busker

WARRIOR REMAKE

A delightful evening revisiting Walter Hill's breakthrough and inimitable Warriors (1979), the remake of which fills me with gloom.

It was unusual on so many fronts, all of which will no doubt be brought out by the devoted when the new version hits the streets.

• Michel Beck (Swan) at the peak of hunkiness and his arrow nose like the prow of man-o-war.
• And props galore to Bobbie Mannix' costumes - no wonder Deborah van Valkenburgh's Mercy wanted the leather weskit off Beck's buff bod.
• Dept of where are theyhow? Whatever happened to James Remar, whose Ajaz fleshed out the action? Whither the superb villainy of David P Kelly's Luther?

Certain to be camped up and ruined in the next version is the scene with the Prom couples in the subway:

The remaining bloodied Warriors and camp-followette Debbie van V have made it onto the subway and are trundling the last few stations back to home turf of Coney Island. Enter two prom couples, dressed in finery and exchanging confident giggles as only we born to the silver coke spoon can pull off. Swan and Mercy watch them until the couples realise they're being observed and gaze uneasily back. The camera tracks down van Valkenburgh's muddy dress and sooty legs to her cheap sandals. She raises a hand to brush her tangled raven locks straight. In a silent eloquent gesture, without a sideways glance, Swan halts the movement as if to say, "Nothing about you that needs smartening."

OK - hands up the true devotee who can name all the gangs?

• The Gramercy Riffs
• The Rogues
• The Turnbull ACs
• The Orphans
• Those wonderful Baseball Furies
• The somewhat homely Lizzies
• And the cute and singularly UN-punkie Punks.