The Cannon Cruisers

Hey Cannon Cruisers fans! This week we’re covering Alphabet City (1984), a stylish neo-noir crime drama directed by Amos Poe and shot on location in early 80s New York City. Starring Vincent Spano, Kate Vernon, Jamie Gertz, and Michael Winslow, the film follows a small-time mob runner over one long night as he tries to escape the life after being ordered to burn down his own family’s building.

Join JD and Randy as they break down the film’s music-video energy, neon-soaked cinematography by Oliver Wood, and Nile Rodgers’ electronic score. We discuss its thin but focused story, Fear City atmosphere, and why this feels more like a time capsule of pre-gentrification Alphabet City than a traditional crime thriller. Tune in to hear why this vibe-heavy cult noir works best as a snapshot of a vanished era.

Content Warning: This episode contains explicit language.

Hey Cannon Cruisers fans! This week we’re covering Primal Rage (1988), an Italian-American horror thriller directed by Vittorio Rambaldi and Patrick B. White. Often mistaken for a killer monkey movie, this cult oddity is actually a rage virus horror film where a lab baboon bite turns college students into violent, screaming maniacs.

Join JD and Randy as they break down the film’s Italian horror DNA, uneven pacing, and low-stakes body count. We discuss the misleading premise, the Halloween party massacre, Goblin-adjacent score vibes, and why this plays more goofy than scary. Tune in to hear why this oddball rage virus entry is more curiosity than classic.

Content Warning: This episode contains explicit language.

Hey Cannon Cruisers fans! This week we’re covering Good Boy (2025), an indie horror hit directed by Ben Leonberg and co-written with Alex Cannon. Told almost entirely from a dog’s perspective, this haunted house horror drama follows Indy as he moves with his terminally ill owner to a rural family home where grief, illness, and something possibly supernatural begin to overlap.

Join JD and Randy as they explore the film’s festival buzz, minimalist storytelling, and emotionally heavy tone. We discuss the dog-centred POV gimmick, Larry Fessenden’s appearance, the ambiguous horror elements, and why this unsettling indie stands out among recent low budget horror releases. Tune in to hear why Good Boy lingers long after the credits roll.

Content Warning: This episode contains explicit language.

Hey Cannon Cruisers fans! This week we’re covering Black Christmas (1974), a Canadian horror thriller directed by Bob Clark, also known for A Christmas Story and Porky’s. Set during the holidays, the film follows a sorority house plagued by obscene phone calls and a series of murders, laying the groundwork for the modern slasher film.

Join JD and Randy as they break down the film’s slow-burn tension, restrained violence, and eerie sound design. We discuss its ambiguous killer, unreliable assumptions, and lasting influence on slashers like Halloween and Scream. Tune in to hear why this bleak, unsettling classic still holds up fifty years later. Merry Christmas.

Content Warning: This episode contains explicit language.

Hey Cannon Cruisers fans! This week we’re diving into Magic Crystal (1986), a high-energy Hong Kong action fantasy from Wong Jing, starring Andy Lau, Cynthia Rothrock, and Richard Norton. When a mysterious alien crystal falls to Earth, cops, criminals, and spies race across the globe as the film jumps from police thriller to sci-fi adventure to Indiana Jones-style spectacle.

Join JD and Randy as they break down the film’s kitchen-sink approach, wild tonal shifts, and nonstop martial arts action. We talk Cynthia Rothrock at her Hong Kong peak, Wong Jing’s self-deprecating comedy role, the family-friendly chaos, and why this feels like Big Trouble in Little China filtered through 80s Hong Kong cinema. Tune in to hear why this hidden gem delivers on action, humour, and pure genre fun.

Content Warning: This episode contains explicit language.

Hey Cannon Cruisers fans! This week we’re checking out Jimmy and Stiggs (2025), an independent sci-fi horror thriller written, directed by, and starring Joe Begos, also known for VFW. Set almost entirely in a single apartment, the film follows a self-destructive filmmaker who believes he’s been abducted by aliens and pulls an estranged friend back into his life just as reality begins to fracture.

Join JD and Randy as they break down the film’s claustrophobic structure, extreme practical gore, and unreliable first-person perspective. We discuss the heavy use of colour, sensory overload, substance abuse themes, and the ambiguity surrounding what actually happened. Tune in to hear why this intense, minimalist horror film sparks debate and lingers long after the credits roll.

Content Warning: This episode contains explicit language.

Hey Cannon Cruisers fans! This week we’re checking out Surf II (1984), a cult 80s comedy from Randall M. Badat starring Eddie Deezen, Linda Kerridge, Eric Stoltz, and Jeffrey Rogers. This oddball spoof mixes beach movies, sci-fi, and new wave punk as a mad scientist turns surfers into cola-fuelled zombies.

Join JD and Randy as they explore the film’s absurd humour, stacked new wave soundtrack, and smart-dumb parody style. We talk the interchangeable leads, the inventive split-screen family scenes, the punk-zombie chaos, and why this weird, divisive gem still stands out in 80s cult cinema. Tune in for our thoughts on its charm, tone, and offbeat energy.

Content Warning: This episode contains explicit language.

Hey Cannon Cruisers fans! This week we’re checking out Demolition High (1996), a low budget 90s action thriller from Jim Wynorski, best known for Chopping Mall. Starring Corey Haim, Alan Thicke, Jeff Kober, Melissa Brasselle, and Dick Van Patten, it follows a teen who transfers to a small-town school the same day a group of heavily armed criminals take the building hostage in a Die Hard–style showdown.

Join JD and Randy as they dig into the film’s VHS-era charm, practical effects, splatter-style kills, and surprisingly violent set pieces. We discuss Corey Haim’s standout performance, the inventive high school booby traps, Wynorski’s B-movie style, and how this one stands apart from other Die Hard clones like Toy Soldiers and Masterminds. Tune in for our full breakdown of its action, humour, and 90s straight-to-video energy.

Content Warning: This episode contains explicit language.

Hey Cannon Cruisers fans! This week we're checking out Demolition Highway (1996), a 90s micro budget action thriller from cult director Donald Farmer, best known for shot-on-video and direct-to-video genre films. Starring Danny Fendley, Joe Estevez, and Lisa Tyer, it follows ex-con Frank as he hunts down his double-crossing partner, rescues a kidnapped daughter, and crashes into biker gang chaos.

Join JD and Randy as they dig into Farmer’s low budget style, the film’s recycled stunts, twin-thug casting, and its mix of crime, revenge, and VHS-era action. We talk Joe Estevez chewing scenery, the uneven pacing, the slow-motion chases, and how this still counts as Farmer’s most competent work. Tune in to hear why this oddball 90s action curio both frustrates and entertains.

Content Warning: This episode contains explicit language.

Hey Cannon Cruisers fans! This week we're looking at Nightmare at Noon (1988), a low budget action horror western from Nico Mastorakis, also known for Island of Death. A silent albino scientist contaminates a Utah town's water supply, unleashing green-tinged rage attacks and pulling the sheriff, a drifter, and their partners into a desert chase for answers.

Join JD and Randy as they compare it to Romero’s The Crazies and Mutants (1984), break down the film’s western shift, and talk stunt work, explosions, and that overlong helicopter chase. We highlight Wings Hauser, Bo Hopkins, and George Kennedy, the odd pacing, and why this could only have been made in the 80s. Tune in for our take on its charm, flaws, and unexpected performances.

Content Warning: This episode contains explicit language.