Far Out Magazine highlights ten under-the-radar action films from 1976, arguing that although the genre had not yet crystallised into the form popularised by 1980s blockbusters, the era still produced films well worth revisiting. The piece traces the roots of action cinema through silent comedy, 1930s adventure films, war epics and westerns before noting how the true "modern" action template only emerged in the following decade with films such as Die Hard and The Terminator.

Among the picks are John Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13, a tense siege thriller inspired by Rio Bravo; John Cassavetes' The Killing of a Chinese Bookie, featuring what is described as Ben Gazzara's career-best performance; and John Wayne's final film, The Shootist, a revisionist western reflecting on his own legacy. The list, drawn from the wider ten-film feature (the excerpt cuts off before completing the full ranking), also references a forthcoming entry involving Robin Hood.