Walter Hill serves up a testosterone-soaked urban male fantasy in his 1979 action-packed cult classic "The Warriors"
emma's most loved film to date!
On this week’s episode of BFGE, Sarah & Emma celebrate their annual trip to Coney Island by watching Walter Hill’s 1979 hyper-masculine New York City fairy tale, the Warriors (d. Walter Hill). The film centers on a fictitious NYC street gang who must travel 30 miles from the north end of the Bronx to their home turf on Coney Island in southern Brooklyn, fighting off rivals gangs along the way, after they are framed for the murder of a charismatic gang leader.
The ladies discuss the best and worst gangs and all their silly little outfits.
Sarah discusses critical reception to the film in 1979 when it was released.
Emma tells the story of Balto, a noble dog that did not save New York City.
Sarah doubts Emma’s commitment to co-hosting the podcast; Emma hates her gang name.
Tune in for:
The Lizzies: a ragamuffin gang of downtown cool gay gals whose style is matched only by their sheer incompetence, proving once and for all that the only knives and guns that women should use are bread and glue, respectively.
The Hi-Hats: a mime gang that the writer and director deprives the audience of any fight scene, leaving us to ponder whether the Warriors could escape being lasso’d with an invisible rope and locked away in an imaginary steel box.
The Turnbull AC’s: a menacing group of post-apocalyptic skinheads driving around in a weighed down bus that only goes 15 miles an hour.
The Baseball Furies: a truly embarrassing gang that takes 2 hours to get dressed and 2 minutes to get their asses beat with their own bats.
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The Orphans: a gang that makes me feel sad. somebody bring these boys some sandwiches and lice shampoo.
The Punks: adult man chucky dolls that held a meeting to decide which one of them is allowed to wear the roller skates.
The Rouges: a gang so annoying you’ll cheer when they finally get bludgeoned to death by the Riffs on the beach.
The Gramercy Riffs: an actually real gang with like 1000 members that doesn’t really do much until the end.
The Warriors: a gang with only one requirement — looking sexy in a leather vest.
Great movie!
One time I was dating a Classics grad student and was excited to show her a modern anabasis. She lost interest about 20 minutes in and went to sleep but told me I should continue to watch it alone on her laptop with the sound down.
I like the classical influence on names like Cleon and Ajax. Cyrus the gang leader is named after Cyrus the Younger, the Persian prince that hired a Greek army that ended up having to march back to Trabzon (the ancient world's Coney Island) through hostile territory after his death.
David Patrick Kelly's ad-libbed "Warriors! Come out to play-ay," is lost on so many younger people. His take on the psychotic 'Luther' gave his acting career a fantastic Hole-shot.
He's a hell of a musician, too.