I am huge John Carpenter fan, and wondered about an arc about classic John Carpenter movies. His filmography includes The Thing (currently being remade - again - by RDM), Assault on Precinct 13, Escape from New York (or LA), and Big Trouble in Little China (AWESOME movie!), as well as the Halloween movies.
Thoughts anyone?
Definitely like this idea. The Thing & BTiLC are favorites. So many great flicks. In the Mouth of Madness and Prince of Darkness are among the best Lovecraftian horrors ever, and Christine is just a classic, in every way. They Live is a masterwork of sci-fi paranoia.
Count me in. 
<<-- Snake and I second the motion.
The President and I say that this idea is A Number 1!
Call ME Snake!
PS: Yeah, I know the eye-patch covers the wrong eye, but I can hardly see out of my other eye and somehow the Snake look doesn’t work when you are wearing glasses (or a monocle) with an eye patch…
The Escape From New York movie tie-in novelization from 1982 really fills in the world of the movie and answers all the questions the movie raises. Discussing that alone would make a great EFNY podcast. If there’s any interest in doing the movie or arc, I could figure a way to make that available to y’all…
I think I mostly raved about the novel on Twitter when I discovered it recently, but if you want to hear about the book, lemme know. And if you’re seriously into the movie or Snake Plissken, then, yeah, you totally do want to hear about the book. The world is even worse than the movie suggests, and Snake is even more badass than you realize. It’s a helluva story how he went form college kid and military hero to renowned outlaw.
I’d like to hear about the novelisation - I never even KNEW there was a novelisation.
Idid hear there was a a TV series, but the idea was eventually scrapped.
Are the Snake Plisken Chronicles graphic novels any good?
I read one of of the comics – they included it with the most recent EFNY DVD. It was stupid. Probably on par with Escape From LA. It ended with a half-assed cliffhanger, Snake trapped underwater in a sinking cage, sent to his watery doom… will he die or escape? Let me guess…
I never knew about the novel either. I just recently learned about it. I read this description of it and had to have it. I was glad I got it. I read the book while listening to the score/soundtrack, and it was maybe more enjoyable than the movie.
From http://www.aintitcool.com/talkback_display/44788#comment_3284212 :
[spoiler]
Get the Novelization of the Script!
by blue_dog Apr 23rd, 2010
09:38:36 AM
A really amazing recent find is the pulp novelization of the original script. Taken from an early draft of the script, it’s 85 pages in before Snake even goes into the prison. Before that you learn about what happened at Leningrad, why Snake turned to a life a crime (and threw a molotov cocktail at a cop car on his first day out of the service) and why society is so freaked out (dispersed chemical weapons have generally freaked-out society). There’s the complete (and riveting) story of the initial bank robbery and transcontinental escape, awesome shit about how the underground crazies are nude, covered in slime and TOTALLY insane; you learn how Hauk’s son is in the prison (and thus drives Hauk to make constant raids in an effort to find him) – shit, you even realize that part of the reason Snake is such a badass is that he’s chomping on a big chunk of CRYSTAL METH that Hauk gives him as part of his supplies. I didn’t even know they had crystal meth back in 1981 (when the book was written). Shit, you finally even learn why that fucking tape matters so much. I had to pay $15 bucks on Amazon for a ratty old trade paperback, but it was worth every penny. Sure, the second half of the book is 95% the same as the movie, but I wasn’t troubled. I’m going to bet the experience of reading it was farrr better than any bullshit they’ll throw up on the screen with this remake. Can you say CGI crazies?!
[/spoiler]
And this was my feedback:
The novelization was awesome
May 10th, 2010
10:16:31 AM
…so I finally read the novel. It was awesome. Thanks to the posters who recommended it. I’ve been a fan of the movie since it came out. I never dug around for online background info or read the comics. And the novelization not only answered questions I’ve had for 30 years, but it answered them with style. In all seriousness, as a big fan of the flick, the book was some of the best entertainment money I’ve spent in recent years. What happened to Snake’s eye? What happened to Fresno Bob? How did Snake turn from war hero to rogue? Read it and find out. Author Mike McQuay RIP.
…
After reading the book, I was going to track down author Mike McQuay – more here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_McQuay – to tell him how much I dug it, maybe pick his brain, learn how it came about. But I was sad to learn he’d died.
Guy was a sci-fi writer of modest acclaim, writing teacher, and Vietnam veteran. His over-the-top prose style was the work of a guy who knows the smell of burning human flesh. It’s perfect for the story.
Anyhow, I’m assuming he was working from an elaborate early script and-or notes from Carpenter. I think the only question the book leaves unanswered is why everybody thinks Snake is dead. Or maybe they think he’s dead because of the incident he’s incarcerated for. And believe me, unlike the deleted scene/s that depict it in the movie, it’s pretty gripping.
I would love to hear a podcast showcasing Snake Plissken. He was Riddick before Pitch black.
DEfinitely great idea for an arc. BTW, the new Thing movie is actually a prequel, telling the story of the Norwegian team that discovers the ship and end with the chase of the dog over to the American station that starts the version shot by John Carpenter. My choices for this arc?
Escape from New York
The Thing
Big Trouble in Little China
Starman
They Live
I love Starman!! It stars The Dude!!
“I look like Scott so you not be little bit jumpy.”
And aliens love paaah!!