Chiasmus cult cinema trailers - "The warriors" (1979). *These will be ongoing posts, courtesy of the A.Glass DVD collection. As I offer via Chiasmus Cult trailers, my summarized overviews*

Some trivia for you.  Which 1979 song was hit, when the movie "The Warriors" was released of the same year?  Give up? Donna Summers "Hot Stuff".  And as the 1970s came to a close, the 1980s kept with the same rhythm, and so did the movies of the said era's, and The Warriors would certainly be up there as one of the quintessential late 1970s movies, which represented the grit, grime and crime of New York City with all of its aesthetically pleasing allure.  Directed by Walter Hill, who went on to direct those 1980 esque action movies, marketed both for the aging 'counterculture' baby boomers, and those young post-teen Gen Xers who began their backlash against their parent's post hangover adult innuendos, moving further into the 1990s, wanting action, blood and explosions, without the nudity (or at least toned down), in all of its post transgenerational confusion.  The Warriors stands as the cult movie spectacle that it was then, and still is to this day.

And don't you remember growing up and idolizing fictional street gangs?  Particularly studying the 1979 movie poster for "The Warriors", looking at every colorful, Hollywood styled street gang of 1970s New York and think, how cool do they all look.  And the mythos within its theatrical stylisation, that street youth could unify and run all of NYC, under older gang leader called "Cyrus", played by the late Roger Hill from the "Gramercy Riffs" (a sort of disciplined martial arts style gang).  While remembering his iconic line from the movie, "Can you dig it!"  As he calls to arms all those gangs, in his 1970s Bronx accent, before being shot and killed, (yes spoiler alert.  46 years ago and you haven't seen this cult movie yet?) by crazy gang leader "Luther" (played by David Patrick Kelly) from the bondage looking "Rogues".  Pinning the blame on the Coney Island gang, "The Warriors".  And thus begins the chase, as the Warriors have to make it back to Coney Island, with all the other gangs requested by the Gramercy Riffs 2nd in command, to take them down.

Of course "The Warriors" has dated, but considering it reflects a glammed up version of New York City street gangs of the time, and gave it a more, as mentioned, theatrical setting.  There is still a gritty edge to the movie, particularly the scenery, watch for those graffiti covered NYC trains, rubbish strewn streets, and the violence, although seemingly tame by today's standards, still resonates with composer Barry De Vorzon's erie 1970s disco style soundtrack.  And so be, that the charm of The Warriors does shines through, as a paradigm snapshot of era that held an honest aspect to its turmoil and decay. 

The movie has a lot of plot holes, and strange edits, that doesn't always follow through with continuity, as we never really know why "Luther" killed "Cyrus", later seeing Luther on the phone speaking to a mysterious person, presumably who asked the young gang member to take the hit on "Cyrus" and then blame "The Warriors", probably has a backstory that was never really revealed in the movie, the Mafia involved? And The Warriors member "Fox" (Thomas G. Waites) being thrown onto the railway tracks and into a passing train by a police officer, mid point in the movie with rest of The Warriors either unaware, or not caring.   We'll never know.  The dialogue between the young prostitute "Mercy" (Deborah Van Valkenburgh) who decides to tag along with the The Warriors, as they try and make it back to the turf, and the leader of The Warriors "Swan" (Michael Beck), is awkward at best.  

And yet, this all can be overlooked, by the cult charm of "The Warriors".  So, sit back or dress up in your favourite gang outfit for 'cult movie night', and yes, I know everyone is going to choose the "Baseball Furies" as their outfits.  Recite your favourite lines, and enjoy trying to make it to your side of town.  And as Swan says at the end of the movie, after they make it back to a delaperdated 1970s Coney Island, "And we came back to this?" 

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(A.Glass 2025)

All CHIAMUS Cult Cinema trailers/commentary to date: chiasmusmagazine.blogspot.com/search/label/Chiasmus%20cult%20cinema