I'll admit that the first time I saw "Escape From New York" I didn't like it but watched it again (simply because it was about my home city). Upon subsequent viewings I enjoyed it more and more and saw it for what is was - a pretty good movie!
Maybe I am being unfair to ask someone to watch a movie that I've enjoyed immensely and giving them guidelines to do so. Its just that I've been watching this (original) movie of "The Thing" for about 47-48 years and even I find it almost laughable in parts because its so dated. I just want to stress the timeless qualities of it - its dialogue and how its deliverered - almost a machinegun like rat-a-tat style, fast and effective.
The "context" part was added just because its a subject dear to me... I once started writing an essay comparing the two movies from the same year ("The Thing" and "The Day the Earth Stood Still") and how they were diametrically opposite each other. One of these days I'll finish that essay.
Well, its like my review of Howard Hawks' SCARFACE.
Unlike some people on these boards, I don't do the silly thing and compare that 1932 classic to say modern cinema.
I tried to watch it for the context of the times it was shot in, and for that era of the Gangster-genre....it fucking stands out as a movie where the criminal-hero never reprents for being a criminal, but simply that he got busted...and how Hawks was willing to let such an animal be a compelling underdog tale.
And its great in spite of the bullshit changes put in place after the fact....
Now that's saying something.
And context works for ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK as well. It was scripted in the not-too-optimistic late 1970s in America, and while John Carpenter won't ever admit it, but I am certain the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis played a creative impetus for EFNY's premise in some way.
While you have these pretty boy "Punk" bands running around these lands and boring us through the airwaves, that late 70s/early 80s was "Punk" in these anti-authoritarian rants...and thats what EFNY basically is, especially with the ending where Snake fucks the President over.
Plus, since STAR WARS and RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, where each was about action action every few minutes, EFNY was of the old school variety where an action picture tied itself around 2-3 action sequences, ala THE GREAT ESCAPE, BULLIT, etc.
