The Cannon Cruisers

Listener beware! You're in for a scare! Randy here. For our first Halloween Spooktacular, JD and I step away from the Cannon Catalogue to cover Halloween (1978), Halloween II (1981) and Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982). At the time, I'd only seen Halloween III, while JD had only seen the original, so most of this is us discovering the series in real time.

The original has us talking about its slow build of tension and the slasher formula it helped popularize. Halloween II turns into a much more frustrated conversation about a sequel that picks up immediately after the first film but feels like a missed opportunity. By the time we reach Season of the Witch, the discussion shifts to the abandoned anthology idea and what the Halloween series might have looked like if audiences had accepted a new story every year instead of more Michael Myers.

Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of horror violence and death, including violence involving children.

Hey Cannon Cruisers fans! Randy here! This week, JD and I check out The Last American Virgin (1982), a Cannon Films teen sex comedy written and directed by Boaz Davidson. A remake of Davidson's 1978 Israeli film Lemon Popsicle, it stars Lawrence Monoson, Diane Franklin, Steve Antin and Joe Rubbo, with Kimmy Robertson in a supporting role.

JD and I weren't particularly big fans of this kind of movie, and a lot of our discussion comes back to how little plot there is for most of the runtime beyond the three leads chasing sex and relationships. Things change considerably in the final stretch, when the movie shifts into a much more serious coming-of-age drama and starts playing against the expectations of the genre. The soundtrack ends up being the easy highlight for both of us.

Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of sexual themes involving teenage characters.

We are the Cannon Cruisers! In this exciting episode, JD and Randy travel back to 1981 to watch and review the action-packed film Enter the Ninja. This 1981 classic has inspired the ninja craze of the 80s, and our hosts are eager to share their thoughts on what makes it so special. From its intense fight choreography to its memorable one-liners, JD and Randy dissect the film's strengths and weaknesses in their own unique style.

We are the Cannon Cruisers! In this very special episode, JD and Randy dive deep into the 1980 musical "The Apple," a film infamous for its over-the-top performances and mind-bending plot. Join our hosts as they take a critical journey through what went wrong in this ambitious, ill-fated cinematic undertaking.

Also, listen as Randy dies inside.