Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Escape from New York 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf May 19, 2022

It’s enough for John Carpenter to make 1978’s “Halloween,” using his innate sense of style and tension to generate a horror classic. However, the helmer only expanded his creativity as he began his run of Hollywood work, and this amazing career managed to produce another masterpiece in 1981’s “Escape from New York.” Using influences from westerns and survival thrillers, Carpenter (joined by producer Debra Hill and co-writer Nick Castle) creates a study of endurance and antagonism with the feature, managing a slow-burn adventure that drips with electronic mood and idiosyncratic events. It also creates one of cinema’s great antiheroes in Snake Plissken, an eyepatch-wearing nihilist brought vividly to life by Kurt Russell, in one of his best performances.

Carpenter’s in no hurry with “Escape from New York,” eschewing action cinema tradition for a more immersive understanding of his dystopian story, which finds notorious crook Snake tasked with finding President Harker (Donald Pleasence), who’s crashed into Manhattan, which is now a maximum-security prison ruled by criminals and crazies. The feature takes its time studying Snake’s mission prep and his eventual entrance into New York City, and most of the movie involves exploration of the wacked-out residents and crumbling surroundings, putting the main character into contact with an assortment of strange individuals, including Brain (Harry Dean Stanton), an intelligent type joined by his lover, Maggie (Adrienne Barbeau). There’s Cabbie (Ernest Borgnine), a friendly fan, and The Duke (Isaac Hayes), the unofficial ruler of the prison island. Keeping the seeker on task is Hauk (Lee Van Cleef), a law enforcement official who understands Snake’s dangerous side but enjoys having the criminal on a chemical leash for his 23-hour-long experience.

Strangeness is everything in “Escape from New York,” with Carpenter keeping his feature deliberate and surprising, embracing the unknown as Snake deals with setbacks to his mission, struggling to find Harker in the mess of NYC. Supporting such tension is a superb score from Carpenter and Alan Howarth, who bring signature synth to the proceedings, which immediately conjures rich atmosphere. And cinematography by Dean Cundey is downright brave, electing to capture much of “Escape from New York” in the dark, using fire and faint lights to help set a menacing mood, adding to the mystery of the urban maze and Snake’s experiences with duplicitous types and bodily harm.

For additional information, please read Jeffrey Kauffman’s 2015 Blu-ray review.

Escape from New York 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Screencaps are taken from the Blu-ray.

"Escape from New York" has been released a few times on Blu-ray, most recently in 2015, with Shout Factory putting together a "Collector's Edition" for the film. The company is back with a new UHD release, listed as a "4K restoration by StudioCanal." The Dolby Vision viewing experience is dealing with one extremely dark picture, as "Escape from New York" is largely lit by distant lighting sources and fires, making for extremely complex cinematography to manage. Detail remains intact here, showcasing impressive dimension with New York City street tours and cavernous interiors. Facial surfaces are precise, along with fibrous costumes from a wide variety of battered and torn outfits. Mechanical additions also carry interesting textures. Color is strong, emerging from the darkness with lively primaries on computer displays and mood lighting. Fires retain vivid orange, and skintones are natural. Delineation remains consistent, preserving frame information while sustaining deep blacks. Grain is fine and film-like. Highlights run very hot at times, especially elements of fire and headlights.

Escape from New York 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 7.1 Dolby TrueHD mix is the default choice for "Escape from New York," giving the 1981 feature a full sound with compelling dialogue exchanges. Scoring is especially sharp and fresh, preserving the distinct synth mood of the movie. Surrounds explore musical moods with care, and atmospherics are defined, delivering a few panning and separation effects, and room tone is exact. Low-end secures some rumble with explosions and rough interactions, but with a milder feel for impact. Also available is a 2.0 DTS-HD MA track, which is meant to replicate the original stereo mix for "Escape from New York," and it also provides a satisfying listening experience, delivering a crisp sense of action and dramatic response. Music also sustains synth authority here.

Escape from New York 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

UHD

• Commentary #1 features co-writer/director John Carpenter and actor Kurt Russell.

• Commentary #2 features producer Debra Hill and production designer Joe Alves.

• Commentary #3 features actress Adrienne Barbeau and cinematographer Dean Cundey.

Blu-ray #1

• Commentary #1 features co-writer/director John Carpenter and actor Kurt Russell.

• Commentary #2 features producer Debra Hill and production designer Joe Alves.

• Commentary #3 features actress Adrienne Barbeau and cinematographer Dean Cundey.

• "Purgatory: Entering John Carpenter's 'Escape from New York'" (52:28, HD) is the making-of for the film, featuring interviews with co-writer/director John Carpenter, co-writer Nick Castle, editor Todd Ramsay, cinematographer Dean Cundey, first assistant director Larry Franco, production designer Joe Alves, still photographer Kim Gottlieb-Walker, production assistant David DeCoteau, co-composer Alan Howarth, and historians Daniel Shweiger, Justin Humphreys, and John Kenneth Muir. The documentary goes into production origins for "Escape from New York," and its influences, including a strong western atmosphere. Casting is celebrated. Production time in St. Louis and Los Angeles is recalled, also identifying design achievements. Special effects are analyzed, with some created by a young James Cameron. And the score is inspected, with its strange sounds and moods.

• "Trailers from Hell" (2:33, HD) is hosted by director Neil Marshall, who highlights production achievements on "Escape from New York," the film's influence, and his own introduction to the picture, catching it on Betamax in the 1980s.

• Radio Spot (:30) hilariously focuses solely on Isaac Hayes and his Duke character.

Blu-ray #2

• "Return to 'Escape from New York'" (23:00, SD) is an older making-of for the film, featuring interviews with co- writer/director John Carpenter, co-writer Nick Castle, production designer Joe Alves, producer Debra Hill, cinematographer Dean Cundey, and actors Kurt Russell, Harry Dean Stanton, Isaac Hayes, and Adrienne Barbeau.

• "Scoring the Escape" (18:56, HD) is an interview with co-composer Alan Howarth.

• "Big Challenges in Little Manhattan" (14:27, HD) focuses on the creation of special effects with director of photography of special VFX Dennis Skotak and unit supervisor/matte artist Robert Skotak.

• "On Set with John Carpenter" (10:50, HD) is an interview with still photographer Kim Gottlieb-Walker.

• "I Am Taylor" (8:50, HD) is an interview with actor Joe Unger, who portrayed Snake Plissken's sidekick in a deleted opening sequence for "Escape from New York."

• "My Night on the Set" (5:02, HD) is an interview with production assistant David DeCoteau.

• Deleted Scene (10:52, SD) presents a bank robbery sequence originally intended to introduce Snake Plissken in action. Reportedly, J.J. Abrams's father suggested this sequence be cut from the film after attending a test screening of "Escape from New York" with his son. The scene can be viewed with or without commentary from co-writer/director John Carpenter and actor Kurt Russell.

• Photo Gallery #1 (12:02) collects BTS snaps, film stills, and publicity shots.

• Photo Gallery #2 collects lobby cards, book covers, and poster art.

• And a Teaser Trailer (1:44, SD) and a Theatrical Trailer (1:00, SD) are included.

Escape from New York 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Escape from New York" contains colorful performances and a sly sense of humor at times. Snake is the star of the show, and he's a vastly compelling character, showcasing irritability and cynicism while still providing a sense of screen authority as he deals with others. Carpenter and Castle come up with some bizarre experiences for Snake, and they manage a gradual sense of pressure on the players, leading to an unforgettable (and an amusingly misanthropic) final shot. "Escape from New York" is something special, made with crisp low-budget creativity and loaded with mood, emerging as one of Carpenter's finest achievements in filmmaking, also contributing to his incredible run of classics in the 1980s.