I love Escape from L.A. and I’m not afraid to admit it

Kurt Russell – Escape from LA – Courtesy of Paramount Pictures, Rysher Entertainment

I am going to share something that I know quite a few people will disagree with but I’m ready for the consequences. Escape from L.A. is a fun B movie romp and I’m not afraid to admit it.

“Welcome to the human race.” – Snake Plissken

Land of the Free

In 1996, I saw John Carpenter’s sequel to his fabulous Escape from New York in Woodland Hills, California. Psyched and ready, I settled in and took the ride. I wasn’t disappointed although it seemed like everyone else in the world was with the effort.

Segue to the present and I re-visited Escape from L.A. and I still enjoyed it. Yes, I will admit there are certain scenes that don’t make much sense but sometimes you just have to go with the flow. When watching B movies, I have a tendency to do that.

The cast is a who’s who of film, the special FX for the time period aren’t that bad and well, it has Kurt Russell for crying out loud! Here are five reasons why I dig this flick.

The Hot List

1. Cameos

Cameos – Bruce Campbell – Courtesy of Paramount Pictures, Rysher Entertainment

Let’s face it, this film at first glance when you see the credits could actually be mistaken for a Quentin Tarantino venture. Kurt Russell, Steve Buscemi and Pam Grier are all familiar names from his world. Another great point about the casting is the cameos.

Peter Fonda as the aging surfer dude, Pipeline who probably fried his brain on an LSD trip while “shooting the curl” is amusing. His exchanges with Snake (Russell) are hysterical. Let’s just say, he is perfect for the part.

Then we have Robert Carradine (Revenge of the Nerds) as Skinhead. Hard to believe that the mild-mannered geek was able to play super obnoxious but he did. Challenging Plissken is never a wise move.

Of course, I am going to mention this one. Bruce Campbell, damn near unrecognizable as the Surgeon General of Beverly Hills is frightening. He makes the most of his limited screen time which is evidenced by the fact that 22 years later, audiences still recall his appearance. One thing Campbell knows how to do is OWN his characters.

Isaac Hayes is supposedly in the movie. However, he is listed in IMDb as uncredited and unconfirmed. I did recognize him as the basketball court guard. When you can get the man known for singing Shaft for a hot minute, that is a coup.

2. Concept

Concept – Kurt Russell – Courtesy of Paramount Pictures, Rysher Entertainment

The idea of mixing several genres is audacious and if not executed properly it can be disastrous. John Carpenter knows how to do this adroitly. In addition to the obvious science-fiction and horror elements, there are so many homages to Clint Eastwood and his character of the “Man with No Name” that I sincerely wondered if Kurt might have consciously made that decision since he helped write the script.

At the heart of it, Snake Plissken is a retired gunslinger. The hombre that is a loner but yet by nature a leader. Even the cigarette that Plissken lights up at the end of the movie is reminiscent of the cigarillos that Eastwood was known for in his Sergio Leone films.

Russell’s gravelly voice and sparse but on point dialogue just cements the fact that this a man who will not suffer fools gladly and at his core is honorable and will do the right thing even if costs him his life.