Escape from New York (1981)

The trailer for Escape from New York revisits John Carpenter's gritty dystopian action classic. In 1997, the island of Manhattan has been turned into a walled maximum-security prison where the worst criminals are left to fend for themselves. When Air Force One is hijacked and the president's escape pod crashes inside, the authorities make a deal with Snake Plissken, a former special forces soldier turned criminal: rescue the president within 24 hours, and he will be pardoned. To make sure he goes through with it, they inject him with explosives that will kill him if he fails. Kurt Russell plays Snake, with Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasence as the president, Isaac Hayes, Harry Dean Stanton and Adrienne Barbeau. Carpenter directs and co-wrote the script. Avco Embassy released it on July 10, 1981. It is available to rent or buy digitally.