Episode 98 ~ Fortress (1985)

We're back with . . . another Fortress? Yes, actually. This one is a very different movie than the last one, but it is also quite unique itself. Essentially a story of survival based on a real story, Fortress is intense and nail-biting with a cast of mostly kids that does not grate.

And it also succeeds in ways you might not think it would! Be sure to check out today's episode and please excuse the Discord quality. We had to make due with this one.

Randy's Score: 5/5

JD's Score: 5/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: Castle Freak!

Episode 97 ~ Fortress (1992)

Here's a rarity for us, and a bit of a treat. Finally we get to cover another Christopher Lambert film, and it also just happened to be directed by Stuart Gordon. On top of all that, it is a futuristic prison movie with quite the build up and possibly a bit of a heist movie element(?) . . . we'll have to check with Randy on that last part.

Regardless, 1992's Fortress is a bit of a hidden gem with a lot more going for it than you might expect. It doesn't hurt to have Jeffrey Combs in it either.

Randy's Score: 3/5

JD's Score: 4/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: Fortress!

Episode 89 ~ Magic Crystal (1986)

Time for another curveball! This week we covered our first pure Hong Kong production with 1986's grossly underrated classic Magic Crystal. This flick has everything you love about 80s movies: action, comedy, adventure, weirdness, and fun characters, all from the era when Hong Kong was still one of the best producers of movies (up there with the US and Italy).

Unfortunately not well known, we'll talk about it and why you should run, not walk, to see this one as soon as possible. Magic Crystal is a real gem! (Sorry.)

Randy's Score: 5/5

JD's Score: 5/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: Christmas!

Episode 83 ~ D.A.R.Y.L. (1985)

Another curveball! This week we took a turn into the high concept family films from the 1980s with the oft-forgotten D.A.R.Y.L. from 1985. And make no mistake, it's not quite what you expect from this sort of movie!

That said, there are still some well-worn tropes and ideas you might or might not enjoy. Check out today's episode to see what works!

Randy's Score: 4/5

JD's Score: 4/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: Nightmare at Noon!

Episode 72 ~ Phantasm IV: Oblivion (1998)

We finally made it to the (original) end to this cult favorite series of dreams, reality, life, love, loss, and death. There's nothing quite like Phantasm, and each entry contributes to the overall picture a little more, delivering a tapestry of weird, horror, action, adventure, and what it all means. This fourth entry really does manage to thread the needle very well.

Even despite the lower budget and clever usages of old footage (much never seen before), there is a lot in Phantasm IV: Oblivion to make it as weird as the original and the most impenetrable so far. That said, it still manages to retain its charm and quality.

For a fourth entry in a horror series to do that is incredibly impressive, never might that this was meant to be the ending at one point. So lets discover today why that might be.

Randy's Score: 3/5

JD's Score: 4/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: Penitentiary II!

Episode 67 ~ Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead (1994)

We're finally back to Phantasm! This time around we get to the third entry, released in the mid-90s. Does it hold up well, or does the series finally stumble here? Were the haters right all along? Can the series still surprise 15 years after the original entry?

Well, it turns out, at least in our case, we find it overall makes the second movie stronger in hindsight and adds its own wrinkles on the story. There still isn't anything quite like Phantasm, even in its third entry. Find out why that is in today's episode!

Randy's Score: 3/5

JD's Score: 4/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: Kickboxer 2!

Episode 60 ~ Razorback (1984)

It's the shark movie, but in the outback and it's a monster pig! You might think that's all there is to 1984's Razorback, made before the director would go on to make Highlander, but you would be dead wrong. The entire movie is a feast for the eyes and ears.

While not the most exciting plot in the history of cinema, Razorback excels in every other area. Find out just what makes it stand out in today's episode!

Randy's Score: 3/5

JD's Score: 4/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: Gorgo!

Episode 58 ~ Turbo Kid (2015)

Time for a flick we've wanted to cover for awhile but never got around to. A retro future look from an era that never was, 2015's Turbo Kid also feels like a movie that should have been made back in the day but never was. It's a movie very much out of time.

And yet it works in a way a lot of these sorts of movies don't. It understands what works about those old movies and brings it forward into a modern mindset that feels natural. As a result, it becomes its own thing, and what a thing it is. Check out today's episode to learn why that might be!

Randy's Score: 4/5

JD's Score: 5/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: Lieutenant Jangles!

Episode 53 ~ Short Circuit (1986)

We finally did it. After years of digging through the more obscure pictures to float about the entertainment landscape, we finally hit on one we somehow avoided. We didn't avoid it for any real reason, it just slid through the cracks.

Today we cover 1986's Short Circuit and discover just how alive Johnny 5 really is. (And we learn the famous quote is not even from this movie!)

Have yourself a Happy Easter and we will see you next week!

Randy's Score: 4/5

JD's Score: 4/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: Amanda & the Alien!

Episode 51 ~ Top Secret! (1984)

A rarity for us! We cover one of the lesser known parody movies from the most well know parody movie creators of the 20th century. We also discover what makes these movies so much better than the ones that would come later.

On top of it, this is the first starring role of one Val Kilmer (RIP!) and what a turn he makes. All in all, there's nothing quite like Top Secret! and we're going to talk about just why that is in today's episode! It holds up really well, despite the nature of what it is.

Randy's Score: 4/5

JD's Score: 5/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: The Skateboard Kid 2!

Episode 45 ~ Ninja Terminator (1985)

It's finally here! After years of action movie cult favorites and blockbusters we finally get to Godfrey Ho's ninja movies, and his most beloved entry on to of it. Today, we talk Ninja Terminator. So after taking so long to get here, is the wait worth it?

Believe it or not, yes. It was. Find out exactly how well this infamous cult classic holds together despite the strange history behind it. Spliced footage, Garfield phones, killer toy robots, and exploding ninjas, all come together to form something quite unique.

And something still worth watching today.

Randy's Score: 3/5

JD's Score: 4/5

Spotify link here!



Up Next: Lake Michigan Monster!

Episode 42 ~ The Great Land of Small (1987)

We're finally back!

Starting from this week, the first day of February, we're returning to our normal weekly schedule again. And we've decided to start it with another "Tale's For All" movie. This time it's The Great Land of Small! How does what is described as "the Canadian Neverending Story" hold up today? Lets just say that you might be surprised.

Or not. This is "Tales For All" after all.

Randy's Score: 3/5

JD's Score: 3/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: Tango & Cash!

Episode 41 ~ Drive (1997)

Welcome to 2025! We're still getting our ducks in a row, but we didn't want to keep you waiting too long, so here's the first film of of the year. It's Drive from 1997! No, it's not the other more well known one, but this lesser known gem.

It's a movie very much of its time, but in a good way. Check out and see what we mean by giving a listen to today's episode!

Randy's Score: 4/5

JD's Score: 4/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: The Great Land of Small!

Episode 40 ~ The Dog Who Stopped the War (1984)

For our last episode of the year, let us continue with a follow-up to our Christmas episode. This is the first "official" entry in the "Tales For All" series of family films. That would be the surprise international hit of The Dog Who Stopped the War from 1984! That's right, it released over a decade after the unofficial "0" entry.

With a title like that you might figure it would either be a sappy preach fest or an overly saccharine safe family movie, but it's not really either. The Tales For All series were known for weird premises imparting lessons on kids that were a bit off the beaten path but never being actually preachy while entertaining, and it all started with this one.

Check out this final episode of 2024, 40 years after the movie's original release, to see why that might be!

Randy's Score: 4/5

JD's Score: 4/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: Drive!

Episode 38 ~ Strike Commando (1987)

It's here. Finally we get around to covering the most infamous Italian b-movie there is. What did we think about this YouTube reviewer favorite back in the day? More than that, does it work as an action movie? The answer might surprise you.

Or not, if you know anything about us.

Randy's Score: 3/5

JD's Score: 3/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: The Christmas Martian!

Episode 36 ~ Phantasm II (1988)

After the previous sequel episode, we decided to cover the sequel to another film we enjoyed quite a bit. However, the reception this time was a bit more mixed than we would have liked, though maybe not for the reason you might think.

Though the original Phantasm was a favorite to JD, and Randy thought it was inventive, the sequel is missing a special ingredient the first one had. Find out what we think that might be in today's episode of Bonus Feature!

Randy's Score: 3/5

JD's Score: 3/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: Death Machine!

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 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!

Episode 7 ~ Flight of the Navigator (1986)

Just in time for the long weekend, we have decided to cover the favorite of everyone who lived in the latter half of the 20th century, Flight of the Navigator from 1986! It's a movie you would have figured would have been remade to death by now but never was. No, this one is still very much an original and worth covering today.

We had seen it many times before in our youth but now was a good time to revisit it and see just how well it holds up despite it being such a staple of a specific time and place. Is the pacing still as off? Was it as low stakes as we remembered? Has it improved with age? Is it as strongly 1980s as we remembered it being?

All of those questions are asked, and answered, in today's episode!

Randy's Score: 4/5

JD's Score: 4/5

Spotify link here!

Up Next: The Longest Yard!

Episode 157 - Robotech: The Movie (1986)

Here is a rarity for the Cannon Cruisers. For the first time we cover an animated movie, since it is also the one and only time Cannon itself released one. Not only that, but it is an entry in the infamous 1980s franchise Robotech, and one that has been buried even by those who made it. The producers of Robotech, Harmony Gold, have even long since left this one to obscurity. A rarity for them.

Ostensibly an old lost version of the anime OVA Megazone 23 Part I, Robotech: The Movie has quite the story behind its production and general existence. It's also not quite what you might expect from with Cannon Films or Harmony Gold.

It's quite a strange little picture regardless. See today's episode to find out just why that is the case.

Randy's Score: 3/5

JD's Score: 3/5

Up Next: Schizoid!