“Escape from New York”

Kurt Russell in “Escape from New York” (Avco Embassy Pictures, 1981)

And now for something completely different from Kurt Russell, it’s this week’s Guilty Pleasures selection–the dystopian sci-fi action pic “Escape from New York” (Avco Embassy Pictures, 1981). Russell plays Snake Plissken, who is probably one of the coolest anti-heroes ever. When the President of the United States (Donald Pleasence) crash lands in the island of Manahattan, which has now become a maximum security prison, Plissken, a convicted criminal and former special forces solider, is tasked with safely retrieving the president along with a highly confidential and highly important cassette tape. If Plissken can get the president out of the hell that is now the Manhattan Prison along with the cassette tape in 24 hours, he will receive a full pardon. Plissken’s got skills and he gets plenty of chances to use them as he fights through the grit, grime and scum of the Manhattan Prison to get to the president. Definitely made for grown-ups and definitely a blast. Also stars Lee Van Cleef as Hauk, Harry Dean Stanton as Brain, Adrienne Barbeau and her cleavage as Maggie, Ernest Borgnine as Cabbie, and Isaac Hayes as The Duke. Written by John Carpenter and Nick Castle. Directed by John Carpenter. “The name’s Plissken.”