Trailer

Escape from L.A. (1996)

R   |    |  Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Escape from L.A. (1996) Poster

Snake Plissken is once again called in by the United States government to recover a potential doomsday device from Los Angeles, now an autonomous island where undesirables are deported.

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5.7/10
64,605
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54 Metascore

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Photos

  • Goldie Hawn at an event for Escape from L.A. (1996)
  • Escape from L.A. (1996)
  • Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell at an event for Escape from L.A. (1996)
  • Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell at an event for Escape from L.A. (1996)
  • John Carpenter and Kurt Russell in Escape from L.A. (1996)
  • Kurt Russell and William Peña in Escape from L.A. (1996)

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Awards

2 nominations.

Reviews & Commentary

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User Reviews
25 July 2003 | a_forbes
7
| Cheesy, unrealistic, outdated and fun!
Sure, Snake Plissken is a relic from the ultra-macho 80s action craze. Sure, Carpenter's use of effects is often obvious (though occasionally brilliant). Sure, the film is nothing but a slab of highly fragrant cheese, but it's FUN cheese. It's unapologetic cheese. It's the extra $1.50 of gooey, greasy, slimey mozza that you throw onto your 16" meat-lover's... sure, it's excessive--maybe even unhealthy--but it makes the pizza.

Escape From L.A. is pure, unabashed, old-fashioned fun. It's one of those movies that everyone claims they hate, but they really love in that deep place, way down in their mind, where belching contests are still fun. It doesn't pretend to be anything more than entertainment--and it's good entertainment at that. When I first saw the trailers for this film, I groaned. Kurt Russell's faux-Eastwood-does-pirate routine rubbed me the wrong way, and I was unfamiliar with John Carpenter's work. After having seen the original Escape, Halloween, The Fog, Vampires, The Thing and especially Big Trouble In Little China I know that Carpenter is interested in one thing: giving his audience an escape from reality, and this film is perfect for that. It doesn't make a lot of sense, and it takes a lot of suspension of disbelief, but in to paraphrase Roger Ebert: Who can hate a film where Kurt Russell and a transsexual Pam Grier swoop from the sky in hang-gliders firing automatic weapons at an amusement park compound?

Add to the mix a delightful turn by Steve Buscemi and an amusing (albeit unrecognizable) cameo by Bruce "Don't Call Me Ash" Campbell, and you have a really fun, really dumb, really cool MOVIE!

Recommended for the 10 year old boy in all of us.

Metacritic Reviews

Critic Reviews

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Did You Know?

Trivia

This Happy Kingdom set was actually the town square from Back to the Future (1985) at Universal.

Quotes

Female Narrator: In the late 20th century, hostile forces inside the United States grow strong. The city of Los Angeles is ravaged by crime and immorality. To protect and defend its citizens, the United States Police Force is formed. A presidential candidate ...
President: Like...

Goofs

When Snake first encounters Cuervo in his limousine, his head tracks at three times the speed of Cuervo's car.

Soundtracks

The One
By Rob Zombie, Jay Yuenger, Sean Yseult, John Tempesta & Charlie Clouser
Performed by White Zombie
Courtesy of Geffen Recording Corporation

Storyline

Plot Summary

Synopsis (WARNING: Spoilers)

Genres

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Details

Release Date:

9 August 1996

Language

English

Country of Origin

USA

Filming Locations

Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort - 400 North Liberty Avenue, New Braunfels, Comal County, Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$50,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$8,912,557 (USA) (11 August 1996)

Gross:

$25,477,365 (USA) (17 November 1996)

User Polls

Favorite Kurt Russell And John Carpenter Collaboration
What is the Greatest Escape?
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IMDb Poll Board's Favourite Film Rated 6.0 or Lower

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