Episode 33 ~ The Primevals (2023)

Here's another surprise! We cover another movie that was in production limbo for decades before finally getting completed and released. And what's more, this one was also well worth the wait. It's The Primevals, a lost world adventure!

A masterclass of practical effects, throwback 90s acting and plotting, and an even further retro styling of classic monster movies from the early days of cinema, this one is not quite what you might be expecting. It certainly wasn't what we were expecting! Check out the full episode to learn more about the craziness behind the production.

There isn't really anything like The Primevals now or when it was meant to out and, oddly enough, it has made this age even better. Be sure to check it out if you are a practical effects nut and or a lover of adventure movies. You will have a blast.

Randy's Score: 3/5

JD's Score: 3/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: Blast!

Episode 32 ~ Here For Blood (2022)

And now for something you might not expect--we finally cover a completely modern movie! In this low budget indie movie, mayhem abounds in a bit of a throwback to an older style of horror story that you just don't get too much anymore. Oh yeah, and plenty of practical effects to go around! That's always great to see.

However, it's not quite perfect. There's more to a successful chiller than throwbacks. Check out why that might be in today's episode!

Randy's Score: 3/5

JD's Score: 4/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: The Primevals!

Episode 31 ~ Gymkata (1985)

Gymkata! What else to say other than that?

To be frank, you either know what this is, or you don't. If you do then you know why this movie works so well. If not, then you might be excited to learn that you've missed out on an 80s action adventure movie based around gymnastics, undead cities, death races, ninjas, and daring danger at every turn. They not only don't make them like this anymore, it was already uncommon by the time it was actually made.

That said, it's not perfect. Find out why in today's episode!

Randy's Score: 3/5

JD's Score: 4/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: Here for Blood!

Halloween Spectacular VII! (Episode 30)

Welcome back to our seventh Halloween special since starting Cannon Cruisers! If you're wondering what the sixth special was last year, it ran from summer from the start of winter. That was a big one, but this year we decided to do something a bit more traditional.

Like most other years we decided to take on a classic Hollywood franchise from back in the day. Our choice? One of the heavy hitters from the 1970s: The Exorcist!

However, much like our Psycho episode, we decided to skip the most well known film everyone already knows about and has talked on incessantly over the years. It's great, you know it's great, what else can we add? Instead we decided to cover the following two entries in the series. And boy are they different!

Don't worry, though, there is plenty of talk of the original (and we even give our scores for it) as we go into what makes this sequels succeed or fail. It's quite the journey!

We've got much to cover so I won't waste your time here. Anyway, strap in and enjoy in this extra long special episode!

As always, have a Happy Halloween and a great All Saints Day!

The Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)

Randy's Score: 1/5

JD's Score: 1/5

The Exorcist III: Legion (1990)

Randy's Score: 3/5

JD's Score: 4/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: Gymkata!

Episode 29 ~ The Sandlot (1993)

Well here it is, the end of our long-running sports special. And what better film than the last one to really stand out from the pack? It's 1993's The Sandlot, a well-regarded classic of the genre. But does it still hold up?

Obviously, yes, it does. We spanned nearly two decades in this run and it was interesting seeing the beginnings and where this genre eventually ended up. After this it would mainly be repetitive takes on the Mighty Ducks, and sometimes with adults, but this is the last one that really emphasized the importance of the sport in conjunction with the lives of the characters. And in many ways it was one of the best at doing so.

If you haven't seen it, you're missing out. Few films nail childhood in the 20th century nearly as well as this does. Give it a look.

Randy's Score: 5/5

JD's Score: 5/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: Halloween Special VII!

Episode 28 ~ Days of Thunder (1990)

We've reached the 1990s and the tail end of our sports special! Finally we can go into the fan favorite, Days of Thunder! Does it hold up as well as you remember?

You might actually be surprised. Though originally criticized as being Top Gun with cars, the film goes beyond such a simple descriptor to showing the power of the blockbuster movie. It's a throwback, in all the best ways. Find out why that is in today's episode!

Randy's Score: 4/5

JD's Score: 5/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: The Sandlot!

Episode 27 ~ Best of the Best (1989)

Finally, we come to this one! We've been wanting to cover Best of the Best for years, but never quite got the opportunity to do so. Not only do we get to do it today, but we finally get to dig into it for the first time!

Does it still hold up, or is it too tied to its time and place? Believe it or not, the movie might have aged better than you thought! Check out today's episode for the full scoop.

Randy's Score: 5/5

JD's Score: 5/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: Days of Thunder!

Episode 26 ~ The Blood of Heroes (1989)

What do you get when you combine Rutger Hauer, sports, the desert, and the post-apocalypse? Turns out you get a cult favorite most have forgotten about. It's also quite unlike any of the other movies we covered and only barely fits the theme. So that made 1989's The Blood of Heroes the perfect choice for this series!

However, it isn't all sunshine and roses. Check out today's episode to learn why!

Randy's Score: 3/5

JD's Score: 3/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: Best of the Best!

Episode 25 ~ Dead Solid Perfect (1988)

Golf! That's right, it's finally time to take on what many people consider the most boring sport, at least to watch. Does it translate well to a movie or does it adapt the cliched few of the sport a little too well? You'll have to check out today's episode to find out!

However, we aren't quite solid on this adaption of a novel, even though it was an HBO exclusive way back in the day. Why is that? You'll just have to wait and see!

Randy's Score: 2/5

JD's Score: 2/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: Blood of Heroes!

Episode 24 ~ Hoosiers (1987)

We've covered quite a few sports movies so far in our special, and we've seen more or less how the formula came to be throughout the 1980s into what it would be parodied by the '90s and beyond. What we're seeing less of as we go along are movies that break the mold.

Until today, that is. Hoosiers is a pretty special movie in how accurately it both mythologizes the sport in question while also delivering a great drama centered around a town that lives to aim high. What you get is a sports movie up there with the best--one that is still quite unmatched today. Even despite all we've covered so far, nothing is like Hoosiers, and that is is why it has aged so well and still comes highly recommended.

Find out just why that is in today's episode!

Randy's Score: 5/5

JD's Score: 5/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: Dead Solid Perfect!

Episode 23 ~ The Best of Times (1986)

In the annals of the movie halls of "Films That Could Have Existed But Unfortunately Didn't (But Somehow Do?)" with the likes of Extreme Prejudice comes this movie that no one seems to remember. Starring Robin Williams and Kurt Russell in an unlikely duo you would not expect, this football film is not quite what you might think it would be. 

At least in some ways. In other ways, The Best of Times falls a bit short of being a forgotten gem. Regardless, it's a solid watch. Find out why that is in this episode!

Randy's Score: 3/5

JD's Score: 3/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: Hoosiers!

Episode 22 ~ Thrashin' (1986)

Wild in the Streets! It's time to go boarding with one of the most popular skateboarding movies of the 20th century. Want some fun boarding and wicked cool soundtrack? Then this is the movie for you. That's right, it's 1986's Trashin'! Essentially Romeo & Juliet on skateboards, the movie is about what you expected.

Unfortunately, this is also the movie's weakness and helps it fall short of Skateboard: The Movie and Gleaming the Cube. Though it's fine, it doesn't quite stack up. Find out exactly why that is in today's episode!

Randy's Score: 3/5

JD's Score: 3/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: The Best of Times!

Episode 21 ~ Youngblood (1986)

Our sports special runs into a not-so-oddball picture. This would be the coming-of-age drama Youngblood, which has quite the cast. And on top of it you can pretty much guess how this flick will turn out.

Unfortunately, that's also the glaring weakness of this one. Of all the sports films we've covered so far, this is the most formulaic of them by far. It might not be a bad movie, but it doesn't quite stack up either.

Find out why in today's episode!

Randy's Score: 3/5

JD's Score: 3/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: Thrashin'!

Episode 20 ~ Vision Quest (1985)

Every now and then you catch on to not just a sort of movie they don't make anymore, but a sort of book adaption they don't do anymore. The "young adult" coming of age story of an older boy becoming a young man isn't really covered as much anymore, especially in Hollywood. In fact, it actively seems to be discourage these days.

That said, this sort of charm helps a movie like Vision Quest stand out from the pack in regards to sports movies, even at the time. Find out why that might be in today's episode of our summer sports special! 

Randy's Score: 4/5

JD's Score: 4/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: Youngblood!

Episode 19 ~ Brewster's Millions (1985)

Finally, more Walter Hill! It's also a bizarre picture from him, being not only a comedy but a sports adjacent one. It was also the hit he needed to get back on track for the rest of the decade. On top of it, this flick has quite the cast.

That said, it's not quite perfect, but it manages a charm about it that feels so foreign to today. Might help that it's a remake of a much older movie, but there's more to this movie than just that. Check out today's movie to see why that might be the case!

Randy's Score: 3/5

JD's Score: 3/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: Vision Quest!

Episode 18 ~ The Natural (1984)

Today's movie is a bit out of our usual wheelhouse but we decided to cover it anyway to fit in with the theme. What we didn't expect is that it still managed to connect well with the movies we went over before and after it, helping us form a pattern of the line of sports movies in cinema as the years went on. There is a lot to 1984's The Natural.

It's also a great watch, too.

So strap in for this week's episode and buckle in with this lost classic that isn't discussed anywhere near as much as it once was and still should be. It's held up extremely well over the decades and is primed to be re-discovered.

Randy's Score: 5/5

JD's Score: 5/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: Brewster's Millions!

Episode 17 ~ BMX Bandits (1983)

We finally take a trip down under with this infamous BMX favorite! It's BMX Bandits a family comedy where the tricks are as wild as the races and chases--and boy are there a lot of those. Oh, also Nicole Kidman, I guess.

How does it hold up? You'll just have to check out today's episode and see for yourself. Suffice to say, you get exactly what's on the box!

Randy's Score: 3/5

JD's Score: 3/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: The Natural!

Episode 16 ~ Six Pack (1982)

After getting into some cult favorite sports movies, we decided to take a small detour in something a bit more obscure, though it's mostly obscure due to availability. This is one that aside from airing on cable a lot back on the day, and actually did well at the box office, has been almost entirely forgotten due to not seeing much in the way of re-releases.

That said, there is a lot of charm here for a movie ripe for rediscovery. This is another one they don't really make them like anymore. See why that might be in today's episode!

Randy's Score: 3/5

JD's Score: 3/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: BMX Bandits!

Episode 15 ~ The Cannonball Run (1981)

Here's one we've been hankering to cover for some time now. Not only for finally covering a Burt Reynolds movie, but also one directed by Hal Needham, a stunt-focused lighthearted romp of the kind they simply don't make anymore. We also have yet to really watch anything remotely like it, which made for a fun episode.

That said, even now, there isn't really anything like the original version of The Cannonball Run, even today. A cocktail of comedy, sports, action, and fun, you're going to have a blast with this one. It's simply a great time.

Tune in to this episode to understand just why that is!

Randy's Score: 4/5

JD's Score: 4/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: Six Pack!

Episode 14 ~ Penitentiary (1979)

This one has been a long time coming, and we finally got an excuse to cover it! Finally, here is the original Penitentiary from 1979, the one that started it all. A prison boxing movie about making it against incredible odds, it's definitely got that '70s sleaze factor the decade was known for, but still has a touch of the madness that the later Cannon entry would be known for.

That said, it's not particularly notable outside its well done execution and performances, though you'll see why that is in today's episode. Will we cover part 2? Yes, but not for awhile! We want to really shake it up with this summer special.

Until then, enjoy this episode as we delve into the original entry of one of Cannon's looniest sequels. It's a good one!

Randy's Score: 3/5

JD's Score: 3/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: The Cannonball Run!

Episode 13 ~ Skateboard: The Movie (1978)

Now here's a swerve. Recently restored in HD and ready for action, for our next sport we decided to take on skateboarding! This is a movie Randy supported via crowdfunding so we decided to give it a go for our special, despite neither of us having seen it before.

As a result, this movie becomes a time capsule of a specific time and place as well as the sport itself. The movie had to contend with the then-burgeoning hobby of skateboarding into a full on sport and this movie highlights that very transition. That makes looking back on it as interesting as it might be quaint for those used to the more extreme image it would have associated with it decades later. The plot even seems to foreshadow a lot of this.

Despite all that, it's a fun little flick still worth seeing today. Check out the full episode to learn exactly why that might be the case.

Randy's Score: 4/5

JD's Score: 4/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: Penitentiary!

Episode 12 ~ Slap Shot (1977)

As we continue our trek through the mines of sports movies we come to one of the originals. Not only is this our first Paul Newman movie, it's also one of his favorites he ever did. There is a reason for it as Slap Shot is a zany comedy that somehow manages to hold together despite its craziness. It also added quite a lot to sports movies that came into existence later on.

That said, it's not the most consistent movie despite its originality. Find out exactly how much that might hold it back in our new episode!

Randy's Score: 3/5

JD's Score: 3/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: Skateboard: The Movie!

Episode 11 ~ Bad News Bears (1976)

We're back with a brand new sports movie favorite. This week we enter 1976 and talk about the very influential kid baseball movie Bad News Bears. Though if you have yet to see it you might be surprised at just how much is here and how much of it is much more involved and of a higher quality than you might expect. Even if it has been riffed on much in the decades since its release, the film holds up surprisingly well.

Not only that but there was a surprising amount to discuss. Be sure to tune in today to understand just what we mean!

Randy's Score: 5/5

JD's Score: 5/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: Slap Shot!

Episode 10 ~ Rollerball (1975)

It's time for another trip down the lane on our sports movie journey. Of course, what retrospective on sports films would be complete without the 1975 favorite Rollerball, a dystopian nightmare world with a game as brutal as the stakes.

Despite what you might have heard, Rollerball is not a mindless action-fest covered with blood and guts. In fact, it's a look at a world that might have been and the sort of sport that might have been used to hold it together, while also showing just how sports connects the populace in the first place. All while using a completely invented sport that actually works.

What you get is a movie unlike any other in the genre, and one well worth discussing today. Check out the full episode to hear our thoughts!

Randy's Score: 5/5

JD's Score: 5/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: Bad News Bears!

Episode 9 ~ Hard Times (1975)

Finally we managed to go back far enough to cover the first Walter Hill directed film. Not only that, but this one contains Cannon Cruiser favorite Charles Bronson, as well as an all-star cast that includes the likes of James Coburn.

In this Great Depression story, we follow our characters as they try to make it through a dog eat dog world and learn more about what it actually means to survive. This one has more to it than you might initially think, and it is a shame it is not more well known today. That said, check out the episode to learn just why that might be.

Randy's Score: 5/5

JD's Score: 5/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: Rollerball!