Search - Escape From New York [Special Edition Collector's Set] on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Graphic Violence, Brief Nudity, Adult Situations, Not For Children, Adult Language Movie Release: 1981 DVD Release: 12/16/2003 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV - Closed Captioned Edition: Special Collection Audio Tracks: English, French Subtitles: English, French, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 2 Number of Discs: 2 Run Time: 1 hrs 39 mins Studio: MGM Members Wishing: 2 Genres: Action, Science Fiction, Escape Film, Sci-Fi Action See Also: Escape from New York, Escape from New York [UMD for PSP], Escape from New York [Blu-ray]

The year is 1997. Manhattan Island is now a heavily guarded maximum-security prison, where the scum of the earth have converged. When Air Force One crash-lands in Manhattan, the president (Donald Pleasence) is held hostage by its denizens. One-eyed mercenary Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) is strong-armed into rescuing the chief executive. He is aided, not always willingly, by a tough gal (Adrienne Barbeau) and a manic cab driver (Ernest Borgnine). Escape from New York was followed by a sequel of sorts in 1996, Escape From L.A., again starring Kurt Russell. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Kurt Russell - Snake Plissken
Lee Van Cleef - Bob Hauk
Ernest Borgnine - Cabbie
Donald Pleasence - President of the United States
Isaac Hayes - The Duke of New York

After multiple heartbreaking delays, John Carpenter's classic Escape from New York arrives on DVD shores in MGM's packed two-disc Special Edition Collector's Set. In addition to the new and stunning high-definition transfer, the release is packed with extras for which film fans have been salivating for years. Technically, the film looks brilliant in its anamorphic 16 x 9 enhanced 2.35:1 widescreen picture. Additionally, audio options have been tweaked and given a face-lift, with the disc's 5.1 Dolby Digital track finally doing justice to the director's trademark synth score. Bonus features begin with the long-awaited audio commentary with Kurt Russell and John Carpenter, originally recorded for the long out-of-print 1994 laserdisc. Also supplied is a brand-new track with producer Debra Hill and production designer Joe Alves. Both commentaries are lengthy in their detail of the film. Fans of Russell and Carpenter's other commentaries should be happy with this earlier session, even if it doesn't live up to the banter-filled fun of =Big Trouble in Little China or Universal's =The Thing discs. Another big deal extra-wise is the full deleted original bank robbery opening of the film, something that's only been glimpsed on past VHS and laserdisc releases. Here it is presented in full, with complete opening credits and an optional star/director commentary track to go along with it. Endlessly interesting and surprisingly lengthy, the scene lives up to its hype, now aided by the help of a new score penned by Carpenter himself for better presentation.

Disc two's special features include the brand-new "Return to Escape From New York" featurette, containing new interviews with Carpenter, Hill, and Russell; bits from Adrienne Barbeau, Isaac Hayes, and Harry Dean Stanton; along with thoughts from screenwriter Nick Castle and cinematographer Dean Cundey. Covering all aspects of the production, this 23-minute making-of is a behind-the-scenes treat that delves into everything from the political climate from which the Snake Plissken character was born to the Steadicam work and film process that helped create Escape from New York's definitive look. With liner notes from the director himself, plus three different trailers and an immense photo gallery to boot, you are left with an ultimate DVD release that is truly worthy of the film. The Collector's Set also contains a sized-down copy of the -Snake Plissken Chronicles comic and a side-show featurette on its step-by-step production, chronicling the various stages of the creators' writing and artwork. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide