Reviews (7)

Girls Town
I actually saw this movie for the first time a couple of weeks ago on American Movie Classics. I know it's a B movie, but I really liked it. I thought the acting was surprisingly "tight". I was also surprised to see Mel Torme acting in a film, as I had never seen this before. As with most films portraying teenagers, real teenagers are seldom used, so I can't really bash it for that. I liked the music as well, especially the opening song and Anka's touching rendition of Ave Maria. This is the kind of movie I would have enjoyed watching at a Saturday afternoon matinee.

Girls Town awesome fun flick and Mamie is an ICON
This film has been shown on local television, cable special or late night flicks and still manages to inspire films today.
I saw this movie 5 years ago and managed to let friends and family borrow my vhs copy. The movie is one of a kind with its rock 'n' roll greats on stage such as The Platters, Paul Anka , Mel Torme and the cameo appearance with Ray Anthony . Mamie Van Doren bursts onto the screen as the ultimate bombshell and the Mae West- like candor starring as Silver Morgan . Silver is part of a gang of reckless youths that unfortunately are looked upon as hopeless rebels. An accidental death takes place with a member of the gang and Silver Morgan is blamed instantly because of a lipstick found in the dead teenager's car. Denying that she was ever around the night of this date-gone-wrong and is sent to an all female youth detention center run by Nuns. Silver makes her way into the place and decides to cat fight with anyone that gives her bad time....in the end, she comes out of the whole thing a changed girl that has been mistakenly charged with the crime. I truly loved this film and Mamie Van Doren shatters the Marilyn Monroe comparison showing her comedic talents.

Unintentionally hilarious teen-spoitation flick
Was this bad-girls-in-reform-school flick made in an attempt to cash in on the Academy Award-winning "Boys' Town" or did the studio just happen to have a few dozen nun's habits in their wardrobe department? Tubby, dewlapped crooner Mel Torme frames busty bottle-blonde bombshell bad-girl Silver Morgan (Mamie Van Doren, the poor man's Jane Mansfield) for the over-a-cliff murder of her attempted rapist in this manipulative, cloying 1959 teen-sploitation flick. The cops don't have a thing on Silver but the dead punk's dad commands the usual White Male Reality political pull, sending her to a convent-slash-reform-school "Girls' Town" chock-full-o' tough-as-nails nuns, teen gangs played by 35-year old actors, an "Ave Maria"-singing Paul Anka, a no-hands drag race ending in the usual expected laughably "tragic" result, the Platters, badly-choreographed catfights consistently broken up by beefy security nuns, way too much embarrassingly fake teen slang, and Charlie Chaplin, Jr. (?) Watch out for Silver's creepy reform-school pal Seraphina, a spooky obsessive fan stalking a vaguely stupefied young Paul Anka; look carefully in the drive-in scene to spot the reflections of the director and camera crew in the windows of the cars. "The Sound of Music" this ain't. If you're like me, you saw this given the "Mystery Science Theater 3000" treatment, and were all the better for it...it's even funnier that way, and at least *intentionally* funny.

Girls Town (1959)
Classic howler from the drive-in era of movie making, what was then referred to as a rock n roll movie. Starring B-movie bad girl Mamie Van Doren, pushing 30 at least, playing an underage teen, who is sent to reform school run by Catholic nuns. Elinor Donohue (Princess from tv's Father Knows Best) plays Mamie's look alike kid sister (I swear). Mel Torme, the Velvet Fog himself, plays a sneering leatherjacketed j.d. (even tho he's at least 40 when he made this) who blackmails then kidnaps Donohue, with plans of shipping herdown to Mexico. Anyway, there's drag racing, an attempted rape, a murder, cat fights, tough lesbos,rock n roll songs, mental breakdowns, religious conversions and Paul Anka (with his old nose) singing "Lonely Boy" (which he wrote for this film) and the "Ave Maria" (talk about sacriligious!). Also on hand is I MARRIED A MONSTER FROM OUTER SPACE's Gloria Talbot ( as a lesbo), Gigi Perreau (as the unhinged girl who stalks Anka, before there even was stalking. I guess the producers couldn't afford to have her stalk Ricky Nelson.) And check out the appearence by The Platters, in which the camera never shows the face of lead singer Tony Williams, just his hand, the back of his head, and the column that covers his face! Forget HIGH SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL, this is the CITIZEN KANE of camp classics. Crazy, cool and completely unforgettable.From M-G-M , of all places..

girl's town
sending this in again as i forgot 2 put the name of movie......great movie 4 back in the old days ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Fifteen years after John Carpenter squandered a great idea on a mediocre movie (Escape from New York), he does it again--this time on the Left Coast. Kurt Russell is back as the terminally cynical one-eyed action hero Snake Plissken who, this time, has been coerced into saving the world in Los Angeles. It's 2013 and L.A. is now an island maximum security prison off the coast of California. Snake has 10 hours to find a doomsday weapon that's fallen into the hands of revolutionaries before he dies of a virus with which he's been injected. But the action is clumsy and unimaginative: lots of shootouts and very little suspense. Even the bad guys aren't particularly inventive; only Pam Grier, as a transsexual gang leader, strikes any sparks. Russell growls his way through the role but can only blame himself: He cowrote the script with Carpenter. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (75)

A good B-movie ride while it lasts
15 years after crafting the low budget comic cult classic Escape From New York, director John Carpenter finally got the budget he needed in this sequel/reworking of the original film. Kurt Russell reprises his role as one eyed badass Snake Plisskin as he is dropped into the island of Los Angeles to seek out the president's daughter. Parts of the film seem more aimed to make a social satire of our dwindling freedom, but sometimes the action gets too incoherent and parts of the film seem uneven. Not to mention that there are times when the film feels rushed, like Carpenter just wanted to get the film over with. Either way though, Escape From L.A. is still a fun B-movie ride with a great comic flair, and the great supporting cast which includes Steve Buscemi, Pam Grier, Peter Fonda, Stacy Keach, Cliff Robertson, and B-movie icon Bruce "Evil Dead" Campbell make this one of Carpenter's more decent films of late.

Rebirth of a classic
Kurt Russell collaborates with John Carpenter to bring snake back in our homes, and I know far too many people that feel that it never should of happened, but I disagree. Accept this movie for what it is, the Escape from New York "Special Edition" with a totally reworked yet incredibly similar plot line. And not just incredibly similar. To this day, I still laugh at Snake sitting in the lawn chair out front of Eddie's place just like he did when he was next to the plane crash in New York. Every single subtle plot point of New York is somehow included into the L.A. storyline. But, if you let your mind enjoy it, and let yourself be captivated by the gritty, downright scary conception of our future and one man dealing with it, it's the same successful movie that New York was, but with 90's movie technology. Steve Buscemi shines in this as "Map to the stars" Eddie, and Bruce Campbell is extremely entertaining for all of the five minutes he's in the film.

As far as the DVD is concerned, this is just one more in my collection of DVD's that frustrates me everytime I look at it. No commentary, no making of featurette (which I saw on HBO, and was interesting), and the transfer is actually not the greatest.

The movie's worth it. Just a dissapointing DVD. Give it a shot and enjoy.

"Escape From L.A." is more of the same!
This sequel to Carpenter's 1980 cult classic "Escape From New York" is more or less a bigger budget retelling of the same story. Russell is back as Snake Plitsken, the one-eyed outlaw hero who once again will be offered a full pardon if he goes into a criminal-infested prison that used to be a major American city. This time, he has to confiscate a "doomsday device" from a sadistic terrorist who is using it to blackmail the United States. Despite the more than fifteen years that seperate the two films, this one really doesn't offer much on "New York" aside from a cool underwater sequence involving a certain Universal Studios attraction and a couple of cool special effects scenes. Russell is still great as the over-the-top anti-hero and the addition of some cool character actors keeps it from being a total waste of time but this script is seriously lacking. This one has "retread" written all over it. There is about as much of a difference in the stories as there is in the titles.

A Joke?
When I first saw this film in the theaters, I really didn't like it. In fact, I was pretty let down! I had grown up with Escape From New York, and to my horror, John Carpenter remade his own film! I'm not kidding, REMADE it. Right down to Snake getting shot in the leg and limping for the last half of the film. Years later I revaluated my opinion. You can't make a film as corny as this on accident, especially if you're a veteran director like John Carpenter; It had to be done on purpose. I've read numerous interviews over the years and have found out two things, and I think these two things are the reason this film ended up the way it did. First, John Carpenter hates sequels. He never wanted to make sequels to his films. He never wanted a sequel to Halloween(let alone six! That's why he produced Halloween 3 which people hated so much, coz he was trying to take this series in a different direction and not retread the whole Michael Myers thing). I also understand that both Carpenter and Kurt Russell were under alot of studio pressure to make this film. I don't know what kind of favor Carpenter owed the studio, but he made this film. And my theory is that he made this film intentionally bad to say to the studio, "There, I made the stinking sequel you wanted, don't ask me to do it again!" I mean really, if he had wanted to make a sequel to Escape From New York, don't you think he would have struck while the iron was hot and made it at the height of the first film's success instead of waiting 15 years? Think about it. When I consider this scenario, I can watch Escape From L.A and have a good laugh thinking that John Carpenter may have played a big joke on the Hollywood studios. Really, there's no way Carpenter included that surfing scene with the intention of it being taken seriously. The film is just way too overblown, way too cheesy and obviously a carbon copy of the original to be anything other than a joke. Kurt may be older now, but he's actually still able to play Snake Plissken like it's 1980. The performance is great, it's just the film surrounding Kurt that's silly. Try watching it again and see what you think.

escape from new york on acid
Escape from new york is a classic.It is a dark and moody action adventure with an 1980s feel,with a modest budget.Escape from l.a. is a big budget pumped up roller coaster ride that goes for broke and explodes with a wave of energy and the coolness of snake plissken.This follow up does tell the same story as the first,but guess what! thats what they had in mind.I hope they make a third. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

The Big Classic!!
Wow....I just finished watching this movie and it is a real jem. Ladies in prison flicks are cool but this one takes the cake as far as campy goes. Here are some of the things you will experience if you watch this flick.
1. Tons of 70's babes with tight skimpy outfits on.
2. More babes with skimpy outfits on.
3. Homosexual prison gaurds
4. Homosexual prison warden
5. A Philipino Revolution
6. More 70's babes with tight outfits on.
7. A woman hanging by her ponytail as punishment for trying to escape
8. Mud wrestling
9. Crazed women inmates imprisoned in an cage with other crazy wild women (they act like animals....funny!)
10. Inmates who want to be "raped" by men, because they haven't "had any sex in a very long time".
11. More sex starved female inmates in tight outfits.....especially one very "hot blond babe" who begs for sex!!
I must admit this is by far the funniest and sickest movie I have seen in a long time. The plot centers around this band of revolutionaries who want to take over thier country by force. They come up with the crazy idea of breaking into an all "womens prison" and freeing the women who will help them with the revolution.(This is the first time I have ever seen anyone break "into" a prison.) Not much of what goes on makes any sence but it sure makes for one hell of a laugh riot. Roger Corman impressed me again. I have only seen one other Roger Corman movie "Bucket of Blood" and I have to admit that this film is stranger and funnier than "Bucket". As I was watching this film I kept asking myself "Is Roger Corman for real?... is he trying to be serious or trying to be funny?"....the script is a zany hoot and the film kept my attention all the way through. I recieved the VHS version and there was 2 spots where the audio did not sync up to the film, this error actually added to the wierdness of the flick. The entire movie had that "made for T.V" feel to it. There is some nudity and bad launguage but the contentnt is so bizzare and offbeat that it deserved a "R" rating. I highly recommned this film for the cinema nut who thinks he has seen it all. You will not be dissapointed!.....the highlight of the film is when halfway thru the movie you find out the prison guards and warden prefer men sexually over women...gay prison guards!!!!.....this twist in the scipt is just TOO FUNNY!!........buy it today....you will thank me!!

Saving Stars for Quality Films
This movie was highly enjoyable; one of the highlights for me was the revolutionary humor; a goofball group of wanna-be revolutionaries decide they need chicks from prison to have their revolution. Their leader stays in power by making increasingly dubious promises that the revolution is coming "soon."
I watched this film because I'm a Pam Grier fan. I'm very interested in her progression from 'chicks in chains' films (such as this one) through her 'half badass, half exploited for skin' roles in the 1970s to her legendary performance as the classy, kickass Jackie Brown, possibly the climax of her career.
Indeed, it's hard to believe that this film contains the same Pam as Jackie Brown. I would recommend this film to people who are interested in Pam's career; if you want to watch it for other reasons, that's up to you.

B-movie Splendor
I would have to say this was a brilliant movie. I was highly entertained from this Mr.Corman and Hill flick. Beautiful women getting roughed up, from the somewhat feminine guards. Pam Grier gets your full attention.

Good Movie
There are tons of women in prison films out there. There are so many that often times they seem almost repetitive. However, this film was very unique because it provided a great mix of comedy and action. Pam Grier as a tough revolutionary provided all the action as she ploted to free the mistreated women from prison. The comedy mostly came from the sexually deprived women, who were full of one-liners and crazy notions. But of course the movie still contained all the things that make a good prison explotation film....lots of nudity...violence...bad laguage and did I mention lots of nudity. It's worth seeing! If you like it also check out THE BIG DOLL HOUSE. ... Read more

Reviews (299)

Violence as a media event
"Natural Born Killers" is not about glorifying violence; it's a chilling parody of the American fascination with violence. The quick changes from color to black and white and back again, interspersed with animated sequences, point up the satiric nature of the movie. Mickey and Mallory, very well played by Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis, are two killing machines without heart or soul or conscience; their only redeeming virtues are their love for each other. They aren't meant to be sympathetic characters and they're not, but Oliver Stone's direction makes them pale in depravity besides some of the other characters -- the sadistic warden, the despicable detective and his morbid fascination with Mallory, Mallory's nauseating, sexually abusive father, and above all, Robert Downey's superb characterization of the media pimp who feeds off blood and gore. The last scene in the movie, of Mickey and Mallory on the road with their two children, and Mallory about to deliver a third at any minute, underscores the whole message of the film; violence feeds on itself and begets yet more violence. Those viewers who were most upset by the movie missed its message. "Natural Born Killers" is a brilliant, disturbing depiction of the shallowness of American culture at the end of the 20th century.

Wow. Truly brilliant film making.
When i first saw this movie i thought it sucked. but i watched it again a few years later and saw how amazing it was. Oliver Stone is a brilliant director. this film is one of the top 5 most well directed films of all time. lots of different camera tricks and stuff make this film great on a visual level. This is a satire on the media and it works brilliantly. it shows how the media cant be trusted and exploits people like Mickey and Mallory to make money by presenting them as heroes. lots of good scenes illustrate this. i love the scene where they are walking down the corridor to escape from the riot. also this film is actually kind off funny in a weird way sort of like " A Clockwork Orange" was kind of funny. dark humor but still funny. Great performances especially Tommy Lee Jones who really was impressive and funny in his role as the psycotic warden. dont judge this movie unless you actually watch it!

"In the media circus of life, they were the main attraction"
This true masterpiece directed by acclaimed director and writer, Oliver Stone, is avant-garde filmaking at its breaking point. The whole theme of Natural Born Killers is that the media is obsessive over violence and brutality; therefore, the extreme violence in the movie is used as a satire, not as entertainment. Definitely one of the most controversial movies ever released, especially in the 1990s when the Simpson trial, Rodney King, and the Menendez brothers became celebrity darlings because of the mass media and not because of anything credible. The acting by all the leads, especially Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis, is amazing. Their true love is another theme that proves vital in Natural Born Killers. It is the one and only thing that can hold people together when faced with such things as violence and a tormented childhood. The actual violence portrayed is not even that graphic after one viewing. It is the break-neck pacing and high-speed cuts that give the movie its violent intensity. If not Woody Harrelson, then definitely Juliette Lewis should have received some sort of Academy nomination, such as an Emmy, if not an Oscar.

Oliver Stone beats one in the face with this media spectacle that boasts every type of film style imaginable. Everything from 36 mm to black and white to animation to a video camera to color tinting to fast and slow motion is used in abundance with fascinating success. Roger Ebert said, "Seeing this movie once is not enough," and he is right! A must see.

Brilliant Filmaking!

Sheer Chaos But An Important Message Within.
A film that didn't turn out as I expected. Ok I knew there was going to be violence just from its title but all the killing, the swearing and the chaos never stopped. I didn't particulary enjoy this film yet it for some reason it kept me interested, I wanted to see if fate played for or against Mickey and Mallory, two of the most twisted characters ever to come to a movie screen.

There's nothing gratifying in Natural Born Killers but there is an important message on how the media nowadays glorifies violence, creating cult followers for mass murderers - what Oliver Stone manages to do is portray the negative in the 90's, particularly American pseudo-culture. You have Rodney King, O.J Simpson, Tonya Harding, The Menendez Brothers... and all these things are linked by a single medium - 90's television.

Definitely not one of my favourites, but I do appreciate why people respect this movie so much, it's well made, just not to my liking as such. What would have been interesting to see was original script writer Quentin Tarentino's version, apparently much altered from the film. As it is though, its worth a viewing.

A MONUMENTAL MASTERWORK!
NATURAL BORN KILLERS is an aggressive, in-your-face, timeless bloodsoaked masterpiece. Man, this movie NEVER gets old! The power it has the first time you see it is EXACTLY the same power you'll feel when you see it for the eight or ninth time. This is one of those movies like REQUIEM FOR A DREAM that is just ridiculously AMAZING! It's hard to believe a filmmaker who's just a regular human being like everyone else could succeed so perfectly and astonishingly in capturing and showing every single message and critique he wanted to put in the forefront. Though it's sharp, audacious, angry, unapologetic, eye-opening satirical attack on the greedy and souless disgrace that is mainstream media, and the awe-striking way in which it constantly shows in so many different ways why the media is such a lying fear-promoting monster, is what makes it such a MONUMENTALLY important film, it would be brilliant filmmaking even without it. Stone has always been one of the most energetic, ambitious, and visually creative filmmakers in America, and he uses those skills to the max in this, the standout of his amazing career. Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis couldn't have nailed the psycho persona, and all the different emotional and psychological wreckage that comes with it, more DEAD-ON! But the real acting standout of this film is the wonderful Robert Downey Jr.'s remarkable, raw, unforgiving, explosively hysterical turn as media scumbag Wayne Gale. He may have a Robin Leach-like accent, but don't be fooled: There is no doubt that this is motherf**king Geraldo Rivera IN EVERY POSSIBLE WAY! I'm surprised Rivera wasn't throwing the same disgraceful, disgusting, and shamefully self-righteous hizzy fit that the pathetic John Grisham threw, since the film captures (with a depressingly small amount of exaggeration) everything that makes Geraldo such reprehensible media vermin. To all the people who said this film was responsible for inciting violence: SHAME ON YOU! Isn't it funny that the vicious and dangerous moral and PC police always targets the best films? Like DOGMA, BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE and REQUIEM FOR A DREAM, this is one of the most socially conscious AND socially valuable films of it's time. And, like REQUIEM, it is a film that puts most filmmaking to shame and transcends the power of it's medium, thus becoming not just a great film but a terrific human achievment. ... Read more

Reviews (111)

"John Carpenter's Escape from New York"
Escape from New York (R) *****/5
Kurt Russell, Ernest Borgnine, Isaac Hayes, Harry Dean Stanton, Adrienne Barbeau.
Directed by: John Carpenter.
Synopsis: A former war hero turned criminal must save the president, and recover his briefcase to save his own life when he is dropped in the criminal penitentiary of N.Y. City.
Special Features: Trailer
Review: One of the greatest films ever made, and the greatest vision of the future ever. John Carpenter's widely acclaimed success of a film. It follows Kurt Russell as Snake Plissken who has two bombs planted in him. He is given a chance for his freedom if he can rescue the president and his briefcase from the clutches of The Duke in the prison city of N.Y. Plissken the former war hero turned criminal goes in, and he must survive the terror town, complete his mission, and get back before the bombs go off. Kurt Russell forever shed his Disney image for this film. He is on the ball, with the performance of a lifetime, and he creates one of the greatest characters in cinema history. Borgnine is lovable as the cabbie, Hayes is a fantastic bad guy, Stanton is cool as usual, and the supporting cast gives it their best effort. Carpenter shines with his tiny budget. He introduces us to a world where anything can happen, and he unveils his world to us in spectacular form. He even filmed it in Saint Louis and made me think it was New York. As for the DVD? ...

Snake Plissken Escapes from DVD Hell...
A few years ago, MGM released a bare-bones DVD of EFNY and were rightly criticized for not including anything in the way of supplemental material. A glaring omission for such a beloved movie. The studio has more than redeemed itself with this new two DVD Special Edition that should please the fans.

There are two audio commentaries on the first DVD. The first one is with producer Debra Hill and production designer Joe Alves and focuses on production anecdotes and how the special effects of the film were achieved.

The second audio track is with John Carpenter and Kurt Russell, and is the one fans will enjoy the most. The two men joke and banter with each other like old friends and it is this relaxed, conversational tone that really makes this track such an enjoyable listen.

There is an excellent documentary entitled, "Return to Escape From New York" located on the second DVD. A treat for fans is all the new cast and crew interviews conducted especially for this documentary: the always radiant Adrienne Barbeau, the normally publicity shy Harry Dean Stanton and even the Duke himself, Isaac Hayes! They all speak fondly of their experiences on the film.

There is also a so-so a photo montage of how an issue of the comic book is put together, from rough sketches to its arrival in stores. In a nice touch, the issue that is shown is also included with the DVD.

"Snake Bites" is a collection of clips from the film scored to some atmospheric electronic music. This really isn't all that interesting and seems like unnecessary padding to fill out the DVD.

The other extra that has been eagerly anticipated by fans is the famous original opening of the film. Snake and his partner rob a bank and are caught with Snake being arrested and his partner being gunned down. This scene sets up Snake's arrival at the New York prison but Carpenter cut it because test audiences were confused by it. This footage was thought to be lost long ago. It is finally being presented in its entirety on this DVD. The footage is quite grainy but watchable and features an optional audio commentary by Carpenter and Russell (who had never seen the footage before).

Rounding out the disc are a nice collection of TV spots, a theatrical trailer, and a photo gallery with lobby cards, behind-the-scenes and production stills.

Escape From New York is a fast-paced action film that contains a dark, satirical edge that never falters, even right up to the film's conclusion. The DVD, with its wonderfully themed menus (done in the same style as the film), stunning transfer and top notch extras, ranks right up there with the excellent Big Trouble in Little China (1986) special edition set that came out a few years ago. This new special edition was obviously made with the fans in mind and this only enhances its value.

"You mean I can't count on you?...Good!"
What can I say.

Strangely enough, despite the fact that I am a child of the 80s (I was 12 when this movie first came out), I never saw Escape from New York until 6 weeks ago.

Then I was hooked.

Most people know the story. In the "future," (1988, haha) the US crime rate rises 400%. To combat this crime wave, drastic measures are taken. The United States becomes a fascist-like police state, and in 1992 New York City becomes the country's one maximum-security prison to house the worst society has to offer. Sealed off from the outside world by a 50-foot containment wall on all sides, Manhattan Island becomes a modern (or postmodern) Botany Bay. All bridges, tunnels and waterways surrounding the island are mined, and the US Police Force constantly patrols by helicopter, to ensure that no prisoners escape. Criminals unlucky enough to receive a maximum-security sentence are given a choice: be executed or be airdropped into the New York for life to fend for themselves. As the chilling opening narration observes, "There are no guards, only prisoners and the worlds they have made. The rules are simple. Once you go in, you don't come out."

Into this black pit of despair comes one S.V. "Snake" Plissken, played by Kurt Russell. A war hero (he won 2 purple hearts, one in Leningrad and one in Siberia - remember, the Soviet Union still existed when this film was made), Snake for unspecified reasons has turned to a life of crime. And at the film's beginning, the Law has finally caught up with Snake, and he is being transported to New York to serve a life sentence for bank robbery when Fate steps in.

On the same evening that Snake is brought to Manhattan Island to begin serving his sentence, the President of the United States (played by Donald Pleasance) is on his way to a peace summit when his plane (Airforce One) is hijacked by a terrorist posing as a pilot, and is crashed into the prison. (In today's post-9/11 environment, the hijacking scene, at least to me, is particularly chilling and I have a hard time watching it).

Miraculously, the President exits the plane via his special "escape pod" and he survives the plane crash...only to be taken captive by the "Duke of New York," played with beautiful understated menace by Isaac Hayes.

Police Commissioner Bob Hauk (played by Lee Van Cleef), has an idea: send Snake Plissken, trained combat veteran and specialist at "getting in quiet," into the prison to find the President and rescue him. If he succeeds, Snake will be pardoned for every crime he's ever committed in the United States. And just to make sure that Snake fulfills his end of the bargain, Hauk has the prison's chief doctor implant 2 explosives in Snake's neck. If Snake does not return with the President in 22 hours, the explosives will go off, and, as Hauk wryly notes, "No more Snake Plissken."

So the die is cast. Snake goes in...but will he find the President alive? Even if he finds the President alive, will he get out in time to have the charges in his neck neutralized? Watch it and see.

This film is entertaining on many levels. It's an excellently crafted story, complete with social commentary and irony. It's a dystopic vision of what can happen when we trade too much of our liberty in exchange for what we think is security - definitely another resonant theme in our post-9/11 reality. We clamp down on individual rights/freedoms, supposedly in the name of protecting the collective - and leave society's undesirables to prey on each other in an asphalt jungle hell. But then what are we? According to this film, we're only slightly less inhuman than the criminals.

And the DVD contains various extras and bonuses which are sure to round out one's Escape from New York knowledge. This includes the documentary film "Return to Escape from New York," which details the making of the film. There are also commentary tracks by John Carpenter and Kurt Russell, as well as by producer Debra Hill.

Another real treat is the deleted bank robbery scene (the original first 10 minutes of the movie). This scene was cut from the final film because, in Carpenter's words on the commentary track, premiere audiences thought it diminished Snake's character by "humanizing" him too much. I actually found that humanization to be a good thing, and thought that the Bank Robbery sequence helped to set context for the story.

Along the lines of the deleted bank robbery sequence, another potential flaw of this movie, at least in my opinion, is that we never really know much about the characters or why they are the way they are. In other words, there's not much in the way of character development or backstory. For example, we know that Snake is sullen, embittered and in general concerned for nothing but his own self-preservation (though occasionally flashes of humanity do show and when it comes down to it, he does the right thing). But why?

I've read that Mike McQuay's novelization of the movie sketches out some history for Snake's character (and for the characters of Hauk, Brain, Maggie, Cabbie and the President as well). It would have been nice to see some of that in the film, with subplots, flashbacks, etc. It would've made the story richer.

But, regardless, what is there is great stuff. The cynicism and one-liners will bring a wry smile to your face, especially when they come from good old snarling Snake. Check it out.

Snake Plissken; Add Him To Your List of Movie Heroes
There's always something bizarre, in a very cool way, about watching a futuristic movie set in a year we've already passed. It's very eerie. Released in 1981, "Escape From New York" opens to explain that in 1988, Manhattan Island was transformed into a Maximum Security Prison, surrounded by a massive wall from every angle; guarded by police, with landmines at every exit route. The film is set in 1997, when terrorists bring down Air Force One, president and all, right into the heart of the forbidden island. Luckily, the president has survived thanks to his escape pod, and a rescue team is immediately dispatched in an effort to retrieve him and his special cargo. The president carries with him a cassette tape (very futuristic, eh?) of recorded information that could bring peace to the currently warring nations, but the time left with which to use it in is short. The rescue team finds the escape pod empty, and is soon approached by a loony prisoner with a grim message. The president has been taken captive by the A-Number One inmate of Manhattan Island, The Duke of New York. This is a job for... SNAKE PLISSKEN!

Yes, Snake Plissken: war hero; the youngest man ever to be decorated by the president; and recently, bank robber. Before being condemned to join the other inmates of Manhattan Island, Snake is made an offer. Go in, come back with the president and the tape before the clock runs out, and get a full pardon. But to sweeten the deal, another card is played. Snake is injected with two tiny capsules into his bloodstream. If he doesn't make it back in time to have the capsules neutralized, they will explode and rupture his arteries, killing him immediately. The only thing Snake really cares about anymore is himself, so now he has no choice. He must fly a glider into the heart of the city, locate the president and his tape, and together, they must escape from New York!

John Carpenter creates another masterpiece with "Escape From New York." The city is turned into a truly intimidating, downright frightening environment, with every kind of crazy one could think of. Kurt Russel as Snake Plissken, creates one more of those wonderful iconic anti-heroes the likes of Bruce Campbell's Ash and Rowdy Roddy Piper's Nada; self-serving, gruff, and full of great one-liners, but always doing the right thing when it comes down to it. The always fun Ernest Borgnine is great as Cabbie, Harry Dean Stanton is perfect as Brain, and Donald Pleasance and Isaac Hayes are also well cast, as was the entire film. Carpenter's usually haunting music runs throughout, and the adventure and action is non-stop. A must have for all fans of the sci-fi anti-hero genre and apocalyptic future films. Sorry I can't comment on the Special Edition DVD, but I currently only have the bare bones edition. It sounds great though, and I definitely want to get it. Mine does include the theatrical trailer though, and it's very cool. Love those creepy theatrical trailers for sci-fi films of the late 70s and early 80s. "Escape From New York" was followed by a sequel in 1996, "Escape From L.A." Some (maybe most) may find the sequel overly campy, with too many special effects and too much comedy. I have to confess that I slightly prefer L.A., probably for those very reasons. I'm not huge on camp, but it seemed to work well with the material. The plot was fairly similar though, and both movies have GREAT twist endings.

One of the most important films in my life
Carpenter's 2nd best. The fact that I'm a loser who does nothing but sit in a room all day and watch movies all day and has no friends and dreams of making movies of his own some day. This is the 2nd most inspiring movie in my life No.1 is Halloween. No 3. is Ghostbusters No 4. is The Thing. and No. 5 is Big Trouble In Little China. I'm not really sure what to say because words can't explain how much I love this movie but I wiil say this Incredible movie very ahead of it's time amazing story, amazing cast including western legends Lee Van Cleef and Ernest Borgnine and my favorite actor of all time Donald Pleasence, Amazing photography by Dean Cundey who I think is the best of all time, the best character of all time (besides Michael Myers) Snake Plissken, best Director of all time and I really really mean that, very funny ending just amazing and believe me I really really mean that too. I will Never forget it. Well I'm gonna go watch some more movies I'm thinking about watching Prince Of Darkness or maybe Halloween 4 The Return of Michael Myers well so long. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

not as good as expected
for all of you w.i.p films this is a dud not what we are all looking for but had a few parts that were intersteing but very few

Some people shouldn't make women-in-prison movies!
If you're going to attempt a women-in-jail flick, you've GOT to have at least ONE good girl-girl scene, right? If not, then why bother at all? I mean, people are going to EXPECT it, and to not include a couple of aggressive lesbian guards and/or prisoners kind of defeats the purpose for the entire film! Jewel looks good, but I'm sorry, it's not enough!

Super Agent Jewel Shepard breaks out of prison.
The latest Jewel Shepard movie. It's a Roger Corman production shot in the Philippines. Jewel Shepard plays Amanda, an operative for secret agency of the US Govt. While trying to get a US-favored leader out of his country, a rebellion starts. The revolutionaries capture the leader's daughter and it's up to Jewel to get herself arrested so she can break the daughter out and spirit her to safety.

Jewel Shepard, action, adventure, monsoons, women's prison... what more could you ask for? A must-have for all Jewel Shepard fans. END ... Read more

Amazon.com

Pam Grier in a women-in-prison movie? Why did no one think of this sooner? OK, they did. Several times. But this one is different. Black Mama, White Mama is a bizarre update of The Defiant Ones with a little Cool Hand Luke and Chained Heat thrown in for good measure. Grier stars as Lee Daniels, a pimp-and-drug-lord's moll who's looking for a way to escape both prison and her thug boyfriend. The dynamic Margaret Markov ably backs her as rich-girl-turned-revolutionary Karen Brent. The two meet in the friendliest Third World prison ever (Tickling games in the shower! What girlish fun!), and before you can say catfight they're chained together at the wrist. A quick prison break later, our feisty ladies are being chased all over the undefined tropical island by the police, revolutionaries, and dueling pimps. Director Jonathan Demme shares the story credit for this one, and his craftsmanship shows--Black Mama, White Mama hits every mandatory facet of the genre, including butt kicking, gunfire, an Evil Lesbian Prison Guard, gratuitously scanty clothing, and dressing up as nuns. Absolutely not to be missed. --Ali Davis ... Read more

Reviews (7)

dis movie rox mai sox mahon!!!!!
DIS IS DA PAM GURL MOVIE...........SHE IS DA BEST GURL IN PLANET CAUSE SHJE LOOX HOT WITH GOOD LOOKIN HOTTAS.................DA BOMB MAN DA BOMB!!!!!I LOVE DAT GURLS MOVIE............MARRY ME

The Big Influence In Life
It's hard to describe the impact this movie has had on my life. I've been considered a bit of a flossing prodigy and I've had a hard time living up to such expectations. This movie, though, set me straight.

What you're going to get from Black Mama, White Mama is a straightforward statement on race relations in the United States. We have two women in America. Both have children. One is black and one is white. It's about the struggles that each have as powerful women in a male dominated society. What it's like to be a strong black woman. And what it's like to be a strong white woman... in a society where you're automatically labeled a B*tch when you tell others what to do and why you don't like them much... it's called being straightforward.

Anyway. Black History Month shouldn't just be about MLK, Jr. Or Malcolm X. It should be about powerful movies like this one, that make a strong statement about race relations between women in America that have children and have to get up everyday and get out of bed and use the bathroom and drink O.J. from the carton.

Enjoyable Ride With Cool Girls Under the Hot Sun
Though an entry of 'Soul Cinema Collection,' "Black Mama, White Mama" does not belong to so-called blaxploitation films. "BMWM"'s idea clearly comes from "The Defiant Ones" and here we see an incongruous pair chained to each other, on the run from the prison for women.

Women's prison? Yes, as avid movie fans know, we have a minor genre dealing with women's prison. Its formula has been the same: cruel wardens, violence among the prisoners, the rigid rules that donimates them, etc., and before the hit of "Coffy," Pam Grier had to serve about two years in this genre. By the time of 1970s the genre has become famous (or notorious) for its violence and nudity, and both stars here also are thrown into women's prison on an unnamed island just after the opening credit. So you know what you see in the next shower room scene.

Thankfully, the prison sequences are not long, and Pam & Margaret soon manage to escape, chained together by the hand, and run and run and ... well, the rest is, as you expect, lots of set-pieces: shootings between guards, gang, and revolutionary guerrillas (!) They are mildly entertaining, especially when Pam is on the screen, but as a whole too familiar to get excited. Still, several scenes are momorable: both stars disguised as nuns, and a very unique way of giving a false scent to a chasing dog by giving a pooch Margaret's underwear. And check out their clothes, especially Pam's (red one); they always look too clean for runaway prisoners!

"Black Mama, White Mama" is worth a look for Pam Grier fans because it seems a miracle now that she survived those Grade-B films to finally be praised by her portraying Jackie Brown with her dynamite performance 24 years later. Another interesting thing about "BMWM" is that the story is co-wriiten by Jonathan Demme, who one year before "BMWH" produced and also co-wrote the same kind of film "The Hot Box," which incidentally features Margaret Markov. (For the record, in another film "Arena" Pam and Margaret both appear.) Demme himself is to direct another women-in-prison movie called "The Caged Heat," his first feature film, in 1974. A long way to "The Silence of the Lambs," isn't it?

Steamy jungle saga with Pam!
Pam Grier is the black mama and Margaret Markov is the white mama in this "homage" (let us not say "rip-off") to the old 1958 Tony Curtis-Sidney Poitier classic The Defiant Ones, in which two escaping prison inmates are chained together, and must overcome their loathing for each other and work together in order to gain their freedom.

In this version, director Eddie Romero (of the Blood Island trilogy) has, instead of a black guy and a prejudiced white guy, a black hooker and a revolutionist white girl, which allows for cat-fights and nude scenes, as well as the chase through the Philippine jungle. The two escapees are pursued by the cops, a drug lord, a bounty hunter, and a guerrilla leader, all with their own motives for catching the runaways.

This is another bare-bones DVD from MGM which has only the movie trailer and a scene/language selector for bonus features. (Well, you do see Pam Grier's bare-bones, so that's not so bad!) The image quality is not the best, though. Still, it's worth its price for Romero/Grier/women-in-prison fans.

Black mama White mama, two hot mamas!
Now this be a movie! On an unnamed Carribean Island our heros Grier (prostitute)and Markov (terrorist) are bused into a female prison. Watch female guards get themselves off while watching playful inmates shower. If a prisoner 'plays good' with the head guard they get out of work. Pam don't like having to pull other people's load, gets into a messhal fight with Markov. They are put into the sweatbox together. There is only room to stand, and they must lean their physiques against each other to stand, because the walls are too hot to touch.

Later they are chained together for interigation because they both have information on two separate parties (druglords and a terrorist group planning to take over the island). While enroute they escape with the help of a terrorist ambush. While on the run, and chained together, Grier wants to go to one side of the island to get her boat and stolen cash, while Markov wants to go to the other side of the island to get the weapons her terrorist friends need.

High points 1) they dress as nuns while on the run 2) a lot of nudity 3) The rhinestone cowboy Puerto Rican bounty hunter who is as much out of place on that island as is a snowball. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Not as good as it might have been...
Here we have a very talkative Charles Bronson in a sub-par prison escape film. It seemed like more of a comedy than anything else. A nice turn by Randy Quaid as Bronsons goofy mechanic and a small part for Duvall. I still can't figure out why on the theatrical poster it shows a helicopter flying with a man dangling from a rope!?! It never happened in this movie but it is fun nonetheless. Just make sure you've checked out The White Buffalo, Stone Killer and St. Ives before you bother with this.

Bronson at his Best
Being a big Charles Bronson fan, i consider this to be among one of his best movies. The usually tight lipped quite guy is actually very colorful and alive in this action packed thriller. What a great cast also that are along for the ride Robert Duvall, Jull Ireland, Randy Quaid, Sheere North and even John Houston. Also, Another great score by Jerry Goldsmith. The real winner here is Bronson's performance.
Well for the DVD? it is barebones not even a trailer and although i would have loved to see some extras on this, chances of that happening are very remote. The biggest joy is to finally have this in the widescreen format 2.35:1 after countless years of watching the lousy pan and scan versions on video and laserdisc, this is a real treat to have and a MUST own for bronson fans. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Quite possibly one of the best
The poetry and hidden beauty of Penitentiary are not simple yet astounding. Badja Djola's (Half-Dead) expressionism of the violence of prison life, and Lion Isaac Kenneday's portrayal of Too Sweet as the hero struggling against all to prevail make this movie this instant classic it is. The amazing fight scenes that depict the sole outlet for these oppression and violence of the unfortuate inmates brings to the fore the struggles of the nation itself in the 70s. Deep, thoughtful, and above all entertaining, one of the best!

A low-budget classic!
The quality of the movie is poor, but if you want a good movie, with black actors, get this classic.

I've loved this movie since i was 15. It's crazy and funny.
Even though it is a B movie, it was great. The fight scenes were just nutty. The characters in this movie are wild. The gay guys at the matches were great. When the women pentitiary came over to watch the matches then things really got crazy. It was tooo funny. I watch it over and over.

A long lost blacksploitation Gem!
Suprise, suprise blaxpo fans the movie that started off the penitentiary trend is available. No, it's not the one with Mr. T (penitentiary II) or that horrible one with the midget. (penintiary III) This is the one with the original too sweet, half dead and seldom seen. The movie is low budget and cheap, try to find the boom mike in some scenes, but that's not what impresses me. It's the fact it transends the usual blacksploitation stereotypes. They are still there but also there is also a lot of truth within it. The seldom seen character is no characture he's a real. (He play's too sweet trainer.) I was amazed at how realistic his portrayal of an institutionalized convict was. We really get to understan him and why he does what he does. Another interesting thing about this movie is the the character half dead (Badja Djola) was hilarious. (You want some Mr. goodbar) You might remember him from the dozens of movies afterward (a rage in harlem, mississippi burning and other films) I also liked the fact that this was funny(mostly) but it also was serious at times. If you are any kind of fan of blacksploitation movies, or cult movies in general I urge you to buy or rent if you can find this video. Trust me it's HARD to find! ... Read more