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At long last, the theatrical cut of The Warriors is available on Blu-ray. Since some people enjoyed the nefangled “Ultimate Director’s Cut” that was released in 2005, I can’t write off that version entirely; however, for the fans who loved the original version I say, “Hallelujah!” Now that I have clearly established my preference, the good folks at Arrow Films have released limited edition collections, on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray, containing both versions of the film and the usual volumes of extra features and slick packaging for which Arrow is known.
The story centers on the journey of a New York street gang called The Warriors. After attending a meeting of all the gangs in New York, The Warriors are framed for murder, and spend the night trying to get back to their neighborhood while all of the other gangs attempt to capture and / or kill them. Along the way, they confront police officers and an array of colorfully stylized gangs in a series of gloriously choreographed fight sequences. The whole thing is complemented by a kick-ass original score and a collection of great songs, which are introduced by a radio DJ (Lynne Thigpen) who acts as the PA system for the underground. The film stars Michael Beck and James Remar as two of the principal Warriors, David Patrick Kelly as a rival gang leader, and Deborah Van Valkenburgh, who plays Mercy — a gal who is on her own quest to escape her life in the hood. The film was directed by Walter Hill, co-written by Hill and David Shaber, and based on the book by Sol Yurick.
For the review, I screened the 4K Ultra HD edition, and it looks phenomenal. The appropriate level of grain translates wonderfully for the gritty feel of the film; the colors are very rich; and the darker areas of the film are nicely represented. For the sound, there are three options for the theatrical cut, an LPCM Mono track, a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 option, and an Atmos track; for the director’s cut, there is a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 option.
There are two discs in this release; the first disc includes the theatrical cut as well as a ton of extras, and the second includes the director’s cut and a brief introduction by Hill. For the extra features, Arrow has packed this sucker with new stuff as well as some archival goodies. The archival extras include: “The Beginning” (~15 min.) which takes a look at the film’s origins with Hill, James Remar, producer Lawrence Gordon, and editor David Holden; “Battleground” (~15 min.) which is a discussion with Hill and assistant director David Sosna about shooting on location; “The Way Home” (~18 min.) which features cinematographer Andrew Laszlo discussing the shoot; and “The Phenomenon” (~15 min.) which features Hill and the cast reflecting on the film’s rocky road. Now, for the fresh stuff!
First up, there is the film’s new audio commentary track, featuring critic Walter Chaw, author of A Walter Hill Film. Chaw is extremely well-versed in the film and its production, and while some commentators with similarly voluminous knowledge about their subjects can come across about as entertaining as a speed reader reciting the Encyclopedia Britannica, Chaw is fun to listen to. His enthusiasm, itself, is amusing — as he occasionally gets so excited that he begins stammering or losing control of his motor functions and bumping into his microphone. His commentary runs the gamut of: the symbolism of the film’s visual motifs, the adaptation of Yurick’s novel, the various themes (youth, masculinity, Civil Rights, etc.), stories about the cast, trials of production, influences of other storytelling media (ranging from ancient Greek dramas to samurai films and comic books), critical response to the film, the notorious tragedies involving murder during and after early screenings — and the subsequent ill-fate of the film’s theatrical life — its rise in cult appreciation; and the various popular filmmakers who have been inspired by it.
There are two photo galleries from the production. The first is a collection of stills, lobby cards, and promotional artwork; and the second batch is centered on Bobby Mannix’s unique costume designs for the gangs. Next, there is a featurette called “War Stories.” This new 15-minute interview with Walter Hill addresses a number of production anecdotes. The discussions include a comparison of street gangs with New York police officers of the era — especially where turfs and tariffs where concerned; the costume designs; the electronic score suggesting a dystopian world; his conflict with actor Tom Waites (Fox) — who was originally supposed to emerge as the hero but was fired and written out mid-shoot, thus propelling Michael Beck (Swan), into the spotlight; the violence that erupted during / after screenings, which were not inherently because of the film but because rival gangs went to see the film and bumped into one another.
There is a feature-length extra called “A Whole Lot of Magic,” which is essentially a roundtable discussion with a few filmmakers (Josh Olson, Lexi Alexander, and Robert D. Kryzkowski) who love the movie. “Battling Boundaries” is an eight-minute interview with the film’s editor, Billy Weber, who discusses working with Hill, Hill’s idea about editing fight sequences like rock concerts, how well the film balances gritty subject matter with a sense of fun, the distaste that theater owners had for the film’s audiences, how mesmerizing the movie is to random folks any time it appears on a bar room TV set, and, finally, how the best films are the ones that take chances.
In “Gang Style,” costume designer Bobby Mannix guides viewers on a nine-minute tour of her work as a costume designer, with extensive discussions about designing and creating the gang costumes with a low budget and a terrific team — under the direction of Hill, who allowed her to flex her creative imagination. Next up, “Come Out to Play” is a 10-minute guided tour of Coney Island (The Warriors’s turf) with Adam Rinn, the artistic director at New York’s carnivalesque Coney Island boardwalk. Rinn provides a colorful tour of the area, while providing a discussion of its history in general, a bit about the local gang history, and his appreciation for carnival barkers. Finally, “Sound of the Streets” is a 25-minute interview with composer Neil Brand, who talks about the band he put together to perform the theme music he wrote, provides insight about the thematic motifs of his melodies, describes the influence of the scores from Errol Flynn films, discusses the give-and-take of his music with the film’s sound design (particularly with regard to the sounds of trains), and he also addresses the integration of the DJ’s songs as well as the performances of some of those songs.
I am not aware that Arrow has ever failed to hit the mark when it comes to a release; thus, the long-awaited 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray releases of The Warriors theatrical cut were in real good hands — or, as Swan might say: “The best.” The newfangled version is along for the ride, and, with a bevy of great new features (as well as all of the archival extras) and a highly entertaining and informative commentary track, this is a must own for fans of the film and a terrific way for anyone else to experience The Warriors for the first time.
