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While Kurt Russell's Snake Plissken is iconic, we explore why legendary Spaghetti Western actor Lee Van Cleef was the most surprising and coolest casting choice in John Carpenter's sci-fi masterpiece, "Escape from New York."

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00:00Escape from New York is one of filmmaker John Carpenter's most iconic pictures, and Snake
00:04Plissken one of actor Kurt Russell's most iconic roles.
00:08However, it's good to acknowledge just how good the cast of that movie is.
00:12Adrian Barbeau, Donald Pleasence, and Ernst Borgnine all help make Escape from New York
00:17the classic that it is.
00:18But you know who's the coolest cast member of all?
00:21Lee Van Cleef.
00:22Lee Van Cleef has a small supporting role in Escape from New York as Police Commissioner
00:26Bob Hawke, a rare Hollywood jaunt for an actor who, by 1981, had revived his career in Italy,
00:33galvanized by Legendary Turns and For A Few Dollars More, one of my all time faves, and
00:38the good, the bad and the ugly.
00:39And Van Cleef's performance in Escape from New York is a fine reminder of what America
00:43had been missing out on, with his twinkle-eyed, but gruff screen persona lending itself perfectly
00:48to Carpenter's picture.
00:50It makes me happy that one of my fave actors got to collaborate with my favourite director,
00:53and, yeah, I just think it's neat that it all came together.
00:56Plus, he has a really cool earring.
00:58Love Lee Van Cleef.
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