October 2nd - Call Him Snake.

So I noticed Shudder's lineup for the first of October, and one of the films was Escape from New York (1981). I found that a bit puzzling, though, I did recognize that during night scenes involving the "crazies" who emerge from the sewers like creatures of the night, with Carpenter's music and cues identifying them in the background, emerging from decrepit floors and smoky manhole covers. With the weapons and no semblance of conscience or consideration, most of those lurking the streets of the Manhattan Island Max Security Prison don't care about rules, being on their best behavior, deciding to act as if they care about anything but surviving with whatever they scavenge or find. And Snake trying to find a President (Pleasence), with 24 hours or else capsules implanted in his neck will dissolve and kill him. This was always a movie appealing to me on so many levels, including its cast and Russell's coming out party as a badass ditching his Disney childhood fame for a role where he can tell Lee Van Cleef's Hauk, "I don't give a fuck about your war". My daughter entered the room, asked me what I was watching, and when I told her, was dying to watch it for the first time with me in a week's time...how can I deny my little girl (well, she's about to be 18) her first viewing of one of my all-time faves? Still, it didn't feel weird watching this film during October. If you read the "skull-rating comments", Shudder's customers complained that despite liking the film, "IT ISN'T HORROR".