By James Whittington, 19th September 2023
LEGEND shoots from the hip this October as the wilder side of the western is laid bare in a six-shooter season of violent, controversial and revenge-fuelled showdowns.
So be prepared for blood-drenched shoot-outs, outlaw adventures and bandits on the rampage as LEGEND goes way out West with a selection of contemporary Westerns, highlighted by the channel premiere of Ti West's IN A VALLEY OF VIOLENCE, starring Ethan Hawke and John Travolta. There is also a channel premiere for Jon Casser's FORSAKEN, starring Donald and Keifer Sutherland. Ralph Nelson's brutal Western SOLDIER BLUE still remains one of the most poignant yet horrific dramatisations of America's dark history and this repeat shoeing gets a primetime slot, as does HANNIE CAULDER, starring Ernest Borgnine and Raquel Welch, intense rural drama WAR ON THE RANGE, starring James Badge Dale and William Forsythe and civil war thriller ANY BULLET WILL DO, starring Kevin Makely and Todd A. Robinson.
Here's everything you need to know:
IN A VALLEY OF VIOLENCE kicks off the week on the 16th. Paul (Ethan Hawke) is a drifter making his way through the Old West with his faithful dog by his side. When Paul bumps into Gilly (James Ransone), a local gang leader and the son of the town's marshal (John Travolta), their resulting scuffle leads to an act of violence that propels Paul on a mission for revenge. Written and directed by Ti West. Then the following evening a true classic, HANNIE CAULDER. Bandit brothers Emmett (Ernest Borgnine), Frank (Jack Elam) and Rufus Clemens (Strother Martin) botch a heist, and in anger they rape local woman Hannie Caulder (Raquel Welch), murder her spouse and destroy her home. Set on retribution, Hannie seeks out bounty hunter Thomas Luther Price (Robert Culp), who helps her learn to shoot, a skill she that she'll need as she attempts to track down and take out the merciless Clemens brothers.
On the 18th we witness the WAR ON THE RANGE. In post-Civil War Texas, two neighbouring families are grieving tragic losses while they struggle to survive. When Wade Riley returns from fighting for the Confederacy, he discovers that the McCluskey family have been stealing animals from his family's traps. He decides to take matters into his own hands, sparking yet another tragic and senseless war. This rural drama stars James Badge Dale and William Forsythe. One of the most challenging and controversial Westerns of all time on the 19th, SOLDIER BLUE. The film follows the adventures of Honus (Peter Strauss) and Cresta (Candice Bergman), the only remaining survivors of a Cheyenne Indian attack, as they journey across the unforgiving wilderness of the old west in search of refuge. It's a journey that reaches a tragic climax as they bare witness to the relentlessly brutal and cold-blooded slaughter of the Cheyenne tribe. Ralph Nelson's brutal Western still remains one of the most poignant yet horrific dramatisations of America's dark history.
ANY BULLET WILL DO on the 20th is set during the great American Civil War where two brothers find themselves on opposing sides. Ten years later, Hollis Ransom, now a ruthless headhunter, sets out on a bloody path through Montana and Wyoming, fighting and evading outlaws, and finally meeting his brother in an epic battle that will seal both men's fates once and for all. Directed by Justin Lee, starring Kevin Makely and Todd A. Robinson as the warring brothers. We end this special week on the 21st with FORSAKEN. In 1872, John Henry Clayton (Kiefer Sutherland) retires as a gunfighter and returns to his hometown of Fowler, Wyoming in hope of repairing his relationship with his estranged father, Reverend Clayton (Donald Sutherland). However, he soon learns that the town is in turmoil, as a criminal gang is terrorising ranchers who refuse to sell their land. John Henry is the only one who can stop them, but his father does not want his son to return to a life of violence.
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