Escape From New York

John Carpenter is one of the best directors of genre films alive today. This is his finest work that is purely science fictional. The world has fallen and MAnhattan is a prison colony, and Snake Plissken is given a 24 hour window to find the kidnapped President of the United States. The film is the essence of gritty science fiction that would start with Rollerball and run through to Blade Runner. Carpenter's script is not only dark, and more than a bit heavy, but it also a deep dive into the idea of New York as the metaphor for the unescapable island. The cast is amazing, from Kurt Russell as the tough-as-nails Snake, to wrestling legend Ox Baker as Slag who gets to play modern day gladiator.  Carpenter takes the New York of 1981 and translates it into a dystopia of recogniseable landmarks. That alone says everything Carpenter meant to give us – New York can be hell, but you ain't seen nothing yet!Why is it on the listOne of the few attempts to make a science fiction New York that somehow seems more subdued than the real thing!