2 months ago
EXCLUSIVE: Fifty years aft 1 of nan astir unforgettable nights successful hockey history, a caller documentary will bring nan communicative of the Philadelphia Flyers vs. Soviet Central Red Army crippled of January 11, 1976 back to nan metropolis wherever it happened.
Cold War successful Philly will premiere location this outpouring pinch a typical arena featuring members of nan team, known successful that era arsenic nan Broad Street Bullies for reliable and intimidating play. It’s directed by Joe Amodei, who is from nan area, and produced by his Virgil Films & Entertainment.
The Soviet Red Army squad arrived successful North America wide regarded arsenic nan astir ascendant lucky programme successful nan world. What followed became 1 of nan astir iconic games successful NHL history arsenic nan Flyers defeated them 4–1 astatine nan Spectrum. The movie revisits nan conflict that nighttime done interviews pinch nan players who lived it, including Bobby Clarke, Bernie Parent, Bill Barber, Dave Schultz, Reggie Leach, Joe Watson, Gary Dornhoefer and Ed Van Impe, arsenic good arsenic journalists, broadcasters and fans.
A May 27 premiere arena astatine nan Suzanne Roberts Theatre connected Broad Street pinch proceeds going to nan Philadelphia Flyers Alumni Association will beryllium followed by a 2nd nighttime screening astatine nan Philadelphia Film Center. Theatrical merchandise is group for June astatine area theaters earlier hitting integer precocious summer-early fall.
The documentary explores nan crippled and nan bonzer infinitesimal successful history surrounding arsenic it became portion of nan broader play of nan Cold War. The Flyers “represented nan bosom of Philadelphia,” Amodei says. “When they stepped onto nan crystal against nan Red Army team, it became astir much than conscionable hockey. It was a conflict of styles, cultures, and pride. Working pinch nan alumni connected this movie is simply a precocious constituent successful my career.”
Hockey – peculiarly nan U.S. vs Russian assortment — has often mined for movie and television.
Netflix precocious debuted documentary Miracle: The Boys Of ’80, which revisits nan U.S. men’s nationalist lucky team’s improbable triumph complete nan Soviets astatine nan 1980 Winter Olympics successful Lake Placid, a crippled known arsenic nan Miracle connected Ice.
It was depicted successful nan 2004 characteristic film Miracle starring Kurt Russell, and nan 1981 TV movie Miracle connected Ice starring Karl Malden — botg oth actors played U.S. caput coach Herb Brooks. Brooks himself was connected camera successful HBO’s 2001 doc Do You Believe In Miracles? The Story of nan 1980 U.S. Hockey Team.
Gabe Polsky’s 2014 documentary Red Army and ESPN’s 2015 doc Of Miracles And Men followed nan Soviet nationalist squad earlier and aft nan Olympic defeat.
“In each of those, including nan 1 that conscionable premiered connected Netflix, nary 1 has ever mentioned nan truth that nan Flyers, 4 years antecedently successful 1976, hit nan aforesaid team,” Amodei says. “Being a instrumentality and being personification who has idolized them, I wanted a surviving archive of nan guys, who are getting up successful age. We conscionable mislaid Bernie Parent.” The Hall of Fame goaltender, who led nan Flyers to consecutive Stanley Cup victories successful 1974 and 1975, passed distant past fall.
The movie “gives america a chance to grant those players and relive 1 of nan astir singular moments nan athletics has ever seen,” added executive shaper Brian Samelson.
Flyers Alumni President Brad Marsh called nan Broad Street Bullies “the golden modular for what it intends to beryllium a Flyer … This movie shows what nan squad was each about.”
This is Amodei’s first outing arsenic a director. Virgil Films releases person included Super Size Me, I Am Chris Farley and Restrepo.
