Escape from New York DVD with Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine (R) +Movie Reviews

"Get a new president..."

Michael Crane | Orland Park, IL USA | 01/01/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Hailed as a cult classic by many, John Carpenter's "Escape from New York" is finally available in a more-than-appropriate DVD edition that does the film justice. A dark movie filled with danger, action, suspense, and even humor, this is the classic that gave birth to the ultimate outlaw and anti-hero; Snake Plissken. Now, you can relive the movie like never before.In a post-apocalyptic world filled with crime and violence, the entire city of Manhattan has been transformed into a prison--a death sentence to most. Here, the prisoners are sent once they are banned from society and are forced to stay a life sentence to fight on their own. A crisis is before the people who are in charge of the prison, as the President has been kidnapped and is being held hostage by the very people they dedicated their lives to lock up. The only chance they have is a former war hero turned outlaw, Snake Plissken. They make him a deal that if he can bring back the President alive, all of the charges against him will be dropped. However, there's yet another catch; the main man in charge of the prison has injected Plissken with an explosive device that will be the end of him in less than 24 hours should he not be successful, insuring that he won't "flee" the scene. All of this leads to an exciting and thrilling cult classic that is loved by many.John Carpenter has done a terrific job of painting a dark and bleak picture of law enforcement as we know it. At the same time, he does an excellent job of creating a successful and subtle satire of law and authority. The script is always clever and surprising. While the movie might be a little dated, it still does not take away anything from the raw effect the movie has on us. Kurt Russell is fantastic as the mono-toned "Snake Plissken." He makes the role his own and stands out as one of our favorite anti-heroes in film. All of the right ingredients to make a successful and exciting film are there.This new DVD edition is a lot better than the previous one. The picture has been remastered in high-definition, which truly stands out as an accomplishment. The sound is decent, but we must keep in mind that this is an old movie and the sound can only be restored so much. Extras included are commentaries, photo galleries, an exclusive comic book, featurettes, trailers, the deleted scene of the original opening; the bank robbery, and more. I can tell you for sure that I am much more pleased with this edition of the film."Escape from New York" is definitely one of those films that stands out from the rest. It is a cult classic for a reason, and that reason is undeniable. While it may be overlooked by some, the ones who really appreciate it for what it is benefits a great amount of deal from it. If you're looking for an exciting thrill ride with action, suspense, and humor, this is the one to check out. A superb film on every front."

"The name is Plisskin."

cookieman108 | Inside the jar... | 02/05/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Back in 1981, John Carpenter released a film, set in 1997, that depicted a somewhat bleak future for the United States in that the crime rate had risen to the point where it was necessary to turn New York City into a maximum security prison by enclosing the island in giant, concrete walls, installing landmines on the access bridges, and providing constant surveillance with the threat of death for any that try to escape. Felons convicted and sent to this prison are given the option of execution rather than being forced to try and survive in this hellish, nightmare environment. Truly only the strongest and most ruthless survive behind these walls. The female narration, done by Carpenter favorite Jamie Lee Curtis, at the beginning ends with the ominous line, "Once you go in, you never come out."

After this is set up, we learn that, while en route to an extremely important conference, the president's plane has been hijacked, and is crashed inside the prison. The inmates recover the president, and threatening to kill him if any attempt is made to release him. A plan is formulated, one including the recently captured, ex-military, now convicted, criminal Snake Plisskin (Kurt Russell) to send him in, alone, and try to bring the president out alive, offering him a full pardon should he succeed. Only problem is, due to time constraints, of the conference, Snake only has 24 hours to complete this mission, if he accepts it. Another minor glitch...without his knowing it, microscopic implants are inserted into Snake's neck in case he decided to skip out, and are set to go off unless Snake can recover the president and return him safely within the time allotted.

This has always been one of my favorite movies. It brings to life the perfect anti-hero, the outlaw. We've seen and loved this type of character before, like in the Clint Eastwood western movies of the 60's. America loves an outlaw, and John Carpenter has brought the character into the future. Escape From New York is an excellent example of a low budget movie that is really well made, from the realistic sets and scenery, characters, casting, scripting, direction, and music, all of which was composed by John Carpenter himself. Kurt Russell plays Snake so perfectly that you'll never picture anyone else in the role. Other actors that provide wonderful performances, many of which Carpenter uses in his later films, are Harry Dean Stanton, Donald Pleasance, Adrienne Barbeau, Ernest Borgnine, Lee Van Cleef, and Tom Atkins. And let's not forget Isaac Hayes as The Duke of New York, leader of the most powerful gang within the prison, and the one holding the president in hopes of using him to escape. Another thing is that this movie moves. There is no plodding, the plot is clearly defined and drives the movie to its' satisfying conclusion.

The special features included in this special edition DVD are many, and listed thoroughly on the product page. Included is the eleven-minute sequence involving Snake, a bank robbery, and subsequent capture that led him to be sentenced to the prison. This was only available before on the laserdisc version, so I am really glad it made it here. After watching it and listening to the commentary, you'll understand why it was cut from the movie, but the gist is that it humanized the character of Snake too much. Also included from the laserdisc version is a full-length commentary by John Carpenter and Kurt Russell. Many commentaries I watch tend to be dry and boring, but it was wonderful listening to these two talk about scenes and reminisce. They go into great detail, all while keeping it interesting. Some of the other extras are nice, but probably not for everyone, like the mini comic book and the additional commentary by producer Deborah Hill and production designer Joe Alves. It's a bit dry and boring, and probably only would appeal to the more hardcore fans. And last but not least is the quality of the picture. It looks beautiful and crisp, better than I have ever seen it. All in all, this release is truly befitting of the title 'Special Edition'. This movie was followed up in 1996 by a somewhat disappointing sequel called Escape From LA. The elements were pretty much there for that one, but the gritty edginess that made Escape From New York so wonderful just wasn't. Maybe too much time had passed between the movies.

Cookieman108"

Carpenter's Classic Returns To Video (But What About DVD?)

Mr. | USA | 08/15/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is my 2nd favorite John Carpenter movie (Starman is my 1st). One thing you should know is that at the time, Kurt Russell was not a bankable star. In fact he wasn't even an action hero yet, having still come off the cheesy Disney movies he did earlier in his career. Carpenter, who previously had cast Russell in the made for TV movie, Elvis, found Kurt such a delight to work with that he wanted him for this film (and then, right after that, The Thing) but studio executives weren't so sure. Finally, thankfully, they gave in and he got the part. They say that certain actors have their one director that's their own and vice versa. Kurt Russell and John Carpenter have this type of working relationship, collaborating 5 times (Elvis, Escape From New York, The Thing, Big Trouble In Little China, Escape From L.A.) and in my opinion, this film is the best of that collaboration. Set in the distant future (even though actually we've already come to and passed the specific dates (1988-1997) so just think of it as an alternate reality or a "What If?", if you will), 'Escape begins with the crash landing of Air Force One into New York City, which is now a prison ("Once you go in you don't come out.") following the introduction of Snake Plissken, who we would have met earlier in a scene that was later deleted of him and his partner robbing a bank and attempting to escape in a subway car, resulting in Snake's partner being killed and himself being captured. Enter Lee Van Cleef, the man in charge of rescuing the President Of The United States (played by Donald Pleasence). What's nice about Lee and Kurt is that you almost feel like you're watching the classic spaghetti western, For A Few Dollars More, since Kurt is emulating Clint Eastwood in this character, something that even Mr. Carpenter himself has admitted to saying. The basic story is Snake must go into New York and save the President as well as recover a cassette tape that has vital information on it (today it would have been on a small CD which does make this film feel dated, but who cares) because if he doesn't, the poisonous capsules that were injected into his neck will soon desolve and kill him instantly. You can't make Snake do anything he doesn't want to do. You have to force him. The character, Snake Plissken has been said to be a person who doesn't really care about anyone or anything except himself. I would have to disagree with that statement because Snake does, in his own way, admire courage, probably because he sees so very little of it around him. Along the way he meets up with some very bizarre characters, including Cabbie (Ernest Borgnine), the easy going NYC cab driver, The Brain (Harry Dean Stanton), a man from Snake's past who deserted him years before during a job that went sour, Maggie (Adrienne Barbeau), Brain's attractive and loyal companion, and Isaac Hayes as The Duke Of New York ("You're A#1") who is out to use the President as a bargaining chip to win his freedom. I will admit that some viewers might be a little bored if they grew up watching 90's action films and like the pace quicker. This film takes its time but only to set the mood and bring you into it. That's a plus for me. The music (see my review for the newly remastered edition) adds another dimension to the film, with Carpenter composing and conducting it himself (in association with Alan Howarth), setting the mood with lovely synthesizer sounds and compositions. This film works because unlike it's sequel (see my review for Escape From L.A.) this film has depth to it that makes you care about the characters, whereas in the 2nd film, you really could care less what happens to them. Donald Pleasence's machine gun frenzy at the very end should also not be missed. Let's just hope MGM releases the Widescreen (2:35'1) DVD soon and include the extras that were on the New Line Home Video Laserdisc (Featurette, Theatrical Trailer, Audio Commentary with Kurt Russell and John Carpenter) and anything else they can come up with (the complete Deleted Scene of the Atlanta Bank Robbery and Isolated Score would sure be nice). Escape From New York: a film not to be missed. ("Call me Snake.")"

Decent Blu-Ray of a classic cult film hampered by MGM's new

Hugo D. Hackenbush | Main Street, USA | 08/07/2010

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The film itself is three and a half stars (out of five): yet another entertaining "B" thriller from cult film director John Carpenter, this sci-fi/action romp is lots of fun in every sense of the word: great characters populated by a great cast, led by Russel's iconic take on "Snake Plissken", the love child of Clint Eastwood and Jim Morrison; a delicious, cheese-tastic premise that maintains a sense of humor while playing it serious (unlike its campy lesser sequel); production values that sporadically waver between solid and chintzy, somehow only adding to the film's gritty, dark (and fun) comic book-like tone; and a classic (albeit corny) John Carpenter synth score. As a point of acknowledgment, I'm a big John Carpenter fan... but if truth be told, while Carpenter is terrific with atmosphere and suspense, he is somewhat challenged when it come to shooting action sequences. Even so, while the film ultimately does not live up to its potential, it has more than enough attributes to cement its place as a minor genre classic. This is not Carpenter's best work by a long shot ("Halloween" and "The Thing" are tied for that honor, IMO); nevertheless, this is still a must-see for those who dig the 1970's-early 1980's era of "B" movie sci-fi/action flicks.

Now, on to the Blu-Ray review: the 1080P widescreen picture quality of this Blu-Ray is a decent step-up from the special edition DVD released a few years back. Colors are punchier, sharpness is increased, and grain is at a minimum for a picture this age. Thankfully, there are no obvious signs of edge enhancement or DNR manipulation. However, the film's original cinematography alternates inconsistently between being soft, hazy and reasonably sharp. That fact, coupled with the film's inherently dark and murky look (the film was shot almost entirely at night on a fairly low budget) means that this film is hardly Blu-Ray demo material. That being said, fans should be pleased, as this is the best the film has ever looked on home video (and that includes Optimum's U.K./Canadian Blu-Ray release from a few years back, which was so artificially touched-up, it barely looked like the same film that was released in 1981).

The audio quality is also a decent step-up from earlier DVD iterations. The 5.1 DTS-HD soundtrack makes good use of surround sound for much of the picture, with good bass and nice aural ambience. Dialogue from the center speaker was sometimes quite low, making it necessary to raise the volume at times; however, it was not enough to ruin the overall experience. To sum up, while hardly demo-quality, this is unquestionably the best the film has ever sounded.

As for the rest: MGM continues its desperate attempt to stay afloat and raise cash... at the expense of both the good will of its customer base and the reputation of future releases of its formidable library of catalog titles. As is the case with its recent release of "Kalifornia", the quality of this release reeks of cheapness in every sense of the word. Absolutely no special features come with this Blu-Ray, unless you count the film trailer and the DVD copy of the film that is included with this set... and unlike earlier MGM Blu-Ray/DVD combo releases, where the included DVD had special features the Blu-Ray lacked ("Misery" and "Bull Durham" come to mind), the included DVD on this set has zero special features; this means that all of the special features from the fine 2003 special edition two-disc DVD set are nowhere to be found on this release.

The included DVD is in fact a flipper, which has an anamorphically-enhanced widescreen version of the film on one side of the disc and a fullscreen copy on the other. Really? Is "fullscreen" considered a bonus feature in 2010? Since MGM included a flipper DVD disc, why not have offered the two-disc special feature edition as a flipper?

Also, a careful comparison on my part found that the quality of the included DVD is of lesser quality than the 2003 special edition DVD, with colors and sharpness looking duller. From what I can tell, the included DVD is the same as the inferior 2000 DVD release with one puzzling difference: the audio on the 2000 DVD was in 4.0 Dolby Surround, and this included DVD has a 5.1 Dolby Digital track! It seems that MGM did put some effort into this combo release after all... just in the wrong places.

Even the case that houses the Blu-Ray is a disappointment, as MGM didn't even bother to package it in the standard small Blu-Ray case, but rather opted to release the combo set in a larger-sized standard DVD case. This may seem like nitpicking to some, but I, with my large video library, appreciate the smaller size of the Blu-Ray case.

>.

So, it boils down to this: for casual viewers and those on a budget, if you already own the 2003 special edition DVD of "Escape From New York", this Blu-Ray upgrade is probably not worth your time, as the picture quality on that DVD looks very good upconverted, and the special features on that two-disc set really make the 2003 special edition DVD the one to own. For fans and those who don't care about special features, the visual and audio uptick is just enough to warrant a purchase, albeit at a discounted price. Of course, true fans will also be forced to pick up the 2003 special edition with its terrific special features, including: a mini-graphic novel, two audio commentary tracks, a making-of doc, and (perhaps most intriguing) the original opening sequence for the film (complete with restored audio), which consists of an eleven-minute bank robbery that explains how Snake Plissken got caught (by the man!) in the first place.

I understand that MGM is in a financial rut at the moment, but releasing this obvious cash-in at a sticker price of $24.99 is poor form, no matter how you cut it (thankfully, Amazon has the good sense to be currently selling this release at a more reasonable discounted price). Seeing as how they just released "Kalifornia" in the exact same fashion, I'm going to think twice before making another MGM Blu-Ray purchase in the future, as I have no interest in supporting MGM's new trend of top-dollar, no-frills Blu-Ray catalog releases."

THE BEST JOHN CARPENTER FILM EVER!

T. Henderson | The Sands Hotel | 05/15/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Escape From New York is by far Carpenter's best film. It's uniquely original plot involves a convicted felon, Kurt Russell, who sent into New York City, the nation's maximum security prison, to rescue the president. Of course the film has it's flaws (although minor), but it is a very fun, and action packed movie. Any fan of action films should make it a priority to see this film. The film did spawn a poor sequel, but true fans should stick to the original. Overall a dark, gritty, action packed glimpse into the future of mankind, with a fantastic ending that is the trademark of all Carpenter films. It also features a wonderful soundtrack, probably his best since Halloween. Do yourself a favor, and be sure to see this movie! Truly a one of a kind film that should not be missed by anyone!"

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