Escape From New York

 

Written by: John Carpenter and Nick Castle.

 

transcript by Anjela F. Conner

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------

FADE IN

 

CARD -- 1988

FADE IN SECOND CARD -- The Crime Rate in the United States Rises Four

Hundred Percent.

 

VOICE

In 1988, the crime rate in the United States rises four hundred percent.

 

GRAPHIC -- Line-graphic of New York, MANHATTAN ISLAND highlighted.

 

VOICE

The once-great city of New York becomes the one maximum-security prison

for the entire country.

 

GRAPHIC -- MANHATTAN ISLAND lights up.  The word "Prison" is added.

 

VOICE

A fifty-foot containment wall is erected along the New Jersey shoreline,

across the Harlem river, and down along the Brooklyn shoreline.  It

completely surrounds Manhattan Island.

 

GRAPHIC -- The containment wall is added to the line graphic with the

tag "Containment Wall".

 

VOICE

All bridges and waterways are mined.

 

GRAPHIC -- Dots symbolizing the bridges and waterways blink on and off.

 

VOICE

The United States Police Force, like an army, is encamped around the

island.

 

GRAPHIC -- Arrows symbolizing the police force are added.  TAG -- Statue

of Liberty Island Security Control.

 

VOICE

There are no guards inside the prison: only prisoners and the worlds

they have made.

 

NEW GRAPHIC -- Outline drawing of New York.

 

VOICE

The rules are simple.  Once you go in, you don't come out.

 

GRAPHIC -- Outline drawing of the Statue of Liberty and the shoreline

are added.

 

CARD -- 1997

FADE IN SECOND CARD -- NOW

FADE OUT 1997

 

EXT. STATUE OF LIBERTY SECURITY CONTROL -- NIGHT.

A Jeep pulls up outside the base.  It comes to a stop and the driver

pulls out a walkie-talkie.

 

DRIVER

This is Gotham 4, North Bay, Station 17.  I have an escape in progress.

An object in mid-bay moving toward the wall.

 

TILT UP -- WALL

EXT. CLOSE UP -- SIGN "New York Maximum Security Penitentiary Manhattan

Island"

 

CONTINUED TILT UP -- EXT. WALL -- NIGHT

Two guards watch for the escapees in question.

 

EXT. MANHATTAN ISLAND -- NIGHT

A helicopter flies over the bay towards Manhattan Island.

 

EXT. BOAT -- NIGHT

The two escapees paddle, trying to get across the bay.

 

EXT. HELICOPTER -- NIGHT

The search light WHITES OUT THE SCREEN

 

EXT. BOAT -- NIGHT

The two escapees continue paddling.  THEY'VE BEEN CAUGHT.

 

HELICOPTER PILOT

You have 10 seconds.  Turn around.  Start back to the island.

 

INT. HELICOPTER -- NIGHT

The pilot targets the boat on a computer screen in front of him.

 

EXT. BOAT -- NIGHT

Two shots are fired directly in front of the escapees as a warning.

They ignore them and continue paddling away from the island.

 

INT. HELICOPTER -- NIGHT

EXT. CLOSE UP -- PILOT'S HAND

The pilot FIRES AGAIN.

 

EXT. BOAT -- NIGHT

The boat EXPLODES.

 

EXT. HELICOPTER -- NIGHT

Following the helicopter as it returns to the base.

 

EXT. BASE -- NIGHT

Rehme walks back to the main base, pulling out his walkie-talkie on the

way.

 

REHME

Gotham 4, confirm the kill.

 

HELICOPTER PILOT

Circled the base.  Over.

 

REHME

Security, this is Rehme.  We have confirmation from Gotham 4.  We have a

kill in midharbor.  South of the battery.  Two in the water dead.

 

SECURITY

Two confirmed.

 

REHME

Very well.

 

EXT. BASE -- NIGHT

Rehme walks into a building labeled "LIBERTY ISLAND SECURITY CONTROL and

picks up a phone.

 

REHME

Air traffic, this is Rehme . . .

 

EXT. AIR TRAFFIC -- NIGHT

The helicopter lands.  In the background, a BUS FULL OF PRISONERS comes

up.

 

EXT. BUS -- NIGHT

S.D. "SNAKE" PLISSKEN gets off the bus, looks around, and is escorted by

three guards into the base.  He looks like the essence of cool.  His

hair is long, wavy, and ratty, he lost his left eye somewhere along the

line, and he's got a two-day beard thing going on.  He's wearing a black

spandex/kevlar type shirt with zippers across the shoulders, and a pair

of camouflage pants with lots of pockets.  His jacket is a brown leather

jacket that has seen far better days, and he's wearing a pair of

handcuffs that have, instead of the links we're used to, a straight

metal bar between them.  He's not resisting anything, but the police are

not taking any chances.

 

INT. BASE -- NIGHT

Plissken and the guards follow a winding stairway down to the main

floor.

 

VOICE

Attention.  You are now entering the debarkation area.  No talking.  No

smoking.   The next scheduled departure to the prison is in two hours.

You now have the option to terminate and be cremated on the premises.

If you elect this option, notify the duty sergeant in your processing

area.

 

INT. BASE -- NIGHT

EXT. CLOSE UP ON SIGN -- "No talking.  No smoking.  Follow the ORANGE

line."

EXT. CLOSE UP ON SNAKE.  He is not impressed.

STEADICAM VIEW OF THE HALL, SNAKE'S P.O.V. Guards, guards, more guards.

Who cares.

 

As Snake rounds the corner:

 

O.S. GUARD

Hold it.

 

Snake stops, turns, directs an impertinent glance at the speaker.  He's

still not impressed by any of this.

 

FADE OUT.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

FADE IN.

EXT. BASE -- NIGHT

Rehme waits as a limo pulls up.  Out steps BOB HAUK.

 

REHME  

We've got a small jet in trouble, over restricted air space.

 

HAUK

Where is it?

 

REHME

Seven miles out and closing.

 

The two of them walk AWAY.

 

INT. BASE -- NIGHT

Hauk and Rehme walk down the stairs.  They turn TOWARD US and walk into

the AIR TRAFFIC ROOM.  Dozens of men sit in front of radar transmission

screens, wearing headsets and working.   Following Hauk and Rehme into

the room:

 

INT. AIR TRAFFIC ROOM -- NIGHT

 

REHME

We've been on the board for the last twenty minutes.  We haven't been

able to reach them.  There was a transmission ten minutes ago.  He

identified as "David 14."  Then all of a sudden he was cut off.

 

Hauk and Rehme stand behind a CONTROLLER.

 

CONTROLLER

David 14, acknowledge.  David 14, we are sending Air Rescue.  Squawk

7700, contact on 121.5.

(to Hauk and Rehme)

There's still no reply.

(to his headset)

Bayonne.  I have a mayday in restricted space.

 

O.S. CONTROLLER

New York, I have it.

 

Hauk pulls Rehme aside.

 

HAUK

Who is it?

 

REHME

I don't know.

 

HAUK

You have the code?

 

REHME

There's no David 14 on the computer.

 

HAUK

Unlisted?

 

REHME

Unregistered code.  We telexed Washington.  Still waiting for a reply.

 

CONTROLLER

I think I've got him, sir.

 

Hauk and Rehme walk back over to the controller.  He patches a voice-

over through.

 

REBEL VOICE

It's too late, assholes.  All your imperialist weapons and lies can't

save him now.  We're going down.  We're going to crash.

 

CONTROLLER

David 14, acknowledge!

 

CODEMAN

The code's coming in, sir.

 

Hauk and Rehme dash over to the codeman.  He shows them a display.

"Aircraft Identified.  Code: David14.  Decode: AIR FORCE ONE."

 

"Air Force One" blinks as Hauk and Rehme look at each other in shock.

 

EXT. PLANE -- NIGHT

The plane is flying over New York.

 

INT. COCKPIT -- NIGHT

The REBEL has killed the pilot and copilot and is working on her own.

 

REBEL

Tell this to the workers when they ask where your leader went . . .

 

She pulls out a slip of PAPER and proceeds to read.

 

REBEL

We, the soldiers of the national liberation front of America, in the

name of the workers and all the oppressed of this imperialist country

have struck a fatal blow to the racist police stick!

 

INT. PLANE -- NIGHT

A secret service AGENT taps on the door with his rifle as the rebel

continues.

 

REBEL

What better revolutionary example than to let the president perish in

the inhuman dungeon of his own imperialist prison?

 

The agent runs back down the plane to the President and his advisers.

 

AGENT

(to 2ND AGENT)

Unlock the pod!

 

2ND AGENT immediately runs off.

 

PAN LEFT TO PRESIDENT.

 

AGENT

She's bolted the door.

 

PRESIDENT

Can't you shoot off the lock?

 

AGENT

No, sir, she's pressurized the cabin.

 

PRESIDENT

How about lifting the door off of the hinges?

 

AGENT

No, sir.

 

EXT. CLOSE UP -- The President's wrist as he handcuffs his briefcase to

it.

 

PRESIDENT

Get me to the pod.

 

The President and all his advisors stand up and move to the back of the

plane.

 

INT. POD ROOM -- NIGHT

The pod opens.  An expert attaches a locating device to the President's

wrist.

 

EXPERT

Sir, this is a locating device to trace you if you become separated from

the pod.  I'm activating it now.

 

SCREENS on the pod begin to light up as the President gets into the pod.

He pushes a few buttons.

 

PRESIDENT

God save me and watch over you all.

 

EXT. BASE -- NIGHT

A guard watches as Air Force One descends into New York.

 

INT. BASE -- NIGHT

Rehme and Hauk watch a computer simulation of the plane.

 

VOICE

Computer simulation tracking Air Force One.

 

EXT. NEW YORK -- NIGHT

The plane goes down.

 

INT. BASE -- NIGHT

EXT. CLOSE UP -- MONITORS

As the plane smashes into a building, a red dot drops through the

building.  It's the pod.

 

O.S. MAN

It's down!

 

HAUK

It's the escape pod.

 

REHME

40 degrees, 50 yards from impact.

 

HAUK

I'm going in.

 

EXT. BASE -- NIGHT

Helicopters prepare for, and execute, launch, and fly into New York.  A

guard watches them.

 

INT. BASE -- NIGHT

Rehme watches monitors as Hauk talks.

 

HAUK

1-W-Larry.  Over the battery.  We're moving down.  Direct sight ahead.

 

EXT. NEW YORK -- NIGHT

The helicopters land.  A swarm of policemen run out, and Hauk hangs

back.  He follows with a second swarm.  The first swarm assumes a

defensive position near the pod.  Hauk examines the pod.  It's

definitely empty, and the rest of the jet is surrounded in flames.

 

An odd LAUGH from nowhere.

 

WEIRDO walks out of the darkness.  He nods his head to Hauk.

 

WEIRDO

You touch me... he dies.  If you're not in the air in thirty seconds...

he dies.  You come back in... he dies.

 

Weirdo takes a package out of his shirt and unwraps it to reveal the

President's middle finger, complete with ring.

 

WEIRDO

Twenty seconds.

 

HAUK

I'm ready to talk.

 

WEIRDO

Nineteen.  Eighteen.

 

HAUK

What do you want?

 

WEIRDO

Seventeen.  Sixteen.

 

HAUK

Let's go.  Let's go!

 

Weirdo grins in triumph as the police force swarms back to the

helicopters and hauls ass out of New York.

 

INT. BASE -- NIGHT

Rehme stands behind a desk, talking on the phone.  Hauk is in the

foreground, looking pensive.

 

REHME

Yes, he's right here, Mr. Vice President.

 

Hauk picks up a phone.

 

HAUK

This is Bob Hauk.  ...We can't.  If we move in with choppers, they'll

kill him.  We're lucky if he's not dead already... They don't want

anything yet.  By the time they figure out what they want, it'll be too

late.

 

REHME

Tell him we have to go with your plan now.

 

Hauk waves him off.

 

HAUK

We can't wait until tomorrow.  If we have to move in and take the

island, it's a last resort.  It's 8:45.  I want permission to try a

rescue.  Thank you.

 

INT. HAUK'S OFFICE -- NIGHT

Hauk calmly arms a .45 pistol.  He looks up from his desk.

 

HAUK

All right.

 

OVERPROTECTIVE SECURITY GUARD

He's dangerous, sir.

 

HAUK

(with quiet confidence)

I know.  I'll be OK.

 

HAUK'S P.O.V.

We see the silhouette of an unmistakable figure.  It's Snake Plissken

all right, live and in the flesh.  The guards leave.  Snake walks into

Hauk's office and sits down in the chair across from Hauk.  He raises

his cuffed hands to Hauk as if to say "Take these off me, asshole," but

he doesn't actually say anything.  Hauk shakes his head.

 

HAUK

I'm not a fool, Plissken.

 

SNAKE

(coooooool)

Call me Snake.

 

Hauk puts on his glasses and proceeds to read a file.

 

HAUK

S.D. Plissken.  American Lieutenant.  Special Forces Unit, Black Flight.

Two Purple Hearts, Leningrad and Siberia.  Youngest man to be decorated

by the President.  You robbed the federal reserve depository.  Life

sentence, New York Maximum Security Penitentiary. I'm ready to kick your

ass out of the world, War Hero.

 

Snake could not care less.  He reaches forward with his still-cuffed

right hand, picks up a cigarette, picks up a match with his left hand,

strikes the match and takes a drag from his cigarette.  He lets out a

calm breath and says:

 

SNAKE

Who are you?

 

HAUK

Hauk.  Police Commissioner.

 

SNAKE

Bob Hauk...

 

HAUK

Special Forces Unit.  Texas Thunder.  We heard of you, too, Plissken.

 

SNAKE

Why are we talking?

 

HAUK

I have a deal for you.  You'll receive full pardon for every criminal

act committed in the United States.

 

Hauk shows Snake the pardon.  Snake's eye lights up.  This is something

he wants.  He's interested now, and can't hide it.

 

HAUK

(pressing his advantage)

There was an accident about an hour ago.  A small jet went down inside

New York City.  The President was on board.

 

SNAKE

(re-establishing control over the conversation)

President of what?

 

HAUK

That's not funny, Plissken.  (beat)  You go in, find the President and

bring him out in 24 hours, and you're a free man.

 

We sense amusement from Snake.  This is not the first time the

government has asked him for a favor.  But he's not a soldier or a "War

Hero" anymore.  He knows they need him more than he needs their pardon.

He's holding the cards now, and he knows it.

 

SNAKE

Twenty-four hours, huh?

 

HAUK

I'm making you an offer.

 

SNAKE

Bullshit.

 

HAUK

Straight just like I said.

 

SNAKE

I'll think about it.

 

HAUK

No time.  Give me an answer.

 

Snake turns away.  Hauk is pushing way too hard, and Snake is determined

to be in the driver's seat.

 

SNAKE

Get a new president.

 

HAUK

We're still at war, Plissken.  We need him alive.

 

SNAKE

I don't give a fuck about your war... or your president.

 

HAUK

Is that your answer?

 

SNAKE

I'm thinking about it.

 

HAUK

Think hard.

 

Snake pauses to take a draw on his cigarette.  Next question:

 

SNAKE

Why me?

 

HAUK

You flew the Gullfire over Leningrad.  You know how to get in quiet.

You're all I've got.

 

SNAKE

I guess I go in one way or the other.  Doesn't mean shit to me.  Give me

the paper.

 

HAUK

When you come out.

 

SNAKE

Before.

 

HAUK

I told you I wasn't a fool, Plissken.

 

SNAKE

Call me Snake.

 

INT. WEAPONS ROOM -- NIGHT

Rehme talks as we PAN ACROSS a table full of weapons.  We see two guns,

a belt, grenades, several pouches full of various stuff, a flashlight, a

Uzi, throwing stars, and more.  Snake surveys them with a cool

expression.

 

REHME

Some of them have cars.  They took old junkers that were left behind and

converted them to steam.  We think they may also have a gasoline source

in there, and power.  Greenhouses, rigged up generators.  Some areas

have streetlights. The crazies.  Live in the subways.  Complete control

of the underground.  They're night raiders.

 

Snake's not into this.  He'll figure it out when he gets there.  He

picks up a bracelet with an eagle on it.

 

HAUK

Tracer.  Sends a radio signal for fifteen minutes.  You push it, we can

track you on radar.  Just like Leningrad.  But they added something.  A

safety catch.

 

Snake pushes the safety catch.  Simple enough.  And yes, there's the

button.  This is familiar.  He smiles.

 

INT. HALL -- NIGHT

Snake has his jacket slung over his shoulder now.  He walks down the

hall to the medical room with Hauk.  Rehme has disappeared.

 

SNAKE

Where am I landing?

 

HAUK

Top of the world trade center.  Only place you can land.  They won't see

it, and you can take off from a free fall.  On the roof there's a

service elevator.  It's still operational.  We use it to infiltrate the

prison.  There's a power box.  It'll activate the elevator down to

fifty.  From there on down

you walk.

 

Snake shrugs on his jacket.  He knows Hauk is just trying to assert his

authority, and it's not working very well.

 

HAUK

You can locate the President by his vital signs bracelet, on his wrist.

It sends out a sig pulse.  Use this.

 

He hands Snake a homing device.

 

HAUK

Homing device.  Shows directions and distance.

 

INT. MEDICAL ROOM -- NIGHT

Snake and Hauk walk into the room.  They're met by a young medic.

 

HAUK

Strong antitoxin.  Stops bacteria and viral-proofs you for 24 hours.

 

Snake braces himself against a table.  The medic is holding an

injection-type tech gizmo.

 

MEDIC

Take off the jacket.

 

SNAKE

I'll be OK.

 

HAUK

Let's go, Plissken.

 

Snake shrugs off his jacket, disoriented by the place.  He's nervous.

His hackles are up.

 

SNAKE

I don't like needles.

 

Hauk straps a timer gauge onto Snake's left hand.  He activates it and

the time blinks on.  It's counting down as we speak.

 

HAUK

Twenty-two hours, twenty-nine minutes, fifty-seven seconds...

 

SNAKE

We talked about twenty-four.

 

HAUK

In twenty-two hours the Hartford Summit meeting will be over.  China and

the Soviet Union will go back home.  The president was on his way to the

summit when his plane went down.

 

Snake snorts.

 

HAUK

He has a briefcase attached to his wrist.  The tape recording inside has

to reach Hartford in 22 hours.

 

SNAKE

What's on it?

 

HAUK

You know anything about nuclear fusion?

 

Snake turns away.  No.  Nuclear fusion is not his area of expertise.

 

HAUK

It's about the survival of the human race, Plissken.  Something you

don't give a shit about.

 

Hauk steps aside.  The medic swabs Snake's neck on both sides.

 

MEDIC

I'm going to inject you.  It'll sting for a second or two...

 

He raises a couple of hypos and injects Snake with them.  Snake jumps a

little; clearly, this is not one of the world's most pleasant things.

 

HAUK

That's it, Plissken.

 

Snake gets off the table.  The medic turns around.

 

MEDIC

Tell him.

 

SNAKE

Tell me what?

 

Hauk thinks he's got him this time.  Snake doesn't like that.

 

HAUK

That idea you had about turning the Gullfire around 180 degrees and

flying off to Canada.

 

Hauk shakes his head.  Snake puts his jacket down and turns to the

medic.

 

SNAKE

What did you do to me, asshole?

 

HAUK

My idea, Plissken.  Something we've been fooling around with.  Two

microscopic capsules lodged in your arteries.  They're already starting

to dissolve.  In twenty-two hours, the cores will completely dissolve.

Inside the cores are that heat-sensitive charge.  Not a large explosive.

About the size of a pinhead.  Just big enough to --

(he gestures)

open up both your arteries.  I'd say you'd be dead in ten or fifteen

seconds --