Continuity mistake: The revolver that Snake uses in the film is a 6 shooter. But on the bridge in the end when he gives it to Maggie, Maggie fires the gun at Duke's car 7 times without reloading. (01:27:00)
Quantom X
4th Aug 2013
Escape From New York (1981)
30th Jul 2013
Escape From New York (1981)
Trivia: There was an extensive opening scene that was filmed where Snake robbed the bank with a partner before they were caught, and his partner killed. Snake went back to try and help his wounded partner, just to see him get shot down and then the cops surround him. But the scene was cut from the movie because early screenings proved that it only confused the audience. That they had no idea what was going on until it was too late. It also served to humanize Snake and make him seem more like a good guy, which was not the effect they wanted at all.
20th Jul 2013
Escape From New York (1981)
Continuity mistake: After the President gets up the wall, Snake is waiting for the harness to be lowered down to him again. The Duke shoots at him and puts a line of bullet holes across the wall. In that shot, you see the holes are not close to any of the horizontal lines of the tiled wall. But in the shot where the harness is being lowered, you see the line of bullet holes is not only close to, but crossing one of the horizontal lines at an angle. (01:28:50)
20th Jul 2013
Escape From New York (1981)
Continuity mistake: As Snake makes it back up to the top of the World Trade Center, he sees Brain, Maggie, and the president in a fight with a gang of "Redskins". The Redskins cut the line on the Gulf Fire and it plummets to the ground. Maggie, Brain, and the President are hiding behind some air ducts and tubes. just before the shot cuts, the President pops his head up and looks around, making his head the highest of the 3. Maggie is holding her gun pointing up, and Brain is sitting still just looking at the President. It then cuts to an angle behind them. Suddenly the President is down on his hands and knees again, Maggie is holding her gun lower and sitting up straight, and Brain is leaning back looking like he is about to fall over. (01:19:35)
18th Jul 2013
Escape From New York (1981)
Question: How did Snake lose his eye?
Chosen answer: During a mission known as the "Leningrad Ruse." He and his flight squadron were sent unknowingly on a suicide mission. During it, his goggles cracked and let in a poisonous gas, paralyzing his iris. He has to wear the patch because his eye can't focus against bright light, causing pain. This is mentioned in the novelization.
18th Jul 2013
Escape From New York (1981)
Question: What's the big deal about the place Chock Full O' Nuts in this movie? In both commentaries, they make a big deal about it, but never actually go into detail. (00:40:10)
Chosen answer: It's a chain of coffee shops in the New York area that were around decades before Starbucks. (Their initial business was roasted nuts before they switched to coffee and kept the name.) They would have been as common a sight to 80s New Yorkers as Starbucks is today to everyone.
18th Jul 2013
Escape From New York (1981)
18th Jul 2013
Escape From New York (1981)
Trivia: You will notice in some scenes that Snake has a scar on his cheek, most notably when he is confronting Hauk about the explosives injected into his neck. Kurt Russell has a dimple there, and it was a wardrobe decision to place a scar on it because they didn't want Snake Plissken to look like he had a dimple. (00:23:55)
18th Jul 2013
Escape From New York (1981)
Trivia: Donald Pleasance made up a whole back story about how he, as a British man, was able to become president of the USA in this film, seeing as how only a nationally born citizen can be president. According to John Carpenter, the film's director, Donald's story had something to do with Margret Thatcher taking over the world and the US becoming a British Colony again. It was funny, and apparently well thought out, even as just a joke, but Carpenter didn't use any of it for the film. (00:11:30)
18th Jul 2013
Escape From New York (1981)
18th Jul 2013
Escape From New York (1981)
Trivia: When Lee Van Cleef was cast for the role of Bob Hauk, the director and Kurt Russell decided to draw on old Spaghetti Westerns for Snake. Looking at the dynamics between Lee Van Cleef and Clint Eastwood in those old movies, Kurt drew from that and modeled Snake Plissken after Clint Eastwood, especially his voice.
18th Jul 2013
Escape From New York (1981)
Trivia: The first time Kurt Russell saw this movie with an audience, he was in New York with his family. Try as he may, he couldn't convince the theater owner that he was in the movie, even though he is obviously the star film. So he wound up having to pay his and his 7 family members' way into the movie.
15th Jul 2013
Escape From New York (1981)
15th Jul 2013
Escape From New York (1981)
Trivia: In an attempt to have more futuristic stuff in the movie, the crew was brain storming ideas. One that Kurt Russell came up with was the idea of a self lighting cigarette. They tried a few times to get such a prop to work and look good on film, but all they managed to do was burn Kurt's fingers.
15th Jul 2013
Escape From New York (1981)
Trivia: The girl Snake meets in the Chock full of Nuts place is Season Hubley. She was Kurt Russell's wife in real life during this time. They met during the filming of director John Carpenter's previous movie, "Elvis". In that, Kurt played Elvis and Season played Priscilla. (00:40:30)
15th Jul 2013
Escape From New York (1981)
Continuity mistake: On top of the World Trade Center, some "Redskins" are rocking the Gulf Fire back and forth over the edge and cut it loose. You see very large red markings on the Gulf Fire's wings. But when you see it falling in the next shot towards the camera, the red markings are gone and the wings are solid black. (01:19:30)
14th Jul 2013
Escape From New York (1981)
Trivia: The plane that was shown crashed in the movie was bought as a junked plane, but in one piece. The film crew cut the plane into sections, trucked it into the city during the night and set up for filming. People saw the 'wreckage' and the next day there were stories in the newspapers about a plane crash, referring to this plane, pictures and everything. And it had eye witness accounts of people saying they saw the plane crash. Total lies as it was trucked in in pieces. (00:30:30)
14th Jul 2013
Escape From New York (1981)
Trivia: The production team soon realized during editing and early screenings that it was easy to lose track of where Snake was, or when. So in post production, they went back and did some additional shooting of just moments where Snake or someone would look at the time on his wrist clock to show where he was at. This also helped greatly to add to the suspense of the movie, allowing the audience to know how much time was passing and how much Snake had left. (00:22:15)
14th Jul 2013
Escape From New York (1981)
12th Jul 2013
Escape From New York (1981)
Trivia: Only one shot of this entire movie was actually filmed in New York. That is the shot where they pan down, showing the Statue of Liberty and several guards walking around on it. In other parts where you see the city from afar it's actually a miniature, not the real thing. (00:06:15)
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Suggested correction: She only fires 6 shots. Watched the scene 3 times. Only 6 shots.