Hideo Kojima the creator of the Metal Gear Solid game series is a big fan of this movie. That game’s protagonist Solid Snake is based upon Snake Plissken.
The Duke is played by the late soul singer-songwriter Isaac Hayes. He wrote the theme song to the original version of Shaft starring Richard Roundtree. In his later life he voiced the character of Chef on the tv show South Park.
Lee Van Cleef, the man who plays Hauk, who was the man Snake threatened to come back and kill, was a pretty big star in Westerns during the 60’s and 70’s, until he changed to doing movies like this, and he starred in a TV show in 1984 called ‘The Master’, where he played an American ninja master.
John Carpenter's underrated "Assault on Precinct 13" (1976) is a remake of the western classic "Rio Bravo" (1959). Both are worth watching. Assault was remade in 2005 which I have not seen so no judgement calls on this version.
@@reesebn38- I agree the remake wasn't very good (despite the stellar cast...but even they couldn't save it in my opinion). The 1976 original is the best & even one of Quentin Tarantino's favorite films of all time.
"We'd make one hell of a team, Snake!" "The name's Plissken!" Fun Fact: Every character that says "I heard you were dead" to Snake (Kurt Russell) dies. Casting Notes Fact: The opening narration, and the computer's voice in the first prison scene, were provided by an uncredited Jamie Lee Curtis. Location Location Fact: The night street scenes were filmed in East St. Louis, Illinois, across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, Missouri. East St. Louis is filled with old, run-down buildings, and entire neighborhoods burned out during a massive fire in 1976. Practical Over CGI Fact: The wire-frame computer graphics on the display screens in the glider were not computer-generated. Computers capable of 3-D wire-frame imaging were too expensive at the time. Special effects designers built a model of the city, painted it black, attached bright white tape to the model buildings in an orderly grid, and moved a camera through the model city.
The last point made me laugh, because I think now the opposite is true. Practical effects are now a lot more expensive than computer graphics, but people want more practical effects, so they make this computer graphics look like they're practical.
The special edition of this movie has a commentary track with John Carpenter and Kurt Russell talking about the making of the film as it plays that's pretty fascinating. It was made more low-budget and seat-of-the-pants than I thought it was. You can find the commentary track on RUclips (cut into chunks).
Yeah. This is a classic 80’s film. Excellent costumes, scenery and practical effects. Just an instant classic. Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Isaac Hayes, Ernest Borgnine, Adrienne Barbeau. Such an awesome cast.
Fun Fact: Carpenter wrote the film (co-written by Nick Castle, who played Michael Myers in Halloween.) in the mid-1970s in reaction to the Watergate scandal. After the success of Halloween (1978), he had enough influence to begin production and filmed it mainly NOT in St. Louis, but in East St. Louis, which had entire neighborhoods burned out in 1976 during a massive urban fire.
Great reaction guys. Another CLASSIC John Carpenter film is "THE FOG" No Kurt Russell unfortunately but it does have Jamie Lee Curtis. I Think you 2 will enjoy it
Ah, memories! Back in the day after seeing this, for a long time my friends and I would greet each other with, "Hey, you're . I thought you were dead." People who hadn't seen the movie thought we were nuts.
One of my favorites. If you collect physical media, the Shout Factory DVD/Blu-Ray is a must to have. It has great extras along with a few commentary tracks as well as the cut beginning of the bank robbery that gets Smake arrested.
I first saw this as a teen on tv. Such a great age to see this film, everything was awesome about it. I laughed out loud too at the President shooting the Duke. That's a great scene and very unexpected.
Love this one so much. Saw it in the 80s when I was much too young. The tone, the atmosphere, the music, all sit in a magical place in my head, much like the first Terminator does. More John Carpenter I think you might like - The Fog, Christine, In the Mouth of Madness, Prince of Darkness. More 80s flicks you might like - Night of the Creeps, Day of the Dead, The Fly, Scanners, Return of the Living Dead, Fright Night, Near Dark, Child's Play, Re-Animator, From Beyond, The Hidden, House, Dead Heat...
Thank you. If you are interested in more of John Carpenter's work his second movie "Assault on Precinct 13" (1976) is in need of some love on RUclips, it was shot on a low budget but features many of the director's flourishes, and is often brought up in film school as an example of his work and what can be achieved on a low budget. After "Assault on Precinct 13" Mr. Carpenter's "Prince of Darkness" (1987) is often overlooked, it is the middle movie in his Apocalypse Trilogy along with "The Thing" (1982), and "Prince of Darkness" (1987).
Yes! This movie had such a brilliant cast of actors in this movie and both Russell and Carpenters ex-wives feature in this movie. Great reaction guys as always! 👍🏻🍿 The next John Carpenter movies to watch is either Christine or Prince of Darkness.
I rewatch this once a year. I believe Kurt Russell based Snake on Clint Eastwood, and there is actually a deleted opening scene showing how Snake got caught in the first place (I think it's somewhere on RUclips!).
He did base in on Clint, that's correct. Lee Van Cleef worked with Clint, so it was an homage to him. The film itself was essentially a futuristic western, so having Lee Van Cleef and Ernest Borgnine in the film, proved it even more.
The deleted scene was the original opening to the film - showing Snake getting arrested after robbing the Federal Reserve Bank...it was removed by John Carpenter himself after assembling & watching a rough cut, because he felt that by keeping the audience in the dark about Snake's character was more dramatic for his overall character, in particularly, his introduction (plus it really wasn't necessary for the overall story in the long run)....the deleted opening is included (as a special feature) in most modern DVD & Blu-Ray releases.
It's hard to imagine now, but when this movie came out Kurt Russell was still thought of as the fresh-faced All-American boy who starred in goody-goody Disney comedies like "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes." So it came as a shock to see him so convincingly pulling off a gnarly character like Snake Plissken, with its obvious nod to Clint Eastwood. It was really a turning point in his career and opened up a whole new action-drama territory for him as an actor.
Yeah, as I was growing up, I always just thought of him as ‘that Disney Kid.’ This was such a big change from his teenage, Disney roles & I immediately thought Snake Plissken was the coolest guy in the world🤣
So all the 3D stuff on the PCs are actually just black painted mini sets with tap on them that would light up. It's why it looks oddly good for the time, as it's real. I always wondered myself how they did it till I looked it up.
I grew up in the 80;s and saw this movie when I was like 12 or 13. I saw the movie - The Thing when I was 13 living overseas with My parents. My father worked for the American Embassy. We lived in the top floor of this large building, We were on the 3rd floor. We had a contigent of US Marines (6or 8 guys). They lived on the 1st floor and would Let me hang out with them. They let Me watch The Thing on VHS tape. I was watching alone at night by myself. Cos they had gone in there rooms Or were working at the Us Embassy. They worked in shifts and guarded the Embassy inside. This was in 1983. I loved the Thing movie but it scared the crap out of Me ! LOL LOL
@@briguy399 there’s almost nothing cooler when you’re a kid, to find some cool older adults let you in on some amazing stuff your parents normally wouldn’t. I remember when I showed my little brother “aliens” when my parents weren’t around. He absolutely loved it but couldn’t sleep for a week lol
28:48 Fun Fact: Maggie's death was filmed on set, however the shot of her lying in her own blood when The Duke looks over to her was actually filmed in John Carpenter's garage.
My all-time favorite movie. I was ten the year this movie came out, but did not see it for the first time until I was in my early teens, maybe 14. I loved it from my first watch. Snake Plissken is Kurt Russell's most iconic role. One of my favorite parts of this movie is the musical score; I especially love the music from when Snake and the President are going over the wall. That was some amazing music. The sequel, Escape From L.A., may not be as good as the first one, but I like it. My opinion of the second one is of two old friends(John Carpenter and Kurt Russell) having fun making another movie together. I have the special edition of this movie on DVD and it came with the first issue of The Snake Plissken Chronicles comic book and the entire original ten-minute opening scene that John Carpenter filmed but never used. So glad that you reacted to this movie and that you enjoyed it.
Other films with Kurt Russel are Overboard, and Captain Ron! The cabby was played by Ernest Borgnine, who was in many movies, such as The Poseidon Adventure!
He kept hitting Kurt for real. Kurt kept telling him to stop, it's a movie, pull your punches. He didn't stop. Finally a pissed off Kurt grabbed him by the balls and said. "If you tag me again. I'm pulling these off."
Kurt Russell is blatantly doing a Clint Eastwood impersonation in this movie. He and John Carpenter both stated that Snake Plissken is loosely based on the man with no name from the "dollars" spaghetti westerns. Russell was also doing an impersonation of another western star in Big Trouble in Little China, where he's doing an exaggerated impersonation of John Wayne.
As a child of the 60s/70s, I grew up with Kurt Russell. Old Disney teen movies. The reruns of Gilligan's Island when a child Russell played a wild boy. To most of his films in the 80s. This and Big Trouble, as well as The Thing, are my favorites
Veteran character actor, Harry Dean Stanton, who played Brain, went on to cameo in The Avengers 3 decades later. (To Dr. Banner) "Son, you've got a condition."
My family always loved watching campy action and horror movies when on vacation together, and this movie was one of our all time favorites to watch and quote. It reminds me of simpler times and everything I love about movies and sharing them with loved ones!
A lot of street location shots were in East St Louis. Russel patterned his character, at least partly, on Clinton Eastwood who, of course, acted opposite Lee Van Cleef in two of their famous spaghetti western films. So there's some cool homage going on here; like a futuristic sci-fi western. Pretty stacked cast.
Carpenter is one of those directors that pays off on a deep dive. His fresh-from-film-school Dark Star is honestly one of the greatest SF films ever made. Big Trouble in Little China is Carpenter's love letter to '70's kung fu films--and also stars Kurt Russell. Hallowe'en stopped me watching horror films and gave me a heckkuva crush on Jamie Lee Curtis. And don't get me started on The Thing--Kurt Russell knocks it out of the park. Again. Carpenter writes, directs, does soundtracks, just everything. Worth going into a deep dive.
I love everything about this movie. It's just about perfect. And the imagination by Carpenter to come up with this scenario is astounding. Protip: Approach _Escape from L.A._ with extreme caution. Lower your expectations.
After Jack Burton's "John Wayne" voice, Snake's "Clint Eastwood" whisper here is genius. Especially up against Van Cleef. If you're still taking suggestions - please watch Dark Star (1974). Carpenter collaborated with Dan O'Bannon at film school, and it became the original space trucker black comedy. O'Bannon later rewrote it as Alien. Bit of a stoner classic but it also works without!
My 2nd favorite John Carpenter movie (1st is The Thing) is Prince of Darkness, his 2nd film in his apocalypse trilogy. It's not reacted to enough and is really good! Please check it out!
John Carpenter in the '80's is legendary. This film, "the Thing" and "Big Trouble in Little China" are all outstanding, as are "Christine" and the original "Halloween" Snake returns for a sequel, "Escape from L.A.", which is worth watching once, although I don't think it holds a candle to the original. Apparently Kurt Russell, despite being 30 years older, was still able to fit into the original wardrobe. Also features Pam Grier, another absolute badass. "Ghosts of Mars", one of Carpenter's lesser-loved films, was going to be "Escape from Mars", the 3rd Snake Plissken film, but they changed it up. As some others have mentioned, "Soldier" is an under-the-radar sci-fi film starring Kurt Russell. Saw it in theater expecting just a mindless action flick, but got a lot more than I expected. No spoilers, though.
Kurt Russell stars in a movie called Soldier... made in the 90s... I personally think it's one of his best movies... He hardly has any lines... he had to act with his body and facial expressions... Totally shows his incredible acting ability. Anyway, kind of a under rated almost unknown movie that is soooo good. You should check it out, even if you don't react to it. Great reaction. 😊 Thank you.
33:39 "Escape From New York" was nominate for 4 Saturn Awards (Best Science Fiction Film, Best Director, Best Costumes and Makeup) and 2 Jupiter Awards (Best International Actor [Kurt Russell], and Best International Film)
I love how you both appreciate JCs films. My fav director. As Halloween approaches i will strongly request that you react to The Fog, the JC version of course. One of the best opening scenes in the history of horror.
Okay, this is a great movie. But all I saw at first was the top of the thumbnail with Kurt Russell in an eye patch and I got inordinately excited for a split second thinking it was going to be Captain Ron 😂 GOD that's a fun af movie. I wish more people knew of it! Anyway.... 😂
Carpenter is a big fan of westerns. There's a John Wayne movie where people keep telling his character "I thought you were dead". Russell said he was basically imitating Clint Eastwood.
The guy who Snake fights in the ring was a professional wrestler who went by the name Ox Baker. He was known for his crazy long eyebrows and odd facial hair pattern, along with using the heart punch as a finishing move. This was back in the day when kayfabe was taken seriously and fans really believed you were that character. The day after he heart punched one wrestler in a tag match, that wrestler died. It was quickly rumored that his punch caused the death, but would later be found to had been heart disease and horrible coincidence. Still, he ran with the rumor. A year later, it happened again, this time the wrestler died of natural causes, but the coincidence was crazy. He caused a riot at one show when he ran in during a match and heart punched a local favorite, Ernie Ladd. People rushed the ring and threw chairs. His catchphrase was simple: "I like to hurt people". Later in his wrestling career, he opened a wrestling school where he trained young wrestlers, including Mark Calaway, who would later be known as The Undertaker. He even made it onto The Price is Right where he won a furniture set and a wall clock. lol
Ok, first thing, always watch director's/extended cut versions of movies, there was more backstory and a few things you didn't get to see, also, the Escape From New York action figures run as much as $300+ on ebay and as low as $30+/- for the Escape From L.A. figures. There was a board game that came out in 1981 and a video game was in the works few years ago but got canceled due to layoffs. Fun fact: The computer voice in the beginning was voiced by another actress that was in a few John Carpenter films, one of his favorite the actress was uncredited and is known as Jamie Lee Curtis. Also, Adrienne Barbeau was in another Carpenter flick as well, The Fog, of which also stars Jamie Lee Curtis and her mother Janet Lee. 1980
A couple more John Carpenter movies you haven't reacted to, especially as we are close to October: The Fog (1980). Adrienne Barbeau (Maggie in Escape from New York) is also in this one Christine (1983). Harry Dean Stanton (Brain in Escape from New York) is also in this one
Hi Dan. Another great video on an awesome film. When I’ve seen reaction videos to these 80’s movies they always love them. There is just something about the practical effects, older attitudes to sex (well not in this film thankfully) and unique soundtracks. Have a great time at the show.
i found an old bomber jacket in my grandparents attic when i was a teen, that looked real close to snakes jacket there.. it was already falling apart when i started wearing it, and it was finished falling apart before i took it off
If you want more John Carpenter horror as you approach Halloween, check out the other two in Carpenter's "apocalypse" trilogy - "At the Mouth of Madness," starring Sam Neill, and "Prince of Darkness," staring, inter alia, Donald Pleasance and Victor Wong.
One of the joys of film making is that you forever find yourself forever linked to your ex. John Carpenter would later divorce Adrienne Barbeau. And Kurt Russel would divorce Season Hubley, the young lady yanked under the floorboards at the beginning of the movie. Notice that both future ex-wives die in the movie.
The basic idea for this movie (whether or not it was copied) is the basis of a famous science-fiction novelette, “Coventry” (1940), by Robert A. Heinlein. The production values (sets, costumes, lighting) are great. I haven’t seen this since it came out, and I had forgotten how many big stars it has. The biggest is Ernest Borgnine (the cabbie), who won a Best Actor Academy Award for “Marty,” starred in the “McHale’s Navy,” one of the most successful TV comedy series of the 60s, and continued acting in many movies at least as late as “Gattaca” (1997). Donald Pleasance (the President) was a supporting actor in many TV series in the 50s, such as “Robin Hood” and “Danger Man” (later “Secret Agent”), then appeared in many movies, with especially memorable roles in “THX 1138” and “The Great Escape.” And everyone should know Lee Van Cleef (Hauk) as “the Bad” from the classic western, “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly,” as well as many other westerns and villain roles.
My first Kurt Russell movie was in 1969 when I was 5 called The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes. The first part of the Dexter Riley trilogy. For the next 5 years Kurt was my Disney Prince. Disney for Kids today is Toy Story & Frozen. My Disney was Kurt Russell. Then I went from 10-14 Kurt was done with Disney and I watch anything he was in, tv episodes of Police Story, his short lived tv series The Quest. Then when I was 14 in 1979 I saw my first John Carpenter movie. A tv movie called "ELVIS" Starring Kurt Russell. Kurt Russell's performance as Elvis is BRILLIANT!! The film was a huge success! The First Bio Pic of Elvis. A must watch. So when I was 17 and saw Escape From New York I lost my shit! Yes that Halloween 1981 I went as Snake Plissken. 4 great Kurt movies people have forgotten, "Used Cars"(1980) "The Mean Season"(1983), "Tequila Sunrise"(1988), "Breakdown"(1997). I am so glad after all these years Kurt in real life is known as a really good guy.
Russell was the kid who kicked Elvis in the movie It Happened at the World's Fair. So kind of ironic that he played Elvis in the bio pic in his later years. He was also the jungle boy on Gilligan's Island.
@@markwilliams6394 I know dude I've seen everything everything he's been in and every Elvis movie. A great story on the set about how Elvis looked up to Kurt's dad because he played in a lot of westerns. Elvis asked Kurt if he could have a personal conversation with him.
This was released about a year before The Thing and roughly five years before Big Trouble in Little China. The actor playing "Brain", Harry Dean Stanton, is also in Alien and Red Dawn. "Cabby" is played by Ernest Borgnine, most recently known as the voice of Mermaidman in SpongeBob. Other John Carpenter films to watch include Assault on Precinct 13, The Fog, Christine, Prince of Darkness, Escape From LA and Vampires. Other films similar to this worth watching include The Warriors and the Mad Max trilogy
One of my all time top 3 movies. Snake Plissken is the ultimate bad ass. I wear my Escape from New York / Snake Plissken shirt all the time. I either get Yah! Snake Plissken! Or who is that? And after AI explain I've hopefully gotten dozens of people to watch it who'd never heard of it to see it.
There's also "Escape From L.A.". It looks like it was inspired by a brochure for an outdoorsy/sporty vacation in California. It's got outdoor basketball, hang gliding, and surfing.
Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasence, Harry Dean Stanton.. damn what a cast of legends 🤘😎
...and let's not forget Tom Atkins :)
...and wonderful Adrienne Barbeau :)
100%
Isaac Hayes...
"How'd he recognize him?"
Well, Snake was a war-hero, AND Ernest Borgnine is just that awesome.
Hideo Kojima the creator of the Metal Gear Solid game series is a big fan of this movie. That game’s protagonist Solid Snake is based upon Snake Plissken.
Snake... Snake??? SSSNNAAAAAKKKKKEEEE!!!!!!!
And still something got lost in the translation.
And Kyle Reese.
The cut scenes in MGS are pretty much the portrait shot of Snake in the glider.
Metal Gear for the nes was great.
The Duke is played by the late soul singer-songwriter Isaac Hayes. He wrote the theme song to the original version of Shaft starring Richard Roundtree.
In his later life he voiced the character of Chef on the tv show South Park.
Chef from South Park. Just don't suck on his salty chocolate balls.
The female voice at the beginning giving the synopsis is Jamie Lee Curtis.
Good nerd knowledge
Awesome i didnt know that kudos.
Lee Van Cleef, the man who plays Hauk, who was the man Snake threatened to come back and kill, was a pretty big star in Westerns during the 60’s and 70’s, until he changed to doing movies like this, and he starred in a TV show in 1984 called ‘The Master’, where he played an American ninja master.
Such a great actor. I mean The Good, The Bad & The Ugly.... absolutely legendary.
@@o0pinkdino0oColonel Mortimer in 'For A Few Dollars More', 1 of the smartest, smoothest badasses ever filmed.
I remember watching "The Master" in the 1970's with my dad. Good show! Great actor.
@@markmorningstar5374 Look up the "Master Ninja" episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000, those were great
Another good Kurt R. is 'Overboard' with Goldie Hawn...=)
Very different role, but very charming. You can see why they were a couple, they have amazing chemistry.
Kurt really never made a bad movie. Even the Disney stuff he did as a kid is quality.
The end of this movie with the tape being destroyed, is my favorite example of F around and find out.
I saw this in 1981 at 17 and jumped up and down when he did that. Fu-- the man!
John Carpenter's underrated "Assault on Precinct 13" (1976) is a remake of the western classic "Rio Bravo" (1959). Both are worth watching. Assault was remade in 2005 which I have not seen so no judgement calls on this version.
The 2005 version is shit! The OG from 76 is so awesome!! One of my favorite Carpenter movies! "Gotta Smoke."
@@reesebn38- I agree the remake wasn't very good (despite the stellar cast...but even they couldn't save it in my opinion). The 1976 original is the best & even one of Quentin Tarantino's favorite films of all time.
"I wonder how far down that snake goes." We are of like minds, Chandra 😆
Naughty girl !
Chandra being a naughty girl 😂
"We'd make one hell of a team, Snake!"
"The name's Plissken!"
Fun Fact: Every character that says "I heard you were dead" to Snake (Kurt Russell) dies.
Casting Notes Fact: The opening narration, and the computer's voice in the first prison scene, were provided by an uncredited Jamie Lee Curtis.
Location Location Fact: The night street scenes were filmed in East St. Louis, Illinois, across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, Missouri. East St. Louis is filled with old, run-down buildings, and entire neighborhoods burned out during a massive fire in 1976.
Practical Over CGI Fact: The wire-frame computer graphics on the display screens in the glider were not computer-generated. Computers capable of 3-D wire-frame imaging were too expensive at the time. Special effects designers built a model of the city, painted it black, attached bright white tape to the model buildings in an orderly grid, and moved a camera through the model city.
And nobody heard they're dead because they ain't legends like Plissken
@@josoffat7649 Call him Snake.
The last point made me laugh, because I think now the opposite is true. Practical effects are now a lot more expensive than computer graphics, but people want more practical effects, so they make this computer graphics look like they're practical.
The special edition of this movie has a commentary track with John Carpenter and Kurt Russell talking about the making of the film as it plays that's pretty fascinating. It was made more low-budget and seat-of-the-pants than I thought it was. You can find the commentary track on RUclips (cut into chunks).
Yeah. This is a classic 80’s film. Excellent costumes, scenery and practical effects. Just an instant classic. Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Isaac Hayes, Ernest Borgnine, Adrienne Barbeau. Such an awesome cast.
Fun Fact: Carpenter wrote the film (co-written by Nick Castle, who played Michael Myers in Halloween.) in the mid-1970s in reaction to the Watergate scandal. After the success of Halloween (1978), he had enough influence to begin production and filmed it mainly NOT in St. Louis, but in East St. Louis, which had entire neighborhoods burned out in 1976 during a massive urban fire.
I've seen Alien and Escape from New York several times each but just now noticed Harry Dean Stanton, the Brain is in both of them.
That's a serious neurological condition.
Should follow this up with Soldier from 1998. "Kurt Russell spoke only 104 words in the entire movie despite being in 85% of the scenes."
Eh, Soldier is OK, but there are better Russell performances.
I love the movie "Soldier"!
funniest thing about Snakes gun is the actual gun/MAC 10 is tiny but theyve chucked a foot long suppressor on the end of the muzzle😅
And a scope, on a notoriously inaccurate weapon...😂
@@theaikidoka exactly🤣. and its not even on the machine pistol itself, but mounted on the suppressor😂
I liked this before watching! Snake is one of my favorite movie characters of all time.
Great reaction guys. Another CLASSIC John Carpenter film is "THE FOG" No Kurt Russell unfortunately but it does have Jamie Lee Curtis. I Think you 2 will enjoy it
John Carpenter basically didn't miss for almost two decades. Pick any movie, it's gonna be fun.
And diverse, too.
Ah, memories! Back in the day after seeing this, for a long time my friends and I would greet each other with, "Hey, you're . I thought you were dead." People who hadn't seen the movie thought we were nuts.
One of my favorites. If you collect physical media, the Shout Factory DVD/Blu-Ray is a must to have. It has great extras along with a few commentary tracks as well as the cut beginning of the bank robbery that gets Smake arrested.
I first saw this as a teen on tv. Such a great age to see this film, everything was awesome about it. I laughed out loud too at the President shooting the Duke. That's a great scene and very unexpected.
gotta admit, the president is pretty tough
My parents took me to see this when I was 9.😅 Cabbie was always mu favorite.
Love this one so much. Saw it in the 80s when I was much too young. The tone, the atmosphere, the music, all sit in a magical place in my head, much like the first Terminator does.
More John Carpenter I think you might like - The Fog, Christine, In the Mouth of Madness, Prince of Darkness.
More 80s flicks you might like - Night of the Creeps, Day of the Dead, The Fly, Scanners, Return of the Living Dead, Fright Night, Near Dark, Child's Play, Re-Animator, From Beyond, The Hidden, House, Dead Heat...
Thank you.
If you are interested in more of John Carpenter's work his second movie "Assault on Precinct 13" (1976) is in need of some love on RUclips, it was shot on a low budget but features many of the director's flourishes, and is often brought up in film school as an example of his work and what can be achieved on a low budget. After "Assault on Precinct 13" Mr. Carpenter's "Prince of Darkness" (1987) is often overlooked, it is the middle movie in his Apocalypse Trilogy along with "The Thing" (1982), and "Prince of Darkness" (1987).
Great reaction, really hope you. React to the sequel Escape from L.A. , maybe not as epic as this but still really fun.
Yes! This movie had such a brilliant cast of actors in this movie and both Russell and Carpenters ex-wives feature in this movie.
Great reaction guys as always! 👍🏻🍿
The next John Carpenter movies to watch is either Christine or Prince of Darkness.
I rewatch this once a year. I believe Kurt Russell based Snake on Clint Eastwood, and there is actually a deleted opening scene showing how Snake got caught in the first place (I think it's somewhere on RUclips!).
He did base in on Clint, that's correct. Lee Van Cleef worked with Clint, so it was an homage to him. The film itself was essentially a futuristic western, so having Lee Van Cleef and Ernest Borgnine in the film, proved it even more.
The deleted scene was the original opening to the film - showing Snake getting arrested after robbing the Federal Reserve Bank...it was removed by John Carpenter himself after assembling & watching a rough cut, because he felt that by keeping the audience in the dark about Snake's character was more dramatic for his overall character, in particularly, his introduction (plus it really wasn't necessary for the overall story in the long run)....the deleted opening is included (as a special feature) in most modern DVD & Blu-Ray releases.
It's hard to imagine now, but when this movie came out Kurt Russell was still thought of as the fresh-faced All-American boy who starred in goody-goody Disney comedies like "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes." So it came as a shock to see him so convincingly pulling off a gnarly character like Snake Plissken, with its obvious nod to Clint Eastwood. It was really a turning point in his career and opened up a whole new action-drama territory for him as an actor.
You forgot about him playing Elvis in 1979. A huge success for Kurt! And his first film with Carpenter.
Yeah, as I was growing up, I always just thought of him as ‘that Disney Kid.’ This was such a big change from his teenage, Disney roles & I immediately thought Snake Plissken was the coolest guy in the world🤣
I think the studios wanted Charles Bronson for this film but he was getting old. Russell was a great choice.
@@reesebn38 Good call!
"He completely sabotages world peace, because fuck that guy!" Best review of the ending of this movie ever stated. Well done.
So all the 3D stuff on the PCs are actually just black painted mini sets with tap on them that would light up. It's why it looks oddly good for the time, as it's real. I always wondered myself how they did it till I looked it up.
Yeah it was really well done honestly.
Was just coming here to point out the same fun fact :-)
similar to tron effects that fool people into thinking its cgi
I grew up in the 80;s and saw this movie when I was like 12 or 13. I saw the movie - The Thing when I was 13 living overseas with My parents. My father worked for the American Embassy. We lived in the top floor of this large building, We were on the 3rd floor. We had a contigent of US Marines (6or 8 guys). They lived on the 1st floor and would Let me hang out with them. They let Me watch The Thing on VHS tape. I was watching alone at night by myself. Cos they had gone in there rooms Or were working at the Us Embassy. They worked in shifts and guarded the Embassy inside. This was in 1983. I loved the Thing movie but it scared the crap out of Me ! LOL LOL
That’s a great story.
@@NemeanLion- Thanks Had a great time there. We lived in Bulgaria for 2 years during the Cold War. Very interesting.
@@briguy399 there’s almost nothing cooler when you’re a kid, to find some cool older adults let you in on some amazing stuff your parents normally wouldn’t. I remember when I showed my little brother “aliens” when my parents weren’t around. He absolutely loved it but couldn’t sleep for a week lol
@@NemeanLion- Yep true
28:48 Fun Fact: Maggie's death was filmed on set, however the shot of her lying in her own blood when The Duke looks over to her was actually filmed in John Carpenter's garage.
That was also because John Carpenter was dating Adrienne Barbeau (Maggie) at the time. 😉
@@MLJ7956And the girl who was killed in the coffee shop was Kurt Russell’s first wife before Goldie Hawn. Season Hubley.
I don’t know if you’ve seen these, but I think you both might love “ The Birdcage” , “ Fried Green Tomatoes” , and “Overboard” 😄
My all-time favorite movie. I was ten the year this movie came out, but did not see it for the first time until I was in my early teens, maybe 14. I loved it from my first watch. Snake Plissken is Kurt Russell's most iconic role. One of my favorite parts of this movie is the musical score; I especially love the music from when Snake and the President are going over the wall. That was some amazing music. The sequel, Escape From L.A., may not be as good as the first one, but I like it. My opinion of the second one is of two old friends(John Carpenter and Kurt Russell) having fun making another movie together. I have the special edition of this movie on DVD and it came with the first issue of The Snake Plissken Chronicles comic book and the entire original ten-minute opening scene that John Carpenter filmed but never used. So glad that you reacted to this movie and that you enjoyed it.
When I play video games I play that soundtrack.
Other films with Kurt Russel are Overboard, and Captain Ron! The cabby was played by Ernest Borgnine, who was in many movies, such as The Poseidon Adventure!
Yes!!! Another person who knows Captain Ron! 😂 I love that movie
Overboard with Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn, it’s a good comedy.
Second!
The big guy that Snake fights in the ring is the late wrestling legend Ox Baker.
He kept hitting Kurt for real. Kurt kept telling him to stop, it's a movie, pull your punches. He didn't stop. Finally a pissed off Kurt grabbed him by the balls and said. "If you tag me again. I'm pulling these off."
Kurt Russell is blatantly doing a Clint Eastwood impersonation in this movie. He and John Carpenter both stated that Snake Plissken is loosely based on the man with no name from the "dollars" spaghetti westerns. Russell was also doing an impersonation of another western star in Big Trouble in Little China, where he's doing an exaggerated impersonation of John Wayne.
As a child of the 60s/70s, I grew up with Kurt Russell. Old Disney teen movies. The reruns of Gilligan's Island when a child Russell played a wild boy. To most of his films in the 80s. This and Big Trouble, as well as The Thing, are my favorites
I believe Kurt said Snake Plissken was his favorite role of all that he played. Such an iconic role!
One of my favorite Easter eggs in Grand Theft Auto 3 was a unique car. An armored post-apocalyptic checker cab... called the Borgnine.
Alien Nation with Mandy Patinkin and James Caan. It's right up your alley.
Veteran character actor, Harry Dean Stanton, who played Brain, went on to cameo in The Avengers 3 decades later.
(To Dr. Banner)
"Son, you've got a condition."
Hope you two are having an great and awesome day ❤
My family always loved watching campy action and horror movies when on vacation together, and this movie was one of our all time favorites to watch and quote.
It reminds me of simpler times and everything I love about movies and sharing them with loved ones!
James Cameron (Terminator, Aliens) did some of the matte paintings so that's why they look so awesome 🙂
The Cinematic Promised Land. That's where you've been led.
A lot of street location shots were in East St Louis. Russel patterned his character, at least partly, on Clinton Eastwood who, of course, acted opposite Lee Van Cleef in two of their famous spaghetti western films. So there's some cool homage going on here; like a futuristic sci-fi western. Pretty stacked cast.
I'm an '80s teenager that still owns the VHS of this movie. And yes I do, have a VHS machine still, more than one 👊💯
The scary guy from the beginning also plays the main bad guuy in Assault on Precinct 13, an awesome early Carpenter movie.
'Better Off Dead' w/ John Cusack. You'll love it.
The "henchman" is Frank Doubleday, Russell said Frank's performance set the tone for the movie.
Really happy you guys enjoyed this movie. Its one of my all time favourites
Harry Dean Stanton was also in "Repo Man"(1984). It's a safe bet that you'd be into that.
The woman in the cafe was played by Season Hubley, who was married to Kurt Russel at the time.
Carpenter is one of those directors that pays off on a deep dive. His fresh-from-film-school Dark Star is honestly one of the greatest SF films ever made. Big Trouble in Little China is Carpenter's love letter to '70's kung fu films--and also stars Kurt Russell. Hallowe'en stopped me watching horror films and gave me a heckkuva crush on Jamie Lee Curtis. And don't get me started on The Thing--Kurt Russell knocks it out of the park. Again. Carpenter writes, directs, does soundtracks, just everything. Worth going into a deep dive.
The pinnacle of John Carpenter is the original Assault on Precinct 13
Christine is my favourite John Carpenter movie
Assault on Precinct 13 next please.
I love everything about this movie. It's just about perfect. And the imagination by Carpenter to come up with this scenario is astounding.
Protip: Approach _Escape from L.A._ with extreme caution. Lower your expectations.
After Jack Burton's "John Wayne" voice, Snake's "Clint Eastwood" whisper here is genius. Especially up against Van Cleef.
If you're still taking suggestions - please watch Dark Star (1974). Carpenter collaborated with Dan O'Bannon at film school, and it became the original space trucker black comedy. O'Bannon later rewrote it as Alien. Bit of a stoner classic but it also works without!
1:36 The woman narrating the intro is Jamie Lee Curtis.
Great reaction to a cult classic. My fav kurt russel movie. Ii was so good to see it again with u guys Big thumbs up ian from Northern Ireland
My 2nd favorite John Carpenter movie (1st is The Thing) is Prince of Darkness, his 2nd film in his apocalypse trilogy. It's not reacted to enough and is really good! Please check it out!
Remember, before this Kurt Russel was literally a Disney kid. This is like Macaulay Culkin doing this after Home Alone 2.
John Carpenter in the '80's is legendary. This film, "the Thing" and "Big Trouble in Little China" are all outstanding, as are "Christine" and the original "Halloween"
Snake returns for a sequel, "Escape from L.A.", which is worth watching once, although I don't think it holds a candle to the original. Apparently Kurt Russell, despite being 30 years older, was still able to fit into the original wardrobe. Also features Pam Grier, another absolute badass.
"Ghosts of Mars", one of Carpenter's lesser-loved films, was going to be "Escape from Mars", the 3rd Snake Plissken film, but they changed it up.
As some others have mentioned, "Soldier" is an under-the-radar sci-fi film starring Kurt Russell. Saw it in theater expecting just a mindless action flick, but got a lot more than I expected. No spoilers, though.
The Cabbie was the second lead in Airwolf Ernest Borgnine (Domonic) after Jan-Michael Vincent (Stringfellow Hawke).
In 1981 they didn't have 3D renered graphics. The glowing computer readout of the city in the glider is glow tape on a New York City miniature .
Kurt Russell stars in a movie called Soldier... made in the 90s... I personally think it's one of his best movies... He hardly has any lines... he had to act with his body and facial expressions... Totally shows his incredible acting ability. Anyway, kind of a under rated almost unknown movie that is soooo good. You should check it out, even if you don't react to it. Great reaction. 😊 Thank you.
I saw this in 1981 at the drive-in movie theater when I was 14 years old. I thought Kurt Russell was the coolest guy alive and I still do.
33:39 "Escape From New York" was nominate for 4 Saturn Awards (Best Science Fiction Film, Best Director, Best Costumes and Makeup) and 2 Jupiter Awards (Best International Actor [Kurt Russell], and Best International Film)
but it only won the uranus award
I love how you both appreciate JCs films. My fav director. As Halloween approaches i will strongly request that you react to The Fog, the JC version of course. One of the best opening scenes in the history of horror.
John Carpenter is a surprisingly diverse filmmaker, so I recommend all of his movies.
Great fun as always guys😎 this came out the summer after i graduated HS and was beyond EPIC .. i remember going to see it a few times...🔥🔥
Okay, this is a great movie. But all I saw at first was the top of the thumbnail with Kurt Russell in an eye patch and I got inordinately excited for a split second thinking it was going to be Captain Ron 😂 GOD that's a fun af movie. I wish more people knew of it! Anyway.... 😂
Carpenter is a big fan of westerns. There's a John Wayne movie where people keep telling his character "I thought you were dead".
Russell said he was basically imitating Clint Eastwood.
For John Carpenter I really love The Fog and Prince of Darkness
I love the ongoing gag, "I heard you were dead!"
The guy who Snake fights in the ring was a professional wrestler who went by the name Ox Baker. He was known for his crazy long eyebrows and odd facial hair pattern, along with using the heart punch as a finishing move. This was back in the day when kayfabe was taken seriously and fans really believed you were that character. The day after he heart punched one wrestler in a tag match, that wrestler died. It was quickly rumored that his punch caused the death, but would later be found to had been heart disease and horrible coincidence. Still, he ran with the rumor. A year later, it happened again, this time the wrestler died of natural causes, but the coincidence was crazy. He caused a riot at one show when he ran in during a match and heart punched a local favorite, Ernie Ladd. People rushed the ring and threw chairs. His catchphrase was simple: "I like to hurt people". Later in his wrestling career, he opened a wrestling school where he trained young wrestlers, including Mark Calaway, who would later be known as The Undertaker. He even made it onto The Price is Right where he won a furniture set and a wall clock. lol
Ok, first thing, always watch director's/extended cut versions of movies, there was more backstory and a few things you didn't get to see, also, the Escape From New York action figures run as much as $300+ on ebay and as low as $30+/- for the Escape From L.A. figures. There was a board game that came out in 1981 and a video game was in the works few years ago but got canceled due to layoffs. Fun fact: The computer voice in the beginning was voiced by another actress that was in a few John Carpenter films, one of his favorite the actress was uncredited and is known as Jamie Lee Curtis. Also, Adrienne Barbeau was in another Carpenter flick as well, The Fog, of which also stars Jamie Lee Curtis and her mother Janet Lee. 1980
A couple more John Carpenter movies you haven't reacted to, especially as we are close to October:
The Fog (1980). Adrienne Barbeau (Maggie in Escape from New York) is also in this one
Christine (1983). Harry Dean Stanton (Brain in Escape from New York) is also in this one
Hi Dan. Another great video on an awesome film. When I’ve seen reaction videos to these 80’s movies they always love them. There is just something about the practical effects, older attitudes to sex (well not in this film thankfully) and unique soundtracks.
Have a great time at the show.
i found an old bomber jacket in my grandparents attic when i was a teen, that looked real close to snakes jacket there.. it was already falling apart when i started wearing it, and it was finished falling apart before i took it off
Saw this in the theatre when it first came out, blew my young mind!! Snake Plissken has always been the baddest badass in film. Loved this reaction!!
Escape from LA!!! You will love it!
If you want more John Carpenter horror as you approach Halloween, check out the other two in Carpenter's "apocalypse" trilogy - "At the Mouth of Madness," starring Sam Neill, and "Prince of Darkness," staring, inter alia, Donald Pleasance and Victor Wong.
One of the joys of film making is that you forever find yourself forever linked to your ex. John Carpenter would later divorce Adrienne Barbeau. And Kurt Russel would divorce Season Hubley, the young lady yanked under the floorboards at the beginning of the movie. Notice that both future ex-wives die in the movie.
The basic idea for this movie (whether or not it was copied) is the basis of a famous science-fiction novelette, “Coventry” (1940), by Robert A. Heinlein. The production values (sets, costumes, lighting) are great. I haven’t seen this since it came out, and I had forgotten how many big stars it has. The biggest is Ernest Borgnine (the cabbie), who won a Best Actor Academy Award for “Marty,” starred in the “McHale’s Navy,” one of the most successful TV comedy series of the 60s, and continued acting in many movies at least as late as “Gattaca” (1997). Donald Pleasance (the President) was a supporting actor in many TV series in the 50s, such as “Robin Hood” and “Danger Man” (later “Secret Agent”), then appeared in many movies, with especially memorable roles in “THX 1138” and “The Great Escape.” And everyone should know Lee Van Cleef (Hauk) as “the Bad” from the classic western, “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly,” as well as many other westerns and villain roles.
My first Kurt Russell movie was in 1969 when I was 5 called The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes. The first part of the Dexter Riley trilogy. For the next 5 years Kurt was my Disney Prince. Disney for Kids today is Toy Story & Frozen. My Disney was Kurt Russell. Then I went from 10-14 Kurt was done with Disney and I watch anything he was in, tv episodes of Police Story, his short lived tv series The Quest. Then when I was 14 in 1979 I saw my first John Carpenter movie. A tv movie called "ELVIS" Starring Kurt Russell. Kurt Russell's performance as Elvis is BRILLIANT!! The film was a huge success! The First Bio Pic of Elvis. A must watch. So when I was 17 and saw Escape From New York I lost my shit! Yes that Halloween 1981 I went as Snake Plissken. 4 great Kurt movies people have forgotten, "Used Cars"(1980) "The Mean Season"(1983), "Tequila Sunrise"(1988), "Breakdown"(1997). I am so glad after all these years Kurt in real life is known as a really good guy.
Russell was the kid who kicked Elvis in the movie It Happened at the World's Fair. So kind of ironic that he played Elvis in the bio pic in his later years. He was also the jungle boy on Gilligan's Island.
@@markwilliams6394 I know dude I've seen everything everything he's been in and every Elvis movie. A great story on the set about how Elvis looked up to Kurt's dad because he played in a lot of westerns. Elvis asked Kurt if he could have a personal conversation with him.
This was released about a year before The Thing and roughly five years before Big Trouble in Little China. The actor playing "Brain", Harry Dean Stanton, is also in Alien and Red Dawn. "Cabby" is played by Ernest Borgnine, most recently known as the voice of Mermaidman in SpongeBob. Other John Carpenter films to watch include Assault on Precinct 13, The Fog, Christine, Prince of Darkness, Escape From LA and Vampires. Other films similar to this worth watching include The Warriors and the Mad Max trilogy
One of my all time top 3 movies. Snake Plissken is the ultimate bad ass. I wear my Escape from New York / Snake Plissken shirt all the time. I either get Yah! Snake Plissken! Or who is that? And after AI explain I've hopefully gotten dozens of people to watch it who'd never heard of it to see it.
Ernest Borgnine, who played cabbie, is the voice of Mermaid Man on SpongeBob
Escape from new york is one of my favorite carpenter movies , i'm so glad you enjoy it . Thank you . Please watch Christine from big john to 👍
You guys got to watch Stargate, Soldier, Tango & Cash, and Backdraft, all with Kurt Rusell. All awesome movies:)
Now you need to watch "Escape from LA". Great reaction
90's Kurt Russell thriller movie suggestions - "Executive Decision" and "Breakdown".
There's also "Escape From L.A.". It looks like it was inspired by a brochure for an outdoorsy/sporty vacation in California. It's got outdoor basketball, hang gliding, and surfing.
A great movie, the sequel Escape From LA is also amazing.
More Kurt Russel in "Death Proof" and more John Carpenter in "The Prince of Darkness."