1990: The Bronx Warriors (1982)

"The Bronx is no man's land, where the worst things happen by themselves." - Trash

Vicious gangs wage war in the ruined future of New York.
Starring: Mark Gregory, Vic Morrow, Stefania Girolami, Fred Williamson, Joshua Sinclair

Link to IMDB

Trash

In the near future of 1990, the crime in the Bronx has become so intense that the authorities have given up trying to control it, and the entire district has been abandoned as a war zone for vicious street gangs to fight over.

Oddly enough, we see a young wealthy lady sneaking her way into the Bronx; she's the daughter of the president at the Manhattan Corporation but she's sick of her suffocating rich life. Her name is Ann and she's soon assaulted by thugs, but Trash comes to her rescue.

Trash is the leader of the motorcycle gang called The Riders, and while some gangs are full of mindless killers, the Riders and the Tigers are more concerned with just surviving. These two gangs have a fragile peace treaty between them, and Trash meets with the Tiger's leader, Ogre, to discuss the threat of undercover police infiltrating the gangs. Tensions and paranoia are high, with the threat of violence everywhere.

"Hold me, Trash." - Ann

It seems like the gangs have reason to worry, because the Mahnattan Corporation have sent in a soldier to find Ann and bring her home. This man is Hammer, a cold-blooded officer that is trained to kill anyone in his way.
Gunfights, chases and intrigue are delivered, as Hammer maneuvers the gangs against each other. With help from a mysterious man named Hot Dog, Hammer even has ways to gain the trust of Trash's right hand man, Ice. (These nicknames are just awesome.)

When Ann gets kidnapped by the crazy Vampire gang, Trash is unsure of who he can trust. He goes to Ogre for one last attempt at peace so he can rescue Ann, but they have bigger problems coming as an entire army of police are preparing to launch an assault on the Bronx.

Ann                                               Ice                                               Ogre                                                  Hammer

The plot is both simple and yet dense at the same time, because there are many characters in motion. Trash might be the hero but it's really an ensemble story, not told from any one perspective. Some things are a bit sloppy, but it always remains interesting and fun. As the intensity slowly builds, the violence and action gets more and more prevalent, and the showdown with the police leads to a rather shocking finale.

"I don't care about anything. I believe in nothing. I'm Hammer, the exterminator!" - Hammer

Police attack !

It's shamelessly ripping-off aspects of The Warriors and Escape from New York, but that's often what Italian exploitation does best. The mix of gritty atmosphere with psychedelic music showcases just how much style and creativity is here to keep it fresh amongst all the chaos.
It may not be a great movie, but damn, it is a very satisfying one.

Be sure not to miss:
- The drummer. The scene just happens around him and he provides the music. It's so random.
- George Eastman is the leader of the Vampire gang.
- "You got your grey matter in your butt."
- Spreading those ashes in the river didn't quite go as planned. Too windy!

Internet review:
"Could you ever go back to watching mainstream movies after laying your eyes on the magnitude of The Bronx Warriors? No, I don't think so." - Renman

Should I watch it?
Yes. I enjoyed it so much, I immediately watched the sequel.

Where can I find it?
Here on YouTube.

The Bronx Warriors get...