Blu-ray Review – Escape from L.A.

Make no mistake: 1981's "Escape from New York" is an absolute classic. It's one of the best pictures from the decade and one of many jewels in director John Carpenter's crown, with the helmer putting in the work to turn a low-budget, western-tinged thriller into an insanely atmospheric triumph, overseeing star Kurt Russell's most iconic screen performance. Nothing is going to threaten that success, which is why it's a good idea to approach the 1996 sequel with a certain amount of understanding. "Escape from L.A." is meant to be a thrill ride with an old friend, with Carpenter suddenly flush with cash to make a Snake Plissken adventure, trying to compete with blockbuster standards with a brand name that, for extended portions of the original film, remained in the shadows. The reward for such patience is a semi-remake that's rich with anti-authoritarian attitude and big, loopy action, with Carpenter working out his weirdness while giving Russell another opportunity to project pure antihero ice as Snake. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com