Escape from New York (1981) Special Edition

The year is 1997. Manhattan Island is now a heavily guarded maximum-security prison, where the scum of the earth have converged. When Air Force One crash-lands in Manhattan, the president (Donald Pleasence) is held hostage by its denizens. One-eyed mercenary Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) is strong-armed into rescuing the chief executive. He is aided, not always willingly, by a tough gal (Adrienne Barbeau) and a manic cab driver (Ernest Borgnine). Escape from New York was followed by a sequel of sorts in 1996, Escape From L.A., again starring Kurt Russell.

Synopsis by Hal Erickson, Allmovie.com

John Carpenter is a cinematic virtuoso, and his talents as a writer, director, and even composer are all at the forefront of Escape From New York. Given the mere seven-million-dollar budget, the film is a technical achievement as well as a testament to Carpenter's ingenuity. These were the days before computer-generated special effects; the aerial city view, for example, was an actual physical model that Carpenter painted and filmed – there's nothing digital about it. At the time, Kurt Russell was best known for his roles in family films, and it's safe to say that Escape sent his career in a more profitable direction. His growly performance as the eye-patched Snake Plissken is one of the more memorable cinematic bad-guy heroes. For all its strengths, the film has a rather slow pace and never really develops much suspense, even in the action sequences. Regardless, there are many great scenes and images here; the view of the unlit, desolate New York City skyline is particularly memorable. In the years since its release, the film has gained a solid cult following and given rise to many imitators, particularly on the Italian filmmaking scene.

Review by Matthew Doberman, Allmovie.com

Special Features:

DISC ONE:

-The Film

Audio commentary with director John Carpenter and actor Kurt Russell.
Audio commentary with producer Debra Hill and production designer Joe Alves.

DISC TWO:

Featurettes:
- Return To Escape From New York
- Making Of John Carpenter's Snake Plissken Chronicles
- "Snake Bites" Trailer Montage
Deleted Scene:
- Original Opening Sequence (10.53 / Optional commentary by director John Carpenter and actor Kurt Russell)
Trailers:
- Original Theatrical Trailer
- Teaser Trailer #1
- Teaser Trailer #2
- Other Great MGM Releases: - Preview Trailers
* "MGM Means Great Movies", "Jeremiah: The Complete First Season", "Terminator" and "The Fog"
- More Great MGM Releases: - Poster Art
* "Rocky", "Ronin", "Road House", "No Man's Land", "A Prayer For The Dying", "Robocop", "To Live And Die In L.A" and "Dark Blue"
Still Galleries:
- Behind The Scenes
- Production Photos
- Lobby Cards