Home/Episodes/Escape from New York
‘Escape From New York’ With Bill Simmons, Shea Serrano, and Chris Ryan
April 29, 2020 · Escape from New York (1981) · Action · Adventure · Sci-Fi · 1:25:47 · ▶ Listen on Spotify
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Probably Unanswerable Questions
Bill SimmonsHow do people have electricity? What's the plumbing like? Where do they sleep? What was the Upper East Side like? Was Brooklyn involved at all?▶ 12:45
Chris RyanWhere did everybody in Manhattan go? Who's Fresno Bob? How did The Brain get his name?▶ 12:15
Shea SerranoAppreciates that the movie puts you in the world without explaining anything, like John Wick - you just have to experience it and see what happens▶ 13:17
Most Rewatchable Scene
Bill SimmonsMultiple scenes: Snake getting pitched by Hawk (the briefing scene), Snake landing the plane on the Twin Towers, first Duke sighting with Snake driving through Broadway, Duke shooting at the president, and the finger/touch me he dies scene with Romero and Lee Van Cleef▶ 26:08
Half-Assed Internet Research
Bill SimmonsEvery character that says 'I heard you were dead' to Snake ends up dying in this movie - it's like the kiss of death, like the oranges in The Godfather▶ 42:23
What's Aged the Worst
Bill SimmonsHawk's cell phone - it's massively large, the size of his head, like holding a small car▶ 48:19
Shea SerranoThe radar scene where the guy says 'he's in the building now' but the light doesn't move, just blinks▶ 49:03
Dion Waiters Award
Bill SimmonsFrank Doubleday — Frank Doubleday (winner), with other nominees being Adrienne Barbeau, Isaac Hayes, and Borg Nine▶ 53:49
Chris RyanFrank Doubleday — Discussed Borg Nine, Harry Dean Stanton, and Pleasance as strong candidates but acknowledged Frank Doubleday's dominance▶ 53:28
Shea SerranoFrank Doubleday — Frank Doubleday - praised his range from terrifying to insecure to his unique death scene▶ 54:30
Apex Mountain
Bill SimmonsUncertain between late 80s period (Tango and Cash/Backdraft era) or when Escape from L.A. was made, noting Kurt Russell's career longevity makes it hard to pinpoint▶ 59:45
Chris RyanTango and Cash/Backdraft period - around late 80s/early 90s when he was his biggest star▶ 59:14
Shea SerranoAgrees with Tango and Cash/Backdraft era for peak stardom, but notes Escape from New York as when 'this guy is the fucking guy' retrospectively▶ 59:22
Picking Nits
Bill SimmonsMultiple nitpicks: Only one copy of the nuclear fusion tape exists, terrorists infiltrated as flight attendants with no background checks, Brain makes his own gas but can't quickly locate tall buildings in NYC, escape pod logistics don't make sense, 24-hour exploding capsule technology seems impossible, daylight/nighttime continuity issues, and how Cabby ended up trading for the tape is unclear▶ 1:01:01
Chris RyanBrain can make his own gas but takes 10 minutes to figure out where tall buildings are in NYC, escape pod should have accommodated multiple people or Secret Service, and questions about the infrastructure and services Duke provides to maintain loyalty▶ 1:01:59
Shea SerranoRomero should have been allowed to watch the gladiator fight instead of having to stay with the president, and questions the dissolving capsule technology versus just making it explode at a set time▶ 1:03:42
Best Quote
Bill SimmonsI thought you were dead and touch me dies - mentions multiple good one-liners throughout▶ 1:07:51
Chris RyanListen to me, Hawk. The president is dead. You got that. Somebody's had him for dinner.▶ 1:08:04
Who Won the Movie
Shea SerranoKurt Russell — Agreed on Kurt Russell, noting there's no current equivalent to Kurt Russell and that Kurt Russell remains Kurt Russell▶ 1:16:56
Movies Referenced (33)
| Title (year) | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gladiator (2000) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 10 | Bill Simmons, Shea Serrano, Chris Ryan | ▶ 34:31 |
| Halloween (1978) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 10 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 5:43 |
| Big Trouble in Little China (1986) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Chris Ryan, Shea Serrano | ▶ 21:01 |
| The Island (2005) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Chris Ryan, Shea Serrano | ▶ 5:14 |
| World Trade Center (2006) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 30:08 |
| Alien (1979) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Shea Serrano, Chris Ryan | ▶ 3:12 |
| John Wick (2014) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Shea Serrano, Chris Ryan | ▶ 13:06 |
| Nope (2022) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | ▶ 14:04 |
| Predator (1987) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Shea Serrano | ▶ 3:10 |
| Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Shea Serrano | ▶ 17:57 |
| The Ring (2002) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 34:56 |
| Air Force One (1997) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 4:10 |
Directors Referenced (4)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Carpenter | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 25 | Bill Simmons, Kurt Russell, Chris Ryan | Halloween | ▶ 2:08 |
| Clint Eastwood | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Million Dollar Baby, Gran Torino, Unforgiven | ▶ 20:45 |
| Howard Hawks | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Kurt Russell, Bill Simmons | ▶ 43:02 | |
| Sergio Leone | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | Once Upon a Time in America, Once Upon a Time in the West | ▶ 27:30 |
Actors Referenced (31)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adrienne Barbeau | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Bill Simmons | Escape from New York | ▶ 37:00 |
| Frank Doubleday | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Shea Serrano | Escape from New York, Broadcast News | ▶ 52:22 |
| Charles Bronson | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Death Wish, Once Upon a Time in the West, The Great Escape | ▶ 21:19 |
| Lee Van Cleef | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | Escape from New York | ▶ 27:27 |
| Ox Baker | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | Escape from New York | ▶ 35:04 |
| Sean Connery | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Kurt Russell | Dr. No, The Untouchables, The Rock | ▶ 1:22:33 |
| Steve Buscemi | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Fargo, Reservoir Dogs | ▶ 41:16 |
| Vincent Hanna | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | ▶ 52:15 | |
| David Bowie | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | The Prestige | ▶ 41:16 |
| Ernest Borgnine | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | Escape from New York | ▶ 12:36 |
| Goldie Hawn | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | Private Benjamin | ▶ 58:28 |
| Harry Dean Stanton | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Alien, The Green Mile | ▶ 51:38 |
Writers Referenced (4)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J.J. Abrams | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | Star Trek | ▶ 56:42 |
| James Cameron | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | Avatar, Aliens, Terminator 2: Judgment Day | ▶ 57:24 |
| Nick Castle | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | The Last Starfighter | ▶ 57:53 |
| Roger Ebert | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 17:55 |