EXCLUSIVE: Fifty years after one of the most unforgettable nights in hockey history, a new documentary will bring the story of the Philadelphia Flyers vs. Soviet Central Red Army game of January 11, 1976 back to the city where it happened.
Cold War in Philly will premiere there this spring with a special event featuring members of the team, known in that era as the Broad Street Bullies for tough and intimidating play. It’s directed by Joe Amodei, who is from the area, and produced by his Virgil Films & Entertainment.
The Soviet Red Army team arrived in North America widely regarded as the most dominant hockey program in the world. What followed became one of the most iconic games in NHL history as the Flyers defeated them 4–1 at the Spectrum. The film revisits the clash that night through interviews with the players who lived it, including Bobby Clarke, Bernie Parent, Bill Barber, Dave Schultz, Reggie Leach, Joe Watson, Gary Dornhoefer and Ed Van Impe, as well as journalists, broadcasters and fans.
A May 27 premiere event at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre on Broad Street with proceeds going to the Philadelphia Flyers Alumni Association will be followed by a second night screening at the Philadelphia Film Center. Theatrical release is set for June at area theaters before hitting digital late summer-early fall.
The documentary explores the game and the extraordinary moment in history surrounding as it became part of the broader drama of the Cold War. The Flyers “represented the heart of Philadelphia,” Amodei says. “When they stepped onto the ice against the Red Army team, it became about more than just hockey. It was a clash of styles, cultures, and pride. Working with the alumni on this film is a high point in my career.”
Hockey – particularly the U.S. vs Russian variety — has frequently mined for film and television.
Netflix recently debuted documentary Miracle: The Boys Of ’80, which revisits the U.S. men’s national hockey team’s unlikely victory over the Soviets at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, a game known as the Miracle on Ice.
It was depicted in the 2004 feature film Miracle starring Kurt Russell, and the 1981 TV movie Miracle on Ice starring Karl Malden — botg oth actors played U.S. head coach Herb Brooks. Brooks himself was on camera in HBO’s 2001 doc Do You Believe In Miracles? The Story of the 1980 U.S. Hockey Team.
Gabe Polsky’s 2014 documentary Red Army and ESPN’s 2015 doc Of Miracles And Men followed the Soviet national team before and after the Olympic defeat.
“In all of those, including the one that just premiered on Netflix, no one has ever mentioned the fact that the Flyers, four years previously in 1976, beat the same team,” Amodei says. “Being a fan and being someone who has idolized them, I wanted a living document of the guys, who are getting up in age. We just lost Bernie Parent.” The Hall of Fame goaltender, who led the Flyers to consecutive Stanley Cup victories in 1974 and 1975, passed away last fall.
The film “gives us a chance to honor those players and relive one of the most remarkable moments the sport has ever seen,” added executive producer Brian Samelson.
Flyers Alumni President Brad Marsh called the Broad Street Bullies “the gold standard for what it means to be a Flyer … This film shows what the team was all about.”
This is Amodei’s first outing as a director. Virgil Films releases have included Super Size Me, I Am Chris Farley and Restrepo.
English (US) ·