Not a large explosive. About the size of a pinhead. big enough to... open up both your arteries. I'd say you'd be dead in 10 or 15 seconds...
12 seconds sound clip from the Escape from New York movie soundboard.
You can hear this line at 00:23:21 in the Blu-ray version of the movie.
Quote context
[...]
- That idea you had about turning the Gullfire around 180 degrees, and flying off to Canada.
- What did you do to me, asshole?
- My idea. Something we've been fooling around with.
- Two microscopic capsules lodged in your arteries. They're already starting to dissolve.
- They're protected by the cores.
- 15 minutes before the last hour is up we can neutralize the charge with X-rays.
- We'll burn out the charges IF you have the President.
[...]