25 Cult Movies You Must See Before You Die
24. Escape From New York
John Carpenter's absence from the film industry is felt even more harshly when you consider the director's radical political stances. He would surely be raging against, say, the militarisation of the police, overcrowding of prisons and distrust of regular citizens which seemed like sci-fi in Escape From New York but turned out to be worryingly prescient.
The director made a lot of great films during his time – prototypical slasher film Halloween and his remake The Thing among them – but Escape From New York may be his crowning achievement. Kurt Russel stars as Snake Plissken, anti-establishment mercenary drafted in to rescue the president, whose personal jet was shot down over New York City.
Unfortunately, in this dystopian future New York has been turned into a huge prison, and the population won't let the Chief go easy. A genuine anti-authoritarian streak, Russell at his growly best, and Isaac Hayes as the charismatic Duke Of New York with a great score all make for a superior B-movie that still holds up today.