John Carpenter’s (1981) is a seminal piece of dystopian cinema that transformed the real-world urban decay of 1970s New York into a high-concept sci-fi prison break. The Premise: Manhattan as a Hellscape
Set in a "future" 1997, the United States has responded to a 400% surge in crime by turning Manhattan into a giant, walled-off maximum-security prison. There are no guards inside; once you go in, you don't come out. Escape from New York
When Air Force One is hijacked and crashes into the city, the President (Donald Pleasence) is taken hostage by the "Duke of New York" (Isaac Hayes). Desperate, Police Commissioner Hauk (Lee Van Cleef) recruits Snake Plissken—a former war hero turned cynical criminal—to rescue him. To ensure cooperation, Hauk implants microscopic explosives in Snake’s neck that will detonate in 24 hours unless he returns with the President. John Carpenter’s (1981) is a seminal piece of