Yes, you can still call him Snake... But, even though John Carpenter's most beloved B-movie anti-hero returns in the 1996 sequel Escape From L.A., things are definitely not the same (well, unless you're talking about the plot, which is almost exactly the same!). This week, Chris and Nick take a look at the long-awaited follow-up to Carpenter's classic Escape From New York, and we have so many thoughts on this controversial addition to the Carpenter canon that we're just scratching the surface here -- tune in two weeks from now for even more Plissken palaver. For now, though, we take the big-picture view of this fascinating, flawed, and flamboyant slice of 90s CGI-assisted action insanity, discussing the film's cast and production, its much-discussed visual effects, a unique and diverse score co-written by Carpenter, and lots of ways in which it both echoes and deviates from its predecessor. Along the way, we touch on everything from inspired soundtrack choices (is that Tool we're hearing???) to Roger Ebert's uncharacteristically positive review to the mortality rate for Snake Plissken sidekicks, which we think is extraordinarily high. Plus, Chris takes a spin through the small but incredible filmography of Robert Eggers, Nick gets lost at sea while remembering 1992's two competing Christopher Columbus movies, and we get amped-up for some future podcasting goodness straight from Carpenter himself!
Yes, you can still call him Snake... But, even though John Carpenter's most beloved B-movie anti-hero returns in the 1996 sequel Escape From L.A., things are definitely not the same (well, unless you're talking about the plot, which is almost exactly the same!). This week, Chris and Nick take a look at the long-awaited follow-up to Carpenter's classic Escape From New York, and we have so many thoughts on this controversial addition to the Carpenter canon that we're just scratching the surface here -- tune in two weeks from now for even more Plissken palaver. For now, though, we take the big-picture view of this fascinating, flawed, and flamboyant slice of 90s CGI-assisted action insanity, discussing the film's cast and production, its much-discussed visual effects, a unique and diverse score co-written by Carpenter, and lots of ways in which it both echoes and deviates from its predecessor. Along the way, we touch on everything from inspired soundtrack choices (is that Tool we're hearing???) to Roger Ebert's uncharacteristically positive review to the mortality rate for Snake Plissken sidekicks, which we think is extraordinarily high. Plus, Chris takes a spin through the small but incredible filmography of Robert Eggers, Nick gets lost at sea while remembering 1992's two competing Christopher Columbus movies, and we get amped-up for some future podcasting goodness straight from Carpenter himself!