Episode 4 ~ Mad God (2021)

Here's a curveball!

This time we decided to cover a movie that wouldn't quite have fit in the old style of Cannon Cruisers but fits perfectly in Bonus Feature. This time we took a look at the strange stop motion film that took decades to make and just came out a few years ago.

This one was a bit hard for us to really go into, so be prepared to come into this one, especially if you've never gotten into this one before. Mad God is as mad as the title says. Check and see if it's for you!

Randy's Score: 3/5

JD's Score: 3/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: Episode 5!

Episode 3 ~ Dancers (1987)

I told you we weren't actually done with Cannon Films, and here is the proof. Today we looked at an earlier film that slipped under our radar, 1987's Dancers!

Ostensibly a story within a story, this follows a production of the ballet Giselle and how the main characters' lives mirror the events of that story. So it is part drama and part ballet--not the sort of movie Cannon typically does or that we cover here.

Unfortunately, the final results are not that interesting. We discuss why that is in today's episode. Suffice to say, it's not as interesting a story as it sounds.

As always, thanks for listening! Have a Happy Easter and we will see you next time.

Randy's Score: 2/5

JD's Score: 2/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: Mad God!

Episode 2 ~ Shakma (1990)

We're back with our second episode in Bonus Feature, and it's one we've wanted to do for awhile but never quite had the chance to. That's right, it's Shakma!

Yes, we've decided to cover another killer monkey movie, this time one with a bit of an infamous trailer, as you will soon learn. However, despite the wackiness and the absurdity, there are a few things about Shakma that still manage to get on our nerves. What might that be? Check out the new episode and learn just what that might be!

You'll never look at Shakma the same again!

Randy's Score: 2/5

JD's Score: 2/5

Spotify link here!

Reminder: We've also got a new Letterboxd profile! Check it out to keep up with all the 300+ movies we've reviewed so far!

Up Next: Dancers!

Episode 1 ~ The Go-Go Boys: The Inside Story of Cannon Films / Electric Boogaloo: The Wild Untold Story of Cannon Films (2014)

Welcome to Bonus Feature! In our first new episode of our "reboot"/relaunch we decided to start with not just one but two documentaries behind the company that helped launch our podcast in the first place. We're starting of with the best possible starting point for Bonus Feature going forward in the future.

We decide to look at both documentaries together as one long piece instead of two separate ones with different aims, and it ends up giving a more complete picture of Cannon, its history, and its influence, detached from revisionism in either direction. Were you to watch these, it would highly be suggested to watch them both.

To hear our full thoughts, as always, check out the first new episode of Bonus Feature above!

Note: We've also got a new Letterboxd profile! Check it out to keep up with all the 300+ movies we've reviewed so far!

Randy's Score: 4/5

JD's Score: 4/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: Shakma!

Introducing Cannon Cruisers: Bonus Feature!

Here is the Big Update promised, and as shocking as it is, the main purpose of it is to tell you that Cannon Cruisers is not actually done.

Surprise!

While the old Cannon Cruisers series ended with exactly 170 Cannon Films episodes and 130 Non-Cannon episodes, a combined count of 300 total, we then decided to use the opportunity to do something different. We will continue Cannon Cruisers in a new way. As a consequence of our decision, we decided to end the old series, wrapping it up in a neat little bow and combining the total episode counts into one. 

We did this because we want to relaunch Cannon Cruisers as more of a general movie / entertainment focused podcast, though it will still heavily feature films from the same time period as the original series did. The main reason we decided to do this is because there isn't much left to cover Cannon Films-wise specifically that we haven't already gone over, but on the other hand there is still plenty from the era (and bordering it) we still want to go over. On top of that, there are also curveballs we'd like to cover that wouldn't really fit the old format at all.

In other words, welcome to Bonus Feature, the new Cannon Cruisers series! Expect more of the same, and more on top of it.

What will be happening is that essentially the first episode of Bonus Feature will go up in March. It will start the count over at #1 again (though it would technically by "#301" overall, it's just simpler to start the numbering from the beginning again) and will no longer be on a weekly basis. We will try for biweekly, but there is no hard schedule anymore. Same style of episodes, it just won't be as constant as it once was.

There are a few reasons for this change. For one, as I've written about elsewhere, and as I know Randy is also dealing with much right now, we want to keep the podcast more of a fun endeavor and less of a serious priority. We've recorded and released 300 episodes over more than half a decade, and we don't want to stop, but we also want to keep it as the light and fun escapism it is for both us and the listeners. Episodes will now come out on a looser schedule, but they will be as they always were otherwise. The only thing that will change is the spread of topics covered and the fact that the "season" format will disappear. Bonus Feature is what it says in the title, a Bonus, and will be treated as one ongoing project from now on.

I also wanted to warn readers of the blog that at some point in the near future the SoundCloud episodes will disappear. That is because we are switching services to something more user (and wallet) friendly, which means we will be reuploading old episodes elsewhere. I will update the old posts accordingly as the switch happens. That said, for those who want to hear the old episodes, there is still the Bitchute page which contains every episode (including the Gaiden episodes I recorded alone during the pandemic), and posted on my own Substack. So if you still want to listen to, or download, any old episode, you still have plenty of options.

That's all there really is to say. Cannon Cruisers isn't going anywhere, neither are we, but the podcast is being tweaked a bit in order to keep it fresh and fun for listeners and to keep it interesting for us. Here's hoping for another 300 episodes on the road ahead. We've got a lot planned.

Thank you for listening and we will see you in March for the first episode of Bonus Feature! It's going to be a good one!

Up Next: Bonus Feature #1!

Top Cannon Lists

I wanted to take this moment to thank you for sticking around with Cannon Cruisers for so many years. As a result of our six and a half years of operation we have had 300 episodes and covered about as many movies. It's been fun.

But we're not quite done yet!

There's still things we want to do, and future plans to discuss what we plan on doing next. That's right, we're not quite stopping with our 300th episode, but things will be a bit different when we get to that. It'll be interesting when it happens.

For now I want to share the complete lists we covered over the last couple of months of episodes, as well as some bonus ones just for today.

Stay tuned for next week when we discuss exactly what will be happening next. Until then, have a good one!

Top 100 Cannon Films

100. King Solomon's Mines
99. Making the Grade
98. Down Twisted
97. The Seven Magnificent Gladiators
96. River of Death
95. Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold
94. The Barbarians
93. Sword of the Valiant
92. Seed of Innocence (aka Teen Mothers)
91. Body and Soul
90. Duet for One
89. Number One with a Bullet
88. Going Bananas
87. Street Smart
86. Surrender
85. Fool for Love
84. Thunder Alley
83. American Ninja 3: Blood Hunt
82. Delta Force 3: The Killing Game
81. The Wicked Lady
80. House of the Long Shadows
79. Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
78. Firewalker
77. Keaton's Cop
76. Grace Quigley
75. Rappin'
74. Over the Brooklyn Bridge
73. Jean-Luc Godard's King Lear
72. Avenging Force
71. Link
70. Exterminator 2
69. The Last American Virgin
68. Rescue Me
67. Hellbound
66. Journey to the Center of the Earth
65. Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects
64. The Naked Cage
63. Otello
62. Dutch Treat
61. Lambada
60. Street Knight
59. Hero and the Terror
58. Messenger of Death
57. Murphy's Law
56. The Hitman
55. Dangerously Close
54. Hercules
53. Sinbad of the Seven Seas
52. Missing in Action 2: The Beginning
51. Death Wish 4: The Crackdown
50. Fifty/Fifty
49. Chain of Command
48. American Cyborg: Steel Warrior
47. American Ninja V
46. Schizoid
45. Braddock: Missing in Action III
44. American Samurai
43. The Naked Face
42. Midnight Ride
41. That Championship Season
40. Ordeal by Innocence
39. American Ninja 4: The Annihilation
38. One More Chance
37. Rockula
36. 10 to Midnight
35. Cyborg
34. To the Death
33. Penitentiary III
32. Aladdin
31. Invaders from Mars
30. Hospital Massacre (aka X-Ray)
29. Evil Angels / A Cry in the Dark
28. Enter the Ninja
27. Barfly
26. Breakin'
25. Masters of the Universe
24. American Ninja 2: The Confrontation
23. Too Much
22. 52 Pick-Up
21. Shy People
20. New Year's Evil
19. Death Wish II
18. Tough Guys Don't Dance
17. The Delta Force
16. Over the Top
15. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2
14. Alien from L.A.
13. Kickboxer
12. Love Streams
11. Missing in Action
10. The Apple
9. Invasion U.S.A.
8. Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo
7. Death Wish 3
6. Revenge of the Ninja
5. American Ninja
4. Lifeforce
3. Runaway Train
2. Ninja III: The Domination
1. Bloodsport

Individual lists

Randy's Top 25 Cannon List

1. Bloodsport

2. Ninja III: The Domination

3. Runaway Train

4. Lifeforce

5. Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo

6. Invasion U.S.A.

7. Love Streams

8. Alien from L.A.

9. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2

10. Over the Top

11. To the Death

12. Death Wish II

13. Penitentiary III

14. Shy People

15. Barfly

16. Aladdin

17. New Year's Evil

18. Tough Guys Don't Dance

19. 10 to Midnight

20. Midnight Ride

21. Rockula

22. The Naked Face

23. Lambada

24. Masters of the Universe

25. Invaders from Mars

JD's Top 25 Cannon List

1. Bloodsport [1988]
2. American Ninja [1985]
3. Missing in Action [1984]
4. Runaway Train [1985]
5. Lifeforce [1985]
6. Love Streams [1984]
7. Revenge of the Ninja [1983]
8. Kickboxer [1989]
9. American Ninja 2: The Confrontation [1987]
10. Death Wish IV: The Crackdown [1987]
11. Invasion USA [1985]
12. 52 Pick Up [1986]
13. Death Wish III [1986]
14. Ninja III: The Domination [1984]
15. Masters of the Universe [1987]
16. Enter the Ninja [1981]
17. Over the Top [1987]
18. American Cyborg: Steel Warrior [1993]
19. American Samurai [1992]
20. Invaders from Mars [1986]
21. To the Death [1994]
22. Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo [1984]
23. Cyborg [1989]
24. Fifty / Fifty [1992]
25. The Delta Force [1986]

Randy's Top 5 Overlooked Cannon Movies

1. To the Death

2. American Ninja V

3. Midnight Ride

4. Rockula

5. Dutch Treat

JD's Top 5 Overlooked Cannon Movies

1. To the Death

2. Fifty/Fifty

3. Midnight Ride

4. Invaders from Mars

5. Sinbad of the Seven Seas

Randy's Top 5 Worst Cannon Movies

1. Bolero

2. America 3000

3. Hanna's War

4. Gor / Outlaw of Gor (Tied)

5. Terminal Bliss

JD's Top 5 Worst Cannon Movies

1. Bolero

2. Doin' Time on Planet Earth

3. Three Kinds of Heat

4. Thunder Run

5. America 3000

Up Next: The big update!

Episode 170 - Cannon Countdown: Top 100 Cannon Movies! [Part 5]

This is it! We've finally made it to the end!

This is our 300th overall episode, and our last traditional Cannon Cruisers episode. In this one we finally settle on the Top 25, as well as give out each of our own personal lists for Top 25 Cannon movies. It's an extra long finale as we wrap up the old series with style.

What comes next? Well, keep your eyes on the blog for that. Over the next two weeks I will be putting up new posts on the blog putting up the text version of our lists and then a more detailed description of what we'll be doing next.

Long story short, Cannon Cruisers will still be around, just in a slightly different form. But that will come later.

For now, enjoy this finale episode. It's been a long time coming. Thank you for sticking with us over the years! It's been a blast and we can't wait to show you what comes next.

Keep cruising that Cannon (and Non-Cannon) catalog, and we'll see you soon!

Up Next: A post featuring all the Cannon lists!

Episode 169 - Cannon Countdown: Top 100 Cannon Movies! [Part 4]

Welcome back to out final list of Cannon movies! This episode is a bit shorter than the last few as we narrow down the list leading up to the Top 25 films. You can think of this one as more of an episode where we sweep it up.

There isn't much longer to go, however. After today all that is left is to assemble our Top 25 Cannon Films and decide just what belongs where. So jump on in and listen as we struggle to figure out how to get there. It's a blast.

Once again, thank you for spending so many episodes with us. We never thought we'd make it this far, and yet here we are. Only just a bit further to go!

Up Next: The finale!

Episode 168 - Cannon Countdown: Top 100 Cannon Movies! [Part 3]

One again we dive into this list of ours, and seek to find some organization among the madness, Today we seek some clarity among the 50 titles we have left. How does one even start to imagine what will make it higher? This is the point where we start making more difficult decisions and really digging into why we like them.

Since we've been doing this since 2017, we've watched a lot of Cannon movies and related movies and we've learned an appreciation for films of that era. It's hard to imagine even being able to have this conversation at all back then, never mind choosing the flicks to do today. It took this long just to truly get why we look doing what we do.

As always, check out today's episode to find out just what we think about these movies from infamous studio whose reputation only improves by the year. There's still two more episodes to go. Tune in to learn just what makes the list!

Up Next: Part 4!

Episode 167 - Cannon Countdown: Top 100 Cannon Movies! [Part 2]

Welcome back! In this second episode of our special countdown episodes we finally reach our consensus on the bottom 50 as we decide what doesn't quite make the cut from last time. With this episode we are more or less halfway there!

This episode is a bit less controversial than last time, but we still make some surprising additions I didn't quite expect when cobbling this together.

As always check out today's much longer than usual episode to figure out just what we consider makes the divide on our list between the top and bottom Cannon movies of all time! You might be shocked.

Up Next: Part 3!

Episode 166 - Cannon Countdown: Top 100 Cannon Movies! [Part 1]

Welcome to the Cannon Countdown!

In this episode we go over what we would consider our favorite movies Cannon Films put out! We go over all the Cannon movies we have covered in the over six years we've been doing this and decide which ones will make the list.

That's right, it's time to decide, what are the 100 best Cannon movies? Join us in this first edition as we go over the basic list to choose what does and doesn't make the first round of cuts. Do your favorites make it? Tune in and find out!

This is going to take a few episodes!

Up Next: Part 2!

Non-Cannon ~ Episode 130 - Our Top Twenty-Five Non-Cannon Films!

We're going back deep! This is the final Non-Cannon episode! What will make the cut? In this episode we discuss our favorites from the past half decade+ of Cannon Cruisers to decide just what is the best of the best!

Our lists might surprise you!

For those who wish to see the full list in print, you can find it below. Thank you for listening and enjoy today's extra long episode! We did not expect it to be so long.

Randy's favorite Non-Cannon movies

1. Used Cars

2. Tombstone

3. Heat

4. Groundhog Day

5. Assault on Precinct 13

6. Innerspace

7. Romancing the Stone

8. Tremors

9. Toy Soldiers

10. Gremlins 2

11. Halloween 3: Season of the Witch

12. Radioactive Dreams

13. Deadly Games Dial Code Santa Claus

14. Highlander

15. Midnight Run

16. Poltergeist

17. Big Trouble in Little China

18. Heavyweights

19. Alien Private Eye

20. New York Ninja

21. The Lost Boys

23. Extreme Prejudice

22. The Hidden

24. Manhattan Project

25. In the Mouth of Madness

JD's favorite Non-Cannon movies

1. Streets of Fire

2. Tombstone

3. Assault on Precinct 13

4. Heat

5. Big Trouble in Little China

6. The Warriors

7. Commando

8. The Hidden

9. The Miami Connection

10. Cobra

11. Groundhog Day

12. Radioactive Dreams

13. Tremors

14. Extreme Prejudice

15. Lone Wolf McQuade

16. In the Mouth of Madness

17. Innerspace

18. Romancing the Stone

19. Escape from New York

20. Highlander

21. Road House

22. Gremlins 2: the New Batch

23. Camp Nowhere

24. Sidekicks

25. Eliminators

Up Next: Our Big 5-part Cannon Finale!