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Movies & TV

18th Apr 2023

An ’80s action thriller gem is among the movies on TV tonight

Stephen Porzio

Extreme Prejudice

It comes from the director of the classics 48 Hrs. and The Warriors.

Already caught up on the new Succession episode? Need something to watch tonight?

Well, your options include an extremely bingeable recent series addition on Netflix or one of 13 very big movies just added to Prime Video.

If none of these are for you, however, here is what films are on TV this evening.

Extreme Prejudice – Legend – 9pm

Our pick for tonight is this ’80s action thriller with strong Western elements. It centres around two childhood friends, one of which has grown up to be a Texas Ranger (Nick Nolte) and the other has gone on to become a major drug trafficker (Powers Boothe).

Over the course of the film, tensions between the pair grow, while the ranger’s territory is invaded by an unofficial and top-secret group of US combat veterans whose presence in the Mexican border town may or may not be connected to the drug trafficker’s activity.

Directed by cult US filmmaker Walter Hill (48 Hrs, The Warriors) and taking its title from an iconic line in Apocalypse Now – the two movies sharing a writer in John Milius – Extreme Prejudice’s visceral action set-pieces, Western iconography and twisty story make it well worth seeking out.

It also boasts a great supporting cast of recognisable faces, including Clancy Brown, María Conchita Alonso, Michael Ironside, Rip Torn and William Forsythe.

Air Force One – Film4 – 9pm

Imagine Die Hard but it was set on the US President’s plane and that president itself fulfilled the John McClane role. Harrison Ford stars. It is pretty great.

Evil Dead II – Sky Sci-Fi – 9pm

Given how it is the eve of Evil Dead Rise’s release – and JOE recently released our interview with its Irish director Lee Cronin – what better time to check out what is commonly considered the high point of the horror franchise?

Zoolander – Comedy Central – 9pm

“I’m pretty sure there’s a lot more to life than being really, really, ridiculously good-looking. And I plan on finding out what that is.”

Blacklight – Sky Showcase – 9pm

This 2022 action thriller starring Liam Neeson holds an 11% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, suggesting it might not be worth your time.

A still from our pick for tonight – Extreme Prejudice

The Condemned – Turner Classic Movies – 9pm

‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin and Vinnie Jones star in this violent action flick about ten convicts forced to fight each other to the death as part of an illegal game that is being broadcast to the public.

The Taking of Deborah Logan – Horror Xtra – 9pm

A quite creepy found footage horror.

The Ghost Writer – AMC UK – 11pm

Ewan McGregor and Pierce Brosnan are among the cast of this political thriller based on a Robert Harris novel.

The Outlaw Josey Wales – Turner Classic Movies – 11.20pm

One of Clint Eastwood’s best westerns, he directs and stars in this movie as a Missouri farmer who joins a Confederate guerrilla unit and winds up on the run from the Union soldiers who murdered his family.

True History of the Kelly Gang – Film4 – 11.25pm

Another great Western, this 2019 movie is a fictionalised retelling of the life of Australian outlaw Ned Kelly (George MacKay). It features among its impressive supporting cast Charlie Hunnam, Essie Davis, Nicholas Hoult and a scene-stealing singing Russell Crowe.

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