

This week’s streaming picks belong to post-apocalyptic horror movies that explore life after the world as we know it has ended, where conditions are harsh and survival odds are low.

While the frequent recurring theme of post-apocalyptic movies highlights how humankind is its own worst enemy, these five titles take drastically different approaches. Some favor retro style, while others infuse their wastelands with a heaping helping of inhuman monsters.

Here’s where you can stream them this week.

For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.

Arcadian – AMC+, Shudder

For fifteen years since an unexplained global event decimated the population, Paul (Nicolas Cage) has raised his two sons, Joseph and Thomas,...

Bring up the films of John Carpenter to any movie buff worth their weight in celluloid, and once they finish praying in the direction of Bowling Green, Kentucky, they'll start in on the essentials –- i.e. every movie in his oeuvre stretching from 1974's "Dark Star" to 1988's "They Live." From here, they'll single out 1994's "In the Mouth of Madness" as a return to peak form after the disappointing "Memoirs of an Invisible Man," and maybe share kind words about "Escape from L.A." "Vampires," "Ghosts of Mars," and, heck, even "The Ward." But that '74 -- '88 run is considered sacrosanct. You don't dispute this, and if you're fortunate enough to be a working filmmaker, you think long and hard about the wisdom of remaking one of these classics should a studio ever offer you the opportunity.

This is because Carpenter's aesthetic is inimitable. The widescreen compositions, the long takes,...

Ron Shelton's "Dark Blue" was a victim of impossible expectations. James Ellroy wrote the screenplay in 1993 (then titled "The Plague Season"), envisioning Kurt Russell in the role of racist LAPD Sergeant Eldon Perry. The story takes place in a jittery city awaiting the riot-inciting verdict of the Rodney King trial. We know what's coming in the macro, but the micro tale of Perry and his partner Bobby Keough (Scott Speedman) being forced to frame a couple of ex-cons for murders committed by informants loyal to their corrupt superior Jack Van Meter (Brendan Gleeson) could break either way. This being Ellroy, the master of corrosive neo-l.A. noir, we're expecting everything to go down twisted. But with the riots looming, Perry and Keough's errand feels destined to get extra messy.

Given its long road to a greenlight, "Dark Blue" acquired the aura of a passion project for Ellroy. And since he tended to spin sprawling,...

1997 was far more than merely a popular setting for sci-fi films, feeding into Y2K tech paranoia and dystopian themes. Films like Escape from New York, Predator 2, and Terminator 2 showcased unique visions of the worst ways for America to crumble. James Cameron's Terminator 2: Judgment Day established what is perhaps the most significant date in sci-fi lore, marking the day the evil computer network Skynet gained self-awareness and instigated a war against humanity.

For all the talk about the mind-blowing science-fiction released in 1997, Starship Troopers and Gattaca to name a few, we forget that the year was always special in movies. No, not in the way you'd think, not the real-life chronology, but in regard to the narratives taking place in the made-up year of 1997. For a lot of sci-fi authors, they never thought we'd escape the year, let alone the 20th century. As far as the fictional protagonists go,...

Development continues on a new film adaptation of "Escape from New York", based on the 1981 science fiction action feature directed by John Carpenter, that starred Kurt Russell as 'Snake Plissken':

"...a crime-ridden United States has converted 'Manhattan Island' in New York City into the country's maximum-security prison.

“When 'Air Force One' is purposely crashed in New York City, ex-soldier and current federal prisoner 'Snake Plissken' (Russell) is given just 24 hours to go in and rescue the President..."

Click the images to enlarge …...

Imagine a world pushed to the brink of collapse, where civilization teeters on the edge of oblivion. In this landscape of chaos and desperation, one film dared to envision a future both terrifying and exhilarating. Welcome to Doomsday, a gritty and adrenaline-fueled journey into the heart of darkness. Released in 2008 and directed by Neil Marshall, Doomsday (watch it Here) thrusts audiences into a post-apocalyptic wasteland where survival is not guaranteed and every choice could mean life or death. As we revisit this cinematic rollercoaster ride, we’re invited to explore themes of resilience, humanity’s capacity for both destruction and redemption, and the timeless allure of the apocalypse…something that feels all too familiar in today’s climate. Join us, as we dig deeper into a film that not only feels densely layered, but also feels like multiple movies we’ve seen before on this episode of Horror Revisited.

Neil Marshall…...

Kurt Russell's most memorable character from his long history on the big screen, which stretches all the way back to when Walt Disney was still alive, is probably Snake Plissken from John Carpenter's classic sci-fi action movie "Escape from New York". But in an alternate universe, it could have been Han Solo or Luke Skywalker. 

A few years before Snake Plissken came along, Russell was one of many actors who auditioned for the "Star Wars" roles that would eventually make Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford huge stars. However, George Lucas couldn't figure out which role he like Russell in better. With another job opportunity on the table to star in a Western TV series called "The Quest," Russell opted not to wait around for Lucas to make up his mind, withdrew from consideration, and the rest is history. But it would seem "Star Wars" still lingers in the back of Kurt Russell's mind.

"Death Proof" is usually ranked lowest among Quentin Tarantino's directorial efforts, which is a shame since newbies might take that to mean it's not worth seeking out. (It absolutely is.) A 1970s exploitation homage initially released as part of his and Robert Rodriguez's failed 2007 "Grindhouse" double-feature experiment, the movie lends Tarantino's distinctive banter to a slasher about an over-the-hill stunt double, dubbed "Stuntman" Mike (Kurt Russell), who slays his victims using a rigged stunt vehicle.

"Death Proof" abides by the expectations of its genre for its first half, following Mike as he hunts his prey, not by stalking them under the cover of night but by schmoozing them up at a bar and cunningly striking when their defenses are down (but their blood-alcohol levels are up). It's only in its second half that the film stealthily -- and swiftly -- evolves into a women's empowerment story by way of a revenge thriller,...

Eli Roth set out to make an "insane" film with 'Borderlands'.The 52-year-old director has helmed the new movie that is based on the video game franchise of the same name and explained that he wanted to create a film that would appeal to his childhood self.Eli told Total Film magazine: "I wanted to make a big, fun, insane film – but something with the beauty and style of a film like 'The Fifth Element', or even 'Barbarella'."It's world-building, which is something that I've always wanted to do. If I was 12 years old and I went to see 'Borderlands', I'd think this was the greatest movie ever."The picture – which is slated for release in August – features an all-star cast headed by Cate Blanchett as Lilith and Roth was delighted with the way the 'Tar' actress got under the skin of the protagonist.The '...

The comic book industry has a long and proud history of continuing the stories of classic movies, from science fiction epics like Star Wars to horror franchises like Hellraiser. The 1980s are viewed by many as the most iconic decade of American cinema, with every year producing multiple legendary films. The decade tackled a great deal of genre diversity, but is best known for its elevation of horror, science fiction and adventure. All of these films have carried over into new generations, and continue to inspire new film-makers.

Films from the '80s garnered so much attention and box office success -- or cult classic status -- that many of them were destined to become multimedia projects. Considering the rich creativity offered by comics, some of these have been improved upon through the medium. With some original film-makers returning to their stories for official sequels, others have been handed down...

For cinephiles who came of moviegoing age during the 1970s and/or '80s, there is a shortlist of movie stars that, if you were talented and fortunate enough to become a filmmaker of some renown, you'd give anything to direct. And if you grew up with a hankering for horror and science-fiction flicks, the name Kurt Russell was probably at or near the top of that list.

Russell wasn't always one of the cool kids. In fact, he was a literally uncool kid for Disney as the teenage star of family comedies like "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes." Indeed, no one viewed Russell as a grown-up actor until he impressed in the title role of Carpenter's 1979 TV movie "Elvis." This did the trick. Two years later, Russell slipped under the scaly skin of laconic scoundrel Snake Plissken in Carpenter's dystopian actioner "Escape from New York." Then he went the...

John Carpenter's 1996 film "Escape from L.A." takes place in the far-flung future of 2013 after a massive Earthquake struck Los Angeles and turned the city into an island. A right-wing theocratic president has enacted many bleak, draconian "morality" laws about sex and violence, and anyone caught breaking the new laws is deported to L.A. Island to live in a lawless, unguarded realm ruled by gangsters. When the president's daughter runs away to L.A. to be with her criminal boyfriend, Cuervo Jones (Georges Corraface), the rogue gunslinger Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) is extorted into going to L.A. to rescue her. Snake has no choice, as the government infected him with a virus that will kill him in 10 hours, and will only administer the antidote if he completes his mission. 

The premise and structure of "Escape from L.A." is identical to 1981's "Escape from New York," making the film...

In a world that’s becoming increasingly more literal by the year, it’s intoxicating to realize that your eyes have betrayed you.

For many fans of genre filmmaking, that feeling is what initially pulled our tastes towards the bizarre and dream-like. It’s a realm containing stories that give us permission to discard the rational portions of our brains for a couple of hours and embrace the possibilities of the imagination. Coupled with this escape is the promise of sights that couldn’t possibly exist in the real world but are somehow made flesh. These visual achievements elicit the same sense of childlike excitement you experience when encountering a particularly convincing magician: you know you’ve been fooled but, almost giddily, have no idea how.

When we think of special effects, what usually comes to mind are the times when monsters from our nightmares have been pulled into reality...

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga recently crashed into theaters, marking our return to the Mad Max Universe. However, an homage to Hideo Kojima’s Metal Gear Solid series has sparked debate. Is the Dune star Oscar Issac the best fit to play the titular Solid Snake?

In a blink-and-you-miss-it scene, Praetorian Jack, as portrayed by Tom Burke, dons black face paint which produced a striking similarity to Snake’s bandana. The mixture of stealth-like cinematic combat and makeup instantly caught the attention of movie-goers.

Kojima Agrees With His Fans about Furiosa Star Tom Burke as Praetorian Jack

Fans lost their collective minds at the site of Burke’s performance in the new entry into the Mad Max series, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. And for good reason. In a clip circulating on X, Burke’s character can be seen striking down foes with tactical precision. As the camera shifts, his bright,...

Imagine watching Nick at Nite back when shows from the 1950s through to the '70s dominated the programming block. It just so happens that "Gilligan's Island" season 1, episode 19, "Gilligan Meets Jungle Boy," is on. By and large, you know what to expect: Gilligan (Bob Denver) getting up to slapstick mayhem; Jonas Grumby, aka "The Skipper" (Alan Hale Jr.), on the verge of blowing a fuse over his first mate's antics; and the shipwrecked passengers of the SS Minnow staging yet another comically failed attempt in their Sisyphean quest to escape the titular island. Sherwood Schwartz's supremely silly sitcom series was nothing if not consistent in its formula.

It's at this point that a 13-year-old Kurt Russell shows up with no shirt and a leopard loincloth on.

"Jungle Boy" does indeed hit all the anticipated beats for an episode of "Gilligan's Island." It also, in true to form fashion,...

Method acting is a controversial topic, mostly due to the bad rep this kind of preparation has gotten due to the ridiculous things someone like Jared Leto does or the absurd physical transformations actors like Christian Bale go through. But not all extensive acting prep requires an actor living as their character. Sometimes, it's just weeks or months of research that get tossed out the window on a whim if the director has something different in mind.

Still, when you hear about the lengths an actor goes to in order to prepare for a role, you don't normally hear it being said about Santa Claus. It's true, though: Kurt Russell is so committed to the art of cinema he gives Santa the kind of preparation and research normally reserved for the work of William Shakespeare.

Speaking with Business Insider in 2020, "The Christmas Chronicles" director Chris Columbus said that Russell wrote...

Kurt Russell's role in Escape from New York paved the way for characters like Solid Snake in Metal Gear Solid. Executive Decision, starring Russell, feels more like Metal Gear Solid's gameplay with its slow-burn tension and strategic elements. Russell's refusal to voice Snake in Metal Gear Solid 3 shows his commitment to creating new characters over revisiting old ones.

A 1990s Kurt Russell thriller has more in common with the Metal Gear Solid franchise than its more obvious inspiration, Escape from New York. John Carpenter and Kurt Russell's movies were a truly blessed run, resulting in classics like The Thing and Big Trouble in Little China. Their first theatrical outing, Escape from New York made Russell a movie star, with his role as nihilistic ex-soldier Snake Plissken shattering his typecasting as a Disney teen actor. The film's incredible premise, Russell's lead performance and Carpenter's taut direction made it a...

1993's "Tombstone" features one of the most outstanding collections of facial hair of any movie in history, and star Kurt Russell's incredible crumb catcher is one of the best of the bunch. ("Tombstone" fun fact: There was only one fake mustache in that entire production.) Decades later, in an interview with Esquire, Russell basically said that cinematic trip to mustache nirvana didn't happen by accident. Part of his process as an actor is to seriously consider every aspect of every one of his characters -- especially when it comes to the hair and makeup and costuming. 

"I try to draw it from the script and then go into my imagination and do what I think will work," he explained. That approach extended to his ultra-memorable Snake Plissken character in "Escape From New York," because according to the actor, it was his idea for Snake to have an eye patch.

Escape From New York is one of John Carpenter's best movies...even though it doesn't have very good action. It has a fantastic premise, stellar cast, great cinematography, a killer Carpenter synth score (no surprises), and one of the coolest and most iconic heroes in the genre: Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell). For all of these reasons, Escape stands tall as one of its genre's defining movies, but if you were to find one issue with this '80s classic, the answer is the action. Granted, the film was made before the genre would be shaped into the high-octane version of itself that it is today, but its greatest detractor remains clear.

The premise of John Carpenter's 1981 science fiction film "Escape from New York" is the stuff of drive-in dreams. In the near future of 1997, crime will skyrocket and New York City will become so overrun with lawlessness that the government will simply wall off the entire island of Manhattan and turn it into a massive, no-rules penitentiary. When Air Force One is shot down by political dissidents (!), the President evacuates in an escape pod that lands right in the middle of New York Prison. In order to rescue him, the government (represented by Lee Van Cleef) hires a grizzled, indifferent badass named Snake (Kurt Russell) to infiltrate the prison, find the President (Donald Pleasance), and ... escape from New York. It's B-movie gold.

While traversing the ruined streets of a futuristic New York, Snake invariably runs afoul of the gangs and warlords who have risen to power on the inside. He...

The Escape from New York remake has lost its latest directors. Tyler Gillett has confirmed that he and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin are no longer involved in the project. Directors that have previously been attached to the project include Len Wiseman and Robert Rodriguez.

The Escape from New York remake has lost its latest directors. The original 1981 movie was directed by John Carpenter and starred Kurt Russell as near-future Special Forces soldier Snake Plissken, who is tasked with rescuing the President (Donald Pleasence) after he is stranded on the island of Manhattan, which has been turned into a high-security prison. A remake of the property has been in the works since 2007, but it has been trapped in development hell with a revolving door of writers and directors, with the most recently announced filmmakers attached being Radio Silence's Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin.

ComicBook.com spoke with Gillett and Bettinelli-Olpin while they were promoting...

20th Century Studios' Escape from New York reboot has just hit a major roadblock. Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, collectively known as Radio Silence, have revealed that they are no longer attached to direct the project.

While speaking with ComicBook.com to promote their latest movie, Abigail, arriving on PVOD, Radio Silence confirmed they were no longer developing the Escape from New York reboot. "We are not, unfortunately. I think titles like that bounce around for a while and I think they've tried to get that out of the blocks a few times," said Gillett. "I think it's just ultimately a tricky rights issue thing. There's a clock on it and we just weren't in a position to make the clock, ultimately."

Related Scream: Radio Silence Discusses Leaving the Franchise Amid Behind-The-Scenes Drama Former Scream franchise helmers Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett open up on leaving the horror series and Melissa Barrera's controversial exit.

It looks like Snake Plissken will be trapped in New York a bit longer: a planned reboot of the John Carpenter classic "Escape From New York" has lost its directors again, according to ComicBook.com. "Scream" legacy sequel directors Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, who are better known as Radio Silence (the name of their production group), were attached to the project as of 2022, but say they're no longer officially on board.

"We are not [developing it], unfortunately," Gillett told the outlet in a new interview, explaining, "I think titles like that bounce around for a while and I think they've tried to get that out of the blocks a few times. I think it's just ultimately a tricky rights issue thing." It sounds like it's not that Gillett and Bettinelli-Olpin aren't interested in pursuing the project, but that they weren't able to make it within a set window of time before the...

Tricky rights issue was the final straw for Radio Silence, leading to their departure from the Escape from New York reboot. Radio Silence hints at potential return to the project in the future, though currently not officially attached in any capacity. The planned reboot falls somewhere between a remake and a sequel, avoiding the folly of trying to replicate Carpenter's original film.

The long-gestating reboot of John Carpenters beloved sci-fi action flick Escape from New York has sadly taken a major step backwards as it loses directing duo Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, aka Radio Silence. The filmmaking pair behind the likes of Scream and Ready or Not have now confirmed in a conversation with Comicbook.com that they have left the project due to a tricky rights issue thing.

"We are not, unfortunately. I think titles like that bounce around for a while and I think they've tried to get...

It was announced two years ago that filmmaking team Radio Silence were working on bringing Snake Plissken back to the screen for a brand new movie based on John Carpenter’s Escape from New York for 20th Century Studios, with John Carpenter himself on board as an executive producer of the upcoming movie.

The project had originally been described as a “reboot,” but filmmakers Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett had described it as more of a “requel.” Unfortunately, the pair revealed to Comicbook.com that they’re no longer developing the requel and have parted ways with the project.

Gillett told the outlet, “We are not, unfortunately. I think titles like that bounce around for a while and I think they’ve tried to get that out of the blocks a few times. I think it’s just ultimately a tricky rights issue thing. There’s a clock on it and...