The film is based on a series of novels that would later be rebooted on the big screen with Liam Neeson.

Our TV movie pick for tonight is 8 Million Ways to Die (Monday, 21 July), the 1986 neo-noir action thriller starring Oscar winner Jeff Bridges.

The film is adapted from author Lawrence Block’s detective novel series revolving around Matthew Scudder, a troubled alcoholic cop.

Bridges plays Scudder in the movie in which the character meets a call girl in LA named Sunny (Alexandra Paul), who is involved with a powerful drug lord named Angel Moldonado (Andy Garcia).

After Sunny comes to Scudder for help, he decides that he wants to help her escape the shady underworld.

“However, Sunny is soon found dead, and Matt tries to win the trust of Angel and his girlfriend, Sarah (Rosanna Arquette), in order to take him down,” the plot synopsis reads.

The final movie from legendary director Hal Ashby (Harold and Maude, The Last Detail, Shampoo) and co-written by Oliver Stone (JFK, Platoon, Wall Street), 8 Million Ways to Die reportedly suffered from a turbulent production and was poorly received from critics at the time of its release and was a box office bomb.

In recent years, however, it has developed a bit of a cult following due to Bridges’ portrayal of Scudder, the rest of the talent involved in the film and the movie’s capturing of ’80s LA.

Those who enjoyed the Liam Neeson-starring thriller A Walk Among the Tombstones which we’ve previously recommended may also be interested in 8 Million Ways to Die as it was adapted from another of Block’s Scudder books.

8 Million Ways to Die is airing on the TV channel Legend at 12.40am.

Here are the other movies airing on TV tonight:

US Marshals – ITV4 – 11.10pm

A federal marshal sets out in pursuit of an escaped prisoner who is determined to prove his murder conviction was false.

Zulu – Legend Xtra – 9pm

Fact-based historical drama, starring Michael Caine, Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, Ulla Jacobsson, Nigel Green and Chief Buthelezi, with narration by Richard Burton.

The Good Liar – BBC Two – 11pm

Con man Roy Courtnay sets his sights on the recently widowed Betty McLeish, who is worth millions. 

Gone Baby Gone – TG4 – 9.30pm

A tough Boston neighbourhood becomes the centre of a media circus when a four-year-old girl goes missing. 

The Devil Rides Out – Legend Xtra – 02.55am

Hammer horror based on a novel by Dennis Wheatley, with Christopher Lee, Charles Grey, Patrick Mower, Leon Greene and Paul Eddington.

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