ESCAPE FROM L.A.

Kurt Russell (Snake Plissken), who has delivered memorable comedic and dramatic film performances for more than 30 years, previously worked with director John Carpenter on Escape From New York, which depicted Snake Plissken's earlier adventures. He has also worked with Carpenter on the acclaimed telefilm Elvis, for which he received an Emmy nomination, and in the features The Thing and Big Trouble in Little China.

His other films include Silkwood, Used Cars, Swing Shift, Overboard, Tequila Sunrise, Tango & Cash and Backdraft. He has also starred in The Mean Season, The Best of Times, Winter People, Captain Ron and Unlawful Entry.

Kurt's long association with Disney Studios has spanned more than 20 years. He completed ten films, including Follow Me, Boys!, The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, The Barefoot Executive and The Fox and the Hound. Other television credits include Amber Waves and The Deadly Tower.

More recently, he was seen in the futuristic adventure Stargate and the western Tombstone. Kurt can also be seen in the hit thriller Executive Decision.

JOHN CARPENTER
John Carpenter's Escape From L.A. marks his 18th feature as a director. He has also composed the scores for 15 of his film productions.

Born in Carthage, New York, and raised in Bowling Green, Kentucky, he was captivated by movies, especially Westerns, as a youngster. The son of a college music professor, he attended Western Kentucky University, then enrolled in the University of Southern California's School of Cinema.

After winning an Academy Award for his 1970 short subject The Resurrection of Billy Bronco, he directed a series of low-budget, highly commercial and critically-acclaimed movies, including Dark Star, Assault on Precinct 13 and Halloween.

Following that success, he established his reputation further with such genre films as The Fog, They Live, Prince of Darkness and Christine. His rank as an action director is also evident in such productions as Escape From New York, The Thing and Big Trouble in Little China.

His motion picture credits also include the comedy thriller Memoirs of an Invisible Man, the psychological horror film In the Mouth of Madness, Village of the Damned, and the sci-fi love story Starman.

For the small screen, John directed Someone's Watching Me, the acclaimed biopic Elvis and the Showtime horror trilogy Body Bags.

His first Hollywood screenwriting credit was Eyes of Laura Mars. He has also written original screenplays for Halloween II, The Philadelphia Experiment, Black Moon Rising, Meltdown and the Western El Diablo, for which he won a Cable ACE award for best screenplay.

STEVE BUSCEMI
Steve Buscemi (Map to the Stars Eddie) most recently starred in the hit comedy thriller Fargo. He has also starred in Desperado, Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead, Living in Oblivion and the upcoming Somebody to Love.

His other film credits include Reservoir Dogs, Mystery Train, New York Stories, Miller's Crossing, Barton Fink, Twenty Bucks and Airheads, with numerous cameo appearances in films such as Rising Sun, The Hudsucker Proxy and Pulp Fiction.

Steve recently directed his first full-length feature film, Tree Lounge.

VALERI GOLINO
Valeria Golino (Taslima) has starred in the Academy Award-winning Rain Man and the slapstick comedies Hot Shots! and Hot Shots! Part Deux.

Most recently Valeria starred in Four Rooms and had a cameo in Leaving Las Vegas. Other feature-film credits include The Indian Runner, Immortal Beloved, Clean Slate, The Year of the Gun and Big Top Pee-wee.

Of Italian and Greek descent, Valeria grew up in Italy, making her feature film debut in A Joke of Destiny. She has earned the Best Actress award at the Venice Film Festival.