Friday

A few weeks ago I watched Escape from New York as part of the John Carpenter season on ITV 4. Of course I've seen this film before, but not for a long time, and I've never reviewed it on here. So, seeing as I've been talking about Carpenter recently, I thought I'd offer a few thoughts on it. The tone and concept is rather silly, but there's something excellent about it. What struck me was how understated it was. It didn't feel like anything was over-said, in the way it is in modern action films. In fact, there was relatively little dialogue. It's incredibly simple, but manages to convey a whole world of detail to you. I'm not entirely sure how he does it, because the plot has a wide and exciting scope: things explode, people get shot and have fights. Somehow, though, it feels subtle. It feels like a small movie, and (as usual for Carpenter) doesn't go over the 90 minute mark. Overall, it's all rather pointless, but the ending is a classic, and leaves you wanting more. As a friend said to me 'they don't make movies like that anymore', and it's true. Kurt Russell is a genuine anti-hero who, when you pay attention to the details, has possibly caused the deaths of millions of people by his actions, but he doesn't care. It's brilliantly daring, but at the same time light-hearted. Odd, but very good.