Halloween GAIDEN Special #6 - Maniac Cop 2 (1990)

A movie that is very much the end of an era, and one of the last big horror movies before the genre fell into decline in the 1990s. Maniac Cop 2, for all intents and purposes, is the second half of the original Maniac Cop, building off the promises, the atmosphere, and the not quite so satisfying ending to bring the story into full bloom before capping it off with an explosive send off that brings it full circle. As far as horror sequels go, this is one of the best.

This is also one of my personal favorite horror flicks, and I hope you'll listen to the episode above to learn why that is. And yes, this one is being posted on Wasteland & Sky just as the other episodes in this special were.

I would like to thank you for sticking around this past week and enjoying the Halloween excitement. It's been a treat doing something different and sharing it with you. Tomorrow, I'll see you again with a regular Cannon Cruisers episode, where we will return to our normal schedule. It's been fun!

Have a Happy Halloween!

JD's rating: Recommended

Up Next: Hard Ticket to Hawaii!

Halloween GAIDEN Special #5 - Maniac Cop (1988)

On our fifth day of Halloween celebrations, we are taking a look at 1988's noir-ish horror thriller Maniac Cop. This is one that has been gaining in cult appeal over the years, and for good reason. As far as "slasher" style horror goes, it is one of the best.

But Maniac Cop is more than a slasher. Its quite an engaging story of revenge and the price of greed and order over justice. To say more would be to spoil it. Watch the episode above to understand just what I'm referring to.

Just as always, check the link to Wasteland & Sky if you'd prefer to watch it there. All of these are still being cross-posted there.

Remember to have a Happy Halloween! We have one more episode left to end this week long special. I hope you'll continue to join me as we finish this  series up.

JD's rating: Recommended

Up Next: Maniac Cop 2!

Halloween GAIDEN Special #4 - Dead Heat (1988)

For our fourth day I'm going to go into the relatively forgotten and unknown gem, Dead Heat starring Treat Williams and Joe Piscopo. On the surface, this might seem just like any other buddy cop movie from the 1980s, but there is quite a bit more to it than that.

Part action movie, part dark comedy, part zombie horror, and with surprisingly effective themes, this is one of those pictures that could only work in the era that spawned it. As a result, it deserves an episode to itself. You're not liable to see anything like this out of Hollywood ever again. That much is absolutely certain.

This one is also being crossposted on Wasteland & Sky, just as before, so watch it wherever you'd prefer. Remember, we're not done yet!

JD's rating: Recommended

Up Next: Maniac Cop!

Halloween GAIDEN Special #3 - House II: The Second Story (1987)

Continuing from yesterday, I decided to cover the very different sequel to the original House. This one isn't a horror movie, being more of an adventure story. In many ways it is the opposite of the first film, yet it retains many of the themes at the same time. It also helps that has much of the same staff and crew from the first movie to help retain quality.

As always, check the episode above for full impressions! This one is cross-posted on Wasteland & Sky, just as the rest in this mini-series will be. So check it out wherever you prefer.

JD's rating: Recommended

Up Next: Dead Heat!

Halloween GAIDEN Special #2 - House (1986)

Today we're getting a gander at the obscure favorite, House, from 1986. This is a haunted house story with enough dark comedy to unsettle most audiences, but still manages to retain a chilling atmosphere at the same time. From the director of Friday the 13th Part 2 and Part 3, as well as Warlock, and the writer of Night of the Creeps and Monster Squad, comes a hidden gem that shouldn't be as hidden as it is. Find out why in tonight's episode!

As an aside, a reminder that this it being cross-posted at Wasteland & Sky, my other blog! You can enjoy this episode at either location. It's up to you! 

JD's rating: Recommended

Up next: House II: The Second Story!

Halloween GAIDEN Special #1 - Night of the Demons (1988)

Bet you didn't see this coming!

That's right, since we didn't get a chance to record a Halloween episode this year, for obvious reasons, I decided to make some bonus episodes of Cannon Cruisers GAIDEN to take us to the 31st! So get ready for six extra episodes of Cannon Cruisers GAIDEN as I chat about some seasonal movies. It's being crossposted on my other blog, Wasteland & Sky!  

Up first I decided to cover a bit of hidden favorite, Night of the Demons from 1988. This is an odd one that I thought deserved discussion. Check the episode above for my thoughts!

JD's rating: Recommended

Up next: Tune in tomorrow!

Cannon Cruisers GAIDEN ~ Episode 20 - Society (1989)

Check it out on Bitchute Here! (The file is too big!)

For this week I decided to take a look at an oddball that flew under many people's radars. That would be Brian Yuzna's Society from 1989. This one is a Lovecraft-style story about a teenager who learns his world isn't quite what he thinks it is. To find out more, click on the episode above! I'm not one for avoiding spoilers, but I think it helps with a movie like this.

So this is our last episode of the GAIDEN miniseries. I hope you've had a good time during this turbulent period as we went through some obscure favorites and not-so-favorites we might have missed out on normal Cannon Cruisers. It's been a blast for me.

Thanks for the good times, and I'll see you with next week's surprise!

JD's rating: Recommended

Up Next: Cannon Film Guide!

Cannon Cruisers GAIDEN ~ Episode 19 - Split Second (1992)

 

Welcome to our weekly installment of Cannon Cruisers GAIDEN! This time we're taking a look at the overlooked 1992 classic Split Second starring the immortal Rutger Hauer. In this one, an unholy monster stalks a cyberpunk world where only two mismatched cops can find it and dispense justice. Needless to say, there is a lot of action.

Though it came out at a bad time it has since enjoyed a cult following that has only grown with the passage of time. In this episode we look to see if that praise is justified, or full of hot air. As always, listen to the episode above (or find us on Bitchute!) to see my full thoughts on the action/ horror/ cyberpunk romp.

JD's rating: Recommended

Up Next: Society!

Cannon Cruisers GAIDEN ~ Episode 18 - Convoy (1978)

Bet you didn't expect this one. Due to a suggestion  decided to cover Sam Peckinpah's 1978 trucker movie classic, Convoy! I cover events surrounding the movie on top of the context as to why this one might be more important than you might think, especially in the context of a project like Cannon Cruisers.

Despite critical savaging, Convoy has gone on to be the director's most profitable movie and a popular guys night out flick. Despite its age, it remains a cult classic to this day. Check out the episode to understand why.

JD's rating: Recommended

Up Next: Split Second!

Cannon Cruisers GAIDEN ~ Episode 17 - TerrorVision (1986)

This week I wanted to cover a movie I hadn't seen before, one quite a bit different from the usual. Today we take a look at a satirical horror movie that is as silly as it is gory, though it doesn't have the reputation you would expect. TerrorVision is an incredibly maligned and hated movie, though I don't quite understand why that is.

Check out the above episode to see just why that is, and wonder with me as to just how it can be so hated. To be honest, I don't quite see it. The movie does exactly what it sets out to do, and for for that I find myself enjoying it.

JD's rating: Recommended



Up Next: Convoy!

Cannon Cruisers GAIDEN ~ Episode 16 - Deathstalker II: Duel of the Titans (1987)

We're back so soon with a sequel! After thinking it over for the better part of a week I decided to watch Deathstalker II, after all. Even though it was made five years later and featured an entirely different cast and crew I wanted to see if it held with the original.

It doesn't really, but that's not exactly a detriment. Instead it turns out to be a movie that shows that wide spread a genre like Sword & Sorcery actually has. What exactly does that mean? You'll have t tune in to find out!

JD's rating: Recommended



Up Next: TerrorVision!

Cannon Cruisers GAIDEN ~ Episode 15 - Deathstalker (1983)

Something a bit different for GAIDEN, I've decided to take time to watch the first Deathstalker movie produced by Roger Corman. We haven't covered much sword and sorcery here on Cannon Cruisers, so that is going to change with this episode! Back in the 1980s Corman did a few co-productions in Argentina, and this is the most popular one. What better time to take a gander at it then now?

Is it a cult favorite for a reason, or is this one over-hyped and undeserving of its praise? Check out the episode above to see.

JD's rating: Recommended



Next time: Deathstalker II!

Cannon Cruisers GAIDEN ~ Episode 14 - Critters 2: The Main Course (1988)

This time I take a look at a sequel to a movie we covered on normal Cannon Cruisers! Since Randy wasn't that enamored with the original I figured I would use the opportunity and watch the sequel on my own for GAIDEN. Was that a good idea? Tune in to this episode of GAIDEN to find out!

We all know the 1980s were filled with Gremlins knock-offs. Not a single one came close to the original when it came to small creature causing havoc horror (except its sequel!), though the original Critters was actually in-development first, and therefore offered a bit more than a cheap wannabe cashing in on its success.

JD's rating: Recommended



Up next: Deathstalker!

Cannon Cruisers GAIDEN ~ Episode 13 - PM Entertainment Outro

Today we take our last look at our PM Entertainment mini-series in our GAIDEN mini-series. Of course, GAIDEN will be continuing after this, but not our exclusive focus on PM Entertainment. We have to move onto other things eventually, right?

For this one I decided to go out with a bang and cover the two most we known movies PM put out. Thanks to coverage by Red Letter Media's Best of the Worst program, most b-movie fans are well aware of both Hologram Man and The Sweeper, so what better way to end this mini-series as part of our greater sub-series? We're going out big.

First up is 1995's Hologram Man. This is the story of man who becomes immortal, or does he? Finally, we end with 1996's The Sweeper, a movie about a man going off the deep end. Tune in to see full thoughts.

JD's rating:

Hologram Man (1995): Not Recommended

The Sweeper (1996): Recommended

Up next: Critters 2: The Main Course!

Cannon Cruisers GAIDEN ~ Episode 12 - Steel Frontier (1995) & The Silencers (1996)

This time we take a gander at two genre movies! I picked these ones out of a hat, more or less, because I wanted to try something a bit different. PM Entertainment might have specialized in action movies, but they did a lot bit of fantasy stuff, as we saw earlier with T-Force. It turns out this was the right decision.

In this episode we look at a post-apocalyptic western in Steel Frontier, and an alien invasion conspiracy with The Silencers. Both have similarities with what we know from PM, as well as some differences. You might be surprised. As always, check the episode above to see my full impressions and hints as to what is coming next week!

JD's ratings:

Steel Frontier (1995): Recommended

The Silencers (1996): Recommended

Up Next: The conclusion to our PM journey!

Cannon Cruisers GAIDEN ~ Episode 11 - A Dangerous Place (1994) & Zero Tolerance (1994)

This week's theme is revenge! I take a look at two 1994 films by PM Entertainment, both with a very similar theme and yet very different approaches to the subject. The first is the 1994 high school drama/martial arts flick A Dangerous Place, and the second is a Robert Patrick action picture called Zero Tolerance. When our main characters have what is important to them stolen, how will they react? The answer might (or might not) surprise you!

The films this time were both big surprises for me, and I think you will come to believe the same after listening to the episode above.

This trip through the PM Entertainment library has been quite interesting so far. Who knows what exactly there is still out there to find?

JD's ratings:

A Dangerous Place (1994): Recommended

Zero Tolerance (1994): Recommended

Up Next: Steel Frontier & The Silencers!

Cannon Cruisers GAIDEN ~ Episode 10 - Ring of Fire 1 & 2

This week I take a look at two more movies from PM Entertainment. I decided on the first two movies in the Ring of Fire trilogy starring Don "The Dragon" Wilson, kickboxing flicks that are both a bit different from the norm.

Ring of Fire from 1991 is a West Side Story meets martial arts tale. It's a bit sluggish at times, but it's definitely one of PM's first proper successes. Meanwhile, 1993's Ring of Fire 2: Blood and Steel, is essentially The Warriors meets Double Dragon (the game, not the bad movie) with tons of fast-paced fights and a kicking early '90s soundtrack. The second one came just as PM was getting their groove on, and it benefits mightily for it.

Both are different from each other, so check out the episode to understand why!

JD's ratings

Ring of Fire (1991): Recommended

Ring of Fire 2: Blood & Steel (1993): Recommended

Up Next: A Dangerous Place & Zero Tolerance!

Cannon Cruisers GAIDEN ~ Episode 9 - PM Entertainment Intro

Trying something different, I decided to take a gander at the library of B-movie video house, PM Entertainment. They put out a flurry of movies (near 100) in the time span between 1989 and 2000, just before the home video market crashed due to the explosion of cheap DVDs.

Essentially, they picked up where Cannon Films left off. Whereas the rest of the 1990s was slowly moving away from testosterone based action and excitement throughout the decade, PM Entertainment kept the fire burning.

Much like Cannon, PM was buit by an immigrant who had nothing in his head aside from making fun movies people could enjoy. There was no pomp, pretension, or audience hatred involved. They just existed to entertain, and they did so.

While PM died just as most things did during the '90s, their high point was considered between 1994-1997, long after traditional '80s action movies were a thing of the past. I'm going to look at a few of them in this special episode.

JD's ratings:

Shotgun (1989): Not Recommended

Maximum Force (1992): Recommended

Rage (1995): Recommended

Up Next: Ring of Fire 1 & 2!

Cannon Cruisers GAIDEN ~ Episode 8 - The Perfect Weapon (1991)

Once again I went for a bit of a curve-ball for this Gaiden episode. Since we watch Cannon movies, and it's been awhile since we got to share any with you, I decided to cover the next best thing this week. This ain't a Cannon movie. However it captures much of the spirit of one in an age when action movies were beginning to die out. It also hits every trope hard and manages fits the era well. Cannon might not have made it--but they could have.

This week we're looking at an action movie starring the overlooked Jeff Speakman in 1991's The Perfect Weapon. This is a martial arts action flick that no one ever talks about, yet I am not quite sure why. Tune in to see just what you've missed and hear my ramble incoherently about the 1990s action movie scene. It's worth it, I promise.

JD's rating: Recommended



Up Next: PM Entertainment Intro!

Cannon Cruisers GAIDEN ~ Episode 7 - Phantasm (1979)

Today we're taking a look at the fantastical surreal action horror of Phantasm. From 1979, this cult favorite led to a five film series that is highly beloved to this day. So how does it hold up? Tune in to find out.

Suffice to say, this is a hard movie to talk about. You won't see too much like it.

JD's rating: Recommended



Up Next: The Perfect Weapon!