Escape From L.A. Shooting Script (October 09, 1995) (Omitted Scenes)




An Army Of Terrifying Figures Climbing Atop A Mountain Of Debris And Raising Their Weapons Into The Night Sky In The Ruins Of L.A.


WHAM! A TORCH-LIT LANDSCAPE - NIGHT

The ruins of L.A. Rubble, smoke, a lethal wasteland. An ARMY of terrifying FIGURES climbs atop a mountain of debris. They raise their weapons into the night sky.

FEMALE NARRATOR
By January of the year 2001, street gangs, South American terrorists and the criminally insane capture Los Angeles Island, the once-great City of Angels.


Plissken's Submarine Going Through More Universal Studios Attractions


EXT. UNDERWATER - UNIVERSAL CITY - THE BLACK TOWER - NIGHT

The sub SMACKS into the side of the Black Tower, powers through it, BLASTS out the other side through a window, tilting and wobbling.

THE SUB

rights itself momentarily but is SLAMMED downward out of frame by a huge dark slimy object.

KING KONG

looms overhead -- his fist RISING and falling with the currents. Plissken has maneuvered himself into the wreckage of the Universal Studios Tour.

INT. SUBMARINE

Plissken hangs on, as small jets of water spray into the cockpit through tiny cracks in the hull.




Plissken On A Motorcycle Grabbing A Chain And Gunning Down A Mescalito On A Harley


EXT. SUNSET BOULEVARD - NIGHT

ON PLISSKEN

Coming right behind him are 4 MESCALITOS on Harleys -- chains, iron bars, and swords in their hands.

Plissken stares up ahead. The Chevy is still a few vehicles ahead of him.

He guns it when suddenly 2 Mescalitos pull up on either side of him. One of them swings a chain.

Plissken grabs it with one hand, and with his other hand aims his machine gun and FIRES!

The Mescalito and bike go flying, and Plissken holds on to the chain.




Pllissken's Chain Intertwining With A Mescalito's Chain


As the other Mescalito riding behind him swings a chain. Plissken swings his. The two chains SNAP together, intertwining.

Then Plissken squeezes his hand-brake.

He SCREECHES to a stop. The Mescalito keeps going, and is yanked over backward by his own chain, off the Harley. Finally the Harley flops over, skids, EXPLODES.





Plissken On Horseback Chasing Cuervo Jones


PLISSKEN

SURGES the bike forward, coming up on a Mescalito on horseback who turns and FIRES. Plissken ducks and the bullet RIPS THROUGH the rear tire. The tire BLOWS and the bike SWERVES out of control. Plissken LEAPS from the bike and grabs the back of the saddle.

THE HORSE

Plissken pulls himself up behind the Mescalito and wrestles for control of the mount. Plissken grabs the reins and wraps them around the Mescalito's neck, squeezing. Plissken SLAMS his arm against the Mescalito, throwing him off the saddle, BOUNCING onto the pavement.

Plissken GALLOPS ahead, circling a lasso high above his head, POUNDING down on a biker. The lasso takes flight and finds it mark, the biker's neck.

Plissken pulls the lasso taut, ties the end to the saddle horn, rides his mount parallel to the biker.

THE BIKE

With one quick YANK to the lasso, Plissken pulls the biker off, JUMPS on the bike and SMACKS the hell out of the horse's rump.

THE HORSE

TAKES OFF down the street, DRAGGING the biker by the neck.


Plissken Fighting Cuervo Jones On The Roof Of A Car


THE CHEVY

speeds up as Plissken moves up to the Mustang five cars behind. He swings off the bike and jumps on to the trunk.

PLISSKEN

climbs up to the roof, leaps on the hood, then jumps to the trunk of the car in front -- leapfrogging, jumping to the next car, the next car...

CUERVO JONES AND UTOPIA

CUERVO JONES
(watching Plissken get closer)
This asshole's starting to piss me off.

Cuervo Jones climbs up onto the rear of the Chevy...

MESCALITOS

lean out their car windows, FIRING at Plissken...

BUT PLISSKEN

keeps moving toward the Chevy... 

SUDDENLY A HAND

reaches out a car window and grabs Plissken's machine gun. Plissken turns to snatch it back --
 
WHEN CUERVO JONES

leaps from the Chevy and takes Plissken down to the roof.

They struggle. Cuervo raises his machete. Plissken grabs his wrist, flips him over, knocks the machete off into the street, SMACKS Cuervo in the face...

Cuervo kicks Plissken hard in the stomach, sending him staggering. The Cuervo's on his feet, his hands around Plissken's neck.

CUERVO JONES
Nobody rolls into town and disrespects me, gringo. Not Snake Plissken, not nobody.

A BOLAS-SWINGING MESCALITO

comes roaring up on his bike, throws the bolas...

PLISSKEN

as CUERVO ducks, and the bolas hit him, wrap round his neck, the balls THUNKING him in the face, sending him flying...

KAWHAP!

Plissken hits the pavement hard. He skids, rolls, and at last SLAMS into the edge of the sidewalk.

THE CARAVAN

RUMBLES away down Sunset. The hand in the car window still holds Plissken's submachine gun.

Cuervo crouches on the roof, HISSING at Plissken.

CUERVO JONES
Take him out!

PLISSKEN

lies in the street for several beats, then climbs to his feet, as 4 MESCALITOS on Harleys pull to a stop and gets off their bikes. The caravan disappears up Sunset.

The Mescalitos spread out, draw their guns...

BUT PLISSKEN DRAWS

his 2 9mm handguns from their holsters. It happens in an instant. The street THUNDERS with GUNFIRE. Plissken's guns buck and FLASH. Then silence.

4 MESCALITOS lie dead in the street.

Plissken backs off, hides behind some debris. Pulls out his walkie-talkie.
 

Pipeline Driving Down Wilshire Canyon


EXT. STORM DRAIN - WILSHIRE CANYON - NIGHT

Suddenly Plissken is...

STRUCK BY A PAIR OF HEADLIGHTS

An old dune buggy comes bumping along the canyon bottom, sloshing through water, pulling up next to Plissken.




A Group Of Vagrants Clustering Around The Edge Of The Twin Towers Of Century City And A Brush-Fire Sweeping Through The Hills


EXT. SKY VIEW OF L.A. BY NIGHT

ANGLE ON THE TWIN TOWERS OF CENTURY CITY

They're like buck teeth, sheered off and crumbling, stuck up in to the sky. A GROUP OF VAGRANTS cluster around the edge of the building -- the walls of the floors beneath have been torn away. Desk, furniture, rugs, everything hangs out over the empty space.

In the hills to the north, SEE a massive brush-fire sweep through the old Hollywood Hills, across Los Feliz, into Griffith Park.


A Bracero Family Having Dinner Is Seen In A Skyscraper During The Hang Glider Flight 


EXT. TOPS OF SKYSCRAPERS - NIGHT

The group of hang gliders sweep past the buildings. A BRACERO FAMILY is having dinner by candlelight two feet from the edge of a sheer precipice, as the side of the skyscraper they live in has been torn off. They wave to Plissken as he passes.




Cuervo Jones And Utopia Entering The Happy Kingdom In A Limousine And Gangs Of Children Present


EXT. DISNEYLAND - NIGHT

A BATTERED OLD LIMOUSINE

carries Cuervo Jones and a grim-looking Utopia past the ruins of the train and around the ghost-town square of Main Street. Ahead is the fairy castle, broken and crumbling, like some relic from a nightmare. Around it are the thrill rides, tossed in to a jumbled mass by the force of the original earthquake.

CROWDS are waiting. GANGS of every conceivable description. ETHNIC GANGS. FEMALE GANGS. GANGS OF CHILDREN. Also FAMILIES and HANGERS-ON.

As soon as the limousine appears, the crowds begin CHEERING.

INT. LIMOUSINE - NIGHT

Cuervo Jones stares out at the masses.

CUERVO JONES
They're simple people. They love a party.
(turns to Utopia)
We're gonna throw them one hell of a party when we get to America.

Utopia is silent, sullen. Cuervo raises his hand to her and she jumps, cowering.

CUERVO JONES
Put a smile on your face.

A terrified smile spreads across Utopia's face.




Three Police Helicopters Landing In The Happy Kingdom


CUERVO JONES
Are you ready for the new world? It's already begun.
(looks at his watch)
The attack is now underway!

And the LOUDEST, LONGEST CHEER you've ever heard goes up.

In the sky above, 3 Police helicopters come THUNDERING downward out of darkness, land in the open area. GANGS rush forward to capture the POLICE PILOTS.


Plissken Rolling Across The Ground On Fire As The Helicopter Explodes


EXT. SMALL CLEARING - NIGHT

THE HELICOPTER

dives toward the ground...

FROM BEHIND PLISSKEN - INSIDE

looking out the front, SEE the ground come up, hit! KABLOOM! Plissken ducks. THE BLADES SMASH THROUGH the windscreen, barely missing his head. The fuselage jumps and twists in a GRINDING fury. Fire billows into the cockpit, engulfing Plissken...

EXT. HELICOPTER - SMALL CLEARING - NIGHT

Plissken pulls himself out of the door. He is on fire. He dives away from the chopper and rolls across the ground, just as the flaming mid-section of the ship EXPLODES in a ROARING FIREBALL.