The Warriors

Ever wondered what it's like to be a gang member fighting for survival on the mean streets of New York? Strap in for a wild ride as I, Jesse, take you through the dark and dangerous world of "The Warriors." We'll uncover the high-octane action and the nail-biting suspense that keeps this cult classic pulsating with life decades after its release. Travel back to the vibrant opening at Coney Island, dissect the chaos of Cyrus's rally, and unravel Luther's betrayal that sends Cleon's Warriors on a treacherous journey through enemy territories.

Get ready to confront the gritty reality of gang life as we navigate the treacherous landscape of The Warriors' New York. We'll analyze the intense negotiations with the Orphans, the strategic confrontations with the Baseball Furies, and the tragic on-set tensions that led to the reshaping of the film's storyline. With insight into the film's thematic fabric, we examine the precarious balance between gang honor and the quest for power. Plus, we're not shying away from the controversial aspects, like Ajax's problematic persona, as we dissect what it means to rule the urban jungle.

As dawn approaches, join us for the Warriors' final push to freedom. We'll relive the climactic showdowns, the unexpected alliances, and the poignant moments that define Walter Hill's vision of New York's gang underworld. Our journey culminates in a reflection on the Warriors' relentless struggle to return home, the stark contrasts they face, and the enduring legacy of their story. Don't miss this episode as we pay homage to an iconic film that continues to capture the imagination of rebels and dreamers alike.

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Music produced by Joey Prosser. X @mrjoeyprosser

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:02

Hello and welcome to the we Recommend Podcast, a movie podcast where every week we recommend a movie for you to watch and then come back here to listen to us discuss. I'm Jesse, can you dig it? Because this week I recommend the Warriors, warriors. So this week it's just me by myself. Jason's not here because he's got sick and we are pretty much out of time crunch to record and I couldn't get anybody to record with me. So right now it's just me and my dogs and and they are going to help record as in. Hopefully they just sit there quiet and don't bark a lot, because it's pretty quiet in this room now. So I chose the Warriors this week.

Speaker 1: 0:53

This is a movie that I loved as a child, watched it. Well, I don't know how many times I've actually watched it, but I watched it quite a bit as a child. There's just something about this movie. It has such a vibe you know I like this like a gang being attacked by other gangs and they have to run across the city just to get back to home, where they're supposed to be safe, even though it's like everybody could just come there and get them, even though I get that. They are supposed to be able to, you know, get some backup or whatever, but don't know, it's just such a cool vibe. I like the score of the movie. It's kind of synthy, which obviously everybody loves synth music, you know, especially in films it's such a huge craze and I don't know, it's just kind of, I don't know, it's just a fun movie. It's got its problems obviously, but I don't know, it's just a fun movie. It's got its problems obviously, but I don't know, it's kind of a cult classic. So the film also stars Michael Beck who plays Swan. You got James Remar who plays Ajax. One of the movies that we best know him from is probably 48 Hours, which is also the director of this film. Walter Hill directed the 48 Hours film, which is pretty interesting. Dorsey Wright plays Cleon, brian Taylor plays Snow, david Harris plays Cochise, tim McKittrick plays Cowboy and Marcelino Sanchez plays Rembrandt, terry Mikos plays Vermin, debra Van Valkenburg plays Mercy and Roger Hill plays Cyrus and David Patrick Kelly plays Luther vermin. Deborah van valkenburg plays mercy and roger hill plays cyrus and david patrick kelly plays luther.

Speaker 1: 2:30

I will get into some of the facts that I got about the movie. Okay, so during the iconic parkland battle between the warriors and the baseball furies. Walter here hill reportedly created this gang out of his love for the rock band Kiss and his lifelong love of baseball, which is hilarious that that's how he decided to put the two together. To be as authentic as possible, walter Hill wanted to use real-life gang members. In the Warriors, the character of Cyrus was originally cast with a gang member, but he suddenly vanished the night before filming commenced, which is wild. However, during the infamous fight that takes place at the Van Cortland Park Conclave, real New York City gang members were used as a kind gesture, for filming on their territory. As a precaution, the NYPD planted the background extras with undercover cops to make sure the real gang members remained unchecked. That is so fucking wild, it's like okay, so we want to shoot there, but to make sure the real gang members remained unchecked, that is so fucking wild, it's like okay, so we want to shoot there, but to make sure that they don't cause any trouble, let's actually put them into the movie and then you have outside of that. It's essentially just like actually in the movie that we see the cops are there, they're making sure that nothing happens and then, of course, a gunshot goes off and then the cops have to run and then pandemonium breaks out, which is pretty wild. It's just kind of funny. You know, the script for the Warriors was adapted from Sol Yurek's graphic novel of the same name, which in turn quotes and borrows elements from Anabasis, a seven-book adventure by the ancient Greek soldier and writer Xenophon. So just know that while the Warriors might seem very time-stamped, it has roots going back to BC times Isn't that crazy? And also the writer of the graphic novel, saul Yurik, wrote the original book as a rebuttal to the romanticized views of street gangs presented in West Side Story that came out in 1961, based on his experience as a New York City Welfare Department worker. Jeez, how can I not talk, even when I'm by myself? This is crazy.

Speaker 1: 4:34

So director of photography Andrew Lazu campaigned successfully to have a scene early in the film where there is a sudden rainstorm, because this allowed him to wet down the streets of the rest of the movie and produce lighting effects that wouldn't have been possible on dry surfaces. It also worked well with the film's limited budget. I find this interesting because you know, going to film school when learning about cinematography and stuff like that, this was one of the things that we learned that it's better to wetting down the ground like a more stunning visual, I guess in the camera. So I don't know. I think that's pretty interesting, that they're just like all right, we have to have it rain one time very early in the film so that we can have really dope shots and so that the lot the neon lights and some of the fluorescent lights will like bounce off the ground and just have a picture that pops. I guess it's pretty fun. So James Remar earned his role as Ajax after becoming so involved in the audition reading of the park bench scene that he lifted the massive table around which the director and producers were seated. It's always fun to hear something like that. Okay. So according to the filmmakers on the Ultimate Edition DVD, the film was going to, which the director and producers were seated. It's always fun to hear something like that. Okay. So according to the filmmakers on the Ultimate Edition DVD, the film was going to be a big hit.

Speaker 1: 5:52

After the movie was number one at the box office charts, despite negative reviews from critics, it earned $3.5 million in its opening weekend. However, word of mouth and a couple of incidents killed the film's momentum. According to Walter Hill, what had happened was gangs were attracted to the film and they had seen their rival gangs and caused violent incidents. Paramount Pictures panicked and decided to pull the movie out of theaters. Lawrence Gordon said that the movie still kept going, while the studio pulled the movie out of marketing. Despite this, the movie went on to be a cult hit and even made a profit, since it earned $22.4 million in initial box office receipts against a budget of only $6.6 to $7 million.

Speaker 1: 6:31

So the iconic Warriors come out to play scene was completely improvised by David Patrick Kelly. After he felt the scripted scene wasn't working, walter Hill told him to just come up with something. So Kelly gathered up some empty beer bottles he found under the boardwalk and created the intimidating dialogue. Kelly later revealed that this is based on a neighbor who used to intimidate him, which is fucking wild. That's crazy. And apparently Robert Nero was asked to be cowboy, but he passed on it, which obviously I feel like, especially at this, he would be passing on stuff like that.

Speaker 1: 7:09

So I just think that this film I mean there's, when it comes to 70s action films none of them age well, I feel like they're all pretty, especially the low budget ones. They're all so I don't know. They're all so you can feel how cheap they are, but like, think about it now, like if you had, if you saw something that cheap now, just like a super cheap, low budget film, and how bad it would look right. So now, whenever you watch this film, you can see that there's so much I guess well, I don't even know if it's. I mean they just use actual sets and actual locations and you can feel the realness of it, even though it may be a silly concept and like some of the fighting is silly and the I don't know just the whole, just I guess the way they talk to each other, it can all be kind of crazy and silly and outlandish, right, but there's just something about it that feels real and it feels very authentic, if that makes any sense. Like you feel like there's like a and the Warriors, even though they all look silly and all the gangs look super silly and doesn't look like this would be a real thing and they'd probably all actually get beat up by actual gang members but something it's just great to have a diverse group of individuals and like that are all together, I don't know, because that I really like it. So and we are gonna get straight into the film I'm gonna try to make this a shorter episode. I know that just hearing one person just going on and on about a movie can probably be pretty annoying, yep. So hopefully this works out and you'll enjoy this episode.

Speaker 1: 8:55

So, as night falls over Coney Island, cleon, the leader of the warrior, meets up with the eight of the most trusted lieutenants to travel by subway to the Fairway Bronx. This is just like a lot of long shots of just it starts off. It's very dark, it's super hard to see, especially. I ended up watching this on Paramount+, which I know the physical media looks a lot better on TV. But man, it's just the beginning of this looks pretty rough. I should have probably watched it on the DVD that I own, but I had a hard time finding it, so sorry.

Speaker 1: 9:26

So they will be attending an event called called by a man named Cyrus described. So they will be attending an event called by a man named Cyrus described as the one and only Throughout the city. The other gang delegations are seen entering the subway in their full colors. You have the stylish purple gang. You have the top hat white, face paint gang. They all just look like mimes. I don't really understand how they would even work as just a bunch of mime gang members. I don't know. Do they just pretend that they're hitting you like I don't get it? They trap you in a box and just leave you there. And you have the army jackets gang. Um, you have this asian gang and then you have the electric eliminators, the kind of like yellow jackets. Those actually look pretty tight. Um, I guess out of my favorite, it'd either be the stylish purple gang that we see or the electric eliminators as the warriors speculate about the event during Purple Gang that we see, or the Electric Eliminators as the Warriors speculate about the event during their subway ride.

Speaker 1: 10:18

We learn that Cyrus, called the one and only leader of the largest gang in the city, the Gramercy Riffs, has called a truce of all gangs in New York. He wants an unarmed delegation of nine from each gang to come to a mass meeting to hear what he has to say. Some of the warriors are excited at their prospects while others are skeptical. Ajax, ajax is a problem in this movie. We have to discuss Ajax. We need to talk about Ajax. You get it from the movie we need to talk about Kevin to the movie. We need to talk about Ajax. I'm sorry, this is what I do when I'm by myself At the Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx.

Speaker 1: 10:51

The meeting is well attended, with over 100 gangs represented. The charismatic Cyrus takes the stage and delivers a spellbinding speech. But I love this because, you see, there's so many people in this court and it's awesome, it's great, it feels real right. You see the real bodies. There's no CGI or anything, you just have a bunch of people there, just thing. You just have a bunch of people there disintently listening to this one guy, and I feel like it's crazy that this is a thing that could happen, which I don't know. Maybe it could. I don't know, maybe it's just a bunch of gangs that said, hey, yo, let's just I don't know be chill and let's just do this, okay. So he says that instead of fighting each other over dirt, they could unite to form an army of 60,000 soldiers compared to only 20,000 police in the whole city. He punctuates his points with Can you dig it, which is great. Everybody loves that, I know. To the crowd's wild response outside the meeting area, the police are seen silently moving in.

Speaker 1: 11:45

I don't know this guy, cyrus, who is played by Roger Hill, just completely crushes. I mean, he's in the movie. For what? Five minutes maybe. But man, his speech is great. He's got so much charisma I don't know. Just the can you dig it. I mean, what's more iconic than that? I mean, I know there's plenty of stuff, but love it. I think that's actually the reason that I wanted to watch this movie when I was younger, just because I think the Warriors game probably came out and the trailer, I believe, had the can you dig it. It was really cool. And then you end up looking up it's a game, it's a movie. So now I have to watch it.

Speaker 1: 12:25

Cyrus says that they can take one burrow at a time because it's all their turf. I like just the idea of just like all these bad guys coming together and being like maybe we should just run this city. We could probably do it better. I don't know, it's just a silly idea, but I think it's funny. So most of the crowd is enthralled with Cyrus' vision, but one member has his own agenda. Motherfucking Luther, yo the psychotic Luther. The psychotic Luther. The motherfucking Luther, yo the psychotic Luther. The psychotic Luther. The psychotic leader of a gang called the Rogues has snuck a gun into the gathering. They're all just passing it around At the high point in the speech, luther fires at Cyrus, killing him instantly.

Speaker 1: 13:04

When Cyrus falls back, there's a brief stunned silence followed by pandemonium. Ain't that the way it goes, you know? Doesn't it just suck? We're all about to come together, there's about to be peace, and then here we go, someone just has to ruin it. There's always one bad apple in a group of 100 gang members, you know so.

Speaker 1: 13:22

The crowd was so fixated on cyrus that hardly anyone saw who fired the shot. But luther turns to see that fox of the warriors witnessed the assassination. So he points the gun to kill Fox. Just at that moment the police spotlight comes on and blinding Luther. You know, that's just the way it goes for Luther too. You know just a lot of coincidences happening all at once.

Speaker 1: 13:41

Cleon walks towards the middle of the chaos to see whether Cyrus survived. Luther begins screaming to the crowd that's him. That's the guy who shot Cyrus. Ugh God, luther is such a little scumbag, he's such a little stinker. I hate Luther. I hate him, but you love him at the same time. So another member of the rogues also claims that to have seen Cleon shoot Cyrus. Cleon denies it, but Luther continues to scream the warrior's in it, the warrior's in it and then he tries to charge at Cleon and just Cleon, just straight up, eats him out of there. And cleon, he's doing all right during the fight against the rogues, but then the grammar riffs, martial arts experts step in and bring cleon down. With the kicks and elbow hits, cleon presumably has been killed. Poor cleon, you know, he didn't deserve it and actually thought the actor was really good at the beginning. He brought like a very like I don't know like a tough energy to it where you could see like oh yeah, this is why he's our leader. So you know, rip cleon, you know I hope you're in gang heaven. I don't. Uh, I don't know why I said that.

Speaker 1: 14:43

So the other warriors break through a wooden fence to make their escape, winding up in a cemetery as the rest of the police rush into the park and the various gangs flee. So they take a headcount and determine that everyone is there except for Cleon Swan who, as warchief, is the second ranked member after Cleon. He states that they are going to the subway to catch the train back to Coney Island because that's home turf. That's where they have all their members of the gang. So if anybody's got to come to them, they're going to have to have a war with the entire Warriors gang, which is why it's so important to get back to Coney Island.

Speaker 1: 15:19

So a member named Ajax, played by James Remar, the great James Remar, who's been in so many movies and he's kind of one of those that guys you know You're just like oh man, I know him from something, I can't remember what, but I know he's like the fourth or fifth person built into this movie. I know he's also he's in Too Fast, too Furious. You know, that's really the movie that I remember him the most in. That might be lame, but I love those movies. So A member named Ajax gives Swan some trouble when he asks who made you leader?

Speaker 1: 15:50

Swan advises him to make his move, but the remaining members intervene, telling Ajax to calm down and urge everyone to stick together, because if they don't stick together they won't make it back to Coney Island. And, as Caesar said, apes alone weak, apes together strong. So Ajax backs down for now and they make their way towards the subway, worrying whether the truth is still on. If it isn't, they will have to bop, which means fight across the other gang's territories, vulnerable because they are wearing their colors and not are not packed and armed. Here's the thing take off your colors, right? I get that. It's a whole thing where it's like I'm tough. I got to wear, represent my colors and my gang, but you know it's not tough being dead, so maybe just get over it, right? I'm sorry if you're in a gang and that's very offensive and actually I'd love to hear why it's such a big deal to represent your gang. You can email us at we recommendcommendmailbag at gmailcom.

Speaker 1: 16:52

Meanwhile, the Gramercy Rift's new leader, masai, addresses the Rifts at their underground hideout. He wants the Warriors alive if possible. So the Rifts inform a local DJ. This is one of the best parts. I love this. Every time it cuts to the DJ it's like hell yeah, let's go. So the Rifts inform a local DJ and she puts the word out on the radio let's go. So the Riffs inform a local DJ. And she puts the word out on the radio urging all local gangs to be on the lookout and capture or kill the Warriors, the gang that broke the truth For the Riffs. She dedicated the song Nowhere to Run to the Warriors. As the song plays, gangs throughout the city are getting ready to hunt down Cyrus' assassins, and then there's just like a montage of gangs and cops searching.

Speaker 1: 17:32

So the warriors wait for a train outside an elevated train station so that they will not be ambushed on an open platform. Ajax complains that they're acting like wimps. That's not what he says. He says the worst word. But the others' caution is justified since a school bus filled with tough-looking skinhead gang known as the Turnbull ACs begin patrolling the area.

Speaker 1: 17:53

These guys you know up to no good. Obviously they have like a I don't know a mid-sized bus. It's not like a short bus, it's a little bit longer. It's not a full-size bus though, and there's like 1,000 people in it and soon coming up. They're going to be chasing the Warriors on the bus and I'm like yo, y'all should just get out because y'all would be faster. The bus would obviously be faster because there's not 1,000 people in it, and so maybe if I don't know, let's say, 50 people got out, maybe they would be able to catch up with the Warriors on the bus. I don't know. Pretty silly, when the train arrives, the warriors make a break for it and barely make the train ahead of the gang. So the gang is celebrating, but Swan says they aren't in the clear yet until they get to Coney Island.

Speaker 1: 18:39

Messiah is informed of the Turnbull's failure. Meanwhile, luther gets a telephone update from an informant and learns that the Riffs put the word out on the street that they want the warriors alive. And I love, I believe this is the point where I think he's like standing in front of it's like one of those like New York City, you know, like newspaper stands almost, but they're selling like candy and stuff like that and he gets it and the girl's like, hey, what about my money? He's like, fuck you, lady, so wild, he's so aggressive and crazy. We learned that the rogues don't want the warriors taken alive for fear that their stories they might tell. Luther tells his crew that they can do some looking too.

Speaker 1: 19:18

The celebrating warriors' journey home is cut short when a fire on the tracks delays the train. They have no choice but to make their way to the next station on foot. And I love that they don't show anybody putting a fire on the train tracks. It could foot. And I love that they don't show anybody like putting a fire on the train tracks, like it could be someone that's chasing after them and knows the route to Coney Island and that they have to take the 96th street train or whichever street it was, or like I don't know, it's New York city. In the seventies Things got fucking crazy, I guess, out there. So maybe someone was like I'm just going to mess with this train. So they just threw like a flaming trash can or something on it, I don't know, it's one that they don't show it, so leaves a little, you know, speculation for you. So they have to make sure. So, yeah, they're going on foot to the next station, which is the route that takes them directly through the bronx territory of a small low-level gang known as the orphans, who did not attend the gathering at van courtland Park and apparently don't know of the contract out on the Warriors. So it looks like there just might be like a little bit of hope that they could easily make it because the orphans, you know, they didn't know about all this.

Speaker 1: 20:21

So, after determining the orphans numbers to be at least 30 versus the 8, swan decides a diplomatic solution would be best. He brings Fox with him to meet with the orphans leader. After a bit of tough posturing, the leader accepts the expla. Oh, the orphans leader is paul greco, if you know who that is. Um, after a bit of tough posturing, the leader accepts the explanation of the subway fire, buttered up a bit by fox respectful comments, and tells them they can move through the territory if they come in peace. I love that. The fox's respectful comments really like he did not put any like you know sugar on it at all. He's like oh, wow, yeah, y'all did something. That's really good. This is how fox talks, apparently cool. But so we think that the we think that they're gonna. The orphans leader is gonna let them go through.

Speaker 1: 21:07

However, however, old Mercy comes out, she begins taunting the leader of the orphans Like, starts making chicken noises at them and just starts essentially being super mean to them. The leader's manhood is insulted so he orders the warriors to remove their gang colors if they want to proceed through their territory. Swan tells them to fuck off and the orphans leave while the warriors march on. I'm sure this isn't going to end poorly for anybody. It's like Mercy dude, it's like she just wanted to cause some trouble. She's tired of hanging out with some losers like these orphan guys who, I guess, just walk around in their disgusting looking ratty clothes Like come on, guys, like I know you're. I mean it's the gangs are just so theatrical. I love it, it's so good.

Speaker 1: 21:54

So the curious Mercy tells the Warriors and gets caught by Ajax. She claims to want some real action and just then the orphans show up again, packed and ready to rumble. So, yeah, ajax, um Ajax, you know, because James Remar is such a good actor and he really pops in this movie. His character sucks man. He's just like a predator and he's no good, very bad, shouldn't exist in the world. So they throw some tough words around.

Speaker 1: 22:28

But Snow produces a Molotov cocktail, which is awesome. Which swan throws out a car near their orphans. The warriors take off past the flaming vehicle. The car explodes, the orphans fail to pursue and the warriors hightail it to the next station with mercy. She seems determined to stick around for the whole ride. I love it. It's like, okay, we're gonna throw the molotov cocktail out of car, smart, because it's explode. But it's like you could just throw it at those guys and they probably wouldn't have ran after you at that point They'd all be on fire. You know, the DJ passes on the news of the orphans' defeat.

Speaker 1: 23:00

Luther gets another update that the warriors are making their way through and that the cops are out to get every gang in the city. When asked why, he seems so happy about the situation. Luther responds I'm having a good time fucking crazy. Also, they have a hearse. They drive around in a hearse and that's such a good idea. So the train at the 96th street station is not moving and the frustration of the warriors, especially vermin, is obvious. A police officer walks by the car and they take off running. During this escape they split into three separate groups. So Fox and Mercy run down the platform. A cop comes from behind one of the pillars and tackles Fox. Fox yells at Mercy to run away and in the struggle the cop tosses Fox onto the tracks where he is killed by an oncoming train. Mercy is running in the other direction and doesn't see Fox's death.

Speaker 1: 23:58

So interesting fact about this Fox played by Fox God, I can't talk, it's crazy. Fox played by Thomas G Waits. So I guess him and the director, walter Hill, they had. They had a lot of beef. Apparently, thomas G Waits would often disappear and get high and I guess they just had a bad. They had bad chemistry. Thomas G Waits didn't want to listen to him. Walter Hill just, you know he's not. He didn't direct a lot at this point. So I think he just wasn't as good of a director, as he would probably be now. So he had a hard time, you know, working with the actor and I guess because of this they decided that they're going to kill off Fox and they gave a lot of the lines and stuff that Fox was supposed to do actually to Swan. So just a little interesting factoid. I think I remember hearing Walter Hill says that he really hates how it all worked out and he said he takes all the blame and that if he was a better director he would then like maybe they would have been able to work it out. But I guess they since apologize to each other and they often write letters to each other, I guess, which is very interesting.

Speaker 1: 24:58

So Vermin and Cochise and Rembrandt manage to evade the police and board a subway train to the Union Square, the agreed-upon meeting place, if they are to split up. Ajax. Swan Snow and Cowboy also outrun the police and exit the station at the front door only to find a bigger potential threat a group of men in baseball uniforms, their faces painted, and they're just swinging their bats. Love this. The Baseball Furies are great. I think it's probably one of the more iconic groups in this movie. Everybody loves the Baseball Furies. If you watch they have Family Guy. Simpsons have referenced it. You know they're just and even movies. There's other movies and stuff. They all reference this because it's just very iconic. It's silly, it's fun, it's also great and it looks cool. So it's all over the spectrum for me. So the Baseball Furies have been waiting for them.

Speaker 1: 25:51

The four warriors take off, running down the street. The chase continues into the Riverside Park. Swan and Snow split to the side, leaving Ajax and Cowboy running forward. The furies fail to see the split and follow Ajax and Cowboy. Swan and Snow circle the furies back. Cowboy can no longer run, so Ajax turns to face his foes with Swan coming up from the rear. In the ensuing melee, ajax's and swan's fighting skills shine. They succeed in wrestling, control of the bats and eventually laying out all the furies.

Speaker 1: 26:21

You know, just because you're in a gang, you should probably learn how to fight, especially of baseball bats, and you're obviously. You know you outnumber them and you outarm them. Maybe don't fight one at a time. You know, maybe bum rush it Like you know. I think that you like outnumber them. Yeah, I think, like two to one, three to one. You know, just three people swing baseball bats all at the same time, then maybe you can win. But this is something that happens in a lot of action movies, especially older action movies. You know just the. You know they always fight one at a time. It's just like a classic film bit. You know it's something that people still complain about in movies today. It's like why don't you all just gang up? You know they did that to Cleon at the beginning, but you know they're just a bit the Gramercy Riffs. I guess they're just a better gang, I don't know. So the DJ announces the Baseball Fury's defeat and disparage all the other gangs for their poor performance.

Speaker 1: 27:14

Meanwhile, vermin, cochise and Rembrandt have arrived at Union Square to wait for the others. They see a group of six young women giving them the come-here-there. Look, Cochise and Vermin can't believe their luck in finding attractive chicks. They seem to want to party with them, naively falling to realize that all the women are actually you know, they're all lesbians. So way to read the room, guys. But I mean, come on, you're being searched, you're being hunted by every gang and all these cops Like come on, guys, you got to realize this. Only Rembrandt, the youngest warrior, senses the danger because you know he's the only smart one in those three.

Speaker 1: 27:51

Swan and his crew continue walking through the park. They pass a lady on a bench. It gives her a best sell. Ajax decides to play games with the woman and won't be dissuaded, even after the others press on him to get the need to get home. Ajax, such an idiot. He deserves all this stuff. Ajax disparages the other's manhood and turns back towards the woman.

Speaker 1: 28:11

A few minutes later, cowboy and Snow decide to go back to look after Ajax, and Swan continues to the station alone. The woman turns out to be an undercover cop and Ajax is arrested when he tries to assault her, getting himself handcuffed to the bench they're sitting on. There's nothing Cowboy and Snow can do. So they make their way back to Union Square. Ajax freaking deserves to go to jail, not even going to lie, snow can do. So. They make their way back to union square. Ajax freaking deserves to go to jail, not even gonna lie.

Speaker 1: 28:33

When swan gets back to the 96th street station, he finds mercy still hanging around. A cop spots him and the two wind up running into a tunnel with a train right behind him and they're stuck in this underpass for a while. Off the tracks, mercy comes on to swan. He insults her and says he wants to find something better. He's's such a dick to her. I mean, he did get she did get them in trouble with the orphans gang when they could have just walked by and they would have probably gotten to the train faster and everything probably would have worked out if she just didn't get involved. But you know, like just chill this lady, you know she just she's tired of hanging out with those creeps, the orphans, they're. She's tired of hanging out with those creeps, the orphans, they're crazy. They look messed up. I don't know so. And that's the thing.

Speaker 1: 29:15

All other than Rembrandt, the entire gang, they're kind of unlikable, like they're kind of douches. I mean, they're charismatic. So you know you kind of root for them to make it there and it's just. You know that's the point of the movie. But yeah, you know they're just. I guess I'm assuming they're all supposed to be like early 20s. You know, not very smart, they're just like street smart. So you know they're just kind of rough around the edges.

Speaker 1: 29:40

So vermin, cochise and rembrandt go to the group's clubhouse and the leader identifies them as the lizzie's, an all-girl gang, and says that they want to get down with the warriors because they've heard of their reputation. Cochise and vermin wait, waste no time heading off to the couches with their choices of girls. Rembrandt stays aloof and says that they need to get back. So we're back with mercy and swan. He's like slut, shaming her and stuff and says he wants to find something better. She says that he isn't any better than her and then all of a sudden, because he's just really like oh what, you're better than me, what makes you better than me? And then they start to kiss and then it becomes a very aggressive kiss and it's like yo, chill out guys. Like let's not just rip each other's lips off, you know, let's calm down. But then Swan pulls himself away and just begins to insult her more and then we cut back to. Rembrandt notices like some of the women exchanging glances and I think he started catching on because there's like these two girls, it's like sensually dancing in the middle of the room and they're just like making eye contact and it's like I think he's starting to realize like I don't think they like guys, you know, but yeah. So Rembrandt notices the women exchanging glances while the guys are making out, but before he can react the door is locked and the leader pulls a gun and says so you guys are the famous warriors, the guys who shot Cyrus. Rembrandt shouts a warning and the three crash through a door, dodging bullets to escape. It's like man, these ladies cannot shoot that gun. Rembrandt informs the others of what he has learned, that the women thought the warrior shot Cyrus. They finally realize that every gang in the city must be looking for them. Rembrandt doesn't think they'll make it back. Swan continues on to the Union Square with mercy. Following the punks, whose leader wears roller skates, spots Swan on the subway platform and hangs around waiting for their chance.

Speaker 1: 31:33

I love this, though Like Kid's so lame, but there's something about it that's just also so cool. I don't know, maybe it's because we're, you know, kid product of the 90s. So we roller skated a lot. That's why I sprung my arm, sprained my arm. No, sprung, my arm Got sprung, I sprained my arm and then I never skated again and I got really bad at it. But I don't know, it's such a silly visual. He's like in overalls, with a long sleeve shirt, blue jean overalls and then just a roller skates and they're just rolling around. I don't know, you know, it's just. I don't know. There's something about like that would never be in a movie today, not taken so seriously, you know. So I don't know. That's why I like it.

Speaker 1: 32:13

Meanwhile, snow and Cowboy have made it to Union Square and meet up with Cochise Rembrandt and Vermin Swan sees his fellow warriors and signals them to lead the punks into the men's room. You got mercy, I can't go in there. It's the men's room. Vermin, are you kidding me? Just yanks her in there. It's so funny, such a good scene. So they hide in the stalls and ambush the punks with Rembrandt's spray paint. The ensuing battle, which Mercy joins on the warrior side, is another victory for the warriors. It's a rad. There's a lot of breaking mirrors, stall doors, everybody's accidentally hitting each other. You can see some like real, genuine reactions from some of the people. It's, I don't know, it's a fun little like disgusting bathroom fight scene. You know, I mean it doesn't. It's not as good as the bathroom fight scene and you know, mission impossible fallout. But you know it's a close second, not really. So back at the rips headquarters, uh, messiah, is told that there is new witness who saw who really shot cyrus.

Speaker 1: 33:11

The six remaining warriors board the final train home with Mercy still in tow, two young couples in evening dresses come from either a school prom or a disco. I kind of think it might be a disco, but I don't know. It feels like they have the flowers or whatever, so I don't know. And they sit across from Swan and Mercy. So I don't know, and they sit across from Swan and Mercy and they I guess this is supposed to be like the juxtaposition of the gang life versus normal life. You know, it's kind of just a weird scene. The two, two people said that there's like two couples. They sit down in front of them and they just straight up stare them up and down. You can see how dirty and swan and mercy is and I don't know. But there's this one point where she's like, oh, I should probably fix my hair because I don't look as good as these girls. And then he's like, oh no, puts her head down. It's like you're good, don't worry, these people are the fake people. I don't know. It's a weird little scene, um, but I don't know. It brings some character and kind of some sweetness to Swan and Mercy, who haven't been super sweet this whole time. So I don't know. But these people if you get on a train and you see some people that are super dirty. And then they, I don't know, maybe could be crazy, maybe just don't stare at them for five minutes straight. So weird, so weird.

Speaker 1: 34:31

So upon arrival at Coney Island, the sun has risen. The journey is singly over. Swan gives Mercy the flower he picked up on the train, saying he hates seeing beautiful things go to waste. I wonder if he's talking about Mercy, I don't know. Swan looks out onto the city and wonders why they fought so hard to get back there, says that he may just leave, and then Mercy says she would also like to travel. He's like where you been? It's like nowhere, but I think I'd like to go. Like, yeah, I want to travel too. I haven't done it. It's like Swan, damn dude, don't be a douche.

Speaker 1: 35:02

So the Warriors and Mercy walk through the deserted Coney Island streets only to realize that Luther and the Rogues are following them in a hearse, with no time to contact other members. To come to their defense, the warriors take shelter under a dock. Swan now has a switchblade he took from the punk leader. The others arm themselves with what's around Furies, baseball bats, crowbars, hockey sticks, two by four pieces of wood. Luther makes an ominous rattling sound with beer bottles and chants, warriors Come out to play. Snake does not like that. He was sleeping over there and now he's awake, looking at me, thinking I'm crazy, and super upset that he's in the room with me, I guess because Jason's not here. So Swan leads his crew and Mercy out to the beach and the rogues follow.

Speaker 1: 35:50

Finally, face to face, swan asks Luthor why he killed Cyrus, to which the crazed Luthor replies no reason. I just like doing things like that. It's odd. He's such a. He's a really good villain for this movie. He's kind of crazy. You don't get too much of him. So if we had any more, it'd probably be like Okay, dude, this is getting old. Like you're way too crazy, you're unhinged. You would be dead by now, most likely. Um. So swan tells him let's just do it one-on-one. When luther pulls a gun on swan, he manages to flip his knife into luther's rift, disarming him.

Speaker 1: 36:24

That moment, the gramercy riffs appear in force on the beach. There's like a billion of them. Swan asks whether the Rifts are still looking for the Warriors, to which Messiah replies, looking at Luther, that they have found what they're looking for. Messiah praises the Warriors as good, real good, and makes an exit path for them. They file out to the screams of Luther's death Moans I guess I don't know Boy's dead.

Speaker 1: 36:52

As the DJ announces that the alert is cancelled, the six surviving warriors walk down their hometown beach Swan, hand in hand with Mercy. They're glad to have made it home but are emotionally defeated because they know that they and all New York City gangs are back to where they started from, which is hating each other and essentially nothing came from the meeting meeting and it was all pointless. And now they just lost some friends along the way. It's kind of a bummer ending, but, you know, it seems like Swan's going to get out and maybe, like the gang, will all get out of New York city and just go live a peaceful life.

Speaker 1: 37:26

But yeah, that's the film. It's a. It's just like a fun ride. Fun ride, right. You know, you just don't really get movies like this and they don't look authentic like this and they're just scared to be as serious and goofy as this is. You know, I don't know, it's just. That's some of the reasons I like it. So we're gonna move on to our next, our first category the good, the bad, the fine.

Speaker 1: 37:50

So for me, the first thing I said for the good of the film is the premise. It's a great premise. I also like that. The fact that it was a comic book movie before we really had any comic book movies at this point I don't know. This is really cool. So if you watch it on Paramount+, it's just normal movie. If you watch it on DVD, I believe the version I had had extra narration and also between scenes has comic book panels, and so it's kind of cool. I was kind of doing it before anybody else was doing it, which is nice.

Speaker 1: 38:24

So the bad of the film, something that I didn't like, was the long drawn out running and chasing scenes. You could cut five minutes of this movie and you probably wouldn't have lost anything, because the long drawn-out running and chasing scenes. You could cut five minutes of this movie and you probably wouldn't have lost anything, because you know it's low budget and just whenever they had a higher budget, probably more interesting running. But just you know it's pretty. It's like stable shots, people passing by the camera, which is not super interesting and it kind of messes with the pacing a little bit. I know that's probably stable shots, people passing by the camera. It's just not super interesting and it kind of messes with the pacing a little bit. I know that's probably like my biggest complaint about. Every movie is pacing, but most older movies and movies that I love have bad pacing. I don't know, it's weird.

Speaker 1: 39:03

So the ugly of the film is obviously the language. Ajax says some offensive things. Obviously it's the 70s and they're supposed to be kind of not very good guys, but you know, I think that's the obvious. Something that didn't age well about this film. Something that did age well, or the fine Films that taste like place in 1970s New York, you know, love it. Something so gritty and real about it and it's just like it's a scary place to seem like to be, because all the movies about it are always like everybody there's crime, everybody's dying, we're all scared, we're running around, I don't know. Just I love movies about that Mean Streets. You know Martin Scorsese, he's done a ton of films Taxi, driver, mean Streets. It's all very nerve-wracking and it doesn't seem fun to live there at that time.

Speaker 1: 39:54

So we're going to move on to the next category, which is double feature, and this week I picked the movie Assault on Precinct 13. So Assault on Precinct 13 is a 1976 film. It was directed by John Carpenter, one of my favorite directors, obviously because I keep recommending a double feature with his films. But they're just, I don't know, they're all so iconic, especially like the first few. It's about a highway patrol officer, two criminals and a station secretary defending like a Los Angeles precinct against I don't know, like a huge street gang that just all they want to do is kill. It's violent, it's just kind of a cool movie. I guess, I don't know. It's very low budget. Obviously All of his John Carpenter's films have been like super low budget. I don't even think this was filmed for a million dollars. Let's see. Let's see if I can find the budget. Yeah, the budget was $150,000. But it's great. It's only like an hour and 30 minutes.

Speaker 1: 40:53

It was a movie that I was thinking about maybe covering on the podcast one day. So yeah, that's our coverage of the film this week and make sure you join us next week as we cover the film Popstar Never stop, never stopping. It's kind of a movie about like the Lonely Island crew did it. It's one of the funniest movies that the Lonely Island crew did it. It's one of the funniest movies that came out in the past 10 years. I love this film.

Speaker 1: 41:17

I listen to the soundtrack all the time, because I'm kind of crazy when it comes to, I guess, white guys making comical rap, I don't know. Just right up my alley, I listen to it all the time. But thank you for joining me Next week. Right up my alley, I listen to it all the time. But thank you for joining me Next week. Jason will definitely be back, hopefully if he's not sick. And thank you for listening to me.

Speaker 1: 41:40

I hope it wasn't too awkward or bad. I know podcasts with just one person can kind of be annoying, especially when it's just supposed to be, you know, a dialogue about movie. It's kind of hard to have a dialogue when you're just by yourself, so hopefully it wasn't too bad. I was pretty nervous during it and I'm just an awkward person, so hopefully it wasn't too bad for you. But to make sure to join us next week.

Speaker 1: 42:00

If you have any questions you want to comment. Hey, jesse, great job by yourself. You can send us an email at werecommendmailbag at gmailcom. Also, please leave us a good review Five stars, comment on our YouTube, comment on, you know. Just leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Give us five stars on Spotify, just wherever you can leave reviews, please do and please give us a good review. I mean, there's no reason, you know why, not just be nice, right? So I'd like to thank Joey Prosser for making our intro and outro. You can find him on X at Mr Joey Prosser. Follow our link tree at link tree forward slash. We recommend podcasts. That's a quick way to follow us on our social medias and things like that. I usually post clips about our podcasts on our social medias, so go there, give us a follow on X, facebook, tik, tok, wherever you know. But yeah, so this has been the. We Recommend podcast. I'm Jesse and I'm Jason, but I'm not here. Okay, well, that's the end of the episode. Bye, thanks for watching.