the warriors: utlimate director's cut

ToyMan · August 22, 2008, 01:32:18 PM

has anyone else seen this garbage? the director, walter hill, decided to add a bunch of superfluous comic-book-style cutscenes!

i bought this when i found it in the bargain bin at borders, so it only cost me $7.99, but had i know that the film was so heavily altered, i would have just searched out the out of print edition that came out in 2001.

Rev. Powell · August 22, 2008, 04:05:10 PM

This was the version I watched. The comic-book scenes were indeed unnecessary and distracting. I believe he also added a prologue explaining that the story was based on the "Anabasis", which also added nothing, and in fact seemed pretentious and out of place.

Not every cut that the producers make is a bad idea that undercuts the director's vision. Sometimes it's an improvement. I here the director's cut of DONNIE DARKO is much weaker than the product that was released to theaters.

Torgo · August 22, 2008, 04:14:04 PM

Quote from: Rev. Powell on August 22, 2008, 04:05:10 PM
I here the director's cut of DONNIE DARKO is much weaker than the product that was released to theaters.

The director's cut of Donnie Darko is a case in which a director somehow manages to completely miss the point of his own movie. The theatrical cut is far superior.

Just like the theatrical cut of The Warriors is far superior to the more recent "director's cut".

The Burgomaster · August 22, 2008, 05:52:56 PM

I'm glad to see this topic. I have the theatrical version of THE WARRIORS on DVD and considered buying the director's cut when it came out. Then I read about the comic book angle and couldn't visualize how this would work. So I've had the director's cut on my "future purchases" list for awhile, unsure as to whether I really wanted to spend the money on it. Based on the comments here, it doesn't even sound like it's worth the bargain bin price.

ToyMan · August 22, 2008, 05:58:45 PM

if i recall properly, it does have a decent crew of featurettes, so if you wanted to buy it and regard it much like one might a second "extras" disc, i could see that making sense.

dean · August 24, 2008, 01:40:58 AM

I have the ultimate director's cut and there really isn't much difference other than what Toyman said above. They don't really take away or add anything and from memory there's no extra scenes or anything, just bits of comic here and there.

It has featurette's on the movie itself which are pretty interesting, but overall it's not really that big a deal. This is one case of a Director's Cut not really adding or taking away at all.

Since I didn't have a 'legit' copy of the movie, the ultimate cut was good and it was cheap here so that's always a bonus.

I enjoyed the Donnie Darko DC just because they added a few scenes. The 'cuts' of the book about time travel etc weren't really necessary but served an actual purpose to explain parts of what happened, unlike the Warriors DC which didn't really add anything.

One thing I suggest highly is to get The Warriors video game, which is a fantastic game from the same production company that made Grand Theft Auto. Not only does it add much more back story in a very convincing, practical and interesting way, it also gives us more contact with gangs we only vaguely see in the movie, like the guys with the Top Hats etc.

Go get it if you can! I have it on PS2

ToyMan · August 24, 2008, 11:01:32 AM

well, the worst thing about the comic cut scenes in the director's cut is that it totally ruins the appearance of the furies. like, you see a freeze-frame of them in comic-style, as opposed to them just popping up on screen like they do in the original. that sort of makes their appearance fall flat.

soylentgreen · August 24, 2008, 09:48:00 PM

As a lifelong fan of the film, I agree totally that Hill's directors cut is a disappointment. Maybe disappointment is not the right way to phrase it. It's more like I'm rather surprised that he really felt that the original release was lacking in any real way.

I also absolutely agree with the recommendation of the game. It was a surreal blast. They scored most of the original actor's voices and clearly had a totally sincere affection for the film. The chance to rumble with the gangs across the boroughs was incredible, especially as mentioned above, ones that were mostly relegated to the opening credits montage. Don't underestimate the danger of a gang of mimes.

I gotta mention one thing though. The game involves breaking into cars and stealing radios for cash, for which you have to roll the thumbstick round and round to unscrew all four screws to snatch 'em before being spotted by the pigs. I lost a PS2 controller to that game, but it was worth it.

Also, if you seriously dig the film, do yourself a favor and track down the novel. It had a reprint just a few years ago in which they used a movie image for the cover. It's got a fascinating new foreword by Sol Yorick in which he talks about coming up with the story, it's roots in Xenophon and Hill's film. Also, if you haven't read it already, be prepared for a much more vicious story awash with symbolism(Hello Milton!) in which the protagonists are not the rainbow coalition Warriors, but the all black Dominators from Coney. (Yorick considered the movie's ethnically diverse gang fairly preposterous.)

It's a great little read and a buzz to see what the film incorporates (a bit here and there) and passed up (sadly, alot!). For those interested, it appears Amazon doesn't even list it(!?!), but it can be gotten from the publisher, Grove Press Books.

Lastly, I know most of the folks around here are pretty net-saavy, but here's a most excellent website devoted to the film you may not have seen. WarriorsMovie.Co.Uk.

Can you dig it, brothers?

Allhallowsday · August 24, 2008, 11:24:36 PM

I like that movie, and it's apparently a lesson in not underestimating the Editor's job... comic book scenes...??

Torgo · August 25, 2008, 04:19:28 AM

There are some films where I felt that the director's cut was an improvement over the theatrical cut (i.e. Blade Runner, Daredevil, Kingdom of Heaven, Troy, Aliens, The Abyss, Hellboy, Robocop, The Wicker Man, Natural Born Killers, Dark City, King Arthur, Lord of the Rings trilogy).

But there have also been times in which the director's turned out to be the inferior version (Army of Darkness, The Last of the Mohicans, Donnie Darko, The Warriors, The Frighteners, Manhunter, Sling Blade, Terminator 2). Sometimes the director got it right the first time but doesn't seem to realize it.

brooky1969 · August 27, 2008, 10:53:57 PM

I didn't mind it so bad, the comic book stuff made for some pretty slick transitions. This was the first time I've seen it in ages though, and the extras were worth a see. Good rental. I like most of Walter Hill's movies.

I do agree about the prologue being a distraction though. That really seemed out of place.

"I'll shove that bat up your ass and turn you into a popsicle."