The Cannon Cruisers

Join JD and Randy as they revisit the 80s classic "Superman IV: The Quest for Peace" starring Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman, and Jon Cryer. The writers aimed to convey a message of hope and unity during a time of nuclear war. Did they succeed? Stay tuned to find out!

“Apartment for Rent. Inquire Within…”

Get ready for a wild ride with JD and Randy on "The Non-CANNON-ical Adventures" as they explore the 1986 horror-comedy "Troll." Join Harry Potter Jr (no, not the wizard) as he teams up with the beautiful witch Eunice St. Clair to save his sister Wendy and their apartment complex from the evil troll wizard Torok. With a talented cast including Noah Hathaway, Michael Moriarty, Shelly Hack, Jenny Beck, and even the legendary Sonny Bono, this film from Empire Pictures has gained a cult following over the years. Don't miss out on this hilarious and thrilling adventure!

“Worlds of Wonder, Worlds of Mystery, Worlds of Fear; These Worlds are the Kingdom of Troll!”

"The Most Powerful Love Story Ever Told..."

This week, JD and Randy checked out the 1986 Cannon Classic film, "Otello". It's amazing how we keep finding more Cannon films.

Otello is a 1986 film based on the Giuseppe Verdi opera of the same name, which was itself based on the Shakespearean play Othello. The film was directed by Franco Zeffirelli and starred Plácido Domingo in the title role, Katia Ricciarelli as Desdemona and Justino Díaz as Iago.

"The most passionate opera of all time comes to life on the motion picture screen."

“For Americans captured in Vietnam, one war ended. Another war was about to begin...”

This week, things take yet another turn to the serious when JD and Randy take a trip to Vietnam with their latest watch, the Obscure 1987 Vietnam War flick, “The Hanoi Hilton,” a Cannon film that would have been better as a TV miniseries.

Where have we heard that before?

Starring Michael Moriarty, Paul Le Met, and John Edwin Shaw in a Lionel Chetwynd film.

“They were seven - And they fought like seven hundred!”

On this week’s exciting episode, JD and Randy cruise back to 1983 and check out a film that until today they didn’t even realize existed, "The Seven Magnificent Gladiators." Starring Lou Ferrigno, Dan Vadis, and Sybil Danning in a Bruno Mattei film. Enjoy the ride!

“Once You've Met Them...You'll Never Forget Them.”

On the latest episode of "The Non-Canonical Adventures of JD and Randy," we check out a hidden gem that you might not have heard of, "Uforia" (1984). Interestingly, it only had one VHS release and one (?) showing on cable TV. So, it's a bit of a rare find!

Directed by John Binder and starring Fred Ward, Harry Dean Stanton, and Cindy Williams.

Enjoy!

Jean-Luc Godard's King Lear (1987) - Experimental Drama

Hey Cannon Cruisers fans! Randy here! It should be noted that, according to the movie, all of human culture was lost after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster of 1986. However, with the aid of William Shakespeare Jr. the Fifth and the Cannon Culture Division, they attempt to revive Shakespeare's great works, beginning with King Lear. This week, JD and I take on Jean-Luc Godard's King Lear (1987), the Cannon Films-produced experimental drama starring Burgess Meredith and Molly Ringwald.

JD and I get into the strange history behind Godard's collaboration with Cannon Films and the version of the movie Norman Mailer originally expected to make. We also spend plenty of time trying to make sense of the finished film's fragmented structure. Somewhere along the way, its constant bird noises and crashing waves become a running joke of their own: caw, caw, sound of waves.

Content Warning: This episode contains strong language and discussion of incestuous themes.

Join JD and Randy as they continue their cruise through the Cannon Catalogue. This week, we check out the 1986 Korean War drama, "Field of Honor," a Dutch-South Korean co-production.

Starring Everett McGill, Ron Brandsteder, Bart Römer, Lee Hye-Young and Kim Dong-Hyeon; directed by Kim Dae-Hie and Hans Scheepmaker, with a screenplay by Henk Bos and Kim Dae-Hie.

"Dear Friend, will I ever forget the day we met? I will never forget you, oh no, dear friend."

This week, JD and Randy revisit 1987 and the strangest family film ever released by Cannon, "Too Much: The Robot with a Heart." Starring talented actors such as Bridgette Andersen (in her final film role), Masato Fukazama, and Char Fontane in a film directed by Éric Rochat.

I, for one, welcome our new robot overlords...

Roadhouse 66 (1984) - Road Comedy-Drama

Hey Cannon Cruisers fans! Randy here! This week, JD and I check out Roadhouse 66 (1984), not that Road House, starring Willem Dafoe and Judge Reinhold. After a run-in with some local trouble leaves his car stranded, a young businessman teams up with an ex-rocker in a small Route 66 town where neither of them was planning to stay for long.

JD and I spend a surprising amount of time trying to pin down exactly what kind of movie Roadhouse 66 is, especially since the marketing makes it look far more action-heavy than it actually is. We talk about the chemistry between Dafoe and Reinhold, the film's laid-back road-movie feel and how its Route 66 setting ties into characters who seem just as stuck as the town around them. The rockabilly soundtrack gets some attention too, along with an MGM DVD cover that appears to be advertising an entirely different movie.