Merrick Thinks The ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK Remake Script Is Sur

Merrick Thinks The ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK Remake Script Is Surprisingly ESCAPE FROM NEW YORKish!!


Ain't It Cool.com


June 29, 2007


by Merrick




Merrick here…

In a RECENT ARTICLE, I exalted early John Carpenter films…which I truly love. I love their subtext, their attitude, their style, their sound, their essence. I love them. Period.

As such, I’ve been unnerved by the parade of early Carpenter titles currently being shoved through the recycling mill. So far, we’ve gotten ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13, THE FOG, Rob Zombie’s HALLOWEEN (reviews HERE and HERE and HERE), as well as a remake/prequel to THE THING (being scripted by Ron Moore of the current BATTLESTAR GALACTICA series). And, of course, there’s the recently announced ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK re-visitation – strategically packaged to star Gerard Butler (King Leonidas in 300). Butler would be assuming the role of disenfranchised Special Forces Operative turned master criminal S.D. “Snake” Plissken…originally portrayed by Kurt Russell.

Here’s a pic of Butler. Shaven & sans sweaty leather man diapers:

(Click on link above to see picture and video clip)

For purposes of brevity, I’ll forgo my standard, impassioned rant about how lazy and unimaginative it is for studios to be dolling out so many remakes…and how disrespectful this is to the thousands of perfectly decent original projects that go unnoticed / unmade every year. We’ll just accept this as an axiom and move on.

Instead, let’s concentrate on my theory about what legitimizes a remake…or what ingredients make for a “successful” remake. From my perspective, there are two factors that could render a remake worthwhile:

1) Do the current filmmakers demonstrate a respect for/understanding of the source material they’re drawing from?

2 Do whatever NEW elements filmmakers bring to a remake a) Feel like organic extensions of the story they’re remaking, or b) Help realize qualities that couldn’t be brought to the screen the first time around (due to budgetary limitations, social restraints, or…whatever)?

Which brings us back to the script for New Line’s currently-in-development remake of ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK (herein EFNY). Does it meet the above criteria? Surprisingly enough…bewilderingly enough...and I never thought I’d say this…ever...SO FAR...YES!!!

Quite a few SPOILERS will appear in the evaluation below, even though it’s a script that’s likely to change a bit before a single frame of the EFNY redux is lensed. For those wishing to remain spoiler free, here’s a quick summation: the remake script is a surprisingly faithful adaptation of John Carpenter and Nick Castle’s source material – frequently lifting entire sequences, even word-for-word dialogue exchanges, from the original film. It is extremely similar structurally. THE PREMISE IS IDENTICAL.

This is a HUGE project – expansive in scale. Many elements from the 1982 film have been drastically embiggened, and significantly amped up (including military shenanigans & the political ramifications of the President being held captive in a prison). As written, the EFNY remake would be a hard “R” rating with carnage, decapitations, and dismemberments aplenty. A VERY “80s” style of in-your-face, balls-to-the-wall violence runs throughout the script. I would LOVE for New Line to not chicken out on these elements, and allow some “oomph” to be put onscreen. A lot of us out here are missing it, you know?

The very first thought that jumped into my mind after reading this script? This EFNY has jackass politicians, frequently touches on media coverage / societal ridiculousness, makes some very pointed analogies / criticisms of the United States & its place in the world, and has tons of “Oh, my god” action & violence. Someone should go overseas, club Paul Verhoeven over the head, drag his ass back to the States, and unleash him on this project. It feels like vintage Verhoeven; and I believe there’s a place for that…a need for that…in the increasingly safe, unchallenging cinema marketplace these days. Come to think of it, George Miller could do it, too. Since he's struggling to get MAD MAX: FURY ROAD off the ground, maybe...

Enough of my pitiful, fanboy dreaming & onto the nitty gritty.


http://www.aintitcool.com/node/33189