“Escape From New York” (missing soundtrack elements)

[JBL4645]

“Escape From New York” (1981) DVD and no doubt gut common sense instinct, tells me the Bluray Dolby or dts what ever has the same mix, has produced for the DVD as they just like recycling the same issue to fool us all!




Laserdisc widescreen collector’s edition
Chapter 7, time, 18 minutes 05 seconds has guard cautioning Bob Hauk “he’s dangerous, sir”. The sound is off-screen paned to right front.



DVD special edition region 2 DVD
Chapter 3, time, 16 minutes 30 seconds “he’s dangerous, sir”. mixed onto the centre channel. sigh.

It gets worse, well not too much.

Laserdisc widescreen collector’s edition
Chapter 30, time, 37 minutes 03 seconds

"Snake" takes the original tape that holds the presidents speech and you can clearly hear the tape spools in the cassettes plastic housing rattling and the tape being pulled out and ripped.



DVD special edition region 2 DVD
Chapter 11, time, 1 hour 30 minutes 17 seconds

"Snake's" footsteps appear left of the front as he walks away while the (American Bandstand) plays in far distance left, while echoing over centre and right and surrounds.

We "Snake" removing the tape, but there is no sound which is missing! We see Snake throwing the tape and that part is heard when it lands on the concrete base.

Going back to the laserdisc the sound of the tape landing the concrete base has softer sound as sound of it lands more or less at the same music beat that is tapping away, but its only faintly audible in the centre channel.

Now if you listen to the second audio commentary track (Debra Hill and Joe Alves) you’ll hear the faint sound of the tape being pulled out towards the end.

Never sale your laserdiscs off, you’d be fool to do so, now then!

I’ve only noticed so far a few scenes and I’m sure there are few more.

[BladeRunner2007]

Noticed that, too. They even changed some sound effects entirely!

[JBL4645]

Originally Posted by BladeRunner2007

Noticed that, too. They even changed some sound effects entirely!

There is no way John Carpenter approved of this.

The missing tape sound at the end is vital plot element to the story.

The extras was taken from the laserdisc there was new audio commentary that wasn’t included in the laserdisc edition with (Debra Hill and Joe Alves).

It’s like the old films that end up on DVD often will get used for the bluray and it would slip right past your ears, you wouldn’t even notice.

Well glad you also noticed.

[BladeRunner2007]

I bought it because of better PQ but the sound was so off. It really distracted me.

[JBL4645]

Originally Posted by BladeRunner2007

I bought it because of better PQ but the sound was so off. It really distracted me.

But were you aware of what was going on? Did you have any laserdisc or old VHS tape to check your suspicion out?

I’ve been onto this for years I didn’t just notice this week. I noticed this when I brought it, as I had the laserdisc for number of years.

[BladeRunner2007]

Originally Posted by JBL4645

But were you aware of what was going on? Did you have any laserdisc or old VHS tape to check your suspicion out?

I’ve been onto this for years I didn’t just notice this week. I noticed this when I brought it, as I had the laserdisc for number of years.

I noticed it immediately. I had an old DVD with the original sound effects etc. And I watched that one about 25 times, so it noticed it right away.

[JBL4645]

Originally Posted by BladeRunner2007

I noticed it immediately. I had an old DVD with the original sound effects etc. And I watched that one about 25 times, so it noticed it right away.

DVD releases
Escape from New York was released on DVD twice by MGM (USA), and once by Momentum Pictures (UK). One MGM release is a barebones edition containing just the theatrical trailer. Another version is the Collector's Edition, a two-disc set featuring a remastered transfer with a 5.1 audio track, two commentaries (one by John Carpenter and Kurt Russell, another by producer Debra Hill and Joe Alves), a making-of featurette, the first issue of a comic book series titled John Carpenter's Snake Plissken Chronicles, and a ten-minute deleted opening sequence.[24]

MGM's special edition of the 1981 film was not released until 2003 because the original negative had disappeared. The workprint containing deleted scenes finally turned up in the Hutchinson, Kansas salt mine film depository. The excised scenes feature Snake Plissken robbing a bank, introducing the character of Plissken and establishing a backstory. Director John Carpenter decided to add the original scenes into the special edition release as an extra only: "After we screened the rough cut, we realized that the movie didn't really start until Snake got to New York. It wasn't necessary to show what sent him there."[25] The film has also been released on the UMD format for Sony's Playstation Portable.[26]

[BladeRunner2007]

My old DVD is from Germany distributed by some shitty label, but the sound effects were okay.

[garbageboy]

I know this is an old thread but i have a question. Are there any versions that came out that have the deleted intro scene in the feature? I was going to buy the special edition 2 disc dvd but i just read that its an extra and not at the beginning. Any help would be appreciated!!!