Escape from New York (Special Edition) |  | Director: John Carpenter
Actors: Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasence, Isaac Hayes
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Category: DVD
List Price: $29.98
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Rating:  167 reviews
Sales Rank: 14684
Format: AC-3, Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Collector's Edition, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Languages: English (Original Language), French (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), French (Dubbed)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Number Of Discs: 2
Running Time: 99 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.7 x 0.5
MPN: D1005690D
ISBN: 0792859065
UPC: 027616899514
EAN: 9780792859062
ASIN: B0000CNY27
Theatrical Release Date: July 10, 1981
Release Date: December 16, 2003
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Snake Plissken is sent into New York City, now a maximum security prison, to rescue the U.S. President, whose plane has crashed there.
Genre: Science Fiction
Rating: R
Release Date: 16-DEC-2003
Media Type: DVD
Amazon.com
In the future, crime is out of control and New York City is a maximum security prison. Grabbing a bargaining chip right out of the air, convicts bring down the President's plane in bad old Gotham. Gruff Snake Plissken, a one-eyed warrior new to prison life, is coerced into bringing the President, and his cargo, out of this land of undesirables. Kurt Russell put his Disney days behind him as the nicest bad guy in the picture. All comic-book sensibilities and macho posturing, this is one of writer-director John Carpenter's better brainless escapes. There are snappy one-liners and explosive action scenes. However, the film lacks tension and some believability even within the realm of SF fantasy. Even when it fails to gel, though, it always manages to amuse, thanks in great part to a varied and unusual supporting cast (watch for Ernest Borgnine as a cabdriver). Followed in 1996 by Carpenter's overdone and campy Escape from L.A. --Rochelle O'Gorman
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 167
 Escape from New York (1981) February 17, 2010
N. Anno (Indiana)
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.
Movie buff's February 7, 2010
JD (CT, USA)
Tried to find this movie everywhere, of course Amazon had it. If you made it this far then you probably already know about the movie but it was definitely worth the buy. Loved it!
 Escape from New York January 19, 2010
Arnita D. Brown (USA)
Due to huge crime rates, the United States turns its once great city of New York into a maximum security prison where hardcore criminals are put for life. All the bridges leading into the city are mined, a large wall is built along the shoreline and a large police force army is based there to stop or kill any attempted escapees. En route to a conference, the President, on board Air Force One, is forced to eject in a pod when a female terrorist takes over the controls and crashes the plane into a building. A new prisoner, ex-soldier Snake Plissken is offered his freedom if he goes in, frees the President and finds a tape with important information for the conference. Snake agrees but to ensure his co-operation he is injected with a small but powerful explosive that will only be destroyed if his mission is successful. Snake must set out into the decaying city, filled with immoral criminals, and he must succeed for his own life. This movie moves at a brisk pace and the dark lighting carries the sense of mystery, isolation, and destruction. Kurt Russell is excellent. This movie has a great atmosphere and Carpenter's score perfectly sets the mood. I enjoyed it.
GOOD but Could have been better... January 18, 2010
Ellen C. Maze (Montgomery, AL United States)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I just watched Escape from New York for the first time tonight. My husband has been trying to get me to watch it for years, so to surprise him tonight, I pulled the special edition DVD down and stuck it in the player.
I am a Kurt Russell fan as well as a John Carpenter fan so I really wanted this movie to deliver along the lines of The Thing, Christine or They Live (all movies I give 5-Stars to), but it falls a little short of 5-stars in these ways: foley (sound effects), script (a little stiff), action (camera cut-aways too abrupt) and lighting (some scenes all dark).
But I give it 4 strong stars because of the terrific sets and other visual/special effects available in those days. I easily recognized the NYC icons and interior sets and they seemed expensive and well-constructed.
The acting was good and all of the main actors pulled off their roles well. Isaac Hayes played the ultimate tough guy. He had awesome chandeliers on his Caddy which tickled me to no end. Lee Van Cleef and Ernest Borgnine were fun to see as well. Adrienne Barbeau was as lovely as ever which was no mean feat in this post-apocalyptic look at NYC as a giant co-ed prison!
The weakest link wasn't a problem with the movie -- it was Donald Pleasance's President character. What a ninny! That's just the way he was written. Methinks the writer had a low opinion of the prez at that time! DOH!
I think you will enjoy this movie if you like these actors. You won't be bored and you get to see chandeliers on a Caddy driving down Broadway. That is something everyone should see at least once!
Ellen C Maze, author Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider
A Unique Vampire Tale for the Discerning Reader
Escapist classic November 11, 2009
Tony Roberts (Bristol, United Kingdom)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I really enjoyed this film when it was released in '81 and recently got it on DVD and watched it again this week.
It was also fascinating to listen to John Carpenter and Kurt Russell talk through the film on one of the extra features which I did. It gave me a better understanding of how the film was made and why certain things were the way they were.
What I particularly liked about this story was the premise that crime had forced the authorities in the USA to declare what was tantamount to martial law and turn New York into a prison where all those who violated one of the vast raft of laws was sent. There was no appeal and no return once one was admitted.
Such draconian rules always provokes a backlash and a political activist forces the President's plane to crash into New York and the authorities have to plan a rescue, but their best chance is to use a former war hero turned cynical and bitter to get him out in 24 hours.
Kurt Russell is brilliant as the anti-hero Snake Plisskin, some sort of folk hero who has fallen from grace and is earmarked for prison, but the deal is to pardon him if he manages to get President Donald Pleasence (somewhat miscast in my opinion) out. Plisskin cares little about anything but as his journey is followed you begin to root for him, and the film does unusually for an action film touch on the human side of the character.
There are other strong supporting roles; Lee Van Cleef as the piolice commissioner, a cold-hearted ruthless man who is nothing more than a criminal in uniform; Ernest Borgnine as the naive and simple Cabbie; Harry Dean Stanton as the clever 'Brain', and the late Isaac Hayes as the Duke of New York, the chief bad man who Plisskin has to defeat to get his mission done.
Made on a shoestring budget, its cleverly shot and directed, and there is sufficient action to keep one gripped throughout the film to its conclusion. There is even a nice twist at the end to make you smile.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 167
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