John Carpenter’s “Escape from L.A.” Makes Its 4K Debut

Escape from L.A. turned 25 this year, though the new restoration will have to miss the big anniversary. Paramount will release a new 4K disc early next year. That's all the more surprising considering its beloved predecessor (Escape from New York) has yet to debut on the format in the U.S.

The sequel debuted in Summer 1996 to mixed reviews. Critics didn't dig the film's goofiness, which included awesome/ridiculous scenes like Snake (Kurt Russell) shooting hoops to save his life or chasing Steve Buscemi on a surfboard. But the film gained a cult following, with fans who appreciated the somewhat prescient satire and didn't mind the terrible special effects.

While the film will look better than ever, those adoring fans may want to hold onto the "Collector's Edition" Blu-ray that Shout! Factory released last year. This new edition will only contain the film's original trailer.

Paramount will release Escape from L.A. on 4K UHD on February 22.

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About Kip Mooney

Kip Mooney
Like many film critics born during and after the 1980s, my hero is Roger Ebert. The man was already the best critic in the nation when he won the Pulitzer in 1975, but his indomitable spirit during and after his recent battle with cancer keeps me coming back to read not only his reviews but his insightful commentary on the everyday. But enough about a guy you know a lot about. I knew I was going to be a film critic—some would say a snob—in middle school, when I had to voraciously defend my position that The Royal Tenenbaums was only a million times better than Adam Sandler’s remake of Mr. Deeds. From then on, I would seek out Wes Anderson’s films and avoid Sandler’s like the plague. Still, I like to think of myself as a populist, and I’ll be just as likely to see the next superhero movie as the next Sundance sensation. The thing I most deplore in a movie is laziness. I’d much rather see movies with big ambitions try and fail than movies with no ambitions succeed at simply existing. I’m also a big advocate of fun-bad movies like The Room and most of Nicolas Cage’s work. In the past, I’ve written for The Dallas Morning News and the North Texas Daily, which I edited for a semester. I also contributed to Dallas-based Pegasus News, which in the circle of life, is now part of The Dallas Morning News, where I got my big break in 2007. Eventually, I’d love to write and talk about film full-time, but until that’s a viable career option, I work as an auditor for Wells Fargo. I hope to one day meet my hero, go to the Toronto International Film Festival, and compete on Jeopardy. Until then, I’m excited to share my love of film with you.