A milestone film from 1971 and winner of five Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor, The French Connection transformed the crime thriller with its gritty, authentic story about New York City police detectives on the trail of a large shipment of heroin. Based on an actual police case and the illustrious career of New York cop Eddie Egan, the film stars Gene Hackman as Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle, whose unorthodox methods of crime fighting are anything but diplomatic. With his partner (Roy Scheider), Popeye investigates the international shipment of heroin masterminded by the suave Frenchman (Fernando Rey) who eludes Popeye throughout an escalating series of pursuits. The obsessive tension of Doyle's investigation reaches peak intensity during the film's breathtaking car chase, in which Doyle races under New York's elevated train tracks in a borrowed sedan--a sequence that earned an Oscar for editing and was instantly hailed as one of the greatest chase scenes ever filmed. Produced on location, The French Connection had an immediate influence on dozens of movies and TV shows to follow, virtually redefining the crime thriller with its combination of brutal realism and high-octane craftsmanship. Boosted by the film's phenomenal success, director William Friedkin gained even more attention with his follow-up film, The Exorcist. --Jeff Shannon
A milestone film from 1971 and winner of five Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor, The French Connection transformed the crime thriller with its gritty, authentic story about New York City police detectives on the trail of a large shipment of heroin. Based on an actual police case and the illustrious career of New York cop Eddie Egan, the film stars Gene Hackman as Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle, whose unorthodox methods of crime fighting are anything but diplomatic. With his partner (Roy Scheider), Popeye investigates the international shipment of heroin masterminded by the suave Frenchman (Fernando Rey) who eludes Popeye throughout an escalating series of pursuits. The obsessive tension of Doyle's investigation reaches peak intensity during the film's breathtaking car chase, in which Doyle races under New York's elevated train tracks in a borrowed sedan--a sequence that earned an Oscar for editing and was instantly hailed as one of the greatest chase scenes ever filmed. Produced on location, The French Connection had an immediate influence on dozens of movies and TV shows to follow, virtually redefining the crime thriller with its combination of brutal realism and high-octane craftsmanship. Boosted by the film's phenomenal success, director William Friedkin gained even more attention with his follow-up film, The Exorcist. --Jeff Shannon
Inspired by the real-life exploits of New York cop Eddie Egan (who was also the basis for Gene Hackman's 'Popeye' Doyle character in The French Connection), Badge 373 is a tough detective thriller, comparable to William Friedkin's more celebrated feature. Duvall (The Godfather, Breakout) delivers a powerfully authentic performance as a brutal New York detective, ruthlessly hunting for the killer of his partner against a backdrop of social upheaval and violent gang wars. Product Features High Definition remaster Original mono audio Welcome to Fear City (2019, 25 mins): actor and former NYPD detective Randy Jurgensen remembers the life and career of Eddie Egan, and discusses his experiences in the film industry Lethal Enforcers (2019, 29 mins): film critic Glenn Kenny analyses the styles and trends of seventies cop movies Original theatrical trailer TV spot Radio spots Image gallery: promotional and publicity material New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
One of the BBC's flagship dramas Casualty depicts the lives of the patients doctors nurses and paramedics attending the frantically busy accident and emergency department of Holby General Hospital. Now approaching its twentieth year on television this is where it all started: the hard-hitting politicised storylines; the accurate portrayal of life in the casualty department; and that theme tune. At a time when medical dramas produced in the UK were thin-on-the groun
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