It’s action, suspense and high-stakes drama all the way as LEGEND presents eleven star-studded Channel premieres in April, spearheaded by Brian De Palma’s brutal crime classic CARLITO’S WAY, starring Al Pacino, high octane action comedy MR. AND MRS. SMITH, starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Spike Lee’s critically acclaimed heist thriller INSIDE MAN, and Timur Bekmambetov’s all guns-blazing WANTED, starring James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman and Terence Stamp.
Then there is the cold war spy thriller BULLET TO BEIJING, starring Michael Caine as a retired Harry Palmer, buddy-cop film MONEY TRAIN, starring Wesley Snipes and Jennifer Lopez, and two murderous action thrillers directed by Peter Hyams – THE PRESIDIO, starring Sean Connery, and SUDDEN DEATH, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme.
Further Channel premieres include revenge-driven Western SHOOT OUT, starring Gregory Peck, science fiction action-adventure film CONGO, based on the 1980 novel by Michael Crichton, and gangster thriller MOBSTERS, inspired by the rise of notorious New York City mobsters during the 1920s, starring Christian Slater as Charlie “Lucky” Luciano.
Thursday 2 April @ 21:00 – BULLET TO BEIJING (1995) *Channel Premiere
When long-time British agent Harry Palmer (Michael Caine) loses his job because the Cold War is over, a Russian agent promptly approaches him, telling him that Russia’s future is threatened because a deadly biochemical weapon has been stolen. He’ll pay Harry to retrieve it. Then Harry gets a tip that it’s being sent to Beijing by train.
Saturday 4 April @ 21:00 – MONEY TRAIN (1995) *Channel Premiere
John (Wesley Snipes) and Charlie (Woody Harrelson) are foster brothers and NYC transit cops. When gambling-addicted Charlie is fired and threatened by a loan shark, he plots to rob the “money train,” a heavily armoured train collecting millions in subway fares. John must decide whether to stop him or join the dangerous heist.
Sunday 5 April @ 21:00 – INSIDE MAN (2006) *Channel Premiere
Tough cop, Detective Frazier (Denzel Washington), matches wits with a clever bank robber, Dalton Russell (Clive Owen). As the dangerous cat-and-mouse game unfolds, a wild card emerges: Madaline White (Jodie Foster), a power broker with a hidden agenda, who injects even more instability into an already volatile situation.
Thursday 9 April @ 21:00 – SHOOT OUT (1971) *Channel Premiere
Clay Lomax (Gregory Peck), a bank robber released from prison, seeks revenge on his partner, Sam Foley (James Gregory), who betrayed him. During his quest, Lomax is reluctantly saddled with his daughter, a 6-year-old girl named Decky (Dawn Lyn).
Saturday 11 April @ 21:00 – CONGO (1994) *Channel Premiere
Scientist Karen Ross (Laura Linney) is sent by her father-in-law, mogul R.B. Travis to the Congo to determine the whereabouts of a missing diamond-hunting team. Led by expert guides, treasure hunter Herkermer Homolka (Tim Curry) and a gorilla, she discovers a danger far more sinister than anything they expected to find.
Sunday 12 April @ 21:00 – MOBSTERS (1991) *Channel Premiere
This historical crime drama charts the rise of four legendary gangsters – Lucky Luciano (Christian Slater), Meyer Lansky (Patrick Dempsey), Bugsy Siegel (Richard Grieco), and Frank Costello (Costas Mandylor) in New York City between 1917 and 1931. Starting as street thugs, they exploit Prohibition to build an empire.
Saturday 18 April @ 21:00 – MR. & MRS. SMITH (2005) *Channel Premiere
A bored, suburban married couple, John (Brad Pitt) and Jane (Angelina Jolie), secretly work as elite assassins for competing agencies. When they are assigned to kill each other, their mundane lives explode into a high-stakes battle that reignites their relationship, forcing them to choose between their careers and their love.
Sunday 19 April @ 21:00 – THE PRESIDIO (1988) *Channel Premiere
Lt. Col. Caldwell (Sean Connery) and Police Inspector Jay Austin (Mark Harmon) don’t like each other. Not even a little bit. That’s because Caldwell helped run Austin out of the military police a few years back. But now, they are forced to team up to solve a brutal murder. And to complicate matters, Austin falls for Caldwell’s daughter, Donna (Meg Ryan).
Sunday 19 April @ 23:05 – CARLITO’S WAY (1993) *Channel Premiere
Al Pacino stars as Carlito Brigante, a Puerto Rican ex-con released early from a 30-year sentence in 1975 New York. Vowing to go straight, Carlito manages a nightclub to save money for retirement. Despite his efforts, he is dragged back into the underworld by his cocaine-addicted lawyer, Dave Kleinfeld (Sean Penn), setting him on a dangerously violent path.
Thursday 23 April @ 21:00 – SUDDEN DEATH (1995) *Channel Premiere
Ex-fireman Darren McCord (Jean-Claude Van Damme) has a new job working security at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena. Hoping to impress his kids, he’s scored tickets to the Stanley Cup Finals, unaware that Ex-CIA agent Joshua Foss (Powers Boothe) is holding the vice president hostage and plans to blow up the building if he doesn’t pay the ransom. Cue for Darren, he jumps into action.
Saturday 25 April @ 21:00 – WANTED (2008) *Channel Premiere
Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) is an office worker whose life is going nowhere. After his estranged father is murdered, he meets Fox (Angelina Jolie), who recruits him into the Fraternity, a secret society of assassins. Fox and Sloan (Morgan Freeman), the Fraternity’s leader, teach Wesley to tap into dormant powers. Though he enjoys his newfound abilities, he begins to suspect that there is more to the Fraternity than meets the eye.
Find LEGEND on TV: Sky 148 / Virgin 149 / Freeview 41 / Freesat 137
Karen Woodham is the founder and owner of the Blazing Minds. She is also a Cinema reviewer and works with RealD 3D reviewing the latest 3D releases and IMAX, she has also had several articles published in various publications including the first edition of SFW Magazine. In 2015 she became an Award Winning Blogger and also has her website listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Film Blogs.