By James Whittington, 27th January 2026
De Niro, Pacino and Eastwood give us powerhouse performances as LEGEND celebrates the work of legendary directors this month, spearheaded by the Channel premieres of such cult classics as Brian De Palma's SCARFACE, Martin Scorcese's CAPE FEAR, Donald Seigel's THE BEGUILED, and John Frankenheimer's BLACK SUNDAY.
Other notable Channel premieres this February include Keanu Reeves' directorial debut, MAN OF TAI CHI. Leigh Wannel's tech horror thriller UPGRADE, Doug Liman's action comedy, AMERICAN MADE, starring Tom Cruise, Gary Fieder's quirky crime drama THINGS TO DO IN DENVER WHEN YOU'RE DEAD, which stars Andy Garcia, Christopher Walken and Steve Buscemi, and Kevin McDonald's blistering political thriller STATE OF PLAY, starring Russell Crowe, Helen Mirren and Ben Affleck.
There are also Channel premieres for Paul W.S. Anderson's 2008 dystopian sci-fi action thriller DEATH RACE, starring Jason Statham. futuristic sci-fi thriller EQUILIBRIUM, starring Christian Bale and Emily Watson, and cat-and-mouse thriller NO ESCAPE, starring Owen Wilson and Pierce Brosnan.
These are the premieres you can not miss:
We star on the 1st with probably one of the most quoted gangster movies of aal time, Brian De Palma's SCARFACE. After getting a green card in exchange for assassinating a Cuban government official, Tony Montana (Al Pacino) stakes a claim on the drug trade in Miami, viciously murdering anyone who stands in his way. He eventually becomes the biggest drug lord in the state, but increased pressure from the police, wars with Colombian drug cartels and his own drug-induced paranoia serve to fuel the flames of his eventual downfall. More mobster drama on the 6th, Andy Garcia stars in THINGS TO DO IN DENVER WHEN YOU'RE DEAD. When a powerful mob boss gives ex-gangster Jimmy the Saint (Garcia) one last job, it's an offer he can't refuse, but when someone gets killed, Jimmy and his partners are marked for death, leaving Jimmy just 48 hours to put things right. The following night fear the future in EQUILIBRIUM . In a futuristic world, a regime has eliminated war by suppressing emotions, and feeling is a crime punishable by death. John Preston (Christian Bale) an agent responsible for destroying those who resist these rules, suddenly becomes the one capable of overthrowing it.
STATE OF PLAY on the 7th focuses on Congressman Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck) is a rising star in Washington and seen as his party's next presidential nominee - until his research assistant/mistress is found murdered and damaging secrets are revealed. Journalist Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe), Collins' old friend, must investigate the murder, and walks headlong into a massive cover-up. Classic 70s action on the 12th, BLACK SUNDAY. A powerful story of a Black September terrorist group attempting to blow up a Goodyear blimp hovering over the Super Bowl stadium with 80,000 people and the President of the United States in attendance. With Robert Shaw and Bruce Dern. Keanu Reeves flexes his directors muscles on the 14th in MAN OF TAI CHI. A young Tai Chi student, (Tiger Hu Chen), is drawn into the world of underground fighting to save his master's temple. He accepts a lucrative offer from a wealthy entrepreneur (Keanu Reeves), but as the fights grow more violent, Tiger must grapple with his pacifist Tai Chi philosophy versus the brutal reality of the fight club.
In Martin Scorsese's remake of the classic 1962 thriller CAPE FEAR washes up on LEGEND on the 15th. Attorney Sam Bowden (Nick Nolte) knowingly withholds evidence that would acquit violent sex offender Max Cady (Robert De Niro) of rape charges, Max spends 14 years in prison. But after Max's release, knowing about Sam's deceit, he devotes his life to stalking and destroying the Bowden family. Historical drama om the 19th as Clint Eastwood stars in THE BEGUILED. During the Civil War, a wounded Union soldier, John McBurney (Clint Eastwood), is taken in by the women of an isolated Southern girls' boarding school. But his presence disrupts the school's quiet life, sparking jealousy, desire, and dangerous rivalries – a situation he manipulates. What begins as a refuge for the soldier culminates in a brutal act of revenge when the women turn on him after he tries to leave. Bang up to date on the 21st in NO ESCAPE. American businessman Jack Dwyer (Owen Wilson), wife Annie (Lake Bell) and their two young daughters arrive in Southeast Asia to begin a new life but get caught between a political uprising and riots aimed at foreign companies. Also stars Pierce Brosnan.
AMERICAN MADE on the 22nd is loosely based on the life of Barry Seal, a former TWA pilot recruited by the CIA to spy in Central America in the 1980s. The film follows Seal (Tom Cruise) as he gets involved in drug smuggling for the Medellín Cartel and the CIA's covert operations, which ultimately played a role in the Iran-Contra Affair. From director Leigh Whannell comes UPGRADE on the 26th a science fiction thriller about a man with quadriplegia who is implanted with a computer chip that cures his paralysis and equips him with special capabilities. Now able to walk, Grey finds that he also has superhuman strength and agility - skills he uses to seek revenge against the thugs who destroyed his life. Our final channel premiere is on the 28th and is a cool remake of a cult classic DEATH RACE. Framed for a murder he did not commit, three-time speedway champ Jensen Ames (Jason Statham) finds himself at Terminal Island, the country's toughest prison, but he gets an unexpected chance at freedom when the warden offers a choice: Compete in the Death Race as a mythical driver called Frankenstein, or rot in a cell forever.
Related show tags: CAPE FEAR, THE BEGUILED, BLACK SUNDAY, MAN OF TAI CHI, UPGRADE, AMERICAN MADE, THINGS TO DO IN DENVER WHEN YOU’RE DEAD, STATE OF PLAY, DEATH RACE, EQUILIBRIUM, NO ESCAPE MORE FEATURES Babylon 5 lands on LEGEND from Monday 8 June Posted on 2nd June 2026
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