Escape from New York
1981 · Directed by John Carpenter
Manhattan is a maximum-security prison. The President's plane crashed inside it. One man gets 24 hours to get him out. Snake Plissken.
Why It's Cult
Escape from New York is Carpenter's greatest worldbuilding on a budget. Kurt Russell as Snake Plissken — eyepatch, snake tattoo, growling every line — is one of the great action protagonists. The synth score. The shot of Manhattan at night looking like hell. Aesthetic parent of every post-apocalyptic game.
The Plot, Officially
In the future, crime is out of control and New York City's Manhattan 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 lone warrior new to prison life, is coerced into bringing the President, and his cargo, out of this land of undesirables.
Starring
Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine
Where to Watch
via JustWatch →
