Episode 165 - Bolero (1984)

We wrap up both our 2023 and our final regular episode with one of Cannon's most notorious films. Even compared to some of Cannon's most infamous flicks, this one is considered terrible. But does it deserve it's reputation? The short answer, is yes.

Ostensibly a film about sexual exploration and "maturity", Bolero is also known as nonsensical and ridiculous. It earns that description and then some.

Check out this last episode of the year to find out why that is. You might not believe just how off the rails this one gets.

Randy's Score: 1/5

JD's Score: 1/5

Up Next: Top 25 Non-Cannon Films Special!

Episode 164 - The Wicked Lady (1983)

Though this might not entirely be seasonal appropriate, it is a bit of a miracle that this turned out to not be a waste of time. Ostensibly a saucier remake of an old film about that titular wicked lady who revels in sin which slowly kills herself and those around her, there is a bit more to this picture than you might first think despite the attempt at a comical poster and image. This isn't really a sex comedy despite the image and the typical 1980s obsession with random breasts to pull people into the theaters and video store.

That said, 1983's The Wicked Lady does suffer from tonal issues and its more blue elements don't really stand the test of time in helping it as a film experience. Despite that, there is a core story that is quite good and the typical Cannon madness does help it stand out. For that reason it becomes a recommendation to the both of us.

As always, check out today's episode to understand why that might be.

Randy's Score: 3/5

JD's Score: 3/5

Up Next: Bolero!

Episode 163 - One More Chance (1981)

Today we look at a rare early Cannon flick that we had to scour around to find. This would be 1981's One More Chance, Sam Firstenberg's first movie! This one is a surprisingly wholesome movie about a man looking for another chance at life.

We weren't expecting much out of this, especially since it started life as a student film, but the final product turned out to be treat in ways we didn't expect. Check out the full episode to learn just why that might be. We were a bit taken aback by how much we enjoyed it. This isn't much like Cannon's usual fare!

Randy's Score: 4/5

JD's Score: 4/5

Up Next: The Wicked Lady!

Episode 162 - Link (1986)

Now we get into something a bit weirder, though "weird" is very much in the cannon milieu. This is a killer monkey movie of the sort you've probably heard of. However, this one is made by the director of Psycho II, which gives it a but of a kick and an interesting spin you might not expect, including an ending that surprises a good deal. There is much to discuss in the overlooked thriller horror gem of 1986's Link.

It's a shame this one isn't as well known as it should be, even if it's not quite as great as it could be. That said, check out today's episode and learn just what you've been missing! You definitely won't see this one coming.

Randy's Score: 3/5

JD's Score: 4/5

Up Next: One More Chance!

Episode 161 - Deja Vu (1985)

This might seem strange. Weren't we done with Cannon? Well, actually we are near the end, but since we were so close to 300 total episodes, we decided to just go for broke and do one last run of five Cannon movies to help hit the magic number. This is the first of our final run.

As for 1985's Deja Vu, it ended up being quite a strange watch, but one of our least favorite Cannon flicks. As always, check out today's episode to see why that might be.

Randy's Score: 1/5

JD's Score: 1/5

Up Next: Link!