Escape from New York: Living or Dead?

About Escape from New York

Escape from New York is a 1981 American dystopian science-fiction action film co-written, co-scored and directed by John Carpenter. The film is set in what was near-future of 1997, in a crime-ridden United States that has converted Manhattan Island in New York City into the country's maximum security prison. When Air Force One is hijacked by terrorists and crashes into New York City, ex-soldier and federal prisoner Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) is given 24 hours to rescue the President of the United States. Carpenter wrote the film in the mid-1970s as a reaction to the Watergate scandal. After the success of Halloween, he had enough influence to begin production and filmed it mainly in St. Louis, Missouri on an estimated budget of $6 million. Debra Hill and Larry J. Franco served as the producers. The film was co-written by Nick Castle, who had collaborated with Carpenter by portraying Michael Myers in Halloween. Escape from New York was released in the United States on July 10, 1981. The film received positive reviews from critics and was a commercial success, grossing over $25 million at the box office. The film was nominated for four Saturn Awards, including Best Science Fiction Film and Best Direction. The film became a cult classic and was followed by a sequel, Escape from L.A. (1996), which was also directed and written by Carpenter and starred Russell but which was much less favorably received.