Escape From New York
Science Fiction, Thriller
MGM / UA  (1981) 99 mins R

7.1 (26,712 votes)
"Dark and dangerous!" -Newsweek

Kurt Russell (Stargate) stars in a high-velocity sci-fi action-thriller from director John Carpenter (co-written by Nick Castle) that sets the screen ablaze with heart-stopping suspense, outrageous stunts and imaginative special effects. Bristling with riveting chases and hard-hitting fight sequences, Escape From New York is your passport to nonstop excitement!

In a world ravaged by crime, the entire island of Manhattan has been converted into a prison which houses the world's most brutal inmates. And when the President of the United States (Donald Pleasence) crash lands inside, only one man can bring him back: Snake Plissken (Russell), a notorious outlaw and former Special Forces war hero who, in exchange for a full pardon, descends into the decayed city and wages a blistering war against the captors. But time...

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Cast and Crew
Adrienne Barbeau  ......  Maggie
Isaac Hayes  ......  The Duke of New York
Ernest Borgnine  ......  Cabbie
Lee Van Cleef  ......  Police Commissioner Bob Hauk
Donald Pleasence  ......  President of the United States
Kurt Russell  ......  Snake Plissken
Director  .....  John Carpenter
Producer  .....  Debra Hill; Larry Franco; Barry Bernardi; Larry J. Franco
Writer  .....  John Carpenter; Nick Castle
Notes
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: During the sequence where Snake is being chased by the Crazies (and is about to shoot an oval pattern in a wall so he can break through), his eye patch shifts enough to reveal a perfectly good eye. (more)

Trivia:
A scene in the beginning of the film where Snake and another criminal are robbing a high-security bank, which leads to his arrest and sentence to New York, was in the original script but was cut from the film before release. (more)

Filming Locations:
Chain of Rocks Bridge, St. Louis, Missouri, USA (more)

Quotes:
Snake Plissken: [radioing a pullout request] All right, get your machine ready, I'm coming out.
Bob Hauk: 18 hours, Plissken!
Snake Plissken: Listen to me, Hauk. The President is dead, you got that? Somebody's had him for dinner!
Bob Hauk: Plissken, if you get back in that glider, I'll shoot you down! You climb out, I'll burn you off the wall! Do you understand that, Plissken?
Snake Plissken: No human compassion.
(more)

Awards:
4 nominations (more)