Escape from Sky TV

Faithful readers of the Adventure are probably wondering: Has British TV gotten any better? Some months ago, I expressed my dismay with the quality of the programming offered up by Sky TV. Indeed, now that I've grown more attuned to British culture and life has settled down enough for me to properly surf, one would think that I would have discovered a bevy of interesting shows. Alas, no. It still sucks.

To wit, the other night during prime time one of the major networks broadcast Escape from New York. We could all brainstorm several hundred movies more worthy of standard broadcast television, but evidently ITV (the major network in question) couldn't. Some of you will recall this apocalyptic tale of New York City after it had been transformed into America’s largest penal colony. The plot is ridiculous, the writing is atrocious, and the acting is overbearing. I hadn’t seen this movie in probably 20 years (and I swear I only watched 90 seconds of it last night – ask Tracy), but despite its shortcomings, it’s hard not to keep a soft spot for protagonist Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) who fought like heck to, well, you know – escape from New York.

Two curious things struck me last night on my very quick trip down memory lane. The first is that EFNY, filmed in 1981, might very well be the true precursor to the much more influential First Blood (aka the original Rambo), made just one year later. Snake, like John Rambo, was a decorated veteran who fell on hard times and landed in a place he shouldn’t have been. Both had the requisite pursuing villains, though a major tip of the cap to Brian Dennehy over Lee Van Cleef (thank you, IMDB) on that score. Snake can’t be beat for his leather jacket and menacing eye patch, however. Rambo had to settle for wearing that burlap sack and twine get-up for most of his travails. All in, both are noble outlaws on the lamb.

The second thing is that despite the over-the-top portrayal of the city as a big jail (it's really quite absurd), the film actually fits well into the cinematic history of New York City. In between the elegance of Breakfast at Tiffany’s and the saccharine urbanity of You’ve Got Mail was a dire time for the real NYC, obviously best captured by Scorcese’s Taxi Driver – not only in his cinematography of a city turning down but in Travis Bickle's (de Niro!) palpable enmity toward the place and its people. Don’t worry – no comparisons between Jodie Foster and Adrienne Barbeau (Maude!) will happen here. Along with Taxi Driver, The Warriors (crazy sh*t – I still think about those costumed hooligans when I ride the NY subway), and others, EFNY reflects the nadir of our popular impressions of New York. How times (square) have changed.

Oh yeah, where was I? Right, crappy British television. We more or less give up. Our reprieve: Tracy and I are well into the second season of 24 on DVD and loving it. Don’t tell us what happens.