Episode 156 - Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)

It's been awhile, but we finally made it here! This one has been a long time coming, but today we took a look at the infamous fourth Superman movie. Is it really as bad as they say, or is it a hidden gem? Well, there is more to it than all that. Check out the episode to see how it shakes out.

On the other hand, perhaps it does deserve its infamy. You'll see what I mean. there is a reason it has that reputation it has.

Randy's Score: 2/5

JD's Score: 2/5

Up Next: Robotech: The Movie!

Non-Cannon ~ Episode 114 - Troll (1986)

No, this isn't that movie. It is, instead, the original film in the "series" that isn't really a series. This one isn't so much horror as more of a family friendly joint. As a result it doesn't quite hit the mark in either camp, falling short in both categories.

There are some interesting effects and ideas here, but it altogether doesn't quite add up to a great watch. Unfortunately, it's missing both the chills of horror and the thrills of an adventure. Check out the full episode to see why that might be.

Randy's Score: 2/5

JD's Score: 3/5

Up Next: Superman IV: The Quest for Peace!

Episode 155 - Otello (1986)

Cannon did more than one Shakespeare movie back in the day. The difference between the two, however, is quite staggering. The other we covered is a very loose adaption of King Lear that didn't quite cut the mustard. Today's movie is quite different.

This adaption of Othello is not only very faithful, but also an operatic version that remains one of the most popular versions of the play to this day. Why exactly is that the case? You'll have to five into today's episode to learn just why! Let us just say that it transfers to the medium of film surprisingly well.

Randy's Score: 4/5

JD's Score: 4/5

Up Next: Troll!

Episode 154 - The Hanoi Hilton (1987)

Ostensibly another war movie, 1987's The Hanoi Hilton feels more like a TV mini-series cut down into movie form. It's disjointed, choppy, and not very exciting, though it isn't quite the worst we've seen. In fact, it's not quite other films we've covered on Cannon Cruisers. There are things here not in the other similar flicks.

That said, it's also not very good. It very easily could be much better. Check out our full opinions in today's episode!

Randy's Score: 1/5

JD's Score: 2/5

Up Next: Otello!

Episode 153 - The Seven Magnificent Gladiators (1983)

Though we have covered the three typical Lou Ferrigno movies he did with Cannon, what is less spoken about is the movie later edited clumsily into the inferior sequel to Hercules. There is probably a reason for that, including the fact that The Seven Magnificent Gladiators was simply not released on a wide scale back in the day.

That said, this is the only movie Bruno Mattei did with Cannon, and in that aspect it is a bit of a disappoint. A movie made by those two should have been a lot wilder. That said, the final result is a simply a fun peplum flick--a sword and sandal version of The Seven Samurai / The Magnificent Samurai. It could have been more impressive, but as it is The Seven Magnificent Gladiators is a pleasant watch.

It could have been more than that, but the flick still works. It isn't a patch on Ferrigno's Sinbad movie, though.

Randy's Score: 3/5

JD's Score: 3/5

Up Next: The Hanoi Hilton!

Non-Cannon ~ Episode 113 - UFOria (1984)

A long time ago, there was a period where movies would be made then sit on a shelf for years because the studio did not know how to advertise it. UFOria is just this sort of movie, releasing in the theatre after sitting in a vault for years, then getting a VHS release a couple of years afterwards, and then disappearing entirely out of the public consciousness for decades. This was a tough film to find.

Seeing that might make you think this movie is a disaster of some kind. It's just a bit off-kilter. A comedy about aliens, belief, and community, it's not really your typical genre film. And that's probably why it wasn't an easy sell.

But does this any of this make UFOria a bad movie? No, actually, it's quite worth watching. Check out today's episode to see why that might be the case.

Randy's Score: 3/5

JD's Score: 3/5

Up Next: The Seven Magnificent Gladiators!

Episode 152 - King Lear (1987)

This is a film we wanted to cover before, but never quite got around to. A Shakespeare "adaption" in the loosest possible sense of the word, King Lear is a supposed French New Wave picture about the general themes (in a way) of the original play except in a Post-Apocalyptic environment with about as much effort as a college indie art film.

I would go more into it, but you can't do much justice to it in words. You're going to have to experience the full episode to understand just why this movie is the way it is. Even the two of us were polarized over the final product. There is a very good reason for that! Needless to say, it's very much not for everyone.

Randy's Score: 3/5

JD's Score: 1/5

Up Next: UFOria!