Warriors, The | 4K UHD

In 1979 Walter Hill kicked off one of the greatest directorial runs in cinema history with the release of his debut film, The Warriors. Capitalizing on the slowly coalescing popularity of exploitation cinema over the past decade, Hill combined punk sensibility with growing urban crime fears to craft an unforgettable style piece.

For decades, however, the film languished as a hard to find cult title in its original form. Distributed on VHS and laserdisc, the theatrical cut had only a brief DVD run before going out of print. In its place, Hill’s ‘Director’s Cut’ became the principal version that viewers could find on home media and streaming platforms. An especially big tragedy considering all the tinkering Hill had done to add CGI comic book graphic intertitles to give the movie a Spartan/300 story framing.

Thankfully, recent blu-ray and 4K releases have restored the film to its original theatrical run glory. Skip the director’s cut, it’s terrible. The only real way to enjoy the Warriors is with the version fans first got to know and love.

Special Features (via arrowvideo.com)

• 4K remaster of the Theatrical Cut from the original camera negative supervised by Arrow Films and approved by director Walter Hill
• 4K Ultra HD (2160p) Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
• Original uncompressed mono, plus stereo 2.0 and Dolby Atmos audio options
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Audio commentary by film critic Walter Chaw, author of A Walter Hill Film
• War Stories, an interview with director Walter Hill
• Whole Lotta Magic, a roundtable discussion in which filmmakers Josh Olson (A History of Violence), Lexi Alexander (Green Street Hooligans), and Robert D. Krzykowski (The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot) discuss their love of The Warriors and the work of director Walter Hill
• Battling Boundaries, an interview with editor Billy Weber
• Gang Style, an interview with costume designer Bobbie Mannix
• Armies of the Night, a look at costume designs and photographs from the archive of designer Bobbie Mannix
• Sound of the Streets, an appreciation of composer Barry De Vorzon and the music of The Warriors by film historian Neil Brand
• Isolated score option
• Come Out to Play, a look at the iconic locations of the Warriors' Coney Island home turf
• The Beginning, an archival extra looking back on how The Warriors came to be, featuring interviews with producer Lawrence Gordon, actor James Remar, editor David Holden, and writer/director Walter Hill
• Battleground, an archival extra in which director Walter Hill and assistant director David O. Sosna look back at the difficulties of shooting on location in New York City
• The Way Home, an archival extra focusing on the look of film with contributions from director of photography Andrew Laszlo
• The Phenomenon, an archival extra featuring director Walter Hill and the cast of The Warriors
• Theatrical trailer
• Image gallery
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Laurie Greasley