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Lexmark3200
10-06-2005, 10:42 AM
CAN YOU DIG IT?

I caved and unwrapped this DVD last night to watch, unavoidably eliminating my chance of returning it to Best Buy for a refund because I read the other reviews of this title which claimed it changed the picture entirely, mainly due to the fact that I simply HAD to see the "changes" that were made and what all the fuss about the "comic book-like additions" was about; unfortunately, those early reviews of the title were right: this cut of Walter Hill's classic just FEELS wrong.....

Much like the film Nighthawks with Sylvester Stallone and Rutger Hauer -- a great cat-and-mouse cop-chasing-terrorist-undercover story -- there are changes here that simply take us out of the magic of this film -- regardless if this is what Hill wanted or not. Let me explain what I mean regarding Nighthawks first......the DVD release of Nighthawks, for some odd reason, had an EXTREMELY pivotal moment of music missing from one of the scenes which totally ruined the pacing and sequencing of the picture and it has actually STOPPED fans like me from buying the disc BECAUSE of this missing score in the scene; it is a shootout sequence between Stallone and Hauer in a nightclub where a vital dance track is playing which TOTALLY makes the scene and for some reason, when the film hit DVD, the track went missing, substituted by some odd looped-in score. It ruined the film for me. Honest. So I refused to ever buy Nighthawks on DVD until this scene is restored to its original release format with that musical scene intact.

The same thing seems to be happening here with Walter Hill's The Warriors: Ultimate Director's Cut but not exactly IN the same way; first of all, fans of this underground cult classic have been driving Paramount absolutely nuts for a special edition of some kind because the original release is pretty bare bones in the extreme sense of the word, only sporting a theatrical trailer and a rather worthless mono track. We waited. And waited. And with news of THIS title ALSO scheduled for a remake soon (Dear Lord Have Mercy already), Paramount decided to put out this Director's Cut to satisfy hungry fans -- but it was more a decision of Walter Hill's, as he explains in the introduction sequence; the "vision" he had for this film, based on a novel by Sol Yurick, he felt, needed to be realized by the fans and the public -- much like the William Friedkin/William Peter Blatty controversy over which cut of The Exorcist was to be the "true" vision. I had always been one of those fans who said this picture absolutely requires some kind of special edition treatment (in fact, I mentioned it in my original review of the bare bones disc from Paramount) due to all the hype that surrounded its theatrical release in New York City. Apparently, the release of the film sparked gang riots and the film was actually pulled from New York theaters at the time of its 1979 release. Well, fans kind of got what they wanted in that way with this Director's Cut, because there is a special features section which deals with these riots caused by the gangs in New York -- and it was quite interesting, if not in-depth enough.

The biggest problem with this new cut of The Warriors is what other reviewers have been *****ing about all over the Web: added have been comic book-like sequences which make the film feel almost "animated" and takes us out of the seriousness of the first release; and, to add salt to a wound, Paramount didn’t even give us the option of watching the original theatrical version via seamless branching: all we get is this ONE Walter Hill approved cut on this version, and it plays very strangely. But, apparently, when you watch the forced introduction by Walter Hill just before the feature starts, he explains why these additions were made and why he felt this cut of the film needed to be realized by fans, even if we disagree strongly. It seems his original "vision" for taking the story from novel to motion picture was to be through an almost comic book-like fashion -- THATS how he saw the film going. Originally, the powers-that-be at Paramount disagreed with him and his film was shot as a straight-up gang picture taking place on the streets of New York City which made it feel a lot more serious -- and fans liked it better. According to Hill's introduction on this Ultimate Director's Cut, the story is based on a Greek legend about an army needing to fight their way back to their own "territory" -- thus, it was translated by Sol Yurick and Walter Hill into an almost futuristic story about wild-looking gangs that control the boroughs of New York City and one tough gang in particular -- the Warriors -- that need to fight their way back to their home turf of Coney Island, Brooklyn, after they are wrongfully blamed for shooting the leader of a top gang who holds a conclave in the Bronx and orders a temporary truce amongst the gangs. Hill explains this in, as I have said, a mandatory introduction sequence that you must sit through before the film starts.

The beginning of the picture is drastically changed, as the original theatrical cut began with an opening shot of a famous Coney Island Ferris wheel, and then going into showing the members of The Warriors (lead by Michael Beck of Xanadu) getting on a subway to head to this meeting about the gang truce. In the Director's Cut, a voice over sequence explains how the film is based on the Greek mythology story, and then transcends into a comic book page to begin the Ferris wheel shot......from this very moment on, the "feel" of the original theatrical version was totally lost.

Especially annoying was the sequence when The Warriors meet "The Baseball Furies," a silent but dangerous gang dressed in New York Yankee uniforms, wearing face paint and swinging wooden baseball bats as weapons. In the original version, members of The Warriors get off a train, as they are trying to make their way back to their home turf, but realize they have stepped into the Furies' neighborhood, as the gang is standing in the streets swinging bats, waiting for them. The original cut made this scene very dramatic -- but in the Director's Cut, the scene begins with a comic book transition into the sequence where the words "HOLY ****....THE BASEBALL FURIES!" are splashed across the comic storyboard which eventually turns into the scene.....it really ruins the feel and pacing.

The whole version of this Director's Cut goes back and forth like this, as scenes fade in and out of comic book animation and then back into the real film; it really distracts from the original cut of this little cult classic, but I needed to see it for myself. Even the end is ruined, where in the original cut, The Warriors and Mercy, the Latino girl they "pick up" from a rival gang and who follows them through the night of getting back to their home territory, are walking along the beach to Joe Walsh's "In The City".....it is a perfect ending to the film. In the Director's Cut, the film turns to comic animation pages where it says "THE END" as the credits are rolling, still frozen on the pages of a comic book of The Warriors walking along the beach.....it totally changes the ending.

What's nice about this version is the packaging and extras; instead of the horrid artwork and stripped-down nature of Paramount's original DVD release of the title, here, the keepcase is put into an outer beautiful slipcase with the words "The Warriors" raised off the front of the case; ULTIMATE DIRECTOR'S CUT adorns the top of the box. Finally, the original artwork for the marketing of the film was used on the cover, with The Warriors walking with Mercy. The extras were fascinating to watch, and were broken up into these sections:

4 FEATURETTES:
-The Beginning
-Battleground
-The Way Home
-The Phenomenon

Interviews with cast members -- who look just SO totally different now (my G-d, David Patrick Kelly looks like he's 102 years old in this interview with him, and so does Michael Beck) -- were interesting to hear their take on making this film and all the physical momentum that went into it. Hearing Walter Hill and his crew speak on the rigors of making the film in the summer in New York City and dealing with short nights for the night shots was interesting, as well. And, as I said, Hill speaks a bit on the riots that were sparked after this film's New York City 1979 debut amongst gangs at the time. That was cool to listen to.

But unfortunately, the great packaging and extras are put into a cut of this film that just does not FEEL anything like the original theatrical version because of the damn comic book animation techniques which Hill insisted on as his "original vision"......the film just works the other way, without the animation or voice overs. Now that I bought this Director's Cut, thinking the double dip would allow me to sell off my bare bones version, I’m not quite sure if I made the right decision......even WITH the mono track of the original stripped-down disc, THAT version seems to be the definitive way of watching The Warriors.

VIDEO SPECIFICATIONS:
There is absolutely no labeling anywhere on the back of this Director's Cut indicating the scope ratio of this transfer or any kind of anamorphic treatment (which we have to assume is there because the first bare bones disc was anamorphic and enhanced for 16X9 displays); all we are told is this by Paramount: "THIS FILM IS PRESENTED IN A "WIDESCREEN" FORMAT. THE BLACK BARS ON THE TOP AND BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN ARE NORMAL." Okay. Because there was no letterboxing when I played this back, this had to be a transfer other than 2:40:1 or 2:35:1; while Paramount suggests to us to "ignore the black bars," I did not get the "black bars," telling me this was probably a 1:85:1 transfer. At any rate, this print looks cleaned up compared to the last one -- even though Paramount makes no such claim of a remastering. There was nothing really wrong with the bare bones transfer, to be honest, for a film of its year and budget -- but here, the picture is downright FLAWLESS. I mean, I didn’t detect any grain, dirt, haloing, nothing. It really, truly was a sensational transfer from Paramount, even with those idiotic comic book animation sequences. And I'm saying this about a studio I don't usually get behind or support, due to their lack of titles with DTS, their usually horrendous artwork on disc covers, etc; you want to see horrid? Wait until you get your hands on the three disc ultimate version of Titanic that's coming soon with James Cameron's face on the cover -- what the hell is Paramount thinking?

It was unfortunate that such a gorgeous video transfer was used on this less-than-ideal cut of The Warriors.

AUDIO SPECIFICATIONS:
ENGLISH DOLBY DIGITAL 5.1, ENGLISH DOLBY 2.0 SURROUND, FRENCH MONO; ENGLISH & SPANISH SUBTITLES

THIS was the main reason for me upgrading to this version of the film from the original one. As being a surround enthusiast, I absolutely hated the mono track on Paramount's original release (purists, I KNOW this is the way the film was SUPPOSED to be presented as it was in theaters in '79) and always dreamed of a day when Paramount would remix this soundtrack for 5.1. The day had come -- but the results are less than ideal. In fact, between the utterly unimpressive Dolby Digital 5.1 track on this cut and the animation additions, this was just a total letdown.

First of all, the track doesn't sound like it's really been "remixed" at all -- most of it STILL remains up front, and there is still that same old, dated, "hollowness" to the audio that just made EVERY SINGLE ambient noise in my home theater seem louder than the film's soundtrack. There's still little volume power to the soundtrack on this reworked Dolby track, which, again, required my turning up the master volume levels way beyond normal ranges just to get some kind of decent sound out of the mix. Where I did detect surround usage and additions were in varied spots -- the sequence in the beginning when Cyrus is giving the truce speech to all the gangs now rings with piercing crowd roaring which spills into the surround channels -- but the effect is so treble-heavy that if you have your system up high, the result is just not that pleasing; it almost hurts to hear those voices screaming from the speakers around you. The audio quality is not what you would call top notch; I know this is a film from 1979, but there is a hollow, shrill characteristic to this surround mix that didn't really impress me all that much over the original mono track -- believe that or not. Where the Dolby Digital 5.1 surround reworking was successful, in my opinion, on '70s titles like The Amityville Horror and John Carpenter's Escape From New York, here, it just didn't impress me.

Score and music now spreads to the front channels better, of course, over the mono mix, especially during the fight sequence with The Baseball Furies, yet still, the effect was not that impressive. There is also a surround moment which stood out for me when The Warriors are first escaping the gang riot in the Bronx in the beginning and they run into a cemetery to hide from the police -- you can hear a helicopter fly over into the surround channels which was a nice touch over the mono version. The shooting of Cyrus by David Patrick Kelly now also packs a better punch than on the mono track, as the echo effect from the shot pings into the surrounds. Still, for all these instances, this 5.1 surround mix did not impress me as I was expecting it to over the weak, anemic mono track of the first DVD release.

In fact, I will go as far as to say this: between the added animation which ruins the feel of this film and the unimpressive surround audio, it is my opinion that this ULTIMATE DIRECTOR'S CUT is NOT the definitive version of The Warriors. I am regretting opening this DVD now, as I cannot return it once it's open, because, to be perfectly honest, I would rather deal with the mono audio from the first release due to the fact it doesn't have all that comic book animation added to it.

Now, I'm rather stuck.....does anyone know a way around returning a DVD to Best Buy once it's open to either get a refund OR exchange it for something else?

3-LockBox
11-04-2005, 12:13 AM
Wow...I sure hope you type fast...

Myself, I wouldn't own any version of this film, unless I found it for cheap. Either it was a really silly movie, or it was actually a work of genius; making such an overwrought and downright campy movie about a serious subject (street gangs).

Whatever the director's intent, it is a camp classic. No way could the participants actually think they were making any social commentary on gang violence. I mean really, by the time the 'baseball Furies' came on screen, the movie, as far as I was concerned, had ditched all sense of reality or seriousness. And its full of homo-erotic subtext...not that there'sanything wrong with that.

To me, it was one of those "so bad its fun" kinda movies, one that attempts to be artistic, but is so over stylized as to question its sincerity. Its like one of those other over stylized 'coming of age' movies like Rumble Fish or The Outsiders, where style is emphasized over story/character development and acting ability is optional (both of those films were full of homo-erotic subtext as well...not that there's anything wrong with that).

Lexmark3200
11-04-2005, 11:07 AM
"Wow...I sure hope you type fast..."

Indeed.

"Myself, I wouldn't own any version of this film, unless I found it for cheap. Either it was a really silly movie, or it was actually a work of genius; making such an overwrought and downright campy movie about a serious subject (street gangs)."

It wasnt silly, nor was it a work of genius -- far from it. It just entertains on some weird level and has indeed become what you call it below, a camp classic. Nothing more, nothing less. Carpenter's Escape From New York is a much better look at the drab vision of New York City streets overrun by gangs, but in a different way; in Escape, New York has become a maximum security prison.

"Whatever the director's intent, it is a camp classic. No way could the participants actually think they were making any social commentary on gang violence. I mean really, by the time the 'baseball Furies' came on screen, the movie, as far as I was concerned, had ditched all sense of reality or seriousness. And its full of homo-erotic subtext...not that there'sanything wrong with that."

Do I sense a bit of Seinfeld reference in here? LOL. The Baseball Furies scene is indeed considered one of the most exciting in the film -- the sequence is totally lost in the Director's Cut, substituted for a horrible comic book-like opening shot where the words "Meanwhile....Oh ****! The Baseball Furies!" are splashed across the graphics. Now, this is what Hill WANTED and ENVISIONED -- but it ruins the feel of the theatrical cut big time. Whether the participants KNEW they were or were not making a social commentary about gang violence or what have you, the end result is that they DID -- this picture was pulled from select New York City theaters at the time of its debut due to sporatic gang violence erupting in the theaters. Hill discusses this on the commentary track.

"To me, it was one of those "so bad its fun" kinda movies, one that attempts to be artistic, but is so over stylized as to question its sincerity."

Indeed; the acting here is absolutely horrendous, but thats what takes us into it and makes it fun.....indeed.

P.S. I have since sold this DVD to someone on another site I review for who wanted it, and Im gonna stick with the original theatrical release because even though it possesses that weak mono track, the cut of the film is just so much better than with all that comic book animation added to it.

3-LockBox
11-06-2005, 01:22 PM
My mains are 1988 Polk Audio SDA CRS+ (I'm sure you know what SDA means) The CRS stands for compact reference system, w/ two forward firing 6.5" drivers, a tweeter, and a 10" PR on the back of the cabinet, as to allow placement on a stand or even shelf, provided its a large shelf (though I'd prolly never do that). Lots o' bass from these guys.

I used to have an Onkyo reciever (don't remember the series) that I purchased the same day I got my Polks; there really seems to be some sort of synergy between Onkyo gear and Polk speakers, to my ears anyway.

Lexmark3200
11-07-2005, 12:15 PM
"there really seems to be some sort of synergy between Onkyo gear and Polk speakers, to my ears anyway."

Indeed.