By James Whittington, 24th September 2023
Watch out for plenty of star-studied thrills and spills on LEGEND, as the UK's most entertaining channel for action, suspense and Sci-Fi presents eleven premieres for October, including the UK TV premiere of ANTI-LIFE, an edge-of-your-seat sci-fi thriller with an (inter)stellar cast including Bruce Willis and John Suits. There also a welcome channel premiere for THE GUEST, a brilliant homage to 1980s action flicks and slasher horror, which showcases ex- Downtown Abbey actor Dan Stevens in an inspired star-making turn.
Other channel firsts include high-octane crime thriller DOG EAT DOG, starring Nicolas Cage and Willem Dafoe, American road comedy film MIDNIGHT RUN, starring Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin, THE QUEST a martial arts thriller directed by Jean-Claude Van Damme in his directorial debut and the controversial drama SLEEPERS, starring Kevin Bacon, Dustin Hoffman, Brad Pitt, Robert DeNiro and Minnie Driver.
Plus, there's British mystery thriller UNDER SUSPICION starring Liam Neeson, action adventure THE RIVER WILD, starring Meryl Streep and Kevin Bacon and Van Damme and Lundgren return for a sixth instalment of UNIVERSAL SOLDIER: DAY OF RECKONING.
This month's ever-popular THE VINTAGE VAULT strand on Sunday night double-bills continues its celebration of great horror classics from the Sixties and seventies including DRACULA: PRINCE OF DARKNESS, FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN, THE DEVIL RIDES OUT, THE SORCERERS, TWINS OF EVIL, SCARS OF DRACULA and LUST FOR A VAMPIRE.
Here's everything you need to know:
Let's start on the 5th with the channel premiere of UNDER SUSPICION. Tony Aaron (Liam Neeson) is a disgraced ex-policeman scraping a living as a private detective. When a supposedly routine case goes wrong and leads to the murder of a client and Aaron's own wife, he is under suspicion of murder. His enquiries lead him to the murdered client's mistress, the mysterious Angeline (Laura San Giacomo), who stood to benefit heavily. Two legends team-up on Saturday the 7th, MIDNIGHT RUN. When bounty hunter Jack Walsh (Robert DeNiro) is assigned with finding bail jumper Jon Mardukas (Charles Grodin), he has no idea the Mob and the FBI have the same idea Martin Brest directs this smart and funny 'Odd Couple' movie.
If its high-octane action then THE QUEST on the 12th is for you. Acclaimed action superstar Jean-Claude Van Damme directs and stars as Chris, a street criminal who has always lived his life in search of new adventures. But his skill will be put to the test when he enters a tournament of the world's best fighters. Van Dammer's directorial debut also stars Roger Moore. The we battle the elements on the 14th in THE RIVER WILD. Meryl Streep delivers a tour de force performance as a wife and mother whose family river rafting trip is hijacked by murderous thieves who desire to use her experience as a river guide to get them through a perilous stretch of water known as the Gauntlet. Directed by Curtis Hanson and co-stars Kevin Bacon as the ruthless criminal who threatens their lives.
Based on true events and directed by visionary filmmaker Paul Schrader DOG EAT DOG on the 17th, is a breathtaking crime thriller starring Nicolas Cage and Willem Dafoe, who, fresh out of prison, are trying to adapt themselves to civilian life. But then they are offered a job by an eccentric mob boss with a payoff too good to turn down. Set in the near future, ANTI-LIFE on the 25th focuses on a spaceship with survivors fleeing a devastating plague on planet Earth. But the ship has a stowaway: a shape-shifting alien whose goal is to kill. Clay (Bruce Willis) and his team of mechanics are picked to maintain the interstellar ark but now they must outwrite and destroy a malevolent cosmic terror.
Back down to Earth on the 27th for UNIVERSAL SOLDIER: REGENERATION. When a terrorist sect uses a new destructive model from the "Universal Soldier" line of humanlike machines, to seize the atomic reactor at Chernobyl, Luc Deveraux (Jean-Claude Van Damme), is reactivated to save the planet from nuclear Armageddon. Unfortunately, Deveraux will also have to contend with his nemesis, Andrew Scott (Dolph Lundgren). A-list drama on the 28th in acclaimed 90s thriller, SLEEPERS. Four boys from Hell's Kitchen enter a reformatory where a cruel guard (Kevin Bacon) abuses them. Years later, two of them avenge their tormenter and stand trial, defended by a lawyer (Dustin Hoffman) and aided by their scheming cohort (Brad Pitt) and other friends from the 'hood (Robert DeNiro, Minnie Driver), who face the moral dilemma of justice vs. loyalty.
The big news this month is waiting for you on the 31st, THE GUEST. A brilliant homage to 1980s action flicks and slasher horror given a sharp twist by YOU'RE NEXT director Adam Wingard, it showcases ex- Downtown Abbey actor Dan Stevens in an inspired star-making turn. He plays David, a soldier arriving on the bereaved Peterson family's doorstep, claiming to be the best friend of their son who died in action. Inviting him to stay, at first the charming veteran seems the perfect guest, but then the random killing starts. What's going on and can the family stop the cold-blooded lethal weapon in their home committing even worse atrocities?
Related show tags: ANTI-LIFE, DOG EAT DOG, DRACULA: PRINCE OF DARKNESS, FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN, LUST FOR A VAMPIRE, MIDNIGHT RUN, SCARS OF DRACULA, SLEEPERS, THE DEVIL RIDES OUT, THE GUEST, THE QUEST, THE RIVER WILD, THE SORCERERS, TWINS OF EVIL, UNDER SUSPICION, UNIVERSAL SOLDIER: DAY OF RECKONING MORE FEATURES Bad Lieutenant heads up Channel premieres on LEGEND this July
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