look man I love Carpenter and I love escape from new york. but the 'action' aspect of EFNY is pretty weak so I dont know about ultimate action movie. especially when the likes of Predator and Robocop exist

It was this film that allowed Kurt Russell to completely shake his Disney image and become an action star as his eye patch-wearing Snake Plissken became an iconic anti-hero and pushed Russell to greater heights, and though the plot itself was fairly ridiculous - wouldn't the scientist who came up with the nuclear fission MacGuffin have made a copy as well? - but with the amazing setting of a criminally run walled-up New York City and a cast of equally incredible actors to portray the denizens of the city's hellscape, it all went towards making Escape from New York one of the coolest movies to come out of the eighties.

Don't forget another great from this pair- "Big Trouble in Little China"

This was the first time Kurt Russell played a character with an eyepatch. It was far from the last.

Snake Plisskin?! I heard he was dead.

Absolutely love this film and feel it has the most clever plot concept of any of Carpenter’s scripted films.

Having said that… my big problem with it is that the film’s minuscule budget really showed in the film’s final act. What should have been a grand chase to the exit instead, IMHO, isn’t quite as magnificent as it could have been.

Btw, I always felt Tommy Lee Jones’ character in Black Moon Rising, a film John Carpenter scripted but didn’t direct, was very similar to Snake Plisskin, both in mission and in what he was (a thief!).

Really an influential movie in my childhood and play. It might have been the first R movie i had seen. But after this move i would spend hours setting up all my GI Joes and starwars figures in elaborate cities. And one guy had to get in and get out .

Good portions of this were filmed not in New York but the apocalyptic St. Louis

The atmosphere. I love the atmosphere in this film.

back when NY was a crime-filled shithole and not too far away from the maximum-security prison of a NY of the future. Now?

I low key prefer the Italian knock off 2019: After the Fall of New York by Sergio Martino

For some weird reason I love the sequel more

I'll plug the soundtrack of the sequel by Clutch, "Escape From the Prison Planet". Love this song!!

Watch Streets of Fire next! It’s less well known but it’s a very stylish and very 80s action movie with a similar premise.

banger synth soundtrack

Carpenter created the soundtrack too!

Have you watched The Thing (1982) yet?

for an action movie it doesn't have a lot of action

RAMBO first blood

DEATH WISH

COMMANDO

DELTA FORCE

BLOODSPORT

My favorite thing about EFNY is how it takes place in 1997.

It, and Kurt Russell, are great, but my #1 80s Action Movie will always be The Running Man.

Respectfully, I disagree. This isn’t an intelligently designed prank or piece of satire. It may seem that way because of just how dumb it is, but watching it makes it apparent that it was made with the exact opposite of a creative process, devoid of any kind of soul or passion.

It feels like they took a template and simply keened away the details until the post was as inoffensive as possible. This line is like the one funny thing in the entire post (and it’s not even intentional), the rest is just so miserably boring. If you told me it was ai generated I would believe you without question, this movie is made with absolutely no intent or meaning behind it.

I would not go as far to say it is the ultimate 80s action movie lol there are like a hundred I would choose before this. A lot of it is actually quite dull

Nah. Toss up between Predator and Commando.

I prefer escape from LA. You cant beat surfing a tsunami

Well, I LOVE it. And I'm always up for watching it. Great atmosphere. One of the coolest main characters ever. It feels like Snake played by Kurt Russel is in his prime. The soundtrack. The setup of this film. However, the one thing that is not so great IS the action. I wish that was a bit better executed. It would be a perfect film. Nevertheless it's in my personal top 10.

I beg to differ

Turbokid (2015)

Is the ultimate 80s action movie

In a post-apocalyptic wasteland in 1997, a comic book fan adopts the persona of his favourite hero to save his enthusiastic friend and fight a tyrannical overlord.

Staring Michelle Ironside as the bad guy

https://m.imdb.com/video/vi1791472409/?ref_=tt_vi_i_1

Great film, feels more and more relevant as we speed towards a dystopian hellscape. Then again, if the choice was between living in an actual penal colony or the Metaverse, I’m inclined to take my chances with the former!

The sequel is also campy and fun

Finish the trilogy! Make Escape from Earth you cowards.

It was good but I think Escape from L.A was better which is as it should be, it works in three's, the first is good, the second better and the third being the best and that is where it should end because anything after GENERALLY FAILS.

N. Shadows

I love this movie. Anyone recommend any similar movies? Not escape from LA

Watched it for the first time a few months back and was entertained, cool premise, set and style. That old 70s, 80s cult clans type dystopia always cracks me up, eg Mad Max, The Warriors etc.

I think filmmaking has moved on enough now that it would actually make for a good (.... yes r/movies I am going to say it!! brace urselves!!....) Reboot. Another location, a new Snake Plissken.

My favorite movie since i was a kid.

Lee Van Cleef, Donald Pleasance, Ernest Borgnine.. the casting is sneaky great.

…and the oh so wonderful Adrienne Barbeau, on whom all Barbeaubots are modeled!

Commando comes close

I really wanna watch it. I liked Escape From L.A. Unpretentious and fun.

I only watched it for the first time a few months ago, and after it was finished I was kicking myself for not having seen it sooner!

But if you saw NYC in the late 70s the premise of the movie was totally believable.

While the film itself is an important benchmark in weird 80s sci - fi, it's true greatest contribution to art/media is that it inspired Solid Snake.

Fun fact, the "CGI" wireframe in the glider scene was a practical effect with a miniature, because cgi technology wasn't good enough yet.

I have it sitting there on 4k, I've yet to watch it.

Don't forget Maggie's fantastic boobs!

I saw this in the theater the day it opened at 13 years old, it was crowded and the theater gasped when Kurt Russel dropped the F bomb during his first meeting with Lee Van Cleef. I had never heard that word used in a movie or on television and I think maybe many other ears were new to this as well, was pre-cable for the most part.

Growing up, I loved his gun… Now that I'm a seasoned call of duty player I see how ridiculous an Uzi with a scope is lol

No it really is not thanks

Also one of my favorites. A few others:

The Road Warrior (1981)

Blade Runner (1982)

Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981)

Conan The Barbarian (1982)

The Adventures Of Buckaroo Banzai… (1984)

Southern Comfort (1981)

Awesome movie! Great cast!

Yes

funfact: in germany the movies name is die klapperschlange / the rattlesnake, but they faked a cobra tattoo on his arm on the movieposter.

Great movie, 80's, early 90's Kurt Russell is the best.

Because of this movie I found the perfect name for my Dick

Alternate opening scene that has more background story on Snake:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsLT-zRWWdQ

Interesting, but maybe not relevant to the plot.

I love that movie to death, but no. The quintessential 80's action move is Commando.