The Wanderers

Fordham Baldies? Ducky Boys? Del Bombers? Welcome to the Bronx, circa 1963, where rival teen gangs with weird monikers square off in rumbles, testosterone-fueled boys play "tit tag" on the sidewalks, and seniors revel (unwittingly) in their final days of responsibility-less adolescence before real life--i.e., a job or military service--kicks in. Based on Richard Price's excellent debut novel of the same name, Philip Kaufman's (The Right Stuff) episodic 1979 slice-of-teen-life centers around the day-to-day lives of the Wanderers, an Italian gang comprised of, among others, leader Richie (Ken Wahl), his bud Joey (John Friedrich), and meaty new addition Perry (Tony Ganios), as they cope with troubled family lives, defend their turf, and try to get to third base with the opposite sex (including Karen Allen in her first big feature film role, after a bit part in 1978's Animal House). While not boasting the spiffiest looking DVD transfer to come down the Warner Home Video pike, the video image here is certainly serviceable, and film buffs will appreciate Kaufman's scene-specific commentary track. Recommended. (R. Pitman)[Blu-ray Review—Apr. 18, 2017—Kino Lorber, 117 min., R, Blu-ray: $29.95—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1979's The Wanderers sports an excellent transfer with DTS-HD 2.0 sound. Extras include both the original theatrical version of the film and the rarely seen longer “Preview Cut,” two audio commentaries (one by co-writer and director Philip Kaufman; the other by Columbia University film professor Annette Insdorf), two audio Q&A's with Kaufman and author Richard Price (37 min.), a “Back to the Bronx” location featurette with Price (35 min.), Q&A segments at Cinefamily (32 min.) and Film Forum (17 min.), and brief intros by costars (3 min.). Bottom line: Kaufman's fine adaptation of Price's novel makes a welcome debut on Blu-ray.]