Cult classic action thriller The Warriors is the subject of an all-new book from FANGORIA's Michael Gingold and Chris Poggiali (These Fists Break Bricks, Temple of Schlock) that dissects the ultimate story of Walter Hill’s 1979 cultural phenomenon, and we've got an exclusive sneak peek within the pages.
Armies of the Night: The Warriors and its Legacy hits shelves on October 21 via 1984 Publishing, and traces the film's journey from Sol Yurick’s groundbreaking 1965 novel to a daring screenplay overhaul, through a chaotic production filled with real gang confrontations and the loss of a lead actor mid-shoot, and into the eye of a public firestorm.
Starring Michael Beck, James Remar, Deborah Van Valkenburgh, Marcelino Sánchez, David Patrick Kelly and David Harris, The Warriors follows a street gang who must escape from the Bronx back to their home turf on Coney Island after being framed for the murder of a respected gang leader. Following release in the winter of 1979, The Warriors incited a moral panic after reportedly being linked to acts of vandalism and even two murders. France even censored The Warriors for “incitement to violence”, cutting 10 minutes of footage to allow the film to pass under an X-rating.
This fascinating story is explored in more detail through Armies of the Night, which features exclusive interviews with cast and crew, extensive vintage reportage, and dozens of rare photos and promotional images.
Here's what Gingold and Poggiali have to say about their own experience with The Warriors:
“Back when we were kids, The Warriors was a movie with a dangerous rep: You would literally be taking your life in your hands if you went to see it […] Of course, that made us want to see it all the more, and once we both caught up with it on home video years later, we were surprised at how much fun it is, and not the ultraviolent horror show we’d been led to believe. We also became fascinated by how a film in which the violence is far more stylized than bloody created so much concern. Discovering the details of that story—and those of the tempestuous production that resulted in a one-of-a-kind cinematic experience—over the course of writing this book has been a revelation, and we're very excited to be ‘sending the word’ out to readers when Armies of the Night bops its way into a bookstore near you. Can you dig it?”
Gingold and Poggiali will also be signing copies of Armies of the Night at several screenings of The Warriors this summer and fall, including at the September 21 double feature 35mm screening of The Warriors and Switchblade Sisters at the Mahoning Drive-In (Lehighton, PA), and a special presentation of The Warriors at Nitehawk Cinema in Brooklyn (Prospect Park location) on October 21.
Check out the official cover art for Armies of the Night below by Hagcult (You’ve Got Red on You: How Shaun of the Dead Came to Life), and our exclusive first look at just some of the insights laying wait inside…
