Can You Dig it? Classic 'Warriors' Flick Gets Re-Cut

[j_shady]

The 1979 cult classic flick that inspired Craig Mack, Diddy, G-Dep and Eminem is getting the modern day remix in a video game and "The Warriors Ultimate Director's Cut" DVD.

With catchy sound bites like "Can you dig it?, and the memorable scene of a gang member clinking two bottles together while serenading, "come out and plaaaaaayyyyy," The Warriors movie has been sampled across hip-hop. Now, the story of the NYC gang that makes their way through hostile gang territories from Brooklyn to the Bronx is being re-cut with extras for the new generation.

The DVD will feature the original theatrical trailer, seven additional scenes and commentary from director Walter Hill on some of the incidents that threatened to derail the production. In one case, crew members were sent death threats because local gangs had not been cast and thousands of dollars in equipment were damaged when one gang tore through the set during a lunch break.

Piggybacking off The Warriors DVD re-release, Rockstar Games presents their Warriors game complete with all the original Warrior characters and rival gangs. The game is a "prequel" to the movie, allowing players to recruit new members to gain strength and then closely follow the film story.

Meanwhile, MTV Productions and Paramount Pictures are bringing The Warriors to the new generation. Unlike the original, the movie will be set in modern-day Los Angeles and will not include the original character names or gangs.

The Warriors phenomenon was co-opted by hip-hop culture as a classic, with various music videos and tracks making references. One of the most memorable comes from Diddy for Craig Mack's "Flavor in Your Ear" video, when he introduced his label with "Bad Boyyyyyyy, come out and playyyyyyyyy" and later in his video for G-Dep's "Special Delivery remix." Eminem and D12 used Warriors as the concept for their "Fight Music" video -- even going as far as filming it in Coney Island where the original movie was shoot.

"The Warriors Ultimate Director's Cut and video game hit stores this October. The MTV movie is currently in production and will be released in 2006.