THE WARRIORS

The Warriors is a controversial "cult" film from the late-seventies. The film is about a New York street gang called--you guessed it!--The Warriors who is wrongly accused of shooting and killing a powerful gang leader named Cyrus during a meeting of all the most powerful New York gangs where Cyrus calls for a truce and for all gangs to band together to take over the city. The Warriors attempt to make it to their homebase of Coney Island while they're being pursued by both the cops and rival gangs, including the ones who actually shot Cyrus called The Rogues. One thing that got to me about this flick is how The Warriors looked more like models from a Abercrombie & Fitch catalog than a rough-and-tumble New York street gang from the seventies--or any decade, for that matter--while the other gangs, at least to me, look more comical than threatening. (I mean, a gang of bat-wielding thugs in baseball jerseys with painted faces ala Kiss and a gang of overall-wearing redneck-looking thugs riding around on skates? Come on!) Anyway, the film drew controversy when it was released not only for its level of violence--which, I must say, is more realistic and less choreographed-looking than other "action" flicks I've seen--but also for a number of incidents of violence, including a few killings, that were linked to the film at various movie theaters. As a result, some theaters withdrew showing the picture while others added extra security personnel paid for by the studio. But, in spite of the film's controversy (or maybe even because of it), The Warriors has gone on to become a cult classic and has even spawned at least a couple of video games and even a toy-line. The film has also spawned some rather iconic moments, including the radio DJ who helps put out a hit on The Warriors and whose lips is about the only part of her that is shown during her scenes and during the climatic scene when The Warriors--spoiler alert!--finally reach their beloved Coney Island when the leader of The Rogues creepily clinks the beer bottles together while chanting, "Warriors! Come out and playay!" Overall, if you can get over the movie's aforementioned flaws (at least to me), The Warriors is a pretty decent--and pretty unique--action flick. Can you dig it! (Sorry, I just had to say that!) Best line in the film: "I'll shove that bat up your ass and turn you into a popsicle!" Second best line in the film: "The chicks are packed! The chicks are packed!" A sidenote: Roger Hill, who played the short--but, of course, memorable--role of the doomed Cyrus passed away in February of 2014. Here's a clip (from YouTube) of his short--but, again, memorable--scene in the opening of The Warriors: