The Cannon Cruisers

In this exciting episode of The Cannon Cruisers, JD and Randy take a trip to 1988 and the Louisiana Bayou. Along the way, they meet a talented writer from Manhattan, her daughter who is struggling with addiction, and the matriarch of a swamp family who rules over her three sons with an iron fist.

That's right, folks; we checked out yet another forgotten Cannon Classic, "Shy People.”

Starring Jill Clayburgh, Barbara Hershey, and Martha Plimpton in an Andrey Konchalovskiy-directed film with a screenplay by Konchalovkiy and Gerard Brach.

Yes, there are people out in that swamp, shy people, just like us.

Welcome back to another edition of the Cannon Cruisers!

This week, JD and Randy delve into the serious realm of film with a review of the little-known WW2 biopic "Hanna's War" from 1988.

Directed by Menahem Golan, the movie features a star-studded cast including Maruschka Detmers, Ellen Burstyn, Anthony Andrews, and Donald Pleasence. Golan also co-wrote the screenplay with Stanley Mann.

Buckle in and enjoy the ride!

Surrender (1987) - Romantic Comedy

Hey Cannon Cruisers fans, Randy here! This week, JD and I surrender to the good times and check out Surrender (1987), a Cannon Films romantic comedy written and directed by Jerry Belson. Michael Caine stars as Sean Stein, a wealthy writer who's become cynical about love, while Sally Field plays Daisy Morgan, a struggling artist who has no idea just how rich he really is. Steve Guttenberg, best known from Police Academy, plays Daisy's not-exactly-committed boyfriend.

We get into how unusually old-fashioned Surrender feels, especially with two middle-aged leads at the centre of the romance, and how Belson drew parts of the story from his own life. Somehow, that also leads us to one very important question: does Michael Caine ever blink?

Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of sexual themes and dated humour.

"Nothing he found on Earth could compare to the hell he'd left behind."

Hey there, Randy here! On this week’s exciting Non-Cannon episode, I wanted to share with you something cool that I snagged during a Vinegar Syndrome sale. JD and I watched a real gem - a quirky, independent sci-fi flick from 1989, "Alien Private Eye."

The film stars Nicholas Hill, Cliff Aduddell, and John Alexander and is written and directed by Viktor Rubenstein, who is known for his work on hit 90s television series, “Early Edition”.

Can you say, CULT CLASSIC?

“THERMONUCLEAR DEVICE!”

"A comedy that spans 1 mile, 2 romances, 3 careers, 4 days, 5 relatives, and $379,000"

JD and Randy take a trip back to 1984 to New York City with little seen Cannon film, "Over The Brooklyn Bridge."

Starring Elliot Gould, Margaux Hemingway, and Sid Caesar in a Menahem Golan film with a screenplay by Arnold Somkin.

Uncle Benjamin: "Right or wrong, I'm right!"

Randy accomplished his mission of finding a movie that has proved elusive.

This week, JD and Randy watched "To the Death," a 1993 Darrell Roodt film, the official CANNON sequel to the 1991 "American Kickboxer."

Starring John Barrett, Michel Qissi, and the charming Robert Whitehead. Is it better than its canon and non-canon predecessors? Tune in to hear where we fall in this debate and whether Randy's search for this film was worth the effort.

"He had everything, but nothing was enough."

This week, JD and Randy check out Luke Perry in the long-forgotten 1992 Cannon film, "Terminal Bliss." Is this film better off forgotten, or is it a lost classic? Listen, and find out.

Starring Tim Owen, Luke Perry, and Estee Chandler in a Jordan Alan film.

When is a numbered sequel, not a sequel?

This week JD and Randy check out the non-Canon-ical sequel to a non-classic Cannon film from 1993, "American Kickboxer 2." Is it better than the original? Find out!

Starring Dale "Apollo" Cook, Evan Lurie, and Kathy Shower in a Jenö Hodi film.

"Twice the action. Twice the danger. Twice the excitement."

Penitentiary III (1987) - Prison Boxing Action

Hey Cannon Cruisers fans! Randy here! If you've been wondering why I've been running around in a daze shouting "OAK TREE" at all hours of the day or night, this episode may explain it. This week, JD and I check out Jamaa Fanaka's Penitentiary III (1987), the Cannon Films prison boxing movie starring Leon Isaac Kennedy. Framed during a boxing match, Too Sweet is sent back to prison and pulled into an underground fighting operation.

Somehow, we started the Penitentiary series with Part III, and this is not a movie interested in easing anyone into things. JD and I get into how a fairly straightforward prison-boxing setup turns into something unmistakably Cannon, along with the strange fact that the third film was already much harder to find than its predecessors. Then there is "OAK TREE," which becomes increasingly difficult to explain without simply yelling it ourselves.

"Where the boxing stops... and the real fight begins!"

Content Warning: This episode contains mature discussion of prison violence, including sexual violence and drug use.

This week, JD and Randy check out the 1982 film adaptation of the stage play "That Championship Season." It is a film with a little more going on under its hood than the average Cannon film, exploring themes of loyalty versus betrayal, success versus failure, and the repercussions of bigotry and prejudice, which can result in feelings of alienation, isolation, and dependency.

The film directorial debut of playwright Jason Miller features an impressive cast including Bruce Dern, Stacy Keach, Robert Mitchum, Martin Sheen, and Paul Sorvino.

"For one brief moment... they were the greatest..."