ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK: Just Leave The Damn Thing Alone

Starring Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Adrienne Barbeau, Ernest Borgnine, Isaac Hayes, Harry Dean Stanton, Donald Pleasence, voice of Jamie Lee Curtis. Directed by John Carpenter. (1981, 99 min).

 I was 17 when I first saw this, and it was probably the first movie since Jaws that I became truly obsessed with. This was back when the year 1997 (when the film takes place) was still the distant future, Kurt Russell was still mostly known for all those Walt Disney comedies, and John Carpenter was still making really good movies.

I loved everything about Escape from New York...the Big Apple depicted as an urban hellhole, the morally-questionable characters, the bleak and cynical view of the future, the synthesized music score (yeah, it sounds kinda cheesy today, but back then it was cool enough to persuade me to buy the soundtrack), not to mention what is still the most awesome twist ending of any movie ever made.

But most of all, I loved Snake Plissken, the first main character I'd ever seen in a movie who could be called an anti-hero. The guy is a total badass, not giving a shit about anything or anyone. Seeing someone like Kurt Russell play the role was a revelation, and he does such a great job that I was able to overlook the questionable special effects (even for 1981). Plissken was so fucking cool that I even tried growing my hair out so I could look more like him.

I suppose if the term man-crush existed back then, it might have applied here.

Years later, when the belated sequel, Escape from L.A., came out, I found myself not caring one bit how stupid the movie was, just so long as I could see Snake in action one more once again. Self-parody or not, Escape from L.A. really was fucking stupid, yet Plissken himself was still mean, cynical and totally cool, even when surfing a tsunami down Wilshire Boulevard or shooting hoops to save his own life.

I remember reading somewhere that, if Escape from L.A. was a hit, Carpenter had an idea for a third film, Escape from Earth. But the sequel totally tanked in theaters, which essentially meant there would be no more Snake Plissken in my future. A sad day indeed. So all I have of Snake is these two films, one good, one bad. Yeah, there was a short-lived comic book series, but try as I might, I've never been able to embrace comic books much. Although I was always an extreme movie geek, somehow the idea of being a comic book geek was truly repellant.

Of course, we are now living in an era where re-booting a franchise is the norm, and I've heard of plans to remake the original Escape from New York. I also heard that original Escape director John Carpenter is totally on-board with the idea, probably because he hasn't made a great movie since The Thing. In fact, he's probably made more cash from the remakes/prequels of his early movies (Assault on Precinct 13, Halloween, The Fog and The Thing) than he ever did with his originals.

This remake news was yet-another reminder of how old and out-of-touch I am becoming. Rather than get excited at the news, the first thing I thought was, "No...you can't." No one could possibly replace Kurt Russell as Plissken, just like no one could replace Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates (just ask Vince Vaughn). With all due respect for the actors that have, so far, been attached to reprise the role of Plissken (most notably, Gerard Butler, and recently, Jeremy Renner), none of them are Russell, the guy who had a huge hand in creating the character.

You know, I should be happy that there are enough folks in Hollywood still willing to give this dead franchise a second chance. Escape from New York is a cult classic now, but it didn't exactly set the box office on fire back in '81. And Escape from L.A. was a certified bomb. Maybe by rebooting the franchise to appeal to modern audiences, with faster action and better special effects, it could finally be successful enough to warrant a third chapter, perhaps the aforementioned Escape from Earth.

Right?

Yeah, and Timothy Dalton was a perfectly suitable replacement for Clark Cable in the TV sequel to Gone with the Wind. Kurt Russell is Snake Plissken, just like Peter Sellers is Inspector Clouseau, and Gene Wilder is Willy Wonka.

As much as I'd love the adventures of Snake Plissken to continue, it can't be done without Russell, and he's probably too old at this point. Sure, you could replace him with someone younger and surround him with CGI, but doing so would just make Snake a brand name to hook older movie geeks like me. But I can count on one hand (without using every finger) the number of remakes which were better than the original

Yeah, I'd probably pay to see a remake of Escape from New York, but at my age, I doubt I could separate myself from the original thrill I got from watching Snake kick total ass back in 1981. I do not think there's anything that can be added to the original story or it's iconic anti-hero that would make me appreciate a remake on its own terms, even thirty years later.

Leave this one alone. You aren't gonna make it better.

Revisiting ESCAPE FROM L.A. in 4K

ESCAPE FROM L.A. (4K UHD Review)

1996 / 101 min

FROM PARAMOUNT

Review by Tiger the Terrible😸

“Honey, could you PLEASE turn that down?” 

This came from my wife, who was upstairs in the living room while I was down in the Dave Cave reviewing Escape from L.A. She actually had to ask more than once, the last time not-so-much a question as a final warning. The thing is, I don’t think I really had it that loud, but if nothing else, the audio of this 4K disc pumps out some serious low-end thunder during key action scenes. It was almost like watching the film in Sensurround (you kids might have to Google that term). 

I also gotta say this video presentation is equally impressive, offering Escape from L.A. in all its goofy, cut-rate-CGI glory. The overall image is clearer, more detailed and definitely more colorfully vibrant than the original DVD release (sorry, I’ve never seen it on Blu-ray to draw any kind of comparison). If premium picture and sound quality are one’s primary motivation for upgrading, this disc certainly passes muster. But unfortunately, aside from the trailer, there’s no supplementary material for those hoping to dive deeper.

As for the movie itself, my appreciation for Escape from L.A. has grown over the years. Back in ‘96, I took my wife to see it on opening night. Not only was I a huge fan of the original Escape from New York, but since director John Carpenter was in kind-of a creative slump at the time, I went in thinking this could signal a return to the greatness of his early-80s heyday. But while it was certainly fun seeing Kurt Russell as Snake Plissken again, I felt the film was just an unimaginative retread of the original, loaded with phony effects and campy self-parody (Snake surfing down Wilshire Boulevard???). While it was okay, those of us who spent 15 years pining for a sequel expected a lot more than simply okay. It was like Carpenter shit all over the legacy of one of his most beloved films with self-aware smarm.

"Wanna see my cat videos?"

But you know what? Like other Carpenter films that became latent cult classics, time has been fairly kind to Escape from L.A. Snake Plissken remains one of exploitation cinema’s greatest, most nihilistic antiheroes, and with hindsight, there was nothing Carpenter or Russell could add to the character that was gonna make him even cooler. So why not have a little fun with his image itself? Additionally, there’s a bit of demented genius behind the decision to use a nearly identical scenario as a springboard for social, political and cultural satire - heavy-handed as it is - with Plissken serving as a bemused observer. Even Shirley Walker’s playful score underlies the film’s subversive attitude.

As for the amusingly archaic CGI (still a bone of contention for some), I’d argue that Escape from New York’s special effects weren’t exactly stellar either, but we didn’t care because the main character was such an indelible onscreen presence. That same character carries this film, too, and Russell looks like he had a blast bringing Snake back for another go-round. We get the impression Kurt missed him as much as we did.

None of this is to say Escape from L.A. is a great film. It’s still reflective of a director whose best years were behind him. But looking beyond the wonky effects, rehashed story and ridiculous action sequences, we still have Kurt Russell in his prime and a story that’s a bit smarter than we might remember…with certain aspects which turned out to be somewhat prophetic (such as depicting the President as a dangerous, narcissistic lunatic). 

EXTRA KIBBLES

TRAILER

AIR FORCE ONE: Fox News Sexy-Time

Starring Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman, Glenn Close, Dean Stockwell, Xander Berkeley, William H. Macy. Directed by Wolfgang Petersen. (1997, 124 min).

One weekend, while his wife was out of town, Bill O’Reilly invited his good buddies, Sean Hannity, Ann Coulter and Mike Huckabee over to his house for a movie night…

BILL: Thanks for coming, guys. I got the TV fired up in the den and a fridge full of Buds. Let’s get this party started!
MIKE: Woo Hoo! Pornos!
ANN: Dude, put your shirt back on. You’re acting like a  liberal.
SEAN (grabbing a beer from the fridge): So, what are we watchin’?
BILL (beaming proudly): I thought we’d start off with Killing Lincoln -
MIKE: Drilling Lincoln! That’s my favorite! I love that that part when Abe and Mary Todd are doin’ the Club Sandwich position, then Booth comes in with that huge vibrating -
BILL: No, no! Killing Lincoln…the movie based on my book, a New York Times bestseller, by the way. You’re thinking of the porn parody, Mike.
ANN: No-doubt funded by immigrants, Muslims and gays.
SEAN: Bill, we watch that one every time we come over. Even you must be getting tired of it by now. (He shotguns the entire beer in a few seconds, then pops open another)
BILL: Well, what do you guys want to watch?
MIKE: Woo Hoo! Pornos!
BILL: I got Killing Kennedy -
MIKE: Drilling Kennedy! I love that one, too, especially when Jackie O straps on that -
BILL: No, dammit! Killing Kennedy…based on another one of my books, also a New York Times bestseller, I might add.
SEAN: Don’t you have anything you don’t get royalties from?
BILL (shrugs): Just this…
ANN: Hey…Air Force One. Isn’t that the one where Harrison Ford plays -
BILL, SEAN, MIKE (chorusing): An ass-kicking president!
ANN: Fire that bitch up!

The four engage in high-fives and chest-bumps before Bill pops the disc into his DVD player. Then, after grabbing more beers, they sit on the sofa together as the movie begins...

MIKE: Any of you guys see Bare Force One? There’s a scene in the plane’s restroom that I swear they used contortionists for, and -
SEAN: Shhh! This is better than pornos.
BILL: Look at President Marshall at the podium, laying down the law regarding terrorism. Now that’s a speech!
SEAN: I’ll say. Look at my arms. Goosebumps!
ANN: Me too. If our current president showed those kind of balls, I’d rock his world whenever Michelle was out of town.
SEAN: Me, too!

An awkward silence prevails…

SEAN: I mean...you go girl!

"It's my mother...tell her I'm not here."

Sean gets up to grab everyone another beer. They all watch in relative silence until Air Force One is overtaken by a group of Russian terrorists (led by Korshunov, played by Gary Oldman) still loyal to their captured dictator, Ivan Radek, who killed over 200, 000 people. President Marshall (Harrison Ford) is escorted below deck by Secret Service to the escape pod, but since his family is still onboard, he launches the empty pod to fool the terrorists into thinking he got away.

BILL: Escape pod. Brilliant strategy. Only in America.
SEAN: Damn straight! I love documentaries.
MIKE: I love porno documentaries!
ANN: I can imagine me and George W. rockin’ that pod!
MIKE: So can I!
SEAN: Wait…wasn’t there another movie where Air Force One had an escape pod?
BILL: You’re thinking of Escape from New York. It’s a well-known fact John Carpenter stole the idea from this movie.
SEAN: But didn’t Escape from New York come out in 1981, sixteen years earlier?
BILL (tapping Hannity on the forehead): Use your noggin! Carpenter’s a conniving Hollywood liberal who knew a right-thinking republication strategist would eventually think of it, so he stole the idea in advance -
ANN: To save a fucking British president...like that would ever happen.
BILL: So shut your hole, Sean. And slow down on the beer. This is a no spin zone.

Vice President Kathryn Bennett (Glenn Close) arrives at the White House Situation Room, where she is briefed on the situation. The terrorists threaten to shoot a hostage every half hour until General Radek is released.

ANN: What! A woman vice president? Bill, you know how much I hate science fiction!
MIKE: Then let’s watch pornos!
BILL (raising his hands): Okay, okay…we all know Hollywood likes to indulge in a bit of fantasy now and then…like Toy Story and Zero Dark Thirty. You just gotta suspend some disbelief.
ANN: I can’t.
SEAN: I dunno…Bennett seems pretty reluctant take action and shoot the plane down, probably ‘cause she‘s waiting for a man to take charge. Ain’t that just like a woman?
ANN: Good point. If I can accept talking toys, I guess I can put-up with a woman vice president. (Under her breath, she adds, “Even though Glenn Close looks like a dyke").

Soon after, President Marshall uses his military skills to start taking out the terrorists one by one. 

ANN: YEAH!
BILL: U-S-A! U-S-A!
SEAN: God, that’s so hot…
MIKE: You’re right, Sean. This is better than pornos!

Bill's O-face.

As Marshall makes his way through the plane, kicking-ass and blowing terrorists away, Sean unconsciously slips his hand down the front of his own trousers.

BILL: Sean, what the hell are you doing on my sofa?
SEAN: Come on, Bill…this is the sexiest movie ever! What are you, a eunuch? You can’t tell me you haven’t bopped your baloney to this before!
BILL: Not around my colleagues, for Christ’s sake.
MIKE: You need to lighten up, O’Reilly. Me and my frat brothers used to do this all the time on weekends

Mike stands, drops his pants and commences his own five-knuckle-shuffle.

MIKE: Ah, yeah…
BILL: Come on, guys…I just had everything steam cleaned!
ANN: Then why don’t you be a congenial host and go fetch us some towels…

Ann hikes up her skirt to reveal a hunk of anatomy that would make John Holmes proud. All the men collectively gasp, though none are actually surprised. Bill stands up and hits the pause button, right before Marshall pulls the rip-cord of the parachute which snaps lead-terrorist Korshunov’s neck. 

BILL: Okay! Okay! If we’re gonna do this, we’re gonna do it right! As a team! Mike, you grab Sean. Sean, since you’ve got the biggest hands, you’ll take care of Ann. Ann, hold Bill Jr. here while I handle Mike and the remote. Sound fair?
SEAN: Fair and balanced, buddy!
MIKE: Wait! I still got a free hand. Lemme grab my iPhone and we can make our own porno!

ESCAPE FROM L.A. vs. the Atlanta Falcons

Starring Kurt Russell, Stacy Keach, Steve Buscemi, Peter Fonda, Georges Corraface, Cliff Robertson, Michelle Forbes. Directed by John Carpenter. (1996, 101 min).

Growing up, Mom and Dad were die hard 49ers fans. This was during the early 70s, a decade dominated by the Cowboys, Steelers and Raiders. The Niners had good years and bad years, but my parents (especially Dad) stayed loyal to their team no matter what.

True fans, my parents were.

I wanted to be true fan, too. In what might be considered my first true act of rebellion, I decided my favorite team would be the Atlanta Falcons, partially because they were in the same division as the Niners, but mainly because their helmets were cool. Not knowing a hell of a lot about the NFL (I seldom actually sat and watched a game…hey, I was 9), I chose a shitty team that wouldn’t win a division title until 1980, wouldn’t make it to the Super Bowl until 1998 and seldom put together back-to-back winning seasons throughout their entire history.

But, by God, I stuck with them, even after I grew older and actually began paying attention. Like my folks, I eventually became a true fan of the Falcons, hanging with them through thick and thin. I had my favorite players on their rosters over the years…Andre Rison, Jamal Anderson, Michael Vick (before he became a dog murderer), Jesse Tuggle, Tony Gonzalez, Julio Jones, etc.

But unlike my folks, whose beloved Niners won four Super Bowls during the 80s, I’m still waiting to be rewarded for my decades-long loyalty, a four-to-five year run where my ol’ Falcons are among the NFL elite. They’ve had great years here and there, but just couldn't keep it together for very long…

…kinda like John Carpenter, the first director who, as a movie fan, I began paying attention to.

Unlike the Falcons (which became a franchise in 1966 and struggled for over 15 years), Carpenter, after a few respected cult flicks, blasted right out of the gate with Halloween, the first film to introduce me (and millions of others) to the unbridled thrill of the jump-scare. He quickly followed that up with The Fog, which was just as atmospheric, but not all that scary and a bit of a let-down, like when the Falcons followed-up their first division title in 1980 with a second place finish the next year. But I really jumped on the Carpenter bandwagon after seeing Escape from New York. At the time, it was the coolest thing I’d ever seen on the big screen…the look, the nihilism, the action, the music, the character and image of Snake Plissken. Escape from New York was when I truly became a John Carpenter fan.

He also delivered the goods the next year with his remake of The Thing (which I now consider to be the crowning achievement of his career). Two years, two perfect films. As a die hard disciple who now worshipped at the alter of Carpenter, I couldn’t wait for the man’s next move.

Unfortunately, his next moves were Christine, Starman, Big Trouble in Little China, Prince of Darkness, They Live, Memoirs of an Invisible Man and In the Mouth of Madness. Some of them were pretty good, some underrated and some godawful. Still, I went to see them all because Carpenter’s name was above the titles. But, like being an Atlanta Falcons fan, I was disappointed just as often as I was pleased. There were even a few occasions where I found myself defending some of these films simply because my favorite director was responsible (such as Memoirs & Big Trouble, which are actually kinda shitty).

"Goddammit, stop sexting me!"

But I never gave up on the man. Surely he had another great film in him…maybe even his greatest film, after he announced he’d be helming Escape from L.A., a belated, big-budget sequel to one of his all-time cult classics. For me, this was huge; Snake Plissken, my favorite anti-hero, was coming back to the big screen. Keeping tabs on its production through the internet and movie magazines, this was as exciting as when the Atlanta Falcons kept winning and, despite Vegas odds makers, landed themselves in the Super Bowl in 1998.

But my beloved Falcons got slaughtered by the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl, prompting some to believe the Minnesota Vikings (the team Atlanta beat in overtime during the NFC championship) would have been a more formidable opponent. Even though Denver was already heavily favored to win, I was still a bit heartbroken, though not-at-all surprised. After the game, because of Atlanta’s inconsistent history, I wondered how long it would be before they got another shot at the Lombardi Trophy.

Similarly, when I took my wife to see Escape from L.A. on opening night, even though I went in thinking it was John Carpenter’s chance to return to the directorial greatness of his early-80s heyday, I wasn’t really surprised that the film ended up being an unimaginative retread of the original, loaded with phony CGI and campy self-parody (Oh, God, Snake surfing down Wilshire Boulevard?). Still, even though it’s an amusing send-up of Escape from New York, I have to admit Carpenter essentially shit all over the legacy of one of his most beloved films (but Russell, reprising his role as Plissken, is still fun as hell). Like the Falcons, Carpenter once-again dropped the ball.

I still root for them both, though. Carpenter hasn’t made a decent movie in nearly two decades (nor a great one in over 30 years), and maybe he simply lost his mojo. The Falcons sometimes make the playoffs, sometimes they don’t, and I wonder if they’ll ever actually make it to the Super Bowl again in my lifetime, much less win it.

But I remain a die hard fan because I’m loyal, and true fans stick around through good times and bad. Mom and Dad taught me that.

THE POOP SCOOP: New Year's Kibbles

LA DOLCE VITA on Blu-ray 2/8/22

Federico Fellini, the most popular Italian filmmaker of all time, had his biggest hit with LA DOLCE VITA, an exquisite meditation on personal morality, wealth and fame, societal decay, and the perpetual search for meaning.  Equal parts provocative and breathtaking, LA DOLCE VITA stands the test of time, remaining one of the most influential films in cinematic history more than 60 years after its debut. On February 8, 2022, Paramount Home Entertainment will release LA DOLCE VITA on Blu-ray for audiences to once again experience this compelling and engrossing masterpiece.  The release will include a brand-new introduction by renowned filmmaker Martin Scorsese, who shares his thoughts on the film and its indelible impact on cinema. Both a critique of the culture of stardom and a look at the darkness beneath the seductive lifestyles of Rome’s rich, LA DOLCE VITA follows a notorious celebrity journalist over one crazy week.  Starring Marcello Mastroianni, Anita Ekberg, Anouk Aimée, and Yvonne Furneaux, the film is lauded for its complicated and rich story wrapped in extravagant visuals that have become as iconic as the film itself.

REQUIEM FOR A DREAM on 4K Ultra HD Steelbook, exclusively at Best Buy 1/18

One of the most powerful psychological films ever made, Requiem For A Dream arrives January 18th on 4K Ultra HD Steelbook from Lionsgate, exclusively at Best Buy. From Academy Award®-nominated director Darren Aronofsky (2010, Best Director, Black Swan), the critically acclaimed film features cinematography by two-time Academy Award® nominee Matthew Libatique (2010, Best Achievement in Cinematography, Black Swan; 2018, Best Achievement in Cinematography, A Star is Born), music by Golden Globe nominee Clint Mansell (2006, Best Original Score, The Fountain), and stars Academy Award® winners Ellen Burstyn (1974, Best Actress, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore), Jared Leto (2013, Best Supporting Actor, Dallas Buyers Club), and Jennifer Connelly (2001, Best Supporting Actress, A Beautiful Mind), as well as Marlon Wayans (Scary Movie franchise, White Chicks). Featuring all new artwork from Vance Kelly, Requiem For A Dream will be available on 4K Ultra HD Steelbook at Best Buy.

 

THE SUPERDEEP - Available on VOD, Digital HD, DVD & Blu-ray 1/4/22

RLJE Films, a business unit of AMC Networks, has picked up select rights to THE SUPERDEEP from Shudder, AMC Networks’ streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural. THE SUPERDEEP will be available on January 4, 2022 on VOD, Digital HD, DVD and Blu-ray. Directed by Arseniy Sukhin (Lockout), written by Victor Bondaryuk (Deadly Still), and inspired by true events, THE SUPERDEEP stars Milena Radulovic (The Balkan Line), Nikita Dyuvbanov (Abigail), Kirill Kovbas (Ikariya), Vadim Demchog (Son of a Rich) and Sergey Ivanyuk (Z’olushka). In THE SUPERDEEP, the Russian Kola Superdeep Borehole is the largest drilling project in the world, attempting to drill as far as possible into the Earth’s crust. After reaching depths of nearly seven miles below the surface, unexplained sounds resembling the screams and moans of numerous people were reported and the borehole was shut down. But when a small team of scientists and military personnel set out to unearth the source of the strange sounds, they end up discovering the greatest threat that humanity has ever faced.

 

JOHN CARPENTER’S ESCAPE FROM L.A. arrives on 4K Ultra HD 2/22/22

Snake Plissken is back in the high-octane thrill-ride JOHN CARPENTER’S ESCAPE FROM L.A., arriving on 4K Ultra HD for the first time ever February 22, 2022 from Paramount Home Entertainment. Released in 1996, JOHN CARPENTER’S ESCAPE FROM L.A. was the highly anticipated follow up to the fan-favorite hit Escape from New York.  Kurt Russell returns as anti-hero Snake Plissken, who is called upon to save the world from a doomsday device after a 9.6 quake levels most of Los Angeles. Experience every outrageous and eye-popping moment of the post-apocalyptic classic in stunning 4K Ultra HD, including Snake surfing Wilshire Blvd., shooting hoops at the Coliseum, and dive bombing the Happy Kingdom theme park.  The film also features a wild assortment of friends, fiends and foes from a supporting cast that includes Steve Buscemi, Peter Fonda, Pam Grier, Stacy Keach, Cliff Robertson and Bruce Campbell. The 4K Ultra HD release features exceptional picture quality with Dolby Vision and 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. The disc also includes access to a Digital copy of the film and the original theatrical trailer.

THE WARRIORS: History in a Box

THE WARRIORS Limited Edition (Blu-ray)

1979 / 93 min (2 cuts)

FROM ARROW VIDEO

Review by Tiger the Terrible😺

Sometimes the history behind a movie is just as interesting as the movie itself.

Back in 1979, there was a little film called The Warriors, a simple-but-stylish thriller directed by Walter Hill about a small Coney Island street gang who are framed for the shooting of a powerful New York gang leader. They are then forced to make their way through New York City, avoiding rival gangs and the police in order to make it back to their home turf, where they will allegedly be safe. It is a long and perilous journey, and several gang members don’t make it back.

If you've ever seen this movie, you know The Warriors bears absolutely no resemblance to anything in the real world. It’s a cartoon fantasy - an aesthetic precursor to the likes of Escape from New York - with elaborately-attired gang-bangers whose ‘colors’ are more like Halloween costumes than the uniforms of the street (in fact, a lot of kids did dress-up like the Baseball Furies for Halloween that year). The violence is romanticized and choreographed, shot more for dramatic effect than any attempt at realism…kinda like West Side Story without the songs or the movie Kiss should have made instead of Phantom of the Park.

Still, a few real-life gangsters decided to go see it, but got into a tiff with rivals before or after the movie and commenced trying to kill each other. There were shootings, as well as a few deaths.

"Admit it, Swan...we're lost."

With these few incidents, totally unrelated to the movie, The Warriors became the most controversial film of the year. The media jumped all over it, suggesting the film itself was inciting deadly riots. Paramount Pictures reacted by removing all of its TV and radio ads, and eventually started pulling it from theaters. With hindsight, maybe the powers-that-be at Paramount used these incidents to create a high must-see factor for would-be thrill-seekers. 

So for a brief time, The Warriors was seen as dangerous, therefore irresistible, which undoubtedly contributed to the cult status it now enjoys. With the media whipping people into a frenzy, the movie had a sudden street-cred it didn’t really warrant, since it’s relatively lightweight fluff…not remotely dangerous, but a hell of a lot of fun and arguably Hill’s most entertaining movie. If not for the actions of a few gang-bangers, there’s a chance The Warriors would have been forgotten by the general public within a few weeks. Instead, it became something of a cultural phenomenon.

Boxed sets were made for classics such as this…the ones with stories every bit as enjoyable as the film. Arrow Video has put together a great two-disc set with 4K remasters of both the original theatrical cut and the Alternate Version, which was first released on DVD in 2005. Also included is a large selection of new and vintage bonus features covering all aspects of the production, as well as its immediate and long-term cultural impact. As with other Limited Edition sets from Arrow, plenty of physical goodies are thrown in (100 page booklet, poster, artcards, stickers), but unfortunately were not made available for review.

EXTRA KIBBLES

NOTE: Free Kittens Movie Guide was provided with a promo disc for review purposes. Physical supplemental material included with the final product (booklets, artwork, inserts, etc) were not available for review.

THEATRICAL AND ALTERNATIVE VERSIONS - The theatrical cut is offered in its original aspect ratio (1.85:1) on home video for the first time 

NEW INTERVIEWS - Individual interviews with director Walter Hill, editor Billy Weber, costume designer Bobbie Maddox.

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION - This new feature has filmmakers Josh Olson, Lexi Alexander & Robert D. Kryzkowski in a Zoom meeting discussing their appreciation for the film.

NEW FEATURETTES - Come Out and Play (a look at the Coney Island locations today); Sound of the Streets (film historian Neil Brand discusses Barry De Vorzon’s prepulsive music score); Armies of the Night (a feature on the costumes, as well as conceptual costume design)

VINTAGE FEATURETTES - The Way Home (with cinematographer Andrew Laszlo); The Beginning; Battleground; The Phenomenon.

NEW AUDIO COMMENTARY - By critic & Walter Hill biographer Walter Chaw.

ISOLATED MUSIC SCORE - I always felt Barry De Vorzon’s score was vastly unappreciated.

INTRODUCTION BY WALTER HILL

ORIGINAL TRAILER - Which actually uses the theme from Sorcerer.

IMAGE GALLERY

THE POOP SCOOP: Classic Terrors Edition

CREEPSHOW Season 1 on Digital HD, DVD & Blu-ray 6/2

The six-episode season of the horror/comedy from showrunner Greg Nicotero (“The Walking Dead”) stars Tobin Bell (Saw franchise), Adrienne Barbeau (Escape From New York), Giancarlo Esposito (“Breaking Bad”), Cailey Fleming (“The Walking Dead”), Jeffrey Combs (Re-Animator), Scott 'Kid Cudi' Mescudi (Bill & Ted Face the Music), DJ Qualls (“The Man in the High Castle”), Bruce Davison (X-Men), David Arquette (Scream franchise), Dana Gould (“Stan Against Evil”), and Tricia Helfer (“Battlestar Galactica”). CREEPSHOW Season 1, the new anthology series based on George A. Romero’s 1982 horror comedy classic, is still the most fun you’ll ever have being scared! A comic book comes to life in a series of twelve vignettes over six episodes, exploring terrors from murder to the supernatural and unexplainable. Haunted dollhouses, werewolves, murderous goblins, villainous trick-or-treaters, the dead, and medical marvels are just a few of the things to watch out for in this new series. You never know what will be on the next page...

VISIT CRITERION

The Original WAR OF THE WORLDS Coming 7/7 from Criterion Collection

In the expert hands of genre specialists George Pal and Byron Haskin, H. G. Wells’s end-of-civilization classic receives a chilling Cold War–era update, complete with hallucinatory Technicolor and visionary, Oscar-winning special effects. Emblazoned with iconographic images of 1950s science fiction, The War of the Worlds is both an influential triumph of visual imagination and a still-disquieting document of the wonder and terror of the atomic age. BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES • New 4K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack • New alternate 5.1 surround soundtrack, created by sound designer Ben Burtt and presented in DTS-HD Master Audio • Audio commentary from 2005 featuring filmmaker Joe Dante, film historian Bob Burns, and author Bill Warren • Movie Archaeologists, a new program on the visual and sound effects in the film featuring Burtt and film historian Craig Barron • From the Archive, a new program about the film’s restoration featuring Barron, Burtt, and Paramount Pictures archivist Andrea Kalas • Audio interview with producer George Pal from 1970 • The Sky Is Falling, a 2005 documentary about the making of the film • The Mercury Theatre on the Air radio adaptation of The War of the Worlds from 1938, directed and narrated by Orson Welles • Radio program from 1940 featuring a discussion between Welles and H. G. Wells, author of the 1897 novel The War of the Worlds • Trailer • English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing • PLUS: An essay by film critic J. Hoberman.

 

JAWS (a.k.a. the best movie ever) on 4K Blu-ray 6/2

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment will celebrate the 45th anniversary of Steven Spielberg's Jaws with a brand new 4K Blu-ray release of the film, which will be available for purchase on June 2. When a young woman is killed by a shark while skinny-dipping near the New England tourist town of Amity Island, police chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) wants to close the beaches, but mayor Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton) overrules him, fearing that the loss of tourist revenue will cripple the town. Ichthyologist Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and grizzled ship captain Quint (Robert Shaw) offer to help Brody capture the killer beast, and the trio engage in an epic battle of man vs. nature.

VICTORY and a Brush with Greatness

VICTORY (1981)

Starring Sylvester Stallone, Michael Caine, Max von Sydow, Pelé. Directed by John Huston. (116 min)

ON BLU-RAY FROM

WARNER ARCHIVE COLLECTION

Review by Tiger the Terrible😺

I met Pelé once. Actually, encountered might be more accurate.

Back in the mid-seventies, my hometown got its own team, the Portland Timbers, in the fledgling North American Soccer League (NASL), which inspired suburban parents to drag their kids kicking & screaming onto the pitch to play in youth leagues. One of those was yours truly. Though I eventually grew to love the game, soccer was as alien to me as the opposite sex and I approached it with similar awkwardness. Worse yet, I was put on a team with guys who’d already been playing together for a few years.

Anyway, the Timbers regularly recruited ball boys by drawing the names of local players. A ball boy’s job was to stand on the sidelines and retrieve balls that went out-of-bounds during play. Being selected was a big deal; not only did it mean you got to attend a game or two for free, but you might meet some of the players. My name was drawn for a game against the New York Cosmos, followed by awe-struck gasps from my teammates.

“That’s Pelé’s team!” I heard some of them say. “You’re gonna see Pelé!”

Pelé? Who the hell is Pelé? I refrained from actually asking that question, since I could already tell a few guys were resentful that this pasty-legged benchwarmer would be closer to their idol than they’d ever get. And in case anyone reading is currently asking the same question, Pelé is soccer’s Michael Jordan and widely considered the greatest player of all time. He played most of his career in Brazil, but eventually followed the money to America, signing with the New York Cosmos. He was past his prime by then, but his marquee value still planted butts in seats. Present company excepted, everybody knew who Pelé was.

Pelé’s love scene.

So there I was one summer evening in Civic Stadium, standing on the sidelines when a ball suddenly whizzed by. Startled into action, I bolted off to retrieve it. Grabbing the ball, I turned to see the living legend, sweaty and panting, eyes huge as he shot out his hands and roared “Ball! Ball! Ball! Ball! Ball!”, his urgency reminding me the clock doesn’t stop in soccer. In a panic, I threw the ball over his head. While it didn’t cost New York the game or anything, Pelé was clearly unimpressed with my aim.

So went that personal brush with greatness.

Pelé retired a few years later (as did I), but was still enough of a brand name to be third-billed behind Sylvester Stallone and Michael Caine in Victory. He isn’t in the film nearly as much as the billing suggests, but his formidable skills are on full display and certainly cinema worthy, as are those of other international soccer stars in supporting roles.

With a plot and charming, old-fashioned tone similar to The Great Escape, Victory is one of Stallone’s better post-Rocky films, arguably because it’s directed by John Huston, who surrounds him with a great cast that includes Caine and Max von Sydow. Stallone is no Steve McQueen, but he’s enjoyable enough as Captain Hatch, an American POW who joins John Colby’s (Caine) prison soccer team after not-so-nasty Nazi Karl von Steiner (von Sydow) arranges a match against an elite German team. The game may be pure propaganda to the Nazis, but Hatch and his superiors see a perfect escape opportunity.

"You take Sly. I had him on my team last time."

Much of the film has Colby putting together the team while Hatch works on escape plans, which includes borrowing numerous tropes from The Great Escape, such as Hatch breaking-out to see how the land lays in Paris (where the game will be played), then allowing himself to be recaptured so he can report back. And that’s okay...if you’re gonna rip-off a prison escape movie, you might as well rip-off the Gone with the Wind of prison escape movies.

If Victory frequently riffs The Great Escape up to this point, the match itself unfolds like The Longest Yard (minus the laughs). Here’s where Pelé shines. He can’t act worth a shit, but give him a ball and he’s a goddamn magician...no camera trickery, special effects or stuntmen required. His solo, goal-scoring drive across the field is one of the film’s action highlights. But his heroics aren’t the game decider...not with Stallone and his ego in the cast.

In Hollywood, Victory was Pelé’s brush with greatness. With thespian skills comparable to my 12-year-old my prowess with a soccer ball, he served his purpose by giving the film an authenticity it wouldn’t have had with a real actor. The rest is an enjoyable throwback that pays almost like an homage to WWII epics from the ‘50s and ‘60s. 

KITTY CONSENSUS:

PURR-R-R...LIKE A GOOD SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS.