Die Klapperschlange (1981)
15KDie Klapperschlange: Directed by John Carpenter. With Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasence. In 1997, when the U.S. president crashes into Manhattan, now a giant maximum security prison, a convicted bank robber is sent in to rescue him.
“Itu0026#39;s 1997 (but itu0026#39;s the future since this movie was made in 1981) and the United States crime rates have skyrocketed, particularly in New York City. To handle the rising prison population and abundance of violent inmates, the government opts to turn New York City into a maximum security fortress for individuals who have committed the most vile crimes. There are no guards inside the prison, only inmates. They form their own society. Guards only intercede if a prisoner attempts to escape. No one gets out alive.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003enWhen the presidentu0026#39;s plane is hijacked and terrorists bring him into the prison city, convicted felon and soon-to-be resident of the prison, Snake Plissken is asked to do the impossible and bring the president out alive.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003enThe setup is rich and compelling, yet thereu0026#39;s a tremendous amount of backstory that is left untold in u0026quot;Escape from New Yorku0026quot; and thatu0026#39;s part of what makes it work. Thereu0026#39;s an air of mystery wafting through the movie that continually begs questions but leaves it up to the viewer to imagine what the answers might be. u0026quot;Why does Snake have an eyepatch?u0026quot; u0026quot;What caused the explosion in crime rates?u0026quot; u0026quot;Why does the president have a British accent?u0026quot; All these questions and more make the movie fun to discuss and re-watch repeatedly, searching for hints that help unravel the mystery.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003enKurt Russell is unforgettable as Snake, who should be a loathsome character but instead becomes a hero we have no trouble rooting for. He practically growls every line of dialogue because he crackles with too much anger to simply speak. Somehow, despite everything about him being ostensibly unlikable, heu0026#39;s still charming in a way. He would make for an incredible dinner party guest. On one hand, he would likely scare most of the guests and make them feel dumb. But on the other hand, he would probably make all of the guests think, u0026quot;wow, if you have a friend like this guy, you must be a really interesting person.u0026quot; Inviting him is a big gamble, for sure. Though, it just might pay off.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003enAlong with Snake, the highlight of the movie is John Carpenters music. Find another 1980s movie with a cooler score. I dare you. Carpenter has created two of the most recognizable and undeniably excellent theme music tracks of the 70s and 80s (u0026quot;Halloweenu0026quot; is the other). And he directed both movies. What an achievement.”
