On Aug. 24 the "Movies With a View"
outdoor film series in DUMBO concludes with a screening of Walter
Hill’s cult classic, "The Warriors." The 1979 flick,
shot on location throughout New York City, features a Coney Island
gang, falsely accused of a killing, that must flee from the Bronx
to its home turf while being pursued by vengeance-seeking thugs.
The film stars Michael Beck as a Warrior and Deborah Van Valkenburgh,
as Mercy of the Orphans gang (pictured).
The film is as controversial today as it was on its opening weekend.
This summer, Roger Hill, who plays the slain gang warlord Cyrus,
filed suit against the makers of the wildly successful videogame
inspired by the film, demanding cash and a court order barring
use of his likeness.
At the time of its release, "The Warriors" was accused
of inciting violence, and a manager of an Ohio theater complained
to Boxoffice magazine that they film was attracting "unusual"
patrons, including "motorcycle gangs."
"The Warriors" screening begins at sundown at Empire-Fulton
Ferry State Park (Water and New Dock streets in DUMBO). Admission
is free. For more information, including rain dates, call the
Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy at (718) 802-0603.
