Les Guerriers de la Galaxie est un film policier de 1979, inspiré du roman éponyme de Sol Yurick, lui-même inspiré du roman grec antique Anabase. Accusé d’avoir tué un important chef de gang, un gang new-yorkais doit se battre et parcourir 48 kilomètres derrière les lignes ennemies, du Bronx jusqu’à son fief de Coney Island. Le film est devenu un classique aujourd’hui, donnant naissance à des séries de bandes dessinées, des remakes, des jeux vidéo et bien plus encore.
Le film s’en prend au disco
Paramount Pictures
Dans une scène, un groupe de jeunes, visiblement en route pour ou en quittant une discothèque, se retrouve dans le même wagon que Swan, Mercy et quelques autres Guerriers. Les jeunes descendent du train suivant, dégoûtés, après avoir remarqué les blessures des Guerriers.
Cela peut être vu comme une attaque contre le disco puisque le réalisateur Walter Hill était en colère parce que Paramount Pictures voulait que le film ressemble à Saturday Night Fever.PUBLICITÉ
Les guerriers n’étaient pas le gang principal du roman
Paramount Pictures
Dans le roman de Sol Yurick, le nom du gang principal n’était pas Les Guerriers, mais plutôt Les Dominateurs.
Cependant, dans le livre comme dans le film, les guerriers venaient de Coney Island.PUBLICITÉ
Utiliser de vrais membres de gangs comme figurants
Paramount Pictures
Au début du film, il y a un rassemblement des différents gangs de New York dans le parc Van Cortlandt du Bronx.
Pour rendre possible ce rassemblement de tant de « gangsters », les cinéastes ont demandé à de vrais gangs de jouer la figurante, ce qui a donné à la scène un aspect bien trop réel.PUBLICITÉ
Les idées de Walter Hill ont été abandonnées
Paramount Pictures
Au départ, le réalisateur Walter Hill avait prévu que le gang des Warriors soit entièrement composé d’Afro-Américains, mais les producteurs ont estimé que le fait d’avoir un gang entièrement noir donnerait une image négative de la communauté afro-américaine.
Hill souhaitait également ajouter un sous-titre au début du film, « Dans un futur proche », afin que le film semble se dérouler dans un futur dystopique. Paramount lui a une fois de plus refusé le projet.PUBLICITÉ
Le film présente des similitudes avec un western
Paramount Pictures
Le concept de gangs ou de « groupes » s’affrontant est un classique du western. Au lieu de se dérouler devant un saloon, Warriors se déroule dans les rues de New York.
La scène sur la plage est également filmée dans un style western de très haute intensité.PUBLICITÉ
Ce n’est pas aussi violent que certains films modernes
Paramount Pictures
The Warriors really isn’t all that violent. Although the film is rated R, this is most likely due to its language and adult content rather than the actual violence shown.
In total, only three people die in the film.
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Vermin Was Supposed To Die
Paramount Pictures
Initially, Vermin, who was played by Terry Michos, was supposed to be killed by the all-female gang, the Lizzies.
However, Michos wanted to take a more comical approach so that his character would be more memorable. Because of this, Vermin survived.
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Deborah Van Valkenburg’s Hidden Injury
Paramount Pictures
In the film, Deborah Van Valkenburgh plays the tough-as-nails Mercy. You may notice that when she first appears in the movie, she’s dressed in minimal clothing, yet later, she’s wearing a long-sleeved jacket.
Director Walter Hill explained that Valkenburgh had broken her wrist during filming, and they had to hide it.
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They Hired Real Gangs For More Than Just Extras
Paramount Pictures
On a few occasions, while shooting in dangerous areas of New York City, the actors found themselves being taunted by gang members. The team hired a real-life gang leader to come on as the filmmaker’s “gang advisor.”
He helped teach them which gangs belonged to which neighborhoods, which areas to stay away from, which ones to look out for, and the relatively friendly ones.
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Fox Was Played By Two Different Actors
Paramount Pictures
After Thomas G. Waites was fired for his disruptive behavior on set, the filmmakers had to find a new Fox. All they needed was someone they could pass off as the character until they could kill him off.
They found a body double for his character, who covered his face as much as possible.
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Fox Was Supposed To Be With Mercy, Not Swan
Paramount Pictures
In the original script, Fox was supposed to be the one smitten with Mercy, yet the two actors had no chemistry.
As well, Waites, who played Fox, was fired just eight weeks into principal photography for butting heads with Walter Hill. His name is not found on the credits because he demanded that it be removed.
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They Raced To Beat The Film The Wanderers
Warner Bros.
While filming The Warriors,there was another “rival” gang film in the works called The Wanderers. The production teams raced to be the first ones to release their film and have more success at the box office.
The Warriors had three editing teams in three different rooms working around the clock until the film was finished. This turned out to work, as The Warriors debuted first.
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This Famous Line Was Improvised
Paramount Pictures
The line when Luther, played by David Patrick Kelley, says “Warriors, come out to play!” while clinking bottles together was totally improvised.
Kelley says that he based that line on what an old neighbor used to chant at him when he was a kid.
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Sol Yurick Wasn’t Very Happy With The Film’s Outcome
Paramount Pictures
After reading Yurick’s novel, Walter Hill knew that he wanted to make the film somewhat different from the novel. He said, “I felt very strongly that it certainly was not a very realistic book, and I wanted to make it even less […] I wanted to take it into a fantasy element, but at the same time add some contemporary flash.”
Yurick’s novel was much darker than the film turned out to be, and he felt his work had been misrepresented.
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The Baseball Furies Are A Reference To A Real Gang
Paramount Pictures
The Baseball Furies were based on a real gang from the 1970s known as Second Base.
Instead of the painted faces and baseball uniforms, they wore Letterman jackets that said “Second Base” on the back.
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The Film Led To Violence
Paramount Pictures
Both before and after the movie was first released, there were several instances of violence that occurred. In the hopes of decreasing the violence and aggression, producers halted their advertising campaign and changed the poster.
However, the violence still escalated, with two people killed in shootings. Paramount Pictures gave theaters the option to not play the film, claiming that they wouldn’t press charges if a theater didn’t want to take the risk of showing the film.
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Walter Hill Discovered Michael Beck On Accident
Paramount Pictures
Michael Beck, who plays Swan, was discovered when Walter Hill watched Madman, in which Beck co-starred with Sigourney Weaver.
Hill was blown away by Beck’s work in the film and it didn’t take long until Beck was officially cast in The Warriors.
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Tony Scott Almost Did A Remake
M. Caulfield/WireImage via Getty Images
At one point, word got out that Tony Scott was going to do a remake of the popular film. You know, the director behind Top Gun, True Romance and Deja Vu.
Unfortunately, the film would never come to fruition as Scott passed away.
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Actor Irwin Keyes Arrests The Character He Was Going To Play
Paramount Pictures
Originally, the character Ajax was written to be a muscular and rather threatening character. Walter Hill claimed that Irwin Keyes was too old to play the character, and the job went to James Remar instead.
However, Keyes was given a consolation role as the NYC police officer who hits Ajax with his baton during the sting operation in the park.
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The Role Of Cyrus Was Supposed To Go To A Real Gang Leader
Paramount Pictures
The role of Cyrus was originally going to be played by a real NYC gang leader who auditioned for and got the part.
Days before shooting, he disappeared and was never seen or heard from again. The part was then filled by an unknown NYC theater actor named Roger Hill.
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Love For Kiss
Photo Credit: movienutt / MovieStillsDB
The Furies have essentially become pop-culture icons since the release of The Warriors.
Walter Hill wanted to fuse together his love for baseball and the make-up of his favorite rock stars, KISS, and this inspired the Furies’ look.