Bots, Bugs, And Babes – Episode #80: Escape From New York (1981): “Call me Snake.”

In 1988, the crime rate in the United States rises four hundred percent. The once great city of New York becomes the one maximum security prison for the entire country. A fifty-foot containment wall is erected along the New Jersey shoreline, across the Harlem River, and down along the Brooklyn shoreline. It completely surrounds Manhattan Island. All bridges and waterways are mined. The United States Police Force, like an army, is encamped around the island. There are no guards inside the prison, only prisoners and the worlds they have made. The rules are simple: once you go in, you don’t come out.

On this episode of Bots, Bugs, And Babes, my father (Al Jaconetti) and I look back at Escape From New York (1981). As we break down this John Carpenter classic, we explore all the different aspects of the film, including the alternate opening scene and how it would change the tone of the film. We also look at how this movie helped jump start the career of a child actor who is now a true legend. So prep the glider, grab your eye patch, and make sure you have the cassette, as we try to escape from the across a bridge that may not even be there. And remember, I’m the number 1!