A couple fellow Wanderers have incited the short-fused wrath of the Fordham Baldies, a rival gang made up of imposing leather jacketed bald guys, lead by the massive and solid Terror. Outside on the streets, trouble is brewing. The fella is wearing a burnt yellow and marinara orange windbreaker, complete with a collar and a stitched custom logo on the back: “ The Wanderers! ” It’s the first of many such jackets that are worn by the ensemble cast members of the titular Italian gang. They’re in the throes of passion, garters and rumpled nylons adorning the busy legs of Despie (Toni Kalem). It’s being wholly ignored by the couple on the couch, adorned in the cathode glow, among other glows. So no, it’s not “a sweet look back at a bygone era.” It is, however, “The Bronx, ’63.” The film opens with the sounds of The Three Stooges (in space!) on a small, black and white television. Never mind that the course language depicted is merely a version of street reality and the misogyny is unfortunately nothing unique to this particularly red-blooded male microcosm there were of course those whom couldn’t stomach The Wanderers at the time. Perhaps the realistic edge of unrelenting course language, moral dubiousness and typical young male misogyny proved to be too much of a cold splash of water to the still-warm glow of American Graffiti (1973), and so much of what followed. What we’ve got here is a very solid, very sure-handed rendition of a time and place made truly palpable.Įven in the 1970’s heyday of 1950’s nostalgia, The Wanderers (based upon the novel by Richard Price, referred to by Kaufman as “the Bronx Mark Twain”) couldn’t catch a break. Having only played a handful of screens in ’79, this recent run, as humble as it was, nonetheless greatly increased The Wanderers total screen count. Several months ago, it even got a theatrical (re?)release on the college/art house circuit. At least, not until now.Īfter decades of languishing in cinema obscurity from the outset, Kino Lorber has, at long last, delivered this coming-of-age early 1960’s (essentially still the late ’50’s) Jersey ensemble to the masses. Filmmaker Philip Kaufman’s 1979 rough n’ tumble nostalgia opus The Wanderers was most certainly never chosen. Wandering in the wilderness for nearly forty years is a rough go, whether you’re chosen people or not. The Discs go Around Around Around Around Around Around…
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