Come out and Plaaaayyyyyyyy!

One of my favorite movies of all time is the Warriors (http://www.warriorsmovie.co.uk/). I first saw this movie on a third hand recopy of the original Beta version when I was 12 or so. At that time, I lived in the midwest and my only exposure to "The Big City" was an occasional trip into St. Louis to see the Cardinals play or take a ride up into the Gateway Arch (an entire blog entry in itself). I had never seen NYC except for movies and SNL, but I was hooked once I saw this movie. Remebmer, this was the late 70's, Kiss was the "Hottest band in the land", Kristy McNichol starred in Foxes, Dungeons and Dragons was considered an "underground" game and the Son of Sam was still on many peoples' minds. The Warriors captured everything that made NYC strange and exciting and enticing. It had gangs, girls, the NYC subway and guys in facepaint and roller skates. I must have watched that tape more than any other movie, including Behind the Green Door (yet another blog topic worth its weight in gold ). I was particularly enthralled with the Subway system. That below a city of so many people there was an underground world, dirty, dark, with things unknown lurking in the shadows always caught my interest. Rumors of mole people and C.H.U.D. and sewer alligators made the NYC subway system the one of the most intriguing places in the world to me. As the 70's became the 80's The Warriors kept lurking just behind the mainstream, much like those lost souls that I imagined living in the abandoned Subway system tunnels. A midnight showing at the local theatre where Rocky Horror Usually played, a reference on Twisted Sister's fourth album (you know, those 12" vynal disks that we used to listen to) and of course, reviewings on a bootleg VHS tape transferred from the original Beta. My favorite character in The Warriors, Luther, was played by David Patrick Kelly. He was the one who came up with the original idea of the "Warriors, come out and play" Mantra, including the clanking bottles. Kelly has appeared in many movies, including the original Crow, as T-Bird, leader of the gang that killed Brandon Lee's character. Check out http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0446314/ for a full list of the movies in which Kelly has appeared.

About three years ago, I moved to NYC to work and be with my girlfriend. I can remember the first time that I rode the subway. I just hopped on (my girl at work), new to the city and rode. Then I located the Subway Museum in Grand Central and found out that up until 9-11 you could actually take a tour of abandoned subway lines and tunnels. Imagine, being able walk on a guided tour through areas that had not been seen by the general public in ages. This was an adventure straight out of the fantasies of my youth. An adventure that would rant high on the To-do list for any red-blooded, D&D playing, RPG video game loving guy. (The first of course being overtaken by buxom twins who just happen to live next door and find themselves in need of a plumber, right in the middle of a failed shower, but I digress).

If things like this interest you (subways and the warriors, not the twins thing), check out the book by Jennifer Toth, "The Mole People: Life in the Tunnels Beneath New York City" (http://www.amazon.com/Mole-People-Life-Tunnels-Beneath/dp/155652241X/sr=8-1/qid=1168479355/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-6307262-2887230?ie=UTF8&s=books). Though much of the book is gleened from dubious sources and events, this book will re-ignite yoru interst in all thngs dark, dank and subterraenian. There are also several good movies on the subject, including "In Search of the Mole People" (http://www.amazon.com/Search-Mole-People-Kenny-Chery/dp/B000050933/sr=8-3/qid=1168479574/ref=pd_bbs_3/002-6307262-2887230?ie=UTF8&s=video) and "Dark Days" (http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Days/dp/B00005NSY6/ref=pd_bxgy_v_img_b/002-6307262-2887230). Also, Check out this website on abandoned subway stations in NYC, for a more historical and less theatrical look at NYC's underground rail systems. It has some pretty cool pics. (http://www.nycsubway.org/abandsta.html).

And finally, while visiting Coney Island (home to the fictitional Warriors), I came across the mural below. Can you dig it?