In the summer of '81 three action films debuted which would change the genre. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK and CLASH OF THE TITANS opened June 12th, and went on to spawn 30 yr. franchises. The third was more modestly budgeted ($6 million). But what it lacked in dollars it made up for with imagination, brio and a lotta attitude. It was John Carpenter's ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK. An action yarn set in the (then) future of 1997, it told the tale of "Snake" Plisskin (Kurt Russell), a former war hero turned mercenary/bank robber, who (DIRTY DOZEN-like) is offered a pardon if he'll rescue the U.S. President - who's plane has gone down into the maximum security prison the sealed-off island of Manhattan has become. To some it seemed an unusual change of pace for an auteur most identified with horror (his two previous films - HALLOWEEN and THE FOG). But those truly familiar with the director recognized ESCAPE as right up his cinematic alley. A fan of the Howard Hawks action film, many of Carpenter's own (ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13, THE FOG, PRINCE OF DARKNESS and THE THING) follow the "seige" structure of Hawks western RIO BRAVO to a "t". And ESCAPE would, under it's futuristic, funny post-Watergate veneer, above all else be Carpenter's ode to the western.
ESCAPE would be the second of five team-ups between the director and Kurt Russell, their first being the 1979 TV movie ELVIS. ESCAPE, THE THING and BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA would follow before the two, alarmed at the growth of extreme American "Religious Right-ism" politics, decided it was time to bring back their most politically incorrect (albeit heroic) character, "Snake". Co-written by Carpenter and Russell, 1996's ESCAPE FROM L.A. would follow a similar structure to it's predecessor, but whereas the first film made sly commentary, L.A. would be an outright action / satire with a clear political agenda. In the now theocratic United States, a religious right lifetime President (Cliff Robertson), makes Los Angeles (an island since an earthquake in 2000 separated it from the mainland U.S.) a prison for those guilty of "moral crimes" including smoking, eating red meat, practicing non Christian faiths, and engaging in non marital sex. Picked up for gun running in New Vegas, Thailand, "Snake" is blackmailed into entering the city to retrieve a device which can trigger a satellite weapon capable of shutting down a nation's energy grid. Stolen by the President's rebellious daughter, Utopia (A.J. Langer), she's given it to L.A. ganglord Cuervo Jones (George Corraface), who plans on using it to launch an invasion of the U.S. by "heathen-istic" South American immigrants. As you see, the political gloves have come completely off. Carpenter and Russell are aided and abetted in their socio-political actioner by a colorful supporting line up of popular performers including the legendary-ily cool Peter Fonda and Pam Grier, as well as Steve Buscemi, Stacy Keach, Bruce Campbell, Valerie Golino, Robert Carradine, and even cult director Paul Bartel.
With the exception of THE THING, STARMAN and MEMOIRS OF AN INVISIBLE MAN, Carpenter had scored all his own films since HALLOWEEN. Wanting to maintain the rock and western (via electronica) vibe of ESCAPE FROM NY, the director this time wanted to give the proceedings a more broad sound base; and to this end he again secured Shirley Walker as co-composer. Breaking the gender barrier as the first solo female composer of a major Hollywood film (Carpenter's INVISIBLE MAN), her career began years earlier when asked to perform keyboards on Carmine Coppola's APOCALYPSE NOW. In the 80s / 90s she'd help Danny Elfman and Hans Zimmer make the transition to film composer by orchestrating and conducting all their early scores including BATMAN and BLACK RAIN. And in addition to films such as WILLARD and the FINAL DESTINATION series, she'd carve a niche as the pen behind epic TV scores such as the animated BATMAN and SUPERMAN, and the live action THE FLASH, CHINA BEACH and SPACE: ABOVE AND BEYOND. Walker passed away on Nov. 30, 2006 due to complications from a stroke she suffered two weeks prior. A memorial service was held at the Warner Bros. / Eastwood Scoring Stage, where a plaque was placed in her honor.
It remains there to this day.
CEJ
1) Main Title - incl. "Theme from ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK" (0:00 of 13:52)
2) History of Los Angeles (2:08 of 13:52)
3) Snake's Uniform (4:18 of 13:52)
4) Sunset Blvd. Bazaar (5:18 of 13:52)
5) Motorcycle Chase (7:22 of 13:52)
6) Showdown (9:50 of 13:52)
7) Hang Glider Attack (11:18 of 13:52)
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26 сен 2024
