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The Warriors - 1979 (Walter Hill)

davesgcr

davesgcr

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So I was treated to a late Father's day outing to see this film - one of my very favourites in the Prince Charles Cinema in London - about the only independant cinema left in London.

The actual film shown was an original spool from the era , found in the projection room - so it had a few blemishes and scratches. The film is a tremendous record of a vanished urban scape and in particular the subway. Also has great music. Great to see it on the big screen.

Looking back , you can hardly imagine what a state the subway was - well you probably can - hardly a clean car and the stations look horrendously bleak. Considerable latitude in filming locations - the Bronx does not really appear -though the conclave is held there and why the Warriors end up in middle Queens on the way home is a mystery. As for Coney Island then ....

Does anyone have any views on this film - ?
 
Sol Yurick, the guy who wrote the novel the film is based on is an interesting guy. Jewish working class left wing intellectual who was quite prescient about the internet.

The Warriors is based on some Greek epic of soldiers getting home apparently -
en.wikipedia.org

Anabasis (Xenophon) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

Loads and loads of it has been sampled in dance music and hip hop records.

Amazing cult film. Soundtrack is a good one for wandering about cities.
 
The idea of a 'favourite film' is a fairly shite one*, but this would be one of mine. The cinematography, 'cool-ness', and general styling, just spot on.

For some reason I think of it as America typically cooler and more bombastic answer to our Bugsy Malone, but quite sure why!

* well, obvs it's airplane, but...
 
Fozzie Bear said:
Sol Yurick, the guy who wrote the novel the film is based on is an interesting guy. Jewish working class left wing intellectual who was quite prescient about the internet.

The Warriors is based on some Greek epic of soldiers getting home apparently -
en.wikipedia.org

Anabasis (Xenophon) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

Loads and loads of it has been sampled in dance music and hip hop records.

Amazing cult film. Soundtrack is a good one for wandering about cities.
Click to expand...
Agree -music on IPOD ,and had the pleasure of riding the subway with it on play.

Doing a presentation one time - I used "Knowhere to run" as part of it , in describing the challenges of operating the North London Line. (and how hard it was to reshuffle the service) - I suspect the audience were utterly convinced I was a nutter.
 
Ted Striker said:
The idea of a 'favourite film' is a fairly shite one*, but this would be one of mine. The cinematography, 'cool-ness', and general styling, just spot on.

For some reason I think of it as America typically cooler and more bombastic answer to our Bugsy Malone, but quite sure why!

* well, obvs it's airplane, but...
Click to expand...

OK - go along with the term my preferred cult film* - superb film in so many respects. Favourite is sloppy.

(goes eclectically with my cult films of Withnail and I , and of course Brief Encounter - and a few more !)
 
I only found out about this a few years ago - long after I had access to a PS2.




Anyone play it? It looks great, and they got the original cast to voice the characters. :cool:
 
Fez909 said:
I only found out about this a few years ago - long after I had access to a PS2.




Anyone play it? It looks great, and they got the original cast to voice the characters. :cool:
Click to expand...

Yes, it was pretty good. Faithful to the film but also had backstories for a lot of the characters. I think i did a thread about it years ago.

Also love the film.
 
I think I probably saw The Warriors too late for it to really bed in and like it. But I think the worst thing I can say about it is that it's a magnificent triumph of style over substance. I don't mean that in a bad way at all; I found most of the characters and acting largely lacklustre. But the soundtrack, editing and just overall chutzpah are pure proto-punky comic-book fare that's all about not giving a shit, and the cinematography of a decaying urban landscape (always a form I find beautiful) and the society that inhabits it has seldom been captured so vividly any better than this.

For what it's worth, I much prefer Hill's preceding film The Driver, up there with Point Blank for laconicism.
 
krtek a houby said:
It does feel (imho and afaicr) like a very blokey film. Couldn't imagine my niece watching it.
Click to expand...

quite right, and as a depiction of life in nyc then it's preposterous. not that that matters toooo much, since it's the Anabasis set in modernity. but if you;re looking for life-in-the-city then, watch The Wanderers, which really is something.
 
petee said:
quite right, and as a depiction of life in nyc then it's preposterous. not that that matters toooo much, since it's the Anabasis set in modernity. but if you;re looking for life-in-the-city then, watch The Wanderers, which really is something.
Click to expand...

Indeed.

krtek a houby said:
Used to mix it up with The Wanderers, which came out around the same time. But on seeing it, it felt more apocalyptic than the other.
Click to expand...
 
The different gangs make me laugh. The ones dressed like baseball players and I'm sure some are mimes or something.

Tough mimes.
 
If you want a bit of nostalgic looking back over the Warriors:




(And yes, that is McCauley Culkin. And yes, he is actually quite entertaining and a big fan of the film.)
 
kabbes said:
If you want a bit of nostalgic looking back over the Warriors:




(And yes, that is McCauley Culkin. And yes, he is actually quite entertaining and a big fan of the film.)
Click to expand...


My boy wanted one of the waistcoats when he was about 11. I told him they were only in adult sizes and he reckoned he'd keep it and wear when he was older.

I got him a t-shirt.
 
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