Escape From New York (1981) ****1/2 [Carpenter Double Feature Pt. 2]

While some may find the outdated technology and obvious artifice of the production design a knock against Escape From New York (1981), for me these aspects only add to the charm of the film. I love the low budget nature (by today's standards), along with the incredible ensemble cast (Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasence, Isaac Hayes, Harry Dean Stanton, Adrienne Barbeau and Tom Atkins—c'mon!), the quotable dialogue, the subtle black humor, Dean Cundey's fantastic cinematography, and the moody electronic score by director John Carpenter and composer Alan Howarth. Snake Plissken is the kind of antihero that continues to resonate and Escape From New York is one of the preeminent 80s dystopian sci-fi action-adventure films—highly influential, and a true cult classic.

You can find my John Carpenter Films Ranked list here.