The Cannon Cruisers

The Cannon Cruisers

By The Cannon CruisersTV & Film
Download on the App Store

The Cannon Cruisers episodes

  • Deja Vu (1985)
    Hey everybody, we're back with another exciting edition of the Cannon Cruisers. This week, JD and Randy continue our cruise through the Cannon catalogue with the 1985 film, "Deja Vu."
    That's right, you heard correctly, we still have more Cannon films to watch. Join us!
    20 min
  • Poltergeist (1982)
    Poltergeist (1982) - Supernatural Horror

    Hey Cannon Cruisers fans! Randy here! This week, JD and I wrap up our run of family-friendly "horror" with Poltergeist (1982), Tobe Hooper's supernatural horror classic starring JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson and Heather O'Rourke. When strange activity inside a suburban home escalates and the family's young daughter disappears, they turn to paranormal investigators for help bringing her back.

    The family-friendly joke finally reaches its logical conclusion with a PG-rated movie that is easily the most intense entry in the run. A lot of our discussion comes back to just how influential Poltergeist became and how much of its imagery has been absorbed into pop culture. We also get into the long-running debate over Tobe Hooper and Steven Spielberg's respective influence on the film. The practical effects get plenty of attention before the conversation turns to the stories surrounding the so-called Poltergeist curse.

    Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of horror violence, disturbing imagery and real-life deaths associated with the cast.

    31 min
  • Return To Oz (1985)
    Return to Oz (1985) - Dark Fantasy

    Hey Cannon Cruisers fans! Randy here! This week, JD and I continue our run of family-friendly "horror" with Return to Oz (1985), Walter Murch's dark fantasy starring Fairuza Balk as Dorothy. After her family sends her away for treatment because she can't stop talking about Oz, Dorothy returns to find the kingdom in ruins and many of its familiar inhabitants missing.

    Return to Oz has earned a reputation for unsettling generations of younger viewers, so a lot of our discussion comes back to whether that reputation still holds up. We also look at how much darker this version of Oz feels compared with the 1939 film and how naturally it fits alongside other 1980s fantasy films like The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth and Legend. Its strange imagery and practical effects help explain why the movie has stuck with so many people long after its original release.

    Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of disturbing fantasy imagery and mental health treatment involving a child.

    25 min
  • Arachnophobia [1990]
    This week, JD and Randy revisit "Arachnophobia", a 1990 horror-comedy film directed by Frank Marshall. The movie stars Jeff Daniels, John Goodman, and Julian Sands, and centers around a doctor who moves to a spider-infested small town. Tune in to see if the film still holds up 23 years later.
    "Eight legs, two fangs and an attitude."
    22 min
  • The Witches [1990]
    On this week's exciting episode of the Non-Cannon-ical Adventures of JD and Randy, we check out "The Witches", a 1990 dark fantasy comedy horror film based on the 1983 novel by Roald Dahl.
    The film is directed by Nicolas Roeg, who co-wrote the screenplay with Allan Scott. The film stars Anjelica Huston, Mai Zetterling, Rowan Atkinson, and Jasen Fisher.
    25 min
  • The Gate II [1990]
    This week, JD and Randy return to the nightmare of "The Gate II," a follow-up to the cult classic "The Gate." Louis Tripp stars as Terry, a teenager obsessed with the evil portal, and Pamela Adlon co-stars as Liz, a goth girl fascinated by the occult. Directed by Tibor Takács and written by Michael Nankin.
    24 min

About The Cannon Cruisers

From the publisher's feed

Cannon Cruisers is a weekly film podcast with JD and Randy. What started as a journey through the Cannon Films catalogue has grown into 400+ movies from the 1970s to today, with plenty of 1980s and…