DVD Review HTF Review: Escape From New York - Special Edition (Highly Recommended!) (1 Viewer)

[Mark Cappelletty]

Evan, that's "Fresno Bob." The rumor was that Peter Briggs, who wrote the famous "Alien Vs. Predator" spec, wrote a spec "Escape From LA" script centered arond Bob.

 

[Edwin-S]

I have never seen the initial release of this film on DVD. This release looks pretty good except for the "soft" look. This is probably the best the film has looked since its initial theatrical run. Like an earlier poster mentioned, some of the backgrounds definitely look like paintings, but for a film of this age it is only a minor quibble.

It's funny how the memory plays tricks on a person. During the conversation between Hauk and Plissken, they start talking about the President. I could have sworn that when I originally saw this film, Plissken stated "So get a new fucking president." In the DVD release he just says "Get a new president." Guess I must have remembered wrong; although the reason I thought he originally said "fucking president" was because I always thought the line was so funny.

 

[chad_finke]

Maybe my memory is faulty, but I seem to remember that on the commentary for Big Trouble in Little China, John Carpenter and Kurt Russell were talking about how misunderstood THAT film was when it first came out, and then went on to explain their intent behind it. They then compared the initial public reaction to BTILC with the public reaction to Escape From LA, and said something along the lines of "we'll explain what we were trying to do with Escape From LA when we do the commentary for that one."

Does anyone else remember that? Like most, I agree that EFLA was a huge disappointment. However, like a lot of flawed disappointments (e.g., Alien 3), I would be really intrigued to hear what JC and KR (and Debra Hill) were thinking when they made it, and what they hoped for it to be. Who knows, I might at least then be able to appreciate it on some level...

So, put me down as an "aye" vote for an EFLA SE. I don't suppose anyone knows whether one is actually in the works or not??? Oh, and while we're at it, how about a SE of "They Live?" I love that film...

-Chad

 

[Jeff Whitford]

Did anyone else find the packaging difficult to work with? I almost had to tear the box apart to get the slip cover off and getting the discs off there spindle wasnt easy either. Watched it last night and it looked and sounded great. Much more LFE than I remember on the original DVD.

 

[Scott Weinberg]

Another beloved title checked off my John Carpenter list.

I love this set. Love the comic, love the new transfer, love the main commentary (it may be old but it's new to me), love the look at the excised opening...

Would have LOVED a few more deleted scenes, but I ain't complainin'.

Between this and The Fog, MGM and JC make a solid pair.

Oh, and I'm with you guys: EFNY = Classic / EFLA = BAD

 

[Matt_H]

I hadn't seen this until buying the disc this week and all i have to say is awsome. hell i even made my little 11 year old brother a fan we keep going "you're a-number 1! you're the duke! you're the duke!"

 

[DeanR]

I can't wait to pick up this disc. Donald Pleasence was just a great actor. Matt_H that was my favorite line in the whole film and one of my favorite scenes ever.

 

[Jason Perez]

Hey everyone!

I am really glad you all seem to be enjoying the new EFNY set! By the way, I wanted to add to the EFLA backlash...it really was pretty awful!

Happy holidays!!!

 

[HankM]

After seeing how good EFNY looks with this new transfer I know wish we could get a new 16:9 transfer of John Carpenter's The Thing so I could replace my current dvd.

 

[Scott Temple]

I've already made it through both commentaries and let me tell you, both were very informative and entertaining. Obviously, the John Carpenter & Kurt Russell track was recorded in 1994 for LaserDisc, but I was a little surprised to find out that the track with Debra Hill and Joe Alves was recorded in 2001, rather than 2003. I'm guessing this is because MGM first planned on releasing this SE DVD back in 2001. Regardless, it sure is nice seeing all of those LD commentaries making their way to DVD.

Now we need....

"The Thing" (16:9)
"They Live" (SE) including the John Carpenter & Roddy Piper commentary track that's been floating around in other regions.
"Escape From L.A." (16:9 SE) with a John Carpenter & Kurt Russell commentary track.

 

[Chad R]

I think I understood the satire they were working at in the second film, but it just doesn't work very well. Satire is best when its subtle, otherwise it becomes preachy.

 

[Dave Mack]

Hey again, just rewatched it last nite and apparently the Brain-Snake incident referenced was "4 years ago..."

D

 

[Matt Czyz]

Jeff,
Sorry to hear about your packaging problems. My inside case slid right out and the discs couldn't be easier to pop out. It did take longer than I expected to get the comic out of the sleeve, though. Ah well.

 

[Kevin M]

Just bought the SE this weekend and am very happy with both the image and sound quality (although IMO the 1994 LD's PCM tracks had much more punch in the gunshot's that Jason Perez had such problems with as well as better directionality and general sharpness in the higher frequencies...well that's the way it goes I guess). The extras were rather slim compared to The Fog IMO, for instance I know that in 1981 Avco had them make a "behind the scenes" commercial just like The Fog and I would have liked to have seen it as well as the cut "Indians" sequence if it still exists, but the extras are quite good nonetheless and serve the film well...still...as I do think the extras are semi-slight I think this could have been a DVD 14 with no problem.


Speaking of the LD, in regards to "Reel 1", has anyone else (who has seen it) noticed that the clips of the deleted bank heist from the 1994 Image LD are MUCH sharper than the print used on the DVD? Odd.

He says (from memory only here)..."It was just you, me and Frisco Bob. You know what they did to Bob?" Well, the character name in the deleted scene was Taylor. I expected a "Frisco Bob". Anyone notice this discrepancy?

#1 as others have mentioned, the man Snake referred to was called "Fresno Bob" and #2 I was always under the impression that it was a much older heist that Snake was referring to, not the latest one that got him thrown in NY.

 

[Lyle_JP]

I was always under the impression that it was a much older heist that Snake was referring to, not the latest one that got him thrown in NY.

This is clearly the case since Brain has been in New York for some time and has made a life for himself there. If he ran out on Snake, you would assume he didn't get pinched on that score, and was sent to New York for getting caught committing some other crime later.

Chronologically speaking, it's impossible for Brain to have screwed Snake on the bank heist. So the guy shot in the deleted reel is most certainly not Fresno Bob.

-Lyle J.P.

 

[Kevin M]

BTW, last night after posting in this thread I decided to do a complete side by side comparison between the LD and DVD and I found something rather disturbing...well perhaps that is overstatement but it is disconcerting..anyway I found that the main title music on the DVD actually has missing and/or muffled music cues. You don't have to own the LD to hear this, just switch between the French track and the remixed 5.1 track on the DVD, the difference is obvious...as for the rest of the film soundtrack (at least when compared to the LD) it seems to be pretty much on track..so to speak.

This probably won't mean much to the casual viewer but as a fan of the film's music I was very disappointed.

As far as the image goes..well, the DVD is obviously superior but I noticed that the new transfer seemed to have something of a green hue to it, especially noticeable during the orientation scene early in the film as Snake is being let down the hallway ("..No talking, no Smoking, follow the orange line to the processing area.."), the LD doesn't have this green hue as the hallway in that transfer is quite white and antiseptic looking (intended I'm sure), MGM is to be commended for their effort but this isn't the first time I have noticed a Colour Correction discrepancy when comparing their transfers to other studios (Silence Of The Lambs anyone?).

Thoughts?

 

[Lyle_JP]

I found that the main title music on the DVD actually has missing and/or muffled music cues. You don't have to own the LD to hear this, just switch between the French track and the remixed 5.1 track on the DVD, the difference is obvious

I noticed this too, and it made me pretty angry. This is (for those of you who collect film soundtracks) very similar to the differences between the newer Sliva soundtrack of EFNY, and the older Varese Sarabande CD. Basically, the new 5.1 mix (like the Silva CD) favors certain "instruments" over other in the original 2.0 mix. [Yes, I know it's all synth, but each synth "instrument" was performed and mixed separately.]

What makes me angry is that there really is no excuse for this. MGM cheaped out by putting the film on a DVD-5. Had they used a DVD-9 (which is pretty much the standard now for "definitive" editions of films with multiple commentaries) they would have had plenty of room for the original 2.0 track and made everyone happy.

Come on studios, as much as we like (some) 5.1 remixes, always remember to include the O.S.T.!!!

-Lyle J.P.

 

[Christian Preischl]

Got my copy this morning, and although the package doesn't warrant an extra disc (a DVD-14 would've surely been adequate?) it still manages to satisfy.

I just bought the set off a friend of mine and checked it in a DVD-ROM drive. Even a DVD-9 would have sufficed! Both discs combined come to just under 7 GB. And it's not the first time MGM has done that either, they also blew up the Windtalkers SE to three discs even though two would have sufficed (both bonus discs had a combined running time of approx. 90 mins if I remember correctly). But of course, that way you can charge more.

Chris

 

[Dave Mack]

I too noticed that the snare drum sound is VERY buried in the new mix...

:frowning: D

 

[Kevin M]

This is (for those of you who collect film soundtracks) very similar to the differences between the newer Sliva soundtrack of EFNY, and the older Varese Sarabande CD.

Oh man, I hate that new "extended Original Soundtrack" I mean if it seriously deviateds from what was actually heard in the film...it isn't the original soundtrack!! Howarth should have called it an Alternate Soundtrack and been done with it, mind you I did like some of the extra bits & pieces but that doesn't excuse the serious alterations he made to the timing, rhythm, and actual takes Carpenter used in the original soundtrack. It isn't "Original" it is "Alternate" and will ever be so in my eyes....or..ears, the Original LP/CD is the true Original Soundtrack as it sounds like what was actually heard in the film!!!

...sorry...I was very disappointed in Howarth when he put that Silva CD out in 2000 because it does sound very good sonically & if he had just taken the time to edit it properly with the same takes that were originally used it could have been truly special.