Description

Tully High School seniors Richie, Joey and Perry run with a gang called the Wanderers in the Bronx. The time is fall 1963 but their experiences are universal: falling in love, surviving in school and defending turf against rivals like the Fordham Baldies, the Del Bombers and the Ducky Boys. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

The original Boys from the Bronx........
"The Wanderers" is a class act and a stylish movie that has a brassy toughness to it that is both infectious and moving. It was probably overshadowed on it's release by the other gang movie of 1979 "The Warriors", but "The Wanderers" easily holds an equal footing as an excellent period piece of working class lives in 1963. The film centres around the lives of a gang of young boys in the Bronx in mid 1963 coming to terms with friendships, school, girls and other gangs. Ken Wahl ( a promising actor who for some reason never quite made it to the big time !! ) plays a great lead as the smooth talking and charismatic, Richie, the leader of the Wanderers. Richie is struggling to maintain his gangs strength and position in the local neighbourhood as well as juggling his many relationships with different girlfriends. He meets a young and attractive Karen Allen whilst out on the streets with his buddies, and from there another relationship develops. Allen plays her role with style, and even though Allen is not a great beauty, she has that unmistakable feminine charm, especially when that wonderful smile lights up her face.

What makes the movie all the more interesting is the way it goes behind the scenes into the home lives and the hopes, fears and dreams of some of the gang members. We see Joey's artistic talents put down by his fearsome, aggressive father...we see Turkey struggle with his own identity within the different gangs...and we see Richie forced to take responsibility for his actions near the film's conclusion. Backing the movie up, is a dynamite soundtrack containing some top numbers including "Stand by Me", "Runaraound Sue", "Soldier Boy" & of course "The Wanderer" !!

A movie that has charm & talent, and stands up to repeated viewings with ease...if you haven't seen it already....catch up with "The Wanderers" soon !!

LEAVE THE KID ALONE....and let him watch this movie!
These were the OLDEST''TEENAGERS''since the Sweathogs!I mean,not one looked at least 18.That said,this is a wanderfull movie.The music,the acting,the chemistry,the atmosphere,everything worked.it had drama,comedy,horror(enter Ducky's Boys),action,and a love story(even though Terror's a lil too old for her!)The plot is basic gang rivalry set in the age of the do wop.We are introduced to the core members of a local gang,the Wanderers.Not a drug dealing,neighborhood wrecking gang.But the loveable,wiseguys you find bowling and hanging out.Tension mounts between rival gang the Del Bombers and the battle is set.Calmer heads prevail and the fight turns into a football game,which turns into a bonding inspired fight.There are subplots;1 Wanderer stealing anothers girlfriend,1 Wanderer becoming a traitor,the home lives of 2 Wanderers,to keep the pacing just right.I am glad to see this on DVD.Too bad theres no extras.Anyway,theres no question youll enjoy this movie,but would you ever mess with the Wongs?

a era we all wanted to live
I seen this movie at the theatre when it was released,
because it starred a guy i went to high school with
ken wahl.

this historical aspect on what gang life may have been like
in 1963, sorta a serious west side storey.

i also boight the soundtrack album and now have it
on cd as well.

good movie for a saturday afternoon

A VERY ENJOYABLE FILM.
"The Wanderers" is the kind of movie that you don't expect a lot from it before you watch it, but after the movie is over, you feel that seeing this film was the right choice, because it's incredibly amusing. In fact, "The Wanderers" is one of the few films that can make that the audience cares and feels interested for the life of the teenagers portrayed in the movie, "The Warriors", "West Side Story" and "American Graffiti" are some films that have that quality too.

All the characters in "The Wanderers" are very human and believable, some performances are slightly better than others, but overall all the cast is uniformly well in their roles. Definitely "The Wanderers" is a very recommendable movie, the characters, the situations and the script (based in a Richard Price's book) are very good. This is an enjoyable movie from beginning to end.

THOSE GUYS LOOK LIKE A BUNCH OF PRICKS WITH EARS
this has got to be one of the greatest gang movies ever made along with The Warriors. the best part of the movie is the big fight at the end in the football field. Joey's dad was kickin some major A** ! I like how all the gangs got together in the end to help each other out. Goes to show that in the end besides our differences, were all just a bunch of squirrels trying to get a nut. the soundtrack for this movie is off the hook too ! ... Read more

Reviews (16)

"Must have item!"
I've seen "Grease"and "Xanado"with Olivia Newton-John,and why they don't produce the movie "Two of a kind"(v.h.s.video)is beyond me!Olivia's hit song "Twist of fate"is the trademark of this movie,and a legendary super classic of the early '80's. For collectors,this is a must have item! Farewell,"Koala Blue"!

Have to have an open mind about it
Well, I admit, hearing Olivia Newton-John swear for the first time made me uncomfortable, but aside from that, the movie was not terrible. Olivia is really a great actress! She and John Travolta really did well together in this film. This movie really has a great soundtrack, too.

Fantastic!!!
Oh my God! What was up with most people in the eighties? How could this have been a flop movie? And Xanadu!? I think this is a really good movie, i have had it not even a day, and i have watched it 5 and a half times and know most of the words! I love Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta together, i think they are brilliant, they work so well together. I reccomend this to any Olivia fan (and probably 2 john fans too!). It is funny, frightening (maybe not to grown ups but it was for me!), happy, sad, and Brando the cat is so cute!! (olivia's cat in the movie!) I laughed, cried (i hate seeing olivia cry!) and i hid behind the cushion! A great movie! OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN IS AMAZING!!!!!!!

Two of a Kind.......avoid at all costs!!
Ok it was great to see the two main stars reunited, and i was very excited to learn this. But when i saw this movie in the theatre in 1983 i was very dissapointed indeed. This movie lacks everything a movie needs: good direction, good acting and a decent plot. The only thing that saves this low budget little flick is its tacky soundtrack of one hit wonders that made it in the charts for only a brief period of time.Unless you are die hard John Travolta and/or Olivia Newton-John fans then you must avoid this at all costs!!!!!!! Its simply terrible!!

Lucinda

EXCELLENT
What I thought about this movie was that it was funny and romantic. The storyline could have had been a bit better without using angels and God and using something else but,except for that, the movie was great. It is nice to see the amazing actor John Travolta and wonderful singer Olivia Newton-John do another movie together. This is what I think. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Memorably funny movie
I thought this movie was hilarious. I love the guy w/ the dolls: "Hey girls, brought you a new little sister. She's a little different, let's try to get along." Of course, offbeat dark humor is my thing.

Unpublicised Pulp Fiction
I read the reviews on [this site] and was surprised they were mixed. "American Strays" is only for offbeat viewers who have experienced the wierd side of life along with David Lynch and Robert Rodriguez. Don't take it serious but as an everyday dry humor flick. The bungling frustration of Eric Roberts and pseudo naievity of Jennifer Tilly make this a GREAT film for those who take life very lightly. I liked it enough to make the purchase.

One of best jokes ever...
The vacuum cleaner storyline in this movie is worth the watch (five star)-- the rest is filler (one star) for an over all great late night three star cult movie look-see. In the "weird people in the desert movie" category Jennifer Tilly deserved an Oscar for her performance. And with respect to the vacuum cleaner story don't doze off toward the end-- you'll miss one of the best cinematographic punchlines I've ever seen in a movie. If only Harry Dean Stanton, or Dennis Hopper had had roles then this movie would have been perfect. The violence is not for the weak of heart, or for kids.

In the same class as Pulp Fiction...great.
This is a really terrific movie.It's somewhat of a sleeper having never really gained the respect it deserves.It is a multi layered ultimately 'Good News' story with subtle humour and great acting performances.I think for sure someone should have been nominated for academy award for this 'underground cult classic'. It sure beats the likes of Jerry Maguire and American Beauty. I enjoyed this movie more than any other.My tastes run to LA Confidential..Pulp Fiction...Red Rock West..Cat Ballou..Clint Eastwood... Cameron Diaz...so if you enjoy any of those... you'll love American Strays.

One thing good
only highlight of this movie was jennifer tilly. it wasnt for her acting either. she is hot and thats about all this movie has going for it. dont waste your time. movie gets a 1 and tilly gets a 3. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Memorably funny movie
I thought this movie was hilarious. I love the guy w/ the dolls: "Hey girls, brought you a new little sister. She's a little different, let's try to get along." Of course, offbeat dark humor is my thing.

Unpublicised Pulp Fiction
I read the reviews on [this site] and was surprised they were mixed. "American Strays" is only for offbeat viewers who have experienced the wierd side of life along with David Lynch and Robert Rodriguez. Don't take it serious but as an everyday dry humor flick. The bungling frustration of Eric Roberts and pseudo naievity of Jennifer Tilly make this a GREAT film for those who take life very lightly. I liked it enough to make the purchase.

One of best jokes ever...
The vacuum cleaner storyline in this movie is worth the watch (five star)-- the rest is filler (one star) for an over all great late night three star cult movie look-see. In the "weird people in the desert movie" category Jennifer Tilly deserved an Oscar for her performance. And with respect to the vacuum cleaner story don't doze off toward the end-- you'll miss one of the best cinematographic punchlines I've ever seen in a movie. If only Harry Dean Stanton, or Dennis Hopper had had roles then this movie would have been perfect. The violence is not for the weak of heart, or for kids.

In the same class as Pulp Fiction...great.
This is a really terrific movie.It's somewhat of a sleeper having never really gained the respect it deserves.It is a multi layered ultimately 'Good News' story with subtle humour and great acting performances.I think for sure someone should have been nominated for academy award for this 'underground cult classic'. It sure beats the likes of Jerry Maguire and American Beauty. I enjoyed this movie more than any other.My tastes run to LA Confidential..Pulp Fiction...Red Rock West..Cat Ballou..Clint Eastwood... Cameron Diaz...so if you enjoy any of those... you'll love American Strays.

One thing good
only highlight of this movie was jennifer tilly. it wasnt for her acting either. she is hot and thats about all this movie has going for it. dont waste your time. movie gets a 1 and tilly gets a 3. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Better than its reputation
This sixties time-warped retro kind of "power to the people" nineties flick is mostly a procession of set pieces, some of which are not bad. The bit at the gun store with Billy Bob Thornton was superb. The crack philosophers scene was also very good. And the way "What's So Funny 'Bout Peace, Love and Understanding?" was sung so badly was just perfectola. (Actually that's "What's So Bad about Peace, Love and Understanding?" but whatever...) And the way that big silver fish popped those gold fish...gulp!

I think some of the negative comments about this movie ought to be greeted with a "Whoa, dudes--get a sense of humor." Or, "Don't be offended, man, it's only a movie." Or maybe, "Uh, the soundtrack is awesome, dude." (Oh, god, people really did talk like that!) The dream sequences fooled me at least twice. They were funny. Funniest line: when the trash lady pulls her rifle out of her cart and says "Vive la Revolution!" Second funniest line: "What kind of music do you want to hear?" "The farm report."

Okay, this was no masterpiece, and any episodic movie sans plot is not going to rival The Godfather at IMDb. And James LeGros ain't no Marlon Brando. And if you've ever been to Venice Beach...well, you know it's a freak show. But I think director and screen writer Peter McCarthy did a nice job of bringing that slacker street scene to life. I think the big mistake was to headline actors like Steve Buscemi, John Cusack, Ethan Hawke, and Billy Bob Thornton when they only had cameos. That should have been made clear up front. And there was more than a touch of the kind of sixties moral pretension that we've all grown a little tired of. But bottom line for me, this was a funny movie.

One of my personal favorities.
This movie has everything: salient social commentary, great acting and character development, a captivating and touching story line, timely humor, cameos (Billy Bob Thornton, John Cusack, Kim Wayans, Steve Buschemi, Ethan Hawke, and others), and most importantly it deals with the human soul and the complexities of navigating your way through the hardships of the modern world in which we live. I stumbled across this flick while watching the IFC back in 97'. Since then, I've seen this film at least 10 times, and each time its has helped me to clear my head and put things in perspective. Everyone I've ever shared this brilliant picture with has been truly touched by it. If your in search of meaning in the world, yourself, or truth, this movie is for you. "What's so funny bout Peace, Love, and Understanding"

Independant Masterpiece
James LeGros is by far one of the most underrated actors of all time. He plays John Boyz, a man trying to figure out the meaning of life. It has great cameos, wonderful narrarations, and terrific acting. If you like movies about searching for the truth, this is for you.

Flounders for 90 minutes
I thought this flick would be good because Ethan Hawke, John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton, and Steve Buscemi are listed as "starring" in it, but they only have cameos! James Le Gros was great in "Drugstore Cowboy", but he doesn't have the appeal or charisma to pull off the lead role in this miserable excuse for a movie. He goes on and on about the L.A. riots, his search to find himself, spirituality, etc. Who cares? Not me, and hopefully no one else either.

Oh...this one is really bad!
A movie made during the peak of the indie film revolution tries so hard to be smart and thought provoking. However, the only thought it provokes is "How did this film get made?" It is filled with cameo performances that simply use up screen time with really nothing to say. One of the cameo's is an emabarrasing display of overacting by Ethan Hawke that was so overdone it surprised me. The film itself suffers from having no idea where it wants to go...Maybe this was the intent of the director and for it's lead character. But, it just doesn't work. This was a film trying too many techniques on how to look and be hip...like the indie crowd..tsk tsk. Sorry. it doesn't work at all. This film is pure trash. Don't waste your time. ... Read more