Escape From LA was released on 9 August 1996 to the sound of disappointed fans everywhere. But I love it!
People wanted another Escape From New York. And I get that. True, I don’t like it nearly as much as most people. It is probably John Carpenter’s most overrated film. I fear people like it because of its vaguely reactionary 1980s politics. And, of course, Snake Plissken who comes off as a slightly more complicated John Rambo. But people like that.
But most people miss the fact that New York is a supremely silly film. The filmmakers didn’t miss this, though! So when they made a sequel, they grabbed hold of that silliness and rode it to the finish line!
Audiences liked the pretense, though. And Escape From LA comes off more as a parody than a sequel. But I think that shows that audiences didn’t really understand the first film. Not that it matters. No one needs to see films as I do. And, in fact, they don’t!
Critic reviews are notably better than audience reviews. The critics are generally more open to the ridiculousness of the whole thing. But there are a lot of audience reviews that totally get it and embrace it. And I think after nearly 30 years, people are in a better place to like it. Over time, it is easier to meet a film where it’s at rather than where you think it should be.
But I think the two films work great as a double feature. Enjoy Escape From New York. Then watch Escape From LA to clarify what you just watched.
You can watch Escape From New York on OK.RU. For now, watch this good print on YouTube (embedding is not allowed).
Other 9 August Anniversaries
Filmmakers
- Robert Aldrich (1918-1983): Director known for a broad selection of films including What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? and The Longest Yard.
- Robert Shaw (1927-1978): Actor known for The Sting, Jaws, and other films.
- Sam Elliot (1944-): Actor known for Frogs, The Big Lebowski, and more.
- Melanie Griffith (1957-): Actor known for Night Moves, Something Wild, and Pacific Heights.
- Paul Bunnell (1963-): Writer-director of unusual films like The Ghastly Love of Johnny X and A Blind Bargain.
- Gillian Anderson (1968-): Actor known for The X-Files.
- Thomas Lennon (1970-): Well-known comedic actor but more interestingly the co-creator of Reno 911! and co-writer of Balls of Fury.
Films
- The Thirteenth Guest (1932): Guests return to the scene of a crime to figure out who done it.
- The Bat (1959): A serial killer called The Bat is on the loose.
- A Taste of Blood (1967): Herschell Gordon Lewis’s vampire film.
- The Grim Reaper (1980): Friends get stranded on an island where they are attacked by a disfigured cannibal.
- Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985): Pee-wee Herman’s searches for his stolen bike.
- The Abyss (1989): An underwater oil rig is visited by underwater space aliens.
- Vampire Assassin (2005): Knockoff of Blade.
- Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019): Kids sneak into a haunted house and unleash an evil force.
Escape From LA poster via Wikipedia under Fair Use.
