Escape from New York (1981)

Today on Classic Movie Review, we are taking on Escape from New York (1981).

It has taken a bit to get this one done. Every time I sit down to write, I end up watching this great movie and seeing myself as Snake. Anyway, this remarkable film only has a 7.2 rating[1] on iMDB.com. On rottentomatoes.com, the film has an 86 percent on the Tomatometer and 77 percent audience approval[2].  What the hell?

New York Times film critic Vincent Canby said in a July 10, 1981 review:

“Mr. Russell, who played the title role in Mr. Carpenter’s television film “Elvis,” is malevolently good as the fallen hero, a man who seems to have had a look into hell even before he lands in the remains of Manhattan. Mr. Borgnine is more or less the comedy relief, as well as the magical character who always happens to turn up with his cab when he’s most needed. Mr. Stanton is fine as the emotionally unreliable Brain, and Mr. Hayes very impressive as the flamboyant Duke. Is it a coincidence that when he exhorts a crowd of followers about their coming freedom, he sounds more than a little like the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.? The fact that he’s the film’s principal villain may not sit well with some audiences, but then perhaps they’ll respond to his style.

“Escape from New York” is not to be analyzed too solemnly, though. It’s a toughly told, very tall tale, one of the best escape (and escapist) movies of the season.”[3]

Generally well received at the time of release[4], I think this film is fantastic and influences post-dating films. Russell as Snake was what every red blood American boy wanted to be and who every red-blooded American girl wanted to date.

Actors – Escape from New York (1981)

Returning

The great actor Kurt Russell played the role of anti-hero Snake Plissken. Russell was first covered in Big Trouble in Little China (1986) as a kind of Snake Plissken with a regular job. Hawk faced Lee Van Cleef, played the director of the federal prison, Hauk. Van Cleef was first covered in the great western The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence (1962). Ernest Borgnine showed what a great star he really was as Cabbie, a sort of Deus ex machina character. Borgnine was first covered in the tights and fights film, The Vikings (1958).

Donald Pleasence was cast as the endangered President of the United States. According to iMDB.com, he was pitched this role as “the love child between Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher.”[5] So, not a great humanitarian. Pleasence was first covered in the western comedy The Hallelujah Trail (1965), where he played Oracle Jones, a booze-inspired prophet. Sexy Adrienne Barbeau played the role of Maggie. When this film was made, Barbeau was married to the film’s director John Carpenter. Barbeau was first covered in the over-the-top comedy Back to School (1986). Harry Dean Stanton played Brain, a character who knew how to make things work, a valuable skill in the prison. Stanton was first covered in Red Dawn (1984) as the dad. Avenge me, boys!  

New

Isaac Hayes played The Duke, A number one, the head of the largest gang in the prison. Hayes was born in Tennessee in 1942. Hayes was from a poor family and dropped out before finishing high school. He eventually got his diploma at the age of 21.

Hayes was a self-taught musician and was a part of the Memphis Sound, working with luminaries such as Otis Redding and Booker T. Jones. Hayes worked a day job and performed at night. In 1963, Hayes joined Stax Records, writing songs and playing backup. His two best-known songs are “Soul Man” and “The Theme From Shaft.” For the latter song, Hayes won an Oscar for Best Original Song with the movie Shaft (1971) and was nominated for the Best Original Dramatic Score Oscar as well.

Hayes’ first movie was Tough Guy (1974). He was active in television roles as well. Other movies include Escape from New York (1981), I’m Gonna Git You Sucka (1988), CB4 (1993), Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993), Escape from L.A. (1996) maybe, and Reindeer Games (2000). He is probably best remembered by the younger set for playing Chef on “South Park” 1997-2005.

Hayes was finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall in 2002 and into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005. Hayes suffered a stroke in 2006 and died in 2008.

Frank Doubleday played messenger and gang member Romero. Doubleday was born in Connecticut in 1945. He amassed 35 film and television credits from 1975-1997. All of his films were not A-listers. Doubleday had a very unusual look and was cast mainly as a villain. His films include The First Nudie Musical (1976), Assault on Precinct 13 (1976), Escape from New York (1981), Avenging Angel (1985), Space Rage (1985), Nomads (1985), Broadcast News (1987), and, Shakespeare’s Plan 12 from Outer Space (1991).

In addition to his film and television roles, Doubleday taught acting with his wife in Hollywood. Doubleday died in 2018.  

Jamie Lee Curtis was uncredited as the narrator and computer voice. Director John Carpenter inserted himself into the film as a Secret Service agent and a helicopter pilot.

Story – Escape from New York (1981)

The dark opening credits and music ramp the intensity up right away. A crawl on the screen tells that in 1988, the U.S. crime rate rose 400 percent. A narrator (Jamie Lee Curtis uncredited) continues that Manhattan Island in New York becomes the solo maximum security prison for the United States. The narrator continues that a 50-foot wall has been built on all land access, and the bridges and waterways are mined. The guard force surrounds the prison, but they mostly stay out, and the prisoners control everything inside the walls. Once a prisoner is sent inside, they are never allowed to come back out.

Just a quick note. When this movie came out in 1981, turning New York into a prison seemed like something that could happen.

The year is now 1997. The guards patrol the walls of the prison as helicopters overfly the waterways. Two prisoners are attempting to cross the river on a makeshift raft. The helicopter warns them to turn back, or they will be killed. The desperate prisoners continue towards freedom and are blown to bits by the helicopter.

Rehme (Tom Atkins) is second in command of the guard force. He confirms the killing of the prisoners. A transit bus arrives at guard headquarters on Liberty Island. A single prisoner is escorted off the bus. The prisoner is wearing a black tee-shirt, a leather jacket, urban camo pants, knee-high boots, and he has a patch over his left eye. Everyone will be wearing it next year.

The computer voice says that prisoners have a right to be terminated rather than being sent to the island. Many of the guards are in the hallway to look at the prisoner being brought in.

Outside, Hauk (Lee Van Cleef) arrives in a limo. Rehme tells him that a small jet is in trouble over the prison’s restricted airspace. They cannot identify the call numbers David 14. A woman’s voice comes from David 14 saying it is too late, he is going to die. Finally, a message comes from Washington that David 14 is Air Force One, and the U.S. President is onboard.

In the cockpit, a woman from the National Liberation Front of America has control of the plane. She reads her manifesto over the radio. In the back of the plane, the Secret Service cannot get into the cockpit. The President (Donald Pleasence) handcuffs a briefcase to his wrist. Security places a tracker around his other wrist. The tracker transmits the President’s vital signs. The president gets inside a red escape pod and prepares for the crash. The plane heads into New York and hits a building. The escape pod falls through the floors of the building.

Hauk and a strike team head out in some helicopters. They land near the crash site and move towards the pod. Hauk finds the pod, but it is open and empty. Romero (Frank Doubleday), a character named as a tribute to director George Romero, gives demands. Romero is not to be touched; they have 30 seconds to leave, and if they come back inside, he dies. Hauk is forced to retreat as he is shown a finger wearing the President’s ring. Romero is an iconic creepy guy.

Back at base, Hauk talks to the Vice-President. Hauk is given permission to try a rescue. Hauk has the new prisoner brought to his office. He calls the prisoner Plissken to which the prisoner replies, call me Snake (Kurt Russell). Hauk reads Snake’s record aloud. Snake has been in the Special Forces unit Black Light. He has two Purple Hearts, from Leningrad and Siberia. So clearly, we are at war with the Soviet Union. He has been given a life sentence for robbing a Federal Reserve.

When Hauk introduces himself, Snake has heard of him because Hauk was in the Special Forces unit Texas Thunder. Hauk says he will give Snake a full pardon if he rescues the President within 24-hours. Snake has been selected because he has military experience flying gliders.

Rehme arms Snake and gives him as much information as they have. Snake is given a tracer to wear on his wrist and a tracker for the President’s bracelet. Hauk tells Snake that they have 22-hours remaining before the Hartford Summit ends, and the Chinese and Soviets will go home. The third World War will continue if they don’t hear the tape on nuclear fusion that the President has in his briefcase.

Snake is taken to a medic that gives him a shot in each side of his neck. The medic insists that Hauk tell Snake what he was injected with. Hauk says they have injected two capsules into his neck that will explode in 24-hours. Snake starts choking Hauk, but the medic stops him saying the charges can be neutralized with x-rays. Snake says he is going to kill Hauk when he gets back.

Snake flies the glider into the prison and lands on the top of the World Trade Center. Unfortunately, the towers are now gone. They were imposing. Snake takes the elevator down to the 50^th floor, at which it stops. He goes the rest of the way on foot and doesn’t see that prisoners are moving around in the background.

On the ground, Snake makes it to the pod location. Snake picks up the President on the tracker. He follows the President’s tracker until he arrives at an old theater. There is some kind of dance show going on inside where the dancers sing the song “Everyone’s Coming To New York,” with lines like “Shoot a cop/With a gun/The Big Apple is plenty of fun/Stab a priest/With a fork.” Cabbie (Ernest Borgnine) is watching the show, but he sees Snake come inside.

Snake follows the signal to the building basement. Cabbie comes out to meet Snake and says he thought he was dead. This line is believed to be an homage to Big Jake (1971), a movie in which everyone said that to John Wayne’s character upon meeting him. Cabbie warns Snake not to go into the basement.

Three men attempt to rob him in the basement, but he deals lethally with two, and the third retreats. Snake sees a man beating the crap out of a man wearing the President’s bracelet. When he pulls the man free, it is a crazy person that has found the bracelet. Snake wants to end the rescue thinking the President is dead, but Hauk makes him continue under the threat of death.

Snake wanders the darken streets having no real idea where the President is located. A prisoner comes running down the street and starts banging on manhole covers as a signal. Snake sees Crazies climbing out of the sewers and subways. He takes refuge in a Chock Full O’ Nuts diner. Inside is a pretty young woman (Season Hubley). She was married to Russell at the time of filming. She recognizes Snake and says she heard he was dead. She tries to convince Snake to take her out when he goes, but the floor opens, and she is pulled to her death by the Crazies.

Snake uses his gun to escape, but the Crazies pursue him. Snake runs down the alley with a group in hot pursuit. Cabbie and his taxi pull up to the end of the alley. Cabbie casually lights a Molotov cocktail and stops the Crazies by throwing it in the alley. Cabbie blasts the swing tune “Bandstand Boogie” on his cassette player as they drive.

Snake pulls his gun on Cabbie, and Cabbie quickly lets out that The Duke (Isaac Hayes) has the President. The Duke is the headman in New York. Snake wants to meet The Duke, but Cabbie says no way.

Cabbie drives Snake to the New York Public Library. Cabbie bangs on the door, and Maggie (Adrienne Barbeau) refuses to open the door until she is told Snake is with him. Cabbie tells Maggie that Snake needs to meet Brain (Harry Dean Stanton) so he can get to The Duke. Maggie says to Snake that she heard he was dead.

Inside Brain’s lair, there are oil wells and stills. Snake recognizes Brain as Herold Helman. They know each other from some kind of criminal deal gone bad. Snake threatens Brain for the President’s location, but Brain bluffs for his survival. Snake says he will take Brain out in his glider if he helps. Cabbie wants to go too. Maggie says The Duke is taking everyone out of prison. Snake says that The Duke won’t be because there is a time limit on the President’s value.

Brain works for The Duke of New York, who controls the Gypsy gang, the largest and most powerful in the city. Brain has a map of the mines on the 69^nd Street Bridge. The plan is that The Duke will use the President as a shield for the convey, and all of the prisoners will follow him out of the city.

Snake, Cabbie, Maggie, and Brain head towards the taxi. Cabbie hears The Duke’s car coming. Cabbie escapes in his taxi. The other three hide as The Duke drives by in his white town car that features candelabras on the hood and a disco ball inside. Romero is in the back seat. The Duke and Romero are at the library looking for Brain and the map of the bridge. 

Snake steals a station wagon from The Duke’s convey.  Snake, Brain, and Maggie head for the President’s location. Brain is petrified. They cut down Broadway and are attacked by the Skull gang. The car has been armored somewhat and makes it through the attack. There is a barricade at the end of the street. Snake reverses the car through the barricade.

The Duke and his convey roll down a parallel street, but Brain says they still have enough time to get to the President, who is stashed in a railcar at was the Grand Central Train Station. Brain tries to bluff his way into the train. However, the guard won’t let him inside.

Snake goes over the top of the train and kills the two guards with the President. The President is a broken man. Snake releases him, and they head out. The Duke’s men jump off the train and recapture the President and Snake. The Duke and Romero arrive, and Brain says he was forced to help.

The Duke confronts Snake as to his identity. Brain tells The Duke that they need Snake alive. The Duke knocks Snake out and then says he heard Snake was dead.

A helicopter from the police force checks the city, and there is no movement on the streets. At sunrise, the Secretary of State (Charles Cyphers) wants to raid the prison. Hauk refuses to carry out the order. About twelve hours remain.

Snake wakes up in a sports arena where The Duke has the President chained to the wall while he shoots around him with Snake’s gun. Brain tells The Duke about the time limit on the President. The President is made to say you are the Duke of New York, A number one. Brain lobbies to have Snake kept alive. The Duke sends Brain to get the bridge map. At last, the President’s briefcase is shot open. Romero takes the cassette tape from inside.

Two helicopters investigate a large crowd of prisoners in the park. When the cops land, the prisoners run away. The cops find the President’s briefcase.

Brain figures out that Snake has a glider on the roof of the World Trade Center.

Back at the prison headquarters, Hauk opens the briefcase and finds The Duke’s demand for their exit. They also find some of Snake’s equipment. Hauk gets ready to make the assault on the prison. There are a little under two hours remaining.  

A limping Snake is taken to a boxing ring where he is matched with a muscular monster (Ox Baker). The Duke says only Snake’s head will be with them, riding on the hood of his car. Both fighters are given baseball bats to use in the fight.

While the fight is taking place, Brain and Maggie go to see the President. Romero is guarding him and wearing Cabbie’s hat that he traded for. Brain bluffs his way inside. The President is wearing a long blonde wig. Brain stabs Romero, and Maggie guns down the other three guards.

Snake is taking a beating so far in the fight. He sees a man ringside wearing his rescue tracker. Snake and the monster are rearmed with spikey bats and garbage can lids. Brain and Maggie take the President outside. In a surprise move, Snake kills the monster. He jumps on the man by the ring and activates the tracker. The crowd chants Snake’s name as The Duke gets word that the President has been taken. The warriors all run after Brain leaving Snake free to escape. Hauk halts the attack.

Snake makes it to the World Trade Center, and Hauk tracks him to the location. When Snake gets to the roof, Maggie and Brain are in a gun battle with the Indians. The gang cuts the glider loose, and it falls to the ground. Snake, Brain, Maggie, and the President head back down the tower.

Snake takes the map and the car key from Brain He is going to leave him and Maggie behind. The President says the tape is missing, and Brain claims to know where the tape is located. Brain’s car won’t start. When Snake opens the hood, a man with a crossbow is in the engine compartment. The Duke has also arrived.

Snake shoots a steam engine that is conveniently next to The Duke. In the confusion, Snake and his group escape. When they get outside of the building, Cabbie arrives with his taxi. Snake takes over the driving and asks Brain where the tape is. Cabbie says, oh, here it is. He traded Romero for the tape. Snake plays some of the President’s tape and then sticks it in his pocket.

Snake and company speed through town with The Duke in pursuit. Brain is reading the map from the backseat as they cross the bridge. The Duke and his car are behind them on the bridge. Finally, the taxi hits a mine and is blown in half. All of the passengers except Cabbie survive.

Brain is following his map as Snake goes another way. Brain hits a mine and is killed. Maggie refuses to leave and gets a pistol from Snake. She begins firing at The Duke’s car as it approaches. The Duke crashed into a parked car. Maggie is crushed by the car and dies. The Duke follows Snake and the President on foot.

Hauk gets word about the cars on the bridge. He sends a vehicle with a winch to the guard end of the bridge. Snake and the President make it to the wall. The guards send down the cable and pull the president up and over.

The Duke arrives and begins firing at Snake. Snake attacks The Duke and gets on the rope to be pulled up. The President stops the lift. He kills The Duke with an automatic rifle and starts yelling A number one, and you’re the Duke at the dead body. Snake is pulled over.

Hauk demands the tape from Snake before he will allow the medic to neutralize the charges. It is done with two seconds remaining.

They set up a broadcast so the President can play the tape for the conference and stop World War III. Snake approaches the President, who is now a self-righteous jackass again. Snake says a lot of good people died getting him out. The President says the nation appreciates their sacrifice. He then dismisses Snake saying he is on the air in three minutes.

Hauk asks Snake if he plans to kill him now. Snake says he is too tired. Hauk offers him a job and calls him Snake. Snake says, “The name’s Plissken!”

The President begins his speech by saying he presents this recording, hoping that these great nations can live in peace. When he hits the play button, the song “Bandstand Boogie” plays. Snake walks away in the distance tearing up the President’s tape. The movie ends.

Conclusion – Escape from New York (1981)

It is interesting to note that any character that said “I thought you were dead” to Snake was killed in the film.  

On a technical note, when Snake flies the glider over the city, there is a nice, what appears to be a 3-D rendering of the city. However, at the time, this was too expensive to pay to have done by a computer. The special effects folks made a black model of the city. They placed white tape in a grid pattern and filmed it from above.

The night scenes from the movie were shot in East St. Louis, Illinois, which kinda looks like Escape from New York (1981) all the time.

World-Famous Short Summary – Boy takes a trip to the big city

Beware the moors.

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[1] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082340/
[2] Escape From New York – Rotten Tomatoes
[3] ‘ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK’ – The New York Times
[4] Escape from New York – Wikipedia
[5] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082340/trivia/