We all have our LA movie character references, and they truly depend on where we are and what is happening to us. Sometimes we're kind of Steve-Martin-"LA-Story"-zany when at LACMA. Sometimes we're kind of Benjamin-Braddock-"The-Graduate"-sad when we're floating in a swimming pool.
But all of us can agree we have a touch of the Snake Plissken when sitting on the 10 or 5 or 405 on a Friday afternoon and we're trying to get the h out of town. Is it some kind of local law that the words "Escape from LA" have to be invoked at that moment?
We know, New York. You had him first. But we got Kurt Russell and director John Carpenter and Mr. Carpenter's mad, Casio-cool vision of a dystopian Los Angeles in 1996, and our references while sitting on the freeway haven't been the same since. And now it is time for Angelenos to dig out our Snake-y eyepatchery and bandanas and make for the Egyptian for a full on Carpenter-"Escape"-"Halloween"-"They Live"-"Big Trouble in Little China"-kind of weekend, starting on Friday, Sept. 17.
The director will be appearing on Sept. 17, in fact, along with both of his "Escape" films. Other Carpenteria will run later in the weekend. (Carpenteria=the director's movies, not the city, of course.)
By the way, you only need to drive up Highland or down Hollywood to find the Egyptian. No scrambling over buildings or rubble, Plissken-style, unless you're into that.
