Snake Plissken
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| Snake Plissken | |
|---|---|
 Kurt Russell as Snake Plissken in a still from Escape from New York (1981) |
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| First appearance | Escape from New York (1981) |
| Last appearance | Escape from L.A. (1996) |
| Created by | John Carpenter |
| Portrayed by | Kurt Russell |
| Information | |
| Nickname(s) | Snake |
| Gender | Male |
| Title | Lieutenant |
S.D. Robert (Bob) "Snake" Plissken is a fictional character in John Carpenter's films Escape from New York and Escape from L.A., played by Kurt Russell.
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[edit] Character history
Snake Plissken is a former U.S. Army Lieutenant; serving under Special Forces Unit Black Light, with two Purple Hearts,[1] and the youngest soldier to be decorated by the U.S. President[2] for bravery during campaigns in Leningrad and Siberia in World War III against the USSR.
Some time later, he turned to a life of crime, probably due to the perceived betrayal of the United States government during the "Leningrad Ruse". Snake took up with partners Harold Hellman (later known as "Brain") and Fresno Bob. In Kansas City around 1993, Hellman apparently let Plissken and Fresno Bob get cornered by police,[3] at which time Fresno Bob was brutally tortured and killed by sadistic law enforcers within the United States Police Force.[4]
Possibly as a result of the Kansas City incident, it was widely believed in the criminal community that Plissken was dead. This is a running gag in Escape from New York: "I heard you were dead" (a homage to the John Wayne film Big Jake). In Escape from L.A. the recurring joke is changed to "I thought you'd be taller."
[edit] Character traits
Snake proves to have a versatile range of skills, demonstrating advanced proficiency in firearms, knives, hand to hand combat, piloting, surfing, and even basketball. His combat prowess is so respected that he is recruited by the U.S. government to accomplish tasks that are seemingly impossible.
A rebel to the core, he outwardly dismisses authority of all kinds and has no qualms about breaking laws. He rarely speaks but is often acidic and sarcastic when he does.
Snake is crafty and devious, which aids his survival under constant danger. Although a loner, he attracts a number of colorful personalities during his adventures, many of whom attempt to escape their captivity with him. Despite a willingness to kill, he does not do it for enjoyment, killing only those that threaten him directly. He demonstrates a capacity for moral thinking, as demonstrated when he refuses to murder the president's daughter in Los Angeles.
[edit] On-screen history
[edit] Escape from New York
Snake was arrested in 1997 after breaking into the U.S. Federal Reserve in Denver, Colorado. Following the heist, the story of his capture was filmed, although the footage was cut from the beginning of the movie. It can be seen on supplementary materials on the VHS and DVD editions of Escape from New York.
He was sentenced to life in New York maximum security prison, the entire island of Manhattan, surrounded by an impenetrable wall and left in an anarchic state. At this time, Air Force One was hijacked and crashed into Manhattan, and the President, played by Donald Pleasence, was captured by the Duke of New York (Isaac Hayes), the de facto leader of the prison. Robert Hauk (Lee Van Cleef) offered Snake a full pardon for every criminal action he committed if he would go in and rescue the President within 24 hours. Plissken succeeded with the help of Harold Hellman (Harry Dean Stanton) (now known as Brain, and working for the Duke of New York), Brain's "squeeze" Maggie (Adrienne Barbeau), and a taxicab driver nicknamed Cabby (Ernest Borgnine). Only Plissken and the President survived in their escape.
[edit] Escape from L.A.
Sixteen years later, Snake was once again enlisted for a similar situation. This time, he was forced to retrieve a black box which controls a series of EMP style satellites. These devices were positioned around the entire world. The box was somewhere in Los Angeles. Some time ago, the city had separated from the mainland due to an earthquake and had become an island.
[edit] Escape from Earth
This was a proposed second sequel often mentioned by Carpenter and Russell in interviews prior to the release of Escape From L.A. The concept was that Earth was the only place left for Plissken to escape. After Escape From L.A. failed to attract much business, the project never materialized.
In August 2006, there was an internet rumor circulating that the project was actively being pursued by Paramount at Russell's urging, but the rumor was revealed to be untrue[1].
[edit] Escape from New York (remake)
On March 13, 2007, It was announced that Gerard Butler will play the role of Snake Plissken in a remake of Escape from New York. Kurt Russell, as well as many fans, did not approve.[5][6][7] The project has since been scrapped[citation needed].
[edit] Other appearances
- Snake Plissken appeared in John Carpenter's Snake Plissken Chronicles, a four-part comic book miniseries released in 2003 that was published by CrossGen comics.
- Marvel released the one shot "The Adventures of Snake Plissken" in 1997. The premise is a military/government law enforcement robot with Snake's personality.
- In the early 2000s, John Carpenter, Kurt Russell, and Debra Hill developed a proposed Snake Plissken television series that was ultimately turned down by all the major networks for being "too dark and bleak." It is widely believed that the concept of the series was what was used for the Snake Plissken Chronicles comic series, though this is speculative.
- Along with the comic book, other Snake Plissken Chronicles projects were announced. A Namco-produced video game was announced,[8] but was later cancelled. Production I.G was also set to create an anime film based on the property, reportedly based on the Escape From Earth concept John Carpenter and Kurt Russell had conceived, but this also never materialized. Carpenter and Russell would have executive produced, and Russell would have provided the voice and likeness of Snake.[9]
[edit] Influence
- Hideo Kojima, the creator of the Metal Gear series, has said in an interview that the character designs for Solid Snake and Big Boss were based on Snake Plissken. In the fourth game Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, the character Snake uses the codename "Iroquois Pliskin" early in the game, as a reference to the character.
- The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy features a recurring character, Hoss Delgado (played by Diedrich Bader), who is a parody of both Snake and Evil Dead's Ash Williams.
- Snake can also be seen in the PC game Duke Nukem 3D (as well as in the Nintendo 64 version), in a secret room deep inside a prison. His upper body is hanging on a hook and Duke says, "I guess he didn't escape from L.A."
- In the Episode of American Dad, "Con Heir", Roger is tackled by Stan's father who wears a turtleneck and an eyepatch. Roger responds, "Please tell Snake Plissken here to get off of me."
- Quentin Tarantino has stated that Russell's performance as Snake justified his decision to cast him in his film, Deathproof.[citation needed]
[edit] Notes
- ^ Mentioned by Cmdr. Malloy in Escape from LA.
- ^ Mentioned by Hauk in Escape from New York.
- ^ When they meet later in Escape from New York, Brain says to Plissken, "You were late."
- ^ This is loosely referred to in Escape from New York when Snake confronts Hellman saying, "You know what 'they' did to Fresno Bob? Do you want me to show you?"
- ^ IGN: Kurt Blasts Escape Remake
- ^ edmontonsun.com - Showbiz: Movies, TV and Theatre - Snake Plissken hissing over Escape From New York remake
- ^ NEWS RUSSELL ENRAGED WITH NEW SNAKE PLISSKEN Music, movie & Entertainment News
- ^ IGN: New Snake Game
- ^ Production IG working on Escape from New York Anime - Anime News Network
