In post-apocalyptic New York City, they had sway over the streets and subways. With names like the Van Cortlandt Rangers, Jones Street Boys, and the Electric Eliminators, the gangs sported garb to distinguish themselves and, by extension, their turf: tank tops, ripped jeans, camo jackets, silk bathrobes, and baseball uniforms coupled with fierce face paint.
In the 1979 film ‘The Warriors,’ now celebrating the 40th anniversary of its release, the city was depicted as an unrecognizable hellscape where crime was rampant, public transit was empty, the streets were strewn with trash, graffiti ruled the parks and trains, and the NYPD were outnumbered.
The film’s portrayal of the Big Apple wasn’t so far off the mark. In the 1970s, the city was drowning in debt and had to cut services as well as lay off thousands of police officers and firefighters. Things got so bad that the NYPD and fire department unions issued a remarkable pamphlet for tourists called ‘Welcome to Fear City: A Survival Guide for Visitors to the City of New York,’ with tips like don’t walk or take public transportation, and stay off the streets after 6pm.
It was this environment that in the movie, laden with 1970s lingo and funky music, drives the enigmatic and powerful gang leader Cyrus to call for a conclave at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. A citywide truce makes this gathering possible, and each organization was to send nine, unarmed representatives to the meeting where Cyrus would unveil his master plan.
SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO
In the 1979 film, 'The Warriors,' the city's most powerful gang leader, Cyrus, first calls for a truce and then for each organization to send nine representatives - unarmed - to a gathering at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. His plan was simple: if the gangs banded together they would outnumber the police and run the city. However, Cyrus' dreams of domination were dashed when someone slips a gun into the conclave and fatally shoots him. After Cyrus' murder, pandemonium ensues, left, in a still from the film, and, on the right, a look at the park today
In the chaos, the real perpetrator of the crime points to the Warriors, a gang from Coney Island, as guilty of Cyrus' murder. Other gangs start to attack the Warriors, left in a still from the movie, and they barely escape from the crowd. The Warriors flee for their lives in what will be the beginning of a dangerous journey via the subway back home. In the 1970s, New York City was deep in debt, services were cut, police officer and firefighters were laid off, and parks were left in disrepair. Now, most of the city's parks like the Van Cortlandt, right, are well maintained
The Warriors hide out at a nearby cemetery. As they take a breather among the gravestones, the gang is faced with a daunting task: go from the Bronx, which is way uptown, all the down to Coney Island in Brooklyn – a train trip that would be normally be easy nowadays if albeit long. ‘F*** Coney Island must be 50, 100 miles from here,’ one gang member laments as their predicament becomes clear. On the left, the gang gathering courage to start their trek home in a still from the movie. While it supposed to be the Bronx, the actual filming location was the Evergreens Cemetery, right, in Brooklyn
In the film, the subway staircase, left, is the Warriors' hope and salvation. Catching the train, however, was never so perilous and they run for the platform while another gang on a bus a la Mad Max chase them with bats and chains. Not only are the Warriors unsure if the truce is called off, they know that they must traverse a city that is dominated by many individual gangs that will do anything to protect their turf. The station, left, is supposed to be in the Bronx, but it was actually in Brooklyn, and, now, left, no longer exists
The Warriors, left, run from a rival gang as they try to get a train back to their home turf in Coney Island. The manage to make it on the train but the victory is short-lived - another gang set a fire that stops the subway from moving. Meanwhile, the new boss that took over for Cyrus puts out the word that he wants to Warriors to pay for what they did. Tape whirls, a woman’s red lips are shown as the radio announcer dedicates a song to the Warriors with a clear message: ‘Nowhere to Run.’ Right, is Broadway and Conway Street in Brooklyn, which was portrayed as the Bronx in the film
‘Can you count, suckas?’ Cyrus intones as he climbs the dais and his bathrobe-clad members surround the platform for protection.
Cyrus’ logic and math is sound: combined the gangs could potentially have 60,000 soldiers in the five boroughs.
‘But there ain’t but 20,000 police in the whole town. Can you dig it?’
After cheers erupts, he says, ‘One gang could run this city.’
However, Cyrus’ dreams of domination are dashed when a gun is somehow procured and he is dramatically shot.
Pandemonium ensues, and in the chaos the finger is pointed at the Warriors, who are innocent, as the crime’s culprits. Rival gangs start attacking the Warriors, who narrowly escape and hide out at a nearby cemetery.
As they take a breather among the gravestones, the gang is faced with a daunting task: go from the Bronx, which is way uptown, all the down to Coney Island in Brooklyn – a train trip that would be normally be easy nowadays if albeit long.
‘F*** Coney Island must be 50, 100 miles from here,’ one gang member laments as their predicament becomes clear.
The Warriors get off at the 96th Street station on the Upper West Side after a fire and the cops chase then. They bolt from the station to escape the Baseball Furies, who sport white and striped uniforms as well as fierce face paint, left. In New York City during the 1970s, the city had a staggering amount of debt and had to cut services and its workforce, including at one point sanitation workers, and trash overflowed in some parts of the city. Right, a look at the 72nd Street station - which stood in for the 96th Street station in the film - looking much cleaner
A Molotov cocktail is lit so the Warriors can escape from a gang called the Orphans, and the gang, left, is running from the explosion and toward the New Utrecht Avenue subway stop. Right, is 62nd Street in the Borough Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, as it looks today. Crime in 1970s New York City was on an uptick as the city laid off thousands of police officers due to budget restrictions and a staggering debt
After escaping a gang called the Orphans, the Warriors make their way to the subway station as they continue their journey home to Coney Island, left. During the film, the Warriors are riding the subway, which is completely covered in graffiti, mostly by themselves, only later on in the movie do two couples get on the train. It was not safe to ride the subway during the 1970s and it would take New York City increased police presence to make the system safe. Right, the New Utrecht Avenue station in the Borough Park neighborhood of Brooklyn is today under construction
Before they make the long, perilous journey from the Bronx after Cyrus, the most powerful gang leader in the city, was fatally shot, the Warriors make a plan that if they get separated to meet at Union Square - the station they have to get to in order to switch trains to get home. The crew does end up getting split up, with some members meeting tragic ends before the film is over. On the left is a look at the Union Square sign during the film, which was released in February 1979, and on the right is the sign as it looks today
Some members of the Warriors are able to make it to Union Square during the film, and left, they patiently wait for the train to come to take them to their home turf of Coney Island. The 1979 film’s portrayal of the Big Apple of the 1970s wasn’t so far off the mark. In the 1970s, the city was drowning in debt and had to cut services as well as lay off thousands of police officers and firefighters. Things got so bad that the NYPD and fire department unions issued a remarkable pamphlet for tourists called ‘Welcome to Fear City: A Survival Guide for Visitors to the City of New York,’ with tips like don’t walk or take public transportation, and stay off the streets after 6pm. On the right, is a look at the Union Square station - 14th Street - now
They aren’t sure if the truce still holds and they will have to go through several other gangs' turf to make it home. In addition, the new boss of Cyrus’ gang has put the word out that he wants the Warriors. Tape whirls, a woman’s red lips are shown as the radio announcer dedicates a song to the gang with a clear message: ‘Nowhere to Run.’
The young men, wearing their maroon leather jackets – some members shirtless, some wearing black T-shirts underneath - decide to make the dangerous trek, and if they get separated to meet at the platform at Union Square.
Catching the train was never so perilous: they run for the platform while another gang on a bus a la Mad Max chase them with bats and chains. They think they are home free when they get the train, but a fire forces them to get off at the 96th Street Station on the Upper West Side. (The scene was actually filmed at an abandoned station, Hoyt-Schermerhorn, and exterior shots were actually 72nd Street, according to scouting sites and Untapped Cities.)
The cops are also now chasing the gang, who split off into different groups as they try to make it to Union Square. There are Molotov cocktails, explosion, more threats of violence and actual fighting before they make it to the Stillwell Avenue station and the sun rising over Coney Island’s Wonder Wheel and Luna Park.
‘The Warriors’ was released in February 1979, and was based on Sol Yurick’s 1965 novel of the same name. Critics mostly panned the film when it came out in theaters but it eventually took hold of the public's imagination and developed its own cult following, complete with gifs of arguably Cyrus’ most famous line of the film, ‘Can you dig it?’
During the 1970s, graffiti on trains, such as on the left from a still from the film, was the norm. It took the city increased police presence to clean up the system, and on the right, is an example of a train today. During the 1970s, New York City, crime was rampant and thousands of police officers were laid off due to the city's deep debt. President Gerald Ford's administration denied federal assistance to the city, prompting one of the most famous newspaper headlines, 'Ford to City: Drop Dead'
During the 1970s, tokens were used to gain access to the subway system, and an example of the kind of turnstiles that were used during that time period is on the left in a scene from the 1979 movie, 'The Warriors.' In April 2003, tokens were phased out and MetroCards are now used as payment. On the right is an example of turnstiles the system uses today
The Warriors finally make it back home to Coney Island, left, after a treacherous night of fighting off rival gangs and running from the police. Stillwell Avenue is still the stop for Coney Island, right. At the start of the 1970s, a subway ride was 30 cents, which doubled to 60 cents by the summer of 1980. A single ride now costs $2.75
The Wonder Wheel is the iconic landmark that almost bookends the film. It is the movie's opening scene, it is lit and night. When the gang makes it back to their home turf, it is morning. On the right is a look at the Wonder Wheel, which has been a part of Coney Island's landscape since it opened on Memorial Day in 1920, today
‘The Warriors’ was released in February 1979, and was based on Sol Yurick’s 1965 novel of the same name. Critics mostly panned the film when it came out in theaters but it eventually took hold of the public's imagination and developed its own cult following, complete with gifs of arguably Cyrus’ most famous line of the film, ‘Can you dig it?’ On the left is a still of the cast after the Warriors make it back to their home turf after a long and dangerous journey from the Bronx, and on the right is a look at Coney Island today
Link hienalouca.com
https://hienalouca.com/2019/02/12/the-warriors-cult-film-40th-anniversary-new-york-city-1970s/
Main photo article In post-apocalyptic New York City, they had sway over the streets and subways. With names like the Van Cortlandt Rangers, Jones Street Boys, and the Electric Eliminators, the gangs sported garb to distinguish themselves and, by extension, their turf: tank tops, ripped jeans, camo jackets, silk...
It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.
Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.
Dianne Reeves US News HienaLouca
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/02/12/15/9688310-6692219-One_of_the_beginning_scenes_from_the_1979_movie_The_Warriors_whe-a-64_1549985829401.jpg
Комментариев нет:
Отправить комментарий