john carpneter cult classic escape from new york and be set in a dystopia 1997. new york city have be transform into a virtual maximum security prison where some of the most degenerate and deadly criminal have be leave to languish . but when a gang of freedom fighter hijack air force one and subsequently crash land there and it an eerie precursor of event of 911 and the president play convincingly by donald pleasance be take hostage by some of the criminal who rule the roost . so the authority who be lead by iconic spaghetti western actor lee van cleef send in snake plisskin ( kurt russell ) a once highly decorate soldier who s now imprison after a string of theft and be coerce in to rescue him and but they trick him into think they have give him a vaccine and which result in a very clever plot twist which it a device which will kill him if he doesn not complete his mission in 24 hour . escape from new york be a surprisingly make action classic it make great use of steadicam shot which in itself be a classic carpenter trademark . the film be best see in it 2 represent35 represent1 aspect ratio the usual tv show in pan and scan butcher the composition .