Escape from the Bronx

Escape from the Bronx

Italian film poster for Escape from the Bronx
Directed by Enzo G. Castellari
Produced by Fabrizio de Angelis
Written by Enzo G. Castellari
Tito Carpi
Starring Mark Gregory
Henry Silva
Valeria D'Obici
Timothy Brent
Music by Francesco de Masi
Cinematography Blasco Giurato
Edited by Gianfranco Amicucci
Release dates
 August 15, 1983
Running time
 82 minutes
Country Italy

Escape from the Bronx is a 1983 Italian action film directed by Enzo G. Castellari. Also known as Bronx Warriors 2 (in the UK) and Escape 2000 it was featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000 under the Escape 2000 name. It is a sequel to 1990: The Bronx Warriors.

Plot

Several years after the events of 1990: The Bronx Warriors, Trash (Mark Gregory), former leader of the Riders gang is now a cynical loner, remaining in the impoverished, lawless wasteland of the Bronx and trading in stolen ammunition.

The General Construction (GC) Corporation, led by President Clark (Enio Girolami), wish to tear down the Bronx to turn it into “the city of the future”. To do this they need to clear the current population from the area and have employed expelled prison warden Floyd Wangler (Henry Silva) and a private squad of Disinfestors to burn, shoot and gas those that will not leave willingly.

While the bums, vagrants and elderly are easy prey, the warrior gangs of the Bronx will not go quietly and a rebel army of all surviving Bronx gangs led by Dablone (Antonio Sabàto) is holed up underground.

When Trash’s parents are burned alive by Disinfestors he begins to take revenge by leading ruthless guerrilla attacks on the clean up squads which in turn leads to the GC Corporation and Floyd Wangler trying ever nastier means of subverting the rebellion (such as rigging hostages with bombs). Trash, Dablone and a crusading reporter named Moon Gray (Valerie Dobson) then team up with psychotic mercenary Strike (Timothy Brent/ Giancarlo Prete) and his equally crazy son (Alessandro Prete) to kidnap President Clark and put the Bronx back in the hands of the gangs.

Cast

Production

Shot roughly 18 months after the first Bronx movie Enzo G. Castellari has stated that he was disappointed with how much muscle mass Mark Gregory had lost between part one and this sequel, which is why he keeps his jacket on for 90% of the movie.

Filmed in New York and Cinecitta film studios in Rome. Mark Gregory was still 18 when he shot this movie and Enzo Castellari states on the DVD commentary for 1990: The Bronx Warriors that his young age and lack of experience was possibly a factor in why Mark did not last long in the film business.

Release

Home media

The film was released on DVD in the UK by Vipco in 2003, and to theaters in the US in 1983 by New Line Cinema, later on VHS in 1997 by New Line Home Video.

Australian company Stomp Entertainment released a region 0 / NTSC disc in 2006. So far this is the only option for American fans to purchase as the DVD has never been official released on DVD in the United States.

Shameless Entertainment released the film on Region 2 / PAL format in the UK in 2009. The movie is part of a box set entitled "The Bronx Warriors Trilogy" and is packaged with 1990: The Bronx Warriors and The New Barbarians.

Blue Underground has announced a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack to be released later in 2015.

Reception

Audience reception

A website dedicated to both this film and its predecessor 1990: The Bronx Warriors was set up in 2004. The site contains two interviews with Enzo G Castellari and details an ongoing attempt to locate Mark Gregory (Trash) who vanished from public view in about 1989. There is also a message in MP3 format (in Italian) from Enzo and his son Andrea to Mark asking him to get in touch and saying how much they miss him.

The cult TV series Mystery Science Theater 3000 highlighted the movie in a seventh season episode. Most of the jokes regarded the obvious Italian setting and bad outfits but of particular note is that the character of Dablone (whose name the characters mispronounce as Toblerone) quickly won Mike, Tom Servo and Crow over with his over the top performance ("We're getting a big slab of Toblerone here!"). They would groan over his absence in the middle of the movie ("If ever a scene cried out for Toblerone!") and cheered when he made his return later in the film ("Just drink him in!")

The first Bronx Warriors convention was held in 2009 in Rome. Attendees received a badge stating DAS- Disinfestation Annihilation Squad (logo of the villains from this film).

External links