As I am sitting here at work with nothing to do what so ever, I decided it would be a good time to talk about another movie that is not only an amazing film but a cult classic. Of course from the title you know I am talking about the movie: The Warriors!
For any lover of movies this is an essential part of your collection, perhaps the draw to this film is the fact that it was done on a relatively low budget but still is able to get its point across without millions of dollars worth of effects, and explosions... I think the one molotov cocktail Snow had and Swan threw was good enough, definitely showed those Pootennany Orphans who was boss!
Although not commercially successful the film has gained a huge cult following and has even been named as Entertainment Weekly's 16th greatest cult film on their "Top 50 Greatest Cult Films List". Definitely somewhere along the lines people began to realize that Walter Hill did something right!
I wasn't introduced to this movie until 5 years ago. Spike TV was playing the film on TV and I happened to catch it and was in awe of how great it was, esp. for a movie made 26 years earlier. After the movie finished a commercial was shown for the special edition DVD that had just been released and a video game was to be released for the PS2 and Xbox soon after.
I immediately jumped in my car, headed for Best Buy and picked up my very own copy of the film. When I got home I watched it again for the second time that day, I was enthralled with the movie and its characters and was left wanting more, yet there was no more to be had.
At Christmas that same year I got the Warriors game and that satiated my need for more Warriors as it gave you an entire timeline leading up to the meeting as well as bits during and after the films events. It was a great way to fill in the gaps that so many people wanted. I was personally happy with The Warriors lore that I had been given through the film, and video game and extracurricular reading.... cue the bane of my existence.. TONY SCOTT....
The master and commander of remakes himself stated that he planned on re-making the Warriors into a modern day film.
The film is to take place in L.A. as opposed to N.Y. where the og film was.. and instead of having the wide array of awesome gangs that were present in the '79 film, it seems that it will probably be more along the lines of a Bloods vs Crips theme, although I'm sure there will be a few more gangs the probability of them being anything more than the street thugs we currently associate with gangs are slim. The only aspect that the 'new' film is to apparently have in common with the og is the character of Cyrus. He wanted to fashion the film after the L.A. Gang-riots of the 90's.
From the onset I am displeased with the course this is taking... Tony Scott has mentioned that he wants a couple thousand real life gang members on a bridge in L.A. for a scene or two... Yeah THATS A GREAT IDEA TONY! friggin' yutz!
I feel like this will just be a 2hour episode of COPS if he makes it the way he intending to and if thats the case I'll stay home and tune into Fox b/c this has train wreck written all over it!
BUT WAIT!!
Although you may not find the information anymore esp. on IMDB, at one point IMDB had a few minor details that contradicted Scott's plan/vision. Until recently IMDB had a Warriors (2011) page which had character names from the OG film on the cast list.
Previous to that they had a synopsis for the film which, although was still placed in L.A., was a truer remake to the original vision.
Even further to that at one time you could find a lot of info about the project on Wikipedia, yet the page has mysteriously disappeared and no mention of a remake is present anywhere, save for Tony Scotts wiki page which has the aforementioned abomination synopsis. Further still IMDB at one time even had this little tidbit of info which I found quite interesting...
Tony Scotts version was to be a follow up to the '79 classic with many of the cast returning.. obviously older and living in L.A. Swan and Ajax reunite after a number of years and come to find out that Cyrus never died but had been in hiding ever since. I can't recall what the rest of it said and I wish I had screen capped that page last year b/c it was interesting. Does that make for a good sequel though? Probably not.. I don't think many of the gang members, aside from James Remar, are in the best of shape and I can't see gang members 31 years later trying to BOP their way back home again, so as cool as a sequel would be I think its too little too late.
Like I said though.. it's interesting at the very least.
So with all of that said the burning question is:
Should The Warriors be remade?
Well the answer is somewhat complex and I'm surprising even myself here... well partially.
The answer is a resounding YES
AND a resound NO!
To my surprise I wouldn't mind seeing this film remade.. it could actually be made into a decent trilogy [since trilogy's are all the rave now]. Taking story elements from the 2005 video game, the 1979 film, and Sol Yuricks novel (which the film is based on) could prove to be an amazing set of films, if done correctly. I would prefer it stay in NY as it seems to be grittier than LA to me and the '79 film was based in NY and Coney Island, but the location isn't a main concern for me as long as the film is remade in a similar vision to the original.
Now the not so surprising is NO!
The movie is a classic, it ain't broken so dont FLURK with it!
Tony Scott's vision for this film is completely ass backwards and I don't feel like watching a 2hr ep. of COPS in LA and paying $11 to do so. If you want to do a gang movie like that then fine, but call it something else b/c I don't want what you're selling Mr. Scott.
It seems he enjoys nothing more than remaking a film... his days of Top Gun and Beverly Hills Cop II are over.. watch out b/c he'll remake those soon as well so he can add to his ever growing list.
The movie is a classic no matter what way you slice it so just don't touch it unless you plan on doing it justice. And if you plan to go ahead with your vision then please for the love of God don't besmirch the name The Warriors... call it something else!!!
I realize this was an epic read, and if you've made it this far then you are a trooper, or rather a warrior indeed!
As always I welcome your POVS, critiques and debates on whether or not you believe this film should be remade.
Subject: Remake Rebellion Spotlight: The Warriors 
Wed Jun 30, 2010 10:20 am
