The third film from cult (I know, I'm getting sick of that word as well, but my other options - vogue? craze? veneration? - really don't do the idea of the word, in relation to film at least, justice) director, Walter Hill, The Warriors has a colourful history, spawning multiple spin-offs - most notably the 2005 video game of the same name, which people of a certain age will remember fondly as being an absolute riot, no pun intended - as well as much controversy. Concerning the titular Warriors, a street-group wrongly accused of murdering an enigmatic gang-leader, the film is plentiful in carnage, with 21 gangs featuring in all, most of whom are hunting The Warriors for the aforementioned crime they did not commit. After it was released in 1979, Paramount suspended their advertising campaign and told cinema owners they were no longer under obligation to the screen the picture when it transpired that violence (inc. three murders) and vandalism were becoming concurrent with viewers going to and from showings of the film. An early example of Hill's unique cinematic style, The Warriors overcame early negativity to become fairly well-regarded, a belief which has only increased over time. After two weeks of incident-free screenings, Paramount restored its ad campaign, and The Warriors was free to go on and acquire its now cult status as a consequence.
