By James Whittington, 20th June 2024
Abel Ferra's brilliant and controversial 70s neo-noir crime thriller BAD LIEUTENANT, featuring a magnetic performance from Harvey Keitel, gets its Channel premiere and heads up a summer season of action thrillers on LEGEND this July.
The exciting line-up includes the UK TV premiere of STAGECOACH: THE TEXAS JACK STORY, a sharp-shooting Canadian western based on the life story of the life story of outlaw Nathaniel Reed.
Other premieres are Lawrence Kasdan's Western caper SILVERADO, starring Kevin Costner and Kevin Cline, Nick Love's violent football drama THE FOOTBALL FACTORY, starring Danny Dyer, THE FAMILY (aka Violent City), an Italian / English crime thriller starring Charles Bronson, Telly Savalas and Jill Ireland, and badass survival thriller BRAVEN.
Also, the cult fantasy/science fiction anthology series THE TWILIGHT ZONE, continues on Saturday and Sunday nights with the Channel premiere of Season 2.
Here's everything you need to know:
We kick off on the 6th when we visit THE FOOTBALL FACTORY.Tommy Johnson (Danny Dyer) is a member of the Chelsea Firm, whose life revolves around booze, drugs and violence, but whose increasing nightmares make him question his choice of life. Shot in documentary style, this film shows a realistic view of football hooliganism. Also stars Neil Maskell. We've more action on the 13th where we'll meet BRAVEN. When Joe Braven (Jason Momoa), a humble logger living along the mountainous U.S./Canada border, is confronted by a group of deadly drug runners. Little do the drug runners know that, aside from fighting for the lives of his family, he has an instinctive love of the kill.
THE FAMILY is one of the most acclaimed action movies of the 70s. After being double-crossed by his mistress and barely escaping a murder attempt, a hit-man (Charles Bronsan) sets out to take his revenge on the woman and the mob boss who put her up to it. Directed by Sergio Sollima, this stylish crime thriller also stars Telly Savalas and, which music by Ennio Morricone. One of the most controversial movies of the 80s comes to Legend on the 20th, BAD LIEUTENANT. While investigating the death of a young nun, 'The Lieutenant', a corrupt cop (played by Harvey Keitel), tries to change his ways and find forgiveness. He has survived on the streets for twenty years. He's a gambler, a thief, a junkie, a killer - as well as a cop. Now he's investigating the most shocking case of his life, and as he moves closer to the truth, his self-destructive past is closing in.
We saddle up for wild west adventure on the 24th ready for SILVERADO. Four drifters - Paden (Kevin Kline), Emmett (Scott Glenn), Emmett's brother Jake (Kevin Costner) and Mal (Danny Glover), arrive in Silverado, a small frontier town, and become unlikely heroes in a battle against a corrupt sheriff (Brian Dennehy) and a formidable gambling salon owner (Linda Hunt). A UK TV premiere is a remake of a classic, STAGECOACH. Nathaniel Reed has left the outlaw life and settled down with a family until a US Marshal with a grudge hatches a revenge plot that forces Reed out of retirement. Reed returns to his criminal ways and becomes known as Texas Jack; one of the most infamous stagecoach robbers in history. Based on a true story.
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