Summer’s the perfect time to sit back and strap yourself in for a thrilling, action-packed movie night. And this month, Kanopy’s offering a fantastic selection of classic action flicks that you can stream for free with your Livingston Library card. Below are some of my personal favorites, and you can browse Kanopy’s entire “Action August!” collection here…
(Descriptions taken from Kanopy)
The Way of the Dragon – 1972, directed by Bruce Lee
Legendary Bruce Lee’s only complete directorial film is packed action and epic fight scenes. Lee pays a visit to family members who own a restaurant in Italy. But mobsters who want the land the eatery is built on harass the owners, forcing Lee to defend his family as only he can. Lee, for the sake of his loved ones, must battle a U.S. karate expert (Chuck Norris) in an epic fight at a Roman coliseum.
The Magnificent Seven – 1960, directed by John Sturges
Spectacular gun battles and epic heroes make The Magnificent Seven a legend among westerns. When Calvera (Eli Wallach) and his band of outlaws terrorize a poor Mexican village, the locals hire Chris Adams (Yul Brynner) and six other gunfighters to defend them. With time running out before Calvera’s next raid, the heroic seven must prepare the villagers for battle and help them find the courage to take back their town…or die trying! James Coburn, Steve McQueen and Charles Bronson also star.
Assault on Precinct 13 – 1976, directed by John Carpenter
An unlikely partnership between a Highway Patrol Officer, two criminals and a station secretary is formed to defend a defunct Los Angeles precinct office against a siege by a bloodthirsty street gang.
Robocop – 1987, directed by Paul Verhoeven
There’s a new law enforcer in town…and he’s half man, half machine! From director Paul Verhoeven comes this classic, high-powered, sci-fi fantasy about an indestructible high-tech policeman who dishes out justice at every turn.
Battle Royale (Batoru Rowaiaru) – 2000, directed by Kinji Fukasaku
In this uncensored and unrated Director’s Cut of the cult classic, a group of ninth-grade students from a Japanese high school have been forced by legislation to compete in a Battle Royale. The students are each given a bag with a randomly selected weapon and a few rations of food and water and sent off with three days to kill each other until one survives – or they all die. The story focuses on a few of the students and how they cope. Some, like the psychotic Kiriyama or the hyper-sexual Mistuko, decide to play the game. Others, like Shuya, Noriko, and Kawada, try to find a ways to get off the island without violence. But as the violence increases and the numbers fall, can Shuya and his classmates survive?
Train to Busan – 2016, directed by Yeon Sang-ho
A man (Gong Yoo), his estranged daughter and other passengers become trapped on a speeding train during a zombie outbreak in South Korea.
Mad Max – 1979, directed by George Miller
In the ravaged near-future, a savage motorcycle gang rules the road. Terrorizing innocent civilians while tearing up the streets, the ruthless gang laughs in the face of a police force hell-bent on stopping them. But they underestimate one officer: Max (Mel Gibson). And when the bikers brutalize Max’s best friend and family, they send him into a mad frenzy that leaves him with only one thing left in the world to live for – revenge!
Logan Lucky – 2017, directed by Steven Soderbergh
Trying to reverse a family curse, brothers Jimmy (Channing Tatum) and Clyde Logan (Adam Driver) set out to execute an elaborate robbery during the legendary Coca-Cola 600 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Collateral – 2004, directed by Michael Mann
Vincent (Tom Cruise) is a cool, calculating, contract killer at the top of his game. Max (Jamie Foxx) is a hapless cabbie with big dreams and little to show for it. Now, Max has to transport Vincent on his next job – one night, five stops, five hits and a getaway. And after this fateful night, neither man will ever be the same again. Tonight everything is changing…
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot – 1974, directed by Michael Cimino
Clint Eastwood and Jeff Bridges star as a pair of modern-day outlaws in this bold, witty and tough action-packed crime thriller. Thunderbolt (Eastwood) is a former thief whose razor-sharp wits and steely nerves made him a master of his profession, but he’s about to reenter the criminal world with a new partner: Lightfoot (Bridges), a brash young drifter whose energy and exuberance give the veteran a new outlook on life and their target: the seemingly impenetrable Montana Armored Depository.
— Joe, Adult Services & Acquisitions