|
Post by Dirty Epic on Jul 27, 2018 11:33:08 GMT
Anyone else a fan of this weird and wonderful, cartoonish New York street gang movie from 1979?
The film focuses on ‘The Warriors’ a gang from New York’s Coney Island led by Cleon (Dorsey Wright) they’re 9 delegates from 100 New York gangs summoned to a truce in The Bronx by a rival gang ‘The Riffs’ led by Cyrus (Roger Hill). Cyrus explains a plan of unifying the gangs into one unit to take on the crime syndicates and police as ‘they’ve got the streets’ and ‘nothing can move without them letting it happen’. Cyrus also feels the rivalries between the gangs are petty and prevents them taking control of New York. However ‘The Rogues’ rivals to The Warriors aren’t interested in this and their leader Luther (David Patrick Kelly) shoots Cyrus dead and blames The Warriors/Cleon for his murder.
This sets a chain of events where Cleon is beaten to death by The Riffs security and the remaining Warriors Swan (Michael Beck), Ajax (James Remar), Cochise (David Harris), Snowball (Brian Tyler), Fox (Thomas G Waites) and Rembrandt (Marcelino Sánchez) are on a all night fight for survival across New York not only from the cops but 100,000 gang members who’ve been instructed by The Riffs number two to get them ‘alive or wasted’.
Directed by Walter Hill who apparently wanted it to be more of a comic book allegory style which he sort of revisited when the DVD was re-released in 2005 The Warriors is a great time capsule of New York in the 1970’s albeit it’s probably a more fun and entertaining view of the street gangs around at that time and no way near as violent, menacing or depressing as what NY’s gang problem was like back then. Apparently during filming the cast/crew did have issues with real New York street gangs and when the film got released violence did erupt at screenings in the United States. Also a interesting urban legend the film was also mentioned as a favourite of Ronald Reagan when he became president in the early 1980’s too. :poketongue:
I’d fully recommend The Warriors to everyone on here, however it is what it is a entertainment piece and not a true reflection of the gritty reality of New York in that period which maybe Fort Apache The Bronx or Taxi Driver were.
Here’s a trailer.
|
|
|
Post by Arthur Pringle on Jul 27, 2018 14:49:45 GMT
Great film, wasn't sure I'd like it but I saw it a few years ago in HD & it's really entertaining, great use of New York locations at night, reminded me of parts of 'Marathon Man'. I think some would be put off by the cartoonish look of the gangs, but it manages to pull it off, something like a film equivalent of a video game as you follow the gang as it tries to avoid other gang members & get back to their 'manor' intact. The use of the radio dj as narrator is good, I think they may have got the idea from the film 'Vanishing Point' which uses a similar device.
The music used in the trailer is not in the film I don't think, I recognised it from William Friedkin's film 'Sorcerer', it's by Tangerine Dream.
Interesting bit of background on the novel that the film is based on-
"Sol Yurick worked as an investigator in the 1950s with New York City's Dept. of Welfare, where he became very familiar with gang members. His first novel 'The Warriors' was published when he was 40 years old. Ostensibly about city gangs, it was actually based on the Greek history known as 'Anabasis,' written by Athens' Xenophon in 4th Century B.C. It tells of the long adventurous trek home of Greek mercenaries, after their leader, Cyrus the Younger, is killed during the war against Persia"
|
|
Cartman
Producer
Posts: 4,012
Online Status:
|
Post by Cartman on Jul 27, 2018 15:28:33 GMT
Not seen it, remember it being trailered at the time it was released and it sounds interesting. Will look out for it.
The basic plot seems a bit similar to a film called 1971, where a British soldier on patrol in Belfast at the time of the troubles gets separated from his unit in a Nationalist area and has to try and get to safety with the Provos after him.
|
|
|
Post by D.C. Burtonshaw on Jul 27, 2018 21:01:46 GMT
Sounds an interesting film DE, not heard of it actually but will try and check it out sometime. The gangs in NY in that decade in real life, I understand were pretty bad, born out of a depressed USA at the time with economic decay and frustration of lack of prospects.
|
|
|
Post by Arthur Pringle on Aug 2, 2018 21:03:54 GMT
I used to get this film confused with another 1979 film about rival American gangs called 'The Wanderers'. These were films I don't recall being shown on tv but you would see at the video shop. Pre internet, all you had to go on was the video cover art, the artwork for The Wanderers featured a menacing looking, fat, bald headed man.
|
|
|
Post by Steve Austin on Aug 7, 2018 21:25:24 GMT
This film is on tonight on Sky Movies ch 303 in a few moments at 10.30pm.
|
|
|
Post by Dirty Epic on Aug 9, 2018 5:39:00 GMT
Did you give The Warriors a watch the other day Steve?
|
|
|
Post by Steve Austin on Aug 9, 2018 10:11:30 GMT
Did you give The Warriors a watch the other day Steve? I gave it a go Dirty but got no further than 20 minutes or so in before I gave up. Not for me I'm afraid and very much of its time.
|
|
|
Post by Dirty Epic on Aug 9, 2018 13:51:34 GMT
Ah no worries Steve... take it you ended up like Cyrus then LOL!
|
|
|
Post by Steve Austin on Aug 9, 2018 14:09:29 GMT
Ah no worries Steve... take it you ended up like Cyrus then LOL! Err no, I'm very much alive and kicking, it was the film that bit the dust
|
|