Play Time

If the gangs that plagued New York in the 1970s looked and acted like the ones in Walter Hill's 1979 film masterpiece, The Warriors, it's possible that there wouldn't be any gangs around today. They were easy to spot with each gang sporting its own "unique" look. The Baseball Furies, with their mime makeup and Yankees uniforms, are so ridiculous that it puts this film deep into the realm of fantasy. Hill, however, manages to take these buffoonish gangs and—through the magic of cinema—make them extremely creepy. Wrongfully blamed for the murder of God-like gang leader Cyrus, who promises to unite all gangs in New York and "take over the city," the Warriors run like hell, encountering rival gangs, police and myriad obstacles along the way. The entire film takes place at night (except for the bleak ending on an unflattering beach at Coney Island), and the grimy streets, dark tunnels and filthy subway cars provide a perfect setting for the Homeric odyssey that our protagonists endure just to return to a home turf that they aren't even sure they want to revisit. The Warriors is a dark, suspenseful and atmospheric trip through the underground of a New York long since wiped clean by gentrification and Disney. Come out and play-ay at Landmark's Inwood Theatre, 5458 W. Lovers Lane, midnight Friday and Saturday. Call 214-764-9106 or visit landmarktheatres.com.
Sat., July 7, midnight; Sun., July 8, midnight