The Wanderers is a really nice coming of age gang war movie that is mostly comedic but contains some commentary on race relations. The film had many cool actors. These were the ones that stood out for me - TONY GANIOS was really cool as the alpha male tough guy who always came to the gang's rescue. I'm surprised he did not become a big B-movie star. KAREN ALLEN looked gorgeous. JOHN FRIEDRICH is nearly as memorable as De Niro in Bang the Drum Slowly. A young LINDA MANZ makes quite an impression. Her role as the aggressive wannabe Peewee is almost like a precursor to her role as the murderous Cebe in OUT OF THE BLUE (1980). I also noticed KEN FOREE as one of the promoters of the football match.It is sort of a film of place. The chase scene at the beginning through the dark alleyways of New York with the jumps over the wire fences (might have inspired the chase scene in POINT BREAK), the garden-museum where Richie (KEN WAHL) and his girlfriend go to kiss, the bowling alley, the small apartments where the characters live. The film is full of these cool places (atleast from the viewers point of view).The film has eve teasing and groping scenes that would put most Bollywood movies to shame and make feminists convert to Islam. It is probably a bit long at 2 hours but its great entertainment.(7.5/10)

Just finished watching The Wanderers again after so many years. It still stays an all time classic to me. When it just came out I couldn't get enough of that movie. I think it aged well and it's still good after all those years. Maybe the acting and the dialogs are not the greatest but to me it just brings me back to my youth. Okay I preferred The Warriors that came out that same year, but that movie is not comparable even if it is also about gangs. In the Wanderers it's nice to see how the gangs were in that time in New York. It's absolutely not comparable with the gangs from now. The gangs in that time were just friends hanging out together but now they are just gangsters selling drugs and weapons. Anyways, after all those years I still enjoyed this movie, especially the soundtrack.

From the very beginning of Philip Kaufman's "The Wanderers", you're immediately transported in an orgasmic explosion of music into New York's Bronx borough of 1963. Just before the audience is introduced to some of the most original colorful characters in cinematic history, whose personal perceptions of the world are limited to the prism of their ethnocentric gang affiliations that rule their urban jungle environment. In contrast to George Lucas' semi-autobiographical movie 'American Graffiti', that re-created his young life filled with hot rods, cruising the main street and drag racing in a small California town in 62'. Philip Kaufman adaptation of Richard Price's semi-autobiographical novel 'The Wanderers' re-creates the atmosphere of the gritty street gang life of Bronx, NY in 1963. While George Lucas' American Graffiti enjoyed far more recognition and success than Philip Kaufman's 'The Wanderers' ever did. These two great independent films could serve as bookmarks to one another, with American Graffiti in 1973 being the main inspirational source that launched the whole 50's & 60's nostalgic retro entertainment for the rest of the 70's. While 79's 'The Wanderers' marks the end of the 50's nostalgia era. With one film about the lives of high school kids in 62' on the west coast, and the other about the daily lives of high school kids in 63' on the East coast. Both movies are similar in nostalgic form and independent style, but very different in tone and content. Because these two movies are so interconnected to one another, it shouldn't be any surprise that Philip Kaufman and George Lucas teamed-up to create the story for a little movie called, "Raiders of the Lost Ark" in 1980. Ever heard of it?While it's more than likely you've already seen 'American Graffiti'. However, if you haven't ever seen Philip Kaufman's "The Wanderers"? Then you definitely want to find it and watch. I assure that you won't be disappointed. It's truly an independent Philip Kaufman masterpiece, which includes Kaufman's trademark use of captivating cinematography while the great music of 1963 serves the movie by magnifying the films humor, tragedy, gritty realism, with an occasional touch of the truly bizarre, as we observe the daily lives of the young tough high school gang members of the Bronx in 63'. And, Alan Rosenberg's portrayal of 'Turkey' is one of the most original and uniquely funny, tragic and troubling characters that's ever been performed for the big screen.A must see film. A+

I first saw this movie at a drive in theater when I was in college back in the late 1970's.I liked it but didn't think much about it for a long time. Recently I caught it again and realized what a thoroughly good movie it was.Never mind the setting or time period. If you ever felt any teen-age angst, or if you ever felt a part of anything bigger than you, this is a movie that you can relate to.The soundtrack is good if you like early 1960's music. But to me this was incidental.Powerful performances propel this movie, although the ending is a bit strange. All of the acting is A-1 in my book.