Escape from New York

John Carpenter's 1981 sci-fi thriller Escape from New York is rumored to be in the early stages of a Hollywood reboot/prequel, but you have to wonder why. The original is so entertaining and tautly paced that it's going to be tough to best, let alone equal. In Carpenter's grim vision of the future, the president is shot down over New York, which is a city-sized prison. The government sends in the criminal Snake Plissken to track him down and bring him back alive. The film famously stars St. Louis as Manhattan's stunt double, with a pre-renovation Union Station and the Chain of Rocks Bridge getting enough screen time to deserve a credit on the film poster. The Webster Film Series presents Escape from New York at 8 p.m. Wednesday, January 3, at Schlafly Bottleworks (7260 Southwest Avenue, Maplewood; www.webster.edu/film-series). Admission is $5.