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ma new roi m ? jb n m into A n By DOUG BELL Film Critic With Escape From New York John Carpentei (Halloween, The Fog)has created one of the few pessimistic films that works successfully as entertainment. An adventure film combining sciencefiction and political intrugue, Escape envisions a world in which crime has reached nearly catastrophic proportions. The vear is 1997. New York City's crime problem is so un-controllably advanced that Manhattan is turned into a death-row prison. Impregnable walls are erected around the island: no one gets out. In time, the city becomes a chaotic nightmare where men are like rats, scurrying without aim or identity. ONE NIGHT, the Presidential jet falls within the citv eates. The President (Donald Pleasance) survives the crash but is abducted by the "Duke" (Issac Hayes), the ruthless leader of terrorist-like cult. Almost immediately, the tough, brash warden (Lee Van Cleef) formulates a rescue plan, the success of which depends on one manSnake (Kurt Russell) A prisoner himself, Snake is irreverent, unkempt, and utterly self-concerned. Pictorially, Russell is surprisingly effective in the part. The problem is his performance: instead of creating the role of Snake, Russell imitates Clint Eastwood. The vocal resemblance to Eastwood couldn't be coincidence: it's unmistakably Clint? low, laconic and angry. Russell obviously mimics him intentionally. It constitutes a *=====? ?V2009 Cl Wee THE ROB CI Friday ai LOU JOI Mi Monday N tu / we< Free I I nappy rk Turns far Zone Hofinito flaw Tn nav hnmapp to an established personality is fine; to ape one outright is not. Van Cleef offers Snake a complete pardon for the safe rescue of the President. And to provide extra incentive, Van Cleef has him injected, without Snake's consent, with some sort of self-destructive serum: if the mission isn't completed within 22 hours, solong Snake. Hawind liMlo phnipn in Ihp mntlpr SnalfP performs with the deftness of Indiana Jones. He gets the job done despite formidable complications, such as a gladiator-like battle in the "Duke's" Colosseum (the ruins of the Stock Exchanee). BUT HE doesn't bring it all off singlehandedly. He needs, even demands assistance, most memorably from Ernest Borgnine, and ageing, slightly senile cab driver. Borgnine's cabbie resembles Walter Brennan's "rummy" in Howard Hawks' 1944 To Have and Have Not. (Hawks ifs reportedly Carpenter's favorite director.) In keeping with the film's hard-bitten spirit, nearly every one who lends a hand dies (Borgnine, Harry Dean Stanton, Adrienne Barbeau), to Snake's indifference. Though flawed, it is an absorbing film. The dark, debris-ridden city (well photographed by Dean Cundey) is truly chilling. Carpenter's pessimism seems a mature response to contemporary events, and it is to his credit that Escape From New York is so satisfying an entertainment. reen Street Inesday ROSBY BAND nd Saturday NES BAND onday j light Football Jnesday . r* ?m. : urdii Hour 10-12 Belushi's ? Mill HUM 1 -bbbp^mh^^^BP is 1^11111^; ^K o^jg**l?ll3fi3ff SmHk : # ;:>^Br:?;/?5ESV': .pMHw * a SH skz*. !?': ^ Vr g||, Mai IBmHBMJM John Belushi stars in "Continental Divide h mm ? # / a m? ? | Me cans ine mm nis ursi realistic acting r< GET INVOLV r* i i ? !i. . _ ? rree universuy is re< new members for the 1 year. If you have rv i rrograming; Advertisii Public I Free University h Meetings: Thursdays 7: House i^For More Information Ci ; Back! * 1 mj mmmm i ; mm mm m Si . I if H- i^ssSSHBSi s ? ifi&\ 1M| ''**> " as nriuckraking reporter Ernie Souchak. ale. ED! i interests in Miort Courses ig/Publicity delations tas a place for you! so p.m. Room 301 Russell .. in "I ITl-l 130. J)