I dunno, I felt it was a little off the mark. That fight scene was 18 mins too long, the aliens could have used some fixing up by someone wanting something more than nifty Halloween masks...
I can see what he was trying to do, but it just seemed almost there but not quite...
I'll still watch it whenever I see it, but as far as I go, Carpenter lost his edge since after Big Trouble in Little China. It's like he made that parody of his own movies and forgot how to do it right after.
Back then critics trashed The Thing, now they realize it was great. Sheesh, the dunderheads acted that corny first one with James Arness as a giant spiny walking green carrot in B&W that looked like Frankenstein (!?!) was a classic, while Carpenter's was actually total aces but they shat on it. Stupid fhuckheads.
I saw Escape from New York EIGHT times in the theater! Sat through it twice at the Leows Paradise on the Grand Concourse in the Bx, then another time three times in a row, then twice with my little cousin (he would had sat through it 3 times if I asked him, but I thought that'd be a bit too much for a little kid. We played Ms Packman in the lobby between showings), then in a double bill with Cat People sometime later Downtown.
Ahh, good times, when going to the movies meant something. *wipes tear*
I loved Christine too. a lot.
I'm rambling...