# Movies - Warriors questions Warriors, come out to playeeeaaayyy! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 6, 2013, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-warriors-questions-warriors-come-out-to-playeeeaaayyy/668135 "2013-09-06T01:14:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-warriors-questions-warriors-come-out-to-playeeeaaayyy/668135/21 "2013-09-06T09:09:54Z")
Hang on just a second, are you people really saying that you think “The Warriors” is a bad film? Getthefuckoutofit. The Warriors is one of the greatest movies ever made, I will not hear a bad word said against! ---
**Author:** ![nachtmusick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ac91a4/32.png) [@nachtmusick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nachtmusick)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-warriors-questions-warriors-come-out-to-playeeeaaayyy/668135/22 "2013-09-06T10:20:10Z")
I understand that the book is an impenetrable piece of crap that melds modern ethnic gangs with the ancient tale of the Greeks crossing the Rubicon. Or something. The film, on the other hand, is the absolute shit. Can you dig it? CAN YOU DIG IT? CAAHHHNNN YYYOOOUUU… [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/V-OYKd8SVrI/hqdefault.jpg "The Warriors - Can You Dig It") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-OYKd8SVrI) ---
**Author:** ![phungi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phungi/32/395_2.png) [@phungi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phungi)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-warriors-questions-warriors-come-out-to-playeeeaaayyy/668135/23 "2013-09-06T13:12:17Z")
Just watched this a few weeks ago on IFC with my 11 and 13-year old sons… they loved it… > [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > 1. This movie was made in 1979… did gangs in NYC actually dress like many of the gangs in this movie are portrayed, or is this some elaborate joke put into the movie for entertainment value? I don’t recall if this was the case, but without the various dress stylings, there would have been no way of identifying different gangs > [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > 1. Why didn’t the Warriors just contact one of their other gang members left behind to come pick them up, or at the very least meet them somewhere to build the gangs numbers for the trip home (so they could bop! their way back). As mentioned, there was only pay phones, but they were on the run, and perhaps there was no “home base” or place to reach the few members of the Warriors who were not with them. > [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > 1. all of the gang fights were poorly shot. I know we aren’t talking Oscar worthy material here, but when the 4 Warriors fight the 6 or 7 Baseball Furies in the park, they beat them easily. is there some gang etiquette that forces one on one fighting? There is one scene in particular, where one Fury is standing there with his bat in his hand, he is watching two other guys fight, and he gets tattooed from behind by a Warrior that picks up a bat from another beaten Fury. agreed… the steady-cam may have made it onto the Rocky set but this was low budget… perhaps knit-picking, as the story was “how can they get home using the NYC subway” and not “look how well these guys fight” > [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > 1. The Warriors are in incredible shape, as for most of the movie they are running. Instead of being in a gang, these guys should have all won scholarships for cross country teams in the Ivy League. Except for Cowboy, the one Warrior that couldn’t make the run through the park and got his butt kicked by a Fury. He must have been a smoker. there didn’t seem to be many overweight members in any of the gangs… > [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > 1. This is a hard street gang, and yet none of them smoke, have tattoos, or missing teeth. And they forgot that they were a gang of thieves, too… because no one thought of stealing a car. correct, but as stated, there would have been no movie… perhaps they were too “small time” for grand theft auto? > [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > 1. when they get back to Coney, they get to the beach to fight the Rogues… except, the rest of their gang is no where to be found… why not? how would the rest of the gang even know the Warriors were on their way back home? it was dawn, and most remaining gang members would have been sleeping… early morning is not the active period for these guys… > [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > 1. The biggest question of all. The leader of the Rogues keeps making phone calls throughout the movie to some “mystery voice” who seems to be pulling the strings. Who is this guy supposed to be??? No clue, but agree this is an interesting question… Have to say, though, that I loved this movie when I was a kid (about 16 when it came out) and watching it was fun but it took the shine off my memory… that said, there are few kids who grew up in the northeast who don’t know what comes next, if you were to clang 3 bottles together: [Warriors, come out to PLA-A-AY](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwwY9y6O3hw) ---
**Author:** ![mcgato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@mcgato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcgato)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-warriors-questions-warriors-come-out-to-playeeeaaayyy/668135/24 "2013-09-06T13:20:31Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > 1. when they get back to Coney, they get to the beach to fight the Rogues… except, the rest of their gang is no where to be found… why not? My impression of this: the Warriors got back to Coney Island right around sunrise. Most of the rest of the gang was probably asleep. Anyone who was awake probably hadn’t found out that they had returned. It’s not like the gang waited up all night to find out what happened at the big meeting in the Bronx. In 1979, believe it or not, people were willing to wait more than 5 seconds to find out what happened in someone else’s life. If we got important news within a day or so, that was good. I liked the movie. Not great film making, but darn good fun. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-warriors-questions-warriors-come-out-to-playeeeaaayyy/668135/25 "2013-09-06T14:04:45Z")
Agreed on the idea of not being wrapped up in instant updates back in 1979. That also ties into the phone thing. Believe it or not, back in 1979 it wouldn’t be at all unusual to dial a number and have it just ring and ring and ring with nobody ever picking it up and no voicemail, answering machine, nothing. Just ring, ring, ring, ring… In other words, going to a pay phone could have easily been the equivalent of picking up a can and hoping the rest of your gang had another can with a string tied to yours. Pointless. People were content being out of the loop regarding the minutia of other people’s lives. > [@phungi](#): > > that said, there are few kids who grew up in the northeast who don’t know what comes next, if you were to clang 3 bottles together: Hell yeah. ---
**Author:** ![Pixel\_Dent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc8723/32.png) [@Pixel\_Dent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixel_Dent)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-warriors-questions-warriors-come-out-to-playeeeaaayyy/668135/26 "2013-09-06T14:17:29Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > 1. The Warriors are in incredible shape, as for most of the movie they are running. Instead of being in a gang, these guys should have all won scholarships for cross country teams in the Ivy League. Apparently they filmed a scene where they’re all awarded athletic scholarships to Columbia, but they had to cut it when they discovered the ivy league doesn’t award athletic scholarships. Too bad as that scene was supposed to have Oscar quality acting. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-warriors-questions-warriors-come-out-to-playeeeaaayyy/668135/27 "2013-09-06T14:28:37Z")
> [@phungi](#): > > Have to say, though, that I loved this movie when I was a kid (about 16 when it came out) and watching it was fun but it took the shine off my memory… that said, there are few kids who grew up in the northeast who don’t know what comes next, if you were to clang 3 bottles together: > > [Warriors, come out to PLA-A-AY](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwwY9y6O3hw) And then there is[this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHoJf2gXXw8). ---
**Author:** ![theR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@theR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theR)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-warriors-questions-warriors-come-out-to-playeeeaaayyy/668135/28 "2013-09-06T14:48:28Z")
> [@delphica](#): > > For pretty much my entire life, I have been trying to convince people that the best Halloween costume ever would be to get a group to go as the Baseball Furies. Come on! I was a Baseball Fury one Halloween, probably around the early to mid 1980s. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-warriors-questions-warriors-come-out-to-playeeeaaayyy/668135/29 "2013-09-06T15:09:21Z")
I distinctly recall Rembrandt being on the phone with someone when they were hanging out with the Lizzies. It’s been a while since I’ve watched this cinematic masterwork. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-warriors-questions-warriors-come-out-to-playeeeaaayyy/668135/30 "2013-09-06T15:14:56Z")
According to Google, the trip from Coney to Van Cortlandt park is 45 minutes, without any traffic. Add in the huge police presence and the need for the gang to hide out safely in the middle of the night, at a single location to wait for the ride, which needs at least 2 cars to pick up all the guys, one can appreciate why it may not have been the most reasonable option. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-warriors-questions-warriors-come-out-to-playeeeaaayyy/668135/31 "2013-09-06T16:37:28Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > 1. This movie was made in 1979… did gangs in NYC actually dress like many of the gangs in this movie are portrayed, or is this some elaborate joke put into the movie for entertainment value? > > The easiest gang to remember (for me, anyway) was the Baseball Fury, a gang of guys dressed in matching baseball uniforms, painted faces, and baseball bats are their chosen weapons. But there was also the Orphans (poor, filthy guys with matching green t-shirts that say “orphans” on the back.) The Warriors, of course, with leather-like vests. The Rogues, who all ride around in an old, graffitied car and were the ones who really shot Cyrus and blamed the Warriors (Warriors, come out to play!), some Dexy’s Midnight Runner wannabees, all in overalls, and the leader in roller skates (it is really hard to look tough in overalls and roller skates), and a few others that if I remember I’ll mention them. > > But the first question remains… did gangs in NY wear matching outfits to identify themselves, and were they as elaborate as the movie portrays? I have to think no, but I didn’t live in NY in the 70’s, and that was a strange decade. Well, believe it or not, lots of regular people dressed like that in the 70s. Except for the Baseball Furies, just about every gang’s outfit was based on some style that was popular at some point in the decade. Yes, even the overalls. The Rogues’ uniform was basically the biker from the Village People. > [@delphica](#): > > For pretty much my entire life, I have been trying to convince people that the best Halloween costume ever would be to get a group to go as the Baseball Furies. Come on! You are not alone. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/4h8VbTROMKk/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC4AOKAgwIABABGGUgWChGMA8=&rs=AOn4CLBkNtF7r9g-19aaSB_pSdjky5Ag1g "Halloween 2008 : THE BASEBALL FURIES") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4h8VbTROMKk) ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-warriors-questions-warriors-come-out-to-playeeeaaayyy/668135/32 "2013-09-06T16:39:33Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > is there some gang etiquette that forces one on one fighting? There is one scene in particular, where one Fury is standing there with his bat in his hand, he is watching two other guys fight, and he gets tattooed from behind by a Warrior that picks up a bat from another beaten Fury. [One at a time rule](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principle_of_Evil_Marksmanship#One-at-a-time_Attack_Rule). It certainly wasn’t invented just for this movie. ---
**Author:** ![davidw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c4cdca/32.png) [@davidw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidw)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-warriors-questions-warriors-come-out-to-playeeeaaayyy/668135/33 "2013-09-06T17:03:33Z")
Here’s a Life Magazine feature from 1972 on a Bronx gang, if you’re interested on how NYC gangs of that era looked: [http://life.time.com/history/gang-of-new-york-the-reapers-1972/?iid=lb-gal-viewagn#1](http://life.time.com/history/gang-of-new-york-the-reapers-1972/?iid=lb-gal-viewagn#1) ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-warriors-questions-warriors-come-out-to-playeeeaaayyy/668135/34 "2013-09-06T17:54:45Z")
> [@nachtmusick](#): > > …The film, on the other hand, is the absolute shit. Can you dig it? CAN YOU DIG IT? > > CAAHHHNNN YYYOOOUUU… > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-OYKd8SVrI](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-OYKd8SVrI) Let me introduce you to [Pop Will Eat Itself](http://youtu.be/36nWNAvtwrw). ---
**Author:** ![Reno\_Nevada](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Reno\_Nevada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reno_Nevada)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-warriors-questions-warriors-come-out-to-playeeeaaayyy/668135/35 "2013-09-06T18:42:44Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > 1. This movie was made in 1979… did gangs in NYC actually dress like many of the gangs in this movie are portrayed, or is this some elaborate joke put into the movie for entertainment value? > > . I recently read “The Gangs of New York”, which suggests that in _18_79 the New York gangs did kind of dress like that. ---
**Author:** ![Philliam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/philliam/32/3011_2.png) [@Philliam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philliam)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-warriors-questions-warriors-come-out-to-playeeeaaayyy/668135/36 "2013-09-06T19:12:41Z")
Not sure about the all the principals in the film, but James Remar (Ajax) has done pretty well as a character actor. Good call on Mercedes Ruehl as the cop in the park - she’s done a lot since then, too. Whoa, forgot about David Patrick Kelly (the bottle guy) - he was believably creepy. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-warriors-questions-warriors-come-out-to-playeeeaaayyy/668135/37 "2013-09-06T19:17:24Z")
Love this movie. Recorded it off Sundance a couple months ago, and I still keep it around and watch it now and then. I saw a trailer for it recently, which refers to the gang you see at the beginning, the ones with white painted faces and top hats, as “the High Hats”, and the ones in the shiny purple vests and hats as “the Boppers”. The credits refer to the overalls-wearing gang as the “Punks”. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-warriors-questions-warriors-come-out-to-playeeeaaayyy/668135/38 "2013-09-06T19:36:36Z")
> [@Philliam](#): > > Not sure about the all the principals in the film, but James Remar (Ajax) has done pretty well as a character actor. Currently known as “Dexter’s Ghost Dad.” ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-warriors-questions-warriors-come-out-to-playeeeaaayyy/668135/39 "2013-09-06T19:50:39Z")
> [@Accidental\_Martyr](#): > > I think it’s obvious that the look of the film (costumes,etc.) is very stylized and not meant to be realistic. I believe the director had the intention of making a comic book style film and should not be viewed as a realistic look at 1970s NYC gangs. And keep in mind _The Warriors_ was made in 1979 - eight years after [this](http://moviescreens.tripod.com/clockwork/clock09.jpg). So _The Warriors_ was just following an established trope of movie gangs wearing silly costumes. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-warriors-questions-warriors-come-out-to-playeeeaaayyy/668135/40 "2013-09-06T21:22:20Z")
This is why I love the dope… All of these great posts, from the great songs on YouTube to the life magazine article from 1972… Who could find all of this on their own? And on that note, a gift for all of you…and this answers some of the questions brought up in this thread… I give you [the deleted scenes!](http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wgK8iuzJiaY) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-warriors-questions-warriors-come-out-to-playeeeaaayyy/668135.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-warriors-questions-warriors-come-out-to-playeeeaaayyy/668135.md?page=3)