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Escape from L.A.
Movie:
4K Video:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:
Movie:
4K Video:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:
After 2020's release of Escape from L.A. I figured that this was the best the film would get being that it's considered one of John Carpenter's weaker films. But I guess Paramount decided to up the ante a bit with a new 4K disc (most likely sourced from the same 4k Master that Scream Factory used for the Collector's Edition Blu-ray from 2020, reviewed HERE) to bring it into the next generation of video.
1981’s Escape From New York is highly regarded as one of John Carpenter’s most iconic action films, blending spaghetti western tropes in with Mad Max esque visuals. And of course adding in a little Kurt Russell at the top of his game. However, 1996’s Escape From L.A. is hailed as one of his worst films, and a severe dive bomb for the director, who would start petering out right around the turn of the century as a go to director. The film has gained a rather cult following over the last 24 years, and is firmly in the “love it or hate it” category for most people. Usually there is no middle ground, and I was adamantly one of the biggest haters of the film when I saw it as a teenager in the 90s. But over the years I’ve softened up to the big goofy satire and kind of enjoy it as a cheesy bit of 90s cheese. It’s nowhere near as fun as the original, but it has kitschy 90s charm to it that’s kind of intoxicating.
It’s been 15 years since Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) saved the fascist-theocratic futuristic United States, and he’s back once more as the government has need of the lone gunslinger. The President’s (Cliff Robertson) daughter Utopia (A.J. Langer) has defied his fascist decrees and stolen a black box containing a super weapon device that could obliterate the entire world’s technology, and taken it to the island prison of Los Angeles, where the worst of the worst criminals reside. Without this black box, the madman President has no way of controlling his hose of super weapon satellites, and he needs it back, badly.
Escape From L.A. is pure pulpy fun. It takes the slightly satirical nature of Escape from New York and just makes it goofy to the extreme. I mean, we have Kurt Russell and Peter Fonda SURFING down Los Angeles, Bruce Campbell making an appearance as a crazy plastic surgeon gone nuts, adds in a dash of Cubano “La Raza!”, and hits the frappe button. Nothing is safe, nothing is sane, and the movie has a problem with relying very heavily on 90s CGI, obvious green screen, and some pretty cheesy prosthetics.
It’s not high art, but John Carpenter is still blending a spaghetti western with post apocalyptic Mad Max style visuals for a weirdly satisfying treat. Most of the problems stem from the fact that lightning has hard time striking twice, and it’s been 15 years since the original. Carpenter was already winding down from being the legendary director he once was (pretty much ending his career with Ghosts of Mars a few years later) and even the tough as nails Kurt Russell can’t make it into something it’s not. Luckily Russell is the saving grace of the film, infusing that hard hitting “Clint Eastwood” like character in Snake, and making it rise above the C level script that the rest of the film is. It’s fun enough, but definitely one of those “love it or hate it” films.
Rating:
Rated R for violence and some language
Video:
There’s some print blemishes and debris that has been cleaned up, and there is no sign of DNR either. Honestly, this is the best the film has ever looked and is a MASSIVE improvement over the 2010 Paramount Blu-ray, and a very solid upgrade over the Scream Factory remaster.
.
Audio:
HUGE NOTE!!!
I didn't hear it at first, but after having it pointed out I can't unhear it. There's a weird error with the dialog bleeding into the surrounds. It's not huge, and I originally attributed it to just my small viewing room, but once you hear it.........well, you know the rest. According to sources Paramount has confirmed the issue and will be replacing the discs in some form in the future
Extras:
Final Score:
You can tell that John Carpenter was just having fun with the post apocalyptic world that he created. He’s sitting there dreaming up new ways to torture Snake, and more high tech gadgetry is thrown at the man than ever before. It’s a goof fest to the extreme, and you can just see Carpenter sitting in the director’s chair with a grin on his face yelling “let’s make this even crazier!” during every take. Love it or hate it, Escape from L.A. certainly looks great in 4K. HOWEVER, this package does come with one downside. That is the lack of extras. Like the sub par 2010 Blu-ray, this only comes with 1 single theatrical trailer as an extra, forgoing the massive extras that Scream Factory loaded onto the Collector's Edition once more. Meaning if you have that Blu-ray already, the real appeal will be from the video uptick, and I'd definitely hold onto that set just for those features alone. It's not Paramount's fault as the original 2010 Paramount Blu-ray was barebones too, and Shout Factory has the exclusive rights to many of those additional features, it's just a bit saddening that Paramount hasn't upgrade that feature as well all things considering. Give and take, give and take.
Technical Specifications:
Starring: Kurt Russell, Steve Buscemi, Stacy Keach, Peter Fonda, Cliff Robertson, Valeria Golino, Pam Grier, Bruce Campbell
Directed by: John Carpenter
Written by: John Carpenter, Debra Hill, Kurt Russell
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 HEVC
Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 5.1, French, German, Spanish DD 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Finnish
Studio: Paramount
Rated: R
Runtime: 101 minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: February 22nd, 2022
Recommendation: Worth Checking Out
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. I guess I technically like Carpenter... but I can't think of a Kurt Russel movie that I like?
