10 Unanswered Questions About Escape From NY : Unanswered Questions Episode 36

[@FriendlyNeighborhoodUnclePete]

This opening was one of my favorite gimmick openings you've had for UQ! Love this series!

[@ReelyboredJon]

"Conratulations, you're old!" Couldn't help but snicker and wipe a tear from my eye at that one.

[@j3fr0uk]

Yeah that one got me too haha

[@josephlepkowski2383]

Your the Duke A number 1!

[@ZacharyVogt]

Unanswered Questions is always my favorite. And this one was extra special, because of Christy's participation. Loved it.

[@therosebride]

Christy did phenomenal! Great episode of unanswered questions, Josh!

[@nerdygoth6905]

I haven't watched Escape for years but such a good film! Lovely to see Christy, she played her role really well. Hearing the fleshed out version of Snake's background: that's the plot of No Escape with Ray Liotta.

[@vampirascoffin870]

I love how he went full snake mode for this , you are Legend bro🐍 , and how's this for a un answered question : is captain Ron Snake?

[@TheTonoMakai]

As far as the president thing goes, you have to have been born a US citizen, and over 35, but only need to have been a resident for 14 years, so it's entirely possible he spent a good portion of his life in the UK or whereabouts. As long as he's been here for the last 14 years, that's all that would matter.

[@jazcc]

Thanks for those facts of NY Josh. As a former New Yorker it has been proven time and again that NY has greatly improved since the 80’s. I myself was almost kidnapped out of a supermarket in broad daylight at 4 years old. I’m here by a miracle.

[@flywheelshyster]

Donald Pleasance was so cool, I love that he came up with this insane back story and carpenter is like, taking a drag off his cigarette and looking cock-eyed toward the sky, is like...whatever, its cool, don't wanna go too far over 90-100 min ya know so we may just leave that part out

[@LuxuryPossum]

As a life long resident of Northeast Ohio, I can attest to the fact that Cleveland is a city that does not give up its secrets easily.

[@juiciestslice6430]

I'm here for this guy Josh's "theist" POV.🤣

[@alriley05]

Escape From LA is a guilty pleasure of mine Lol

[@movietimelines]

mine as well! love that movie

[@juiciestslice6430]

Marvelous video! I don't know if it's confirmation bias or what, but I agree with everything you say here!

[@Psychopunk696969]

Awesome video Josh Spiegel ! As always ! Thanks !

[@guyincognito1423]

Weird.... just watched this yesterday with the commentary of Carpenter and Kurt Russell. Such a fantastic flick!

[@Forcemaster2000]

In the 1970s, New York City was a cesspit, to quote Obi-Wan Kenobi, "You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious."

[@DavidDedrick70]

I enjoyed your explanations, whether I agreed or not is not the point. I didn't so you know...disagree with anything you said, just sat back and enjoyed the vid. Thank You, Escape From New York has always been one of my all time fave collabs of John Carpenter and Kurt Russell, the other being The Thing of course.😊❤

[@rossmunro7084]

Great concept for an episode. Awesome :)

[@jahmd8377]

Isn’t it possible that the nerve gas that ate Snakes’s eye also infected him and turned him into the antihero he ultimately became?

[@JCIce007]

1. Holy crap, the gas attack explanation from the book actually fits the headcanon I've had for years! I assumed that the reference to "the crazies" living underground was a nod to the movie, The Crazies. It was an experimental chemical weapon there, as I recall. 2. I don't think a British accent itself would be too much of a hinderance in a Presidential campaign. Especially if he was a celebrity. 10. Captain Ron *has to be* another alternate universe version of Snake.

[@MrDman21]

The whole Escape from universe has so much good storytelling. I'd love to vinettes of the stuff that happens between New York and LA.

[@TheBadGuy235]

Nice video! Love the Escape movies so it's nice to see some lore filling in the gaps. Personally I always kinda headcanoned that Assault on Precinct 13 was in the same universe, with those gangs being the start of the crime rate skyrocketing. At least the seeds of that had been planted for when the crime rate goes up in 1988.

[@nignamedmutt7270]

I've loved EFNY ever since I saw it back around 2008-9ish, but just recently saw The Warriors" (free on youtube last I checked, it probably still is, as well as HEAT and "Mouth of madness", I'm derailing but youtube actually has some dope movies for free that everyone should check out) and I couldn't resist the urge to tell myself that it was a precursor EFNY in SOME way. They just have such a similar eerie atmosphere, and the plots could easy line up so perfectly. Honestly wasn't too shocked to find out there's TONS of people online who have a similar assumption, even if it isn't intended by the directors. Kinda bound to happen, since they're both dystopia looks at a future New York where gangs never get any resistance and the state goes full "authority mode" on the citizens asses.

[@CarlisleCultCinemaClub]

Excellent as always

[@grimmmickey5125]

I love tgis channel lol i legit listen to it while im operating my cherry picker at work. Probably not the safest choice but it is entertaining lmao

[@movietimelines]

Thanks again to Ridge for sponsoring this video and giving my credit cards a cool and safe place to live! ridge.com/timelines

[@grahamgreene779]

glad to see you getting sponsors :)

[@mychunkyjordi7585]

Your channel is great, I love everything you do. It's great your sponsored. If I knew anyone who used a wallet I'd refer but I don't carry a purse and my friends & myself use cash constantly as we don't wanna lose it 😊🐾 💜

[@Nytrez]

One thing that might help with the Cabbie question is, Why not both? Stemming from potential nerve gas damage to the brain, why can't Cabbie remember it both ways. Memory is a delicate thing and due to fighting his way back to sanity, memory for him may shuffle on and off from day to day or even moment to moment. Even within is own mind there may be two versions playing at once.

[@kingkull77]

Well done. Very good episode.

[@Crazy1van]

Cabbie is an unreliable narrator at best, given that the novelization makes it obvious that New Yorkers went insane. But more importantly, as his sanity somewhat returned, he realized he was now living in a city full of the worst criminals his reality had to offer. He HAD to pose as a criminal too, just to avoid being seen as an easy mark, and the nerve gas probably affected him enough that he eventually forgot that his own fake backstory was actually fake.

[@adoyledoyle889]

What happened to New York after LA

[@bcham7373]

Loved Cabbie big goofball

[@PatrickCraig-lh5is]

I'm glad to know NY has cleaned up its act so much. I'm going to move there right now!

[@DefConprime28]

@15:24 It was answered believe it or not in the 198 3 comic by now comics and they said it was a severe case of pink eye during the rash wars of the gas so yeah there you go

[@DefConprime28]

Hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey, you ain't a master at that pencil tape technique until you can put two pencils in the holes of three tapes and rewind three tapes at once

[@BennyLlama39]

Josh: "How would a guy with a pretty obvious British accent get elected President?" Me: You could say that about Schwarzenegger. I always thought it odd that his American cop or government agent characters have a thick Austrian accent, and nobody questions it. 🙂

[@wimvanderstraeten6521]

There's a rip-off of Escape from New York called Lockout (2012) that's actually set in an outer space prison, so there already kind of is an Escape movie that's not set on Earth (albeit not an official one).

[@albion65]

Carpenter actually sued the makers of that film for copyright infringement. Surprised he didn't do the same to the makers of the film DOOMSDAY. Perhaps they got his permission ahead of time?

[@RidgeWalletYT]

Team Burnt Titanium 🔥

[@jackmackakaheavyguyhaiku545]

Great video. I enjoyed it a lot. I'm a fan of all the Carpenter/Russell teamups for the big screen. And I like Ghosts Of Mars. Not for a Snake Plissken vehicle though. I actually have a kinda wacky idea for a new Snake Plissken project. Snake and another iconic antihero are both told that they are the biological father of the First Son. Prior to the First Lady meeting, falling for and marrying the President, she 'spent time' with both this guy and Plissken. The other guy is none other than Frank Castle. That's right. It's a much cooler more explosive version of the Billy Crystal Robin Williams movie Father's Day with two of the best characters of all time.

[@movietimelines]

a snake/punisher team up would be pretty rad

[@Onyxolotl]

Yes just yes

[@1969chgoodwin]

With DP's accent there are MANY ways he could be president with a slight English accent. #1 he was born on one of the many military bases in the UK, #2 born to an ambassador from the US for the UK, #3 was picked as a running mate and took over after the last either died or won the next election due to his service, #4 considering a war happened and many died he could be the designated survivor if the cabinet was killed , #5 the constitutional amendment was amended after the war to allow someone not born to run .

[@davidabbott7270]

Seen a lot of good questions and theories in the comments that would be great for a follow-up other unanswered questions.

[@vipjim5217]

This movie is metal gear solid. Pretty good game in the early ninties. They made cyborg super soldiers in the game. Other movies where terminator and robocop , that are practically the same events. Madmax and akira. Metal gear was computer hidden in a motorcycle from robotech.

[@benrositas8068]

On question #1, there's a further point I would like to expound upon, and that is one of the general cultural trends of the 70s and 80s... Fear. It was a big seller, in those days. The Cold War still seemed like it had no end in sight, disaster movies did well in the 1970s, and then you had movies like The Day After, which was an absolutely horrific what-if movie about nuclear war (I was seven or eight when that movie was aired and it scared the crap out of me, giving me actual nightmare for a time). It's not that we liked being scared, it's that we hated it but also used it in order to cope with it. Weird, but that's how it was! And that certainly factored into the story that this movie is based on. Back then, the idea of NYC being turned into a prison was more believable than it may seem today. It's one of those things that you have to view through the lens of the time in which it was made in order for it to make more sense.

[@A1ml33y]

Solid Snake's New York adventure with Lee Van Cleef , George Buck Flowers , Donald Pleasence & The Duke A#1

[@snoo333]

loved it. thank you

[@Soxfandan]

For the President's accent one I'd point out from personal experience that birthplace and accent don't always coincide. My daughter was born in Ireland, but has an American accent. You accent is mainly informed by the accent your schoolmates have in your early years (even moreso than your parents). Most likely either the requirements were changed in this timeline or the President was born in the US, but spent some of his formative years in the UK... possibly boarding school. The Thatcher taking over the world is way more complicated than necessary for this one.

[@ILoveFilm247]

The president having a British accent can be explained much easier. Brain injury or stroke. One can end up with Foreign Accent Syndrome (FAS) from assorted traumas to the brain. That Southern drawl that comes and goes was his original manner of speaking before ending up with this condition.

[@jacobwebb2623]

Very cool video! To be honest I kind of wish I hadn't heard of the concept of "Escape from Earth",,,,,,, I mean Snake in a post-apocalyptic setting,,,, probably with zombies,,,,,, there's no part of that I wouldn't love!

[@bradforddillman7671]

Question 11: how did the bad guys remove the engine from the car outside the World Trade Center? Great video.

[@JeffMaziarz]

When I watched the movie, I was assuming, and thought it was expressed enough, that the tape had instructions on nuclear fussion to be used as a power source. It's a peace offering. It seems incredibly obvious to me because at the time, energy problems and the energy crisis was still on a lot if people's minds and in media. As I type this, I realize that that bit of timely bakcground in the late 1970's and early 1980's might not be obvious, but it seemed clear to me at the time. As you say, the voice on the tape is very dry, and the president does not seem like he's using it as a threat.

[@capitalcitygoofball1987]

There is a massive prison to hold them all. Australia haha. But seriously as a U.S citizen I wrote off NY years ago so I say turn it into a big ass Thunderdome. Yeah it'll hurt the economy, but reality tv ratings will go through the roof. Seriously though I love this film. My favorite JC soundtrack, and that's saying a lot and terrific performances all around. Not to mention FX that beat the hell out of modern CGI. The sequel though...well that was just unfortunate.

[@LordBitememan]

I'll give you a more plausible alternative for Harker's accent: Diplobrat.

[@jazcc]

Omg love seeing Christy in this.

[@tipsyXtwo]

It’s funny I ’ve seen this movie easily a dozen times or more, never once noticed the accent as a thing that was noteworthy

[@brandonmuse5532]

This was great

[@ryanspengler4877]

"...played by the owner of the Milwaukee Beers," PAUSED Subscribed PLAY

[@nice2008c]

B-omb in your head explained. She is the b-omb while always remaining on your mind. Katy Perry lives rent free!

[@dano_the_collector8421]

Question 11: Where did the color go on Snakes tattoo? 😅

[@andrewniederbrach5452]

Any plans for a Star Trek timeline?

[@jackmackakaheavyguyhaiku545]

One question that has vexed me since the sequel, were the explosives put in Snake's neck real? I only ask this because in L.A. someone said that they only gave him a cold (or maybe the flu), as it was little more than a placebo. Then another stated that it was just like New York. Is that they're way of saying that the first was a fake?

[@brianfinlay756]

Why not just destroy the bridges. Instead of putting mines in them?

[@JCIce007]

Just in case they might to move troops in for whatever reason, maybe ot reclaim the city. Easier to remove the mines than have to rebuild a bridge.

[@movietimelines]

believe it or not, this is one of the questions i wrote down that didn’t make the Final Cut!

[@dano_the_collector8421]

You weren’t tied up the whole time 😱😱….a Twist 🤞🏻

[@Haplo699g]

Although murders were down, crime was up 22%. Not a place I'd want to hang my hat even if I survived it.

[@mychunkyjordi7585]

I love Ghosts from Mars, completely understated. I love Escape from New York but Escape from LA is really corny with too much CGI 🤔🐾💜

[@squigglesmcjr199]

Escape from la next!!!

[@DefConprime28]

Heck even Batman did a storyline 20 years ago called bat quake I believe it was called and got them island we're Gotham basically was left on its own too so this story has existed before I don't know why people nitpick a picnic

[@albion65]

That story arcs where that was covered are known as "Cataclysm" and "No Man's Land". The movie THE DARK KNIGHT RISES used elements of them in it's plot.

[@scottieman2]

Are there any Unanswered Questions that are answered? Like you did a video and after answers came out.

[@MrDman21]

Kurt Russell character multiverse 😆

[@seanwilkinson7431]

I'm guessing the eyepatch was the $3 expense?

[@lordvlygar2963]

Not everyone knows the geography of the city, so I must add this pedantic fact. NYC is not walled in, just Manhattan. The city consists of 5 boroughs and Manhattan is only one of them. So, NYC still exists in the film, just the center of it is a prison with abandoned buildings.

[@shallendor]

This video definitely was not a BOMB!

[@solsticelacer]

Snake doesn't really do the right thing to help other people. He attempts to screw over the entire world at the end of both movies.

[@carlesq.]

macready in the thing is much more likely than snake being jack

[@DefConprime28]

I HAVE A SPIN-OFF VERSION OF THIS SHOW. 10 UNANSWERED QUESTIONS TO RANDOM ASS MOVIES So you know instead of you know maybe okay we're always doing one movie okay make it stale why not you know try to find like random questions that just don't fill up a full episode like for example why were there three arms during that helicopter scene in Terminator 2 what was that other arm doing the whole time?

[@jaymz010]

Question 11... Where’s everyone in New York getting the petrol for their cars?

[@denial987]

So the ridge wallets come in fuchsia?

[@DefConprime28]

I will pay $100 if someone can make a movie where Ash Williams teams up with Jack Burton and Snake pliskin and buckaroo bonsai not forget that Just Ash and Jack Burton

[@ghay2239]

Rounders. Or all Matt afleck movies...

[@DefConprime28]

My son's grandfather is Jack Maple He's the one who created constat and they named the Jack maplecompstadt Center after. Look him up He's the reason why all that crime was down You're welcome That's my son's grandfather the end now on with the chlorophyll

[@DefConprime28]

Gabby was a drunk driver or a kid touch her or both maybe the original ice cream man before Cliff Howard y'all know Cliff he's willing with the head

[@5ftOfRage]

How about the top 10 unanswered questions about escape from l.a.

[@robzilla730]

Nah. Loomis 's accent could pass for American North Atlantic. Like William F Buckley, George Plympton, Mr Howell, Shelley Long etc...

[@ningboy3274]

Idk about your take on cabby, Ive been to prison before and the people that look like him in prison are almost always in there for the same reason you don''t talk about the jeepers creepers movies.

[@stavkous4963]

Aea

[@DefConprime28]

Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa... Well whoa whoa whoa whoa tritium is real It's not some Spider-Man made up element that just look cool

[@torikazuki8701]

'Whatever Canon Even Means.' I Whatever to your Whatever. Aside from what Decades of Lazy Writers have done, 'Canon' in a story is VERY Important. Coherence and Consistency (Even if it's not readily apparent to the audience) is vital to storytelling at its core. It's clear that most people who dismiss the concept are indeed just being lazy and mocking it because they are incapable of it. Relativism and Postmodernism may have savaged rational and sane discourse in other areas, but there is no reason we should just give a bedrock foundation of good storytelling over to them. Maybe *you* would have no problem with it, but I just can't see the Oompa Loompa's being the real masterminds behind the Rings of Power.

[@KeithWorkman-m7u]

how did Maggie go to prison big fan of Adrian B forgive my spelling

[@judgecohen1373]

Disagree. The novelization is canon. It fills in the holes missing or cut out of the film. You can see Snake blow Hauk’s son’s arm off in the apartment chase. All of the characters are affected by the gas to one level or another. From the blackshield cops, to Snake, to all of his allies, to the Duke with his twitchy eye.

[@judgecohen1373]

Even your beloved Cabbie likely took a minor dose of gas. He might not even realize NY has changed at all at this point.

[@billyrattlesticks6949]

A few minutes and a pencil....(sigh) Yeah, I'm old :(

[@CruelSun7319]

Escape From L.A. is a terrible film and John Carpenter should be ashamed for making it.

[@jeremyhall2727]

12:25 yeah i can stop watching right there 😑 well that makes me question your other videos

[@Superficialgallery]

I will not stand for any besmirching of this movie. None! I say this before I watch it.

[@DefConprime28]

@18:15 yup im old..... Who didn't overplay there young MC bust a move tape and don't tell me you didn't own a copy. Young MC is like cocaine Y'all talk about listening to it but nobody admits that they own it

[@kingcurmudgeon8685]

I enjoy the content in these videos. However, I think your attempts to make NYC (specifically manhattan where this film is based) seem as though it’s safer then it was 20 years ago are ridiculous. In 2023, Manhattan is a crime ridden mess. I walk thru it every day. Jus5 because it’s not as bad as DC or Chicago doesn’t mean it isn’t bad.

[@movietimelines]

but it's not ridiculous. first up, this video doesn't compare crime in new york to 20 years ago, but 40 years ago, when this film was made, but crime is even down in NYC since the early 2000's. you may say the city's a crime ridden mess, but the numbers of the actual crimes don't agree with you. i also have friends and family that live in the middle of manhattan, and weirdly, they manage to not see crime every day. keep in mind, in 1981, when escape from new york was made, crime was very high and it continued to rise until the mid 90's when crime declined and has been declining every since. if we do the 20 year thing you're suggesting, according to the new york historical crime stats, in the year 2003, if you combine the 7 major violent crime stats, there was just over 147,000 crimes. in comparison, in 2022, there was just under 122,000 so it's not ridiculous to say that it's safer. it's actually very factual, and all evidence shows it to be true.

[@lordvlygar2963]

Hi, NYC person here for 40 years. It is absolutely WAAAYYY cleaned up from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. It's gone so far to the other side, it's hard to find places that aren't gentrified.

[@Forcemaster2000]

Question #6 - Your answer makes no sense, the type of world that is shown in the movie wouldn't breed a president that wants to help his enemies.

[@JCIce007]

Easy: if it's largely a war over resources, control of ol fields, etc...viable fusion reactors could take away the reason for fighting.

[@movietimelines]

i don't think he WANTS to help his enemies, but instead has no other options. his advisors and cabinet most likely saw it as the only way out of the war.

[@brentmichael4770]

Yes, NY, today is a crime-ridden hellscape and moving towards this reality. And yes, they will abandon it. Just two years later, NY is one of the deadliest cities.

[@movietimelines]

Only if you live in the land of fear mongering. NY’s crime numbers have consistently dropped and it’s not even in the top 10 of deadliest cities. As someone who has spent a lot of time in NY city, the idea that it’s a “hellscape” is hilarious and insane.

[@Artur-Itas]

YOU SHILL IN THE LIGHT & NARRATE IN THE DARK THEN???????? 😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😮😮😮😮😮😅😅😅😅😮😮