Only a ninja can stop a ninja. And only cool boutique companies like Kino Lorber can take a movie like Revenge of the Ninja and give it its own special edition Blu-ray release. Recently, it was reported that director Sam Firstenberg is on a journey to restore his martial arts film American Samurai, but one of the director’s more popular works is now getting a special physical media release with a bevy of special features. We’ve touched on the “Ninja Trilogy” from Cannon Films on our YouTube channel series, Reel Action, and Revenge of the Ninja is one of the films from the 80s that took the ninja craze and elevated it for the masses. Blu-ray.com reports that Kino Lorber is set to have the disc hit the market on May 21.
The plot description reads, “The Ninja are back! Brandishing swords and fists, leaping and kicking, wielding blow darts and explosives,...
The plot description reads, “The Ninja are back! Brandishing swords and fists, leaping and kicking, wielding blow darts and explosives,...
- 3/21/2024
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
1990 was a peak year for Van Damage. The Muscles from Brussels was on the way to the big time after Bloodsport and Kickboxer (which made our list of the Best Fighting Movies) proved to be huge moneymakers at the box office. But, Jean-Claude Van Damme was different from some of his contemporaries because he was a hearthrob and a prime butt-kicker. His 1990 movie Lionheart was bought for distribution by Universal, paving the way to his breaking into mainstream studio work. But, before he could jump on that gravy train, he had one more movie left to make on his Cannon movie deal – but ironically, the company itself would not release the film theatrically due to its waning fortunes, with this being Van Damme’s first major studio release after MGM opted to distribute it. The movie? Death Warrant!
In this one, Jcvd plays a cop named Burke, who, after putting...
In this one, Jcvd plays a cop named Burke, who, after putting...
- 11/26/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
There are many stories about Jean-Luc Godard in Cannes, like the year he helped to shut it down (1968) because of the civil unrest that was sweeping France at the time. Then there was the time when (in 1985) he was ambushed in the Palais by a Belgian anarchist and hit in the face with a custard pie after the premiere of Détective. And, as recently as 2018, there was the time he conducted a press conference for his film The Image Book via FaceTime from Switzerland, making journalists line up to speak into a mobile phone.
But the story that endures the most is the time in 1985 he signed a contract on a napkin with Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus, CEOs of The Cannon Group, whose big hits that year were Invasion U.S.A., starring Chuck Norris, and Death Wish 3, with Charles Bronson. Godard — who died last year at age...
But the story that endures the most is the time in 1985 he signed a contract on a napkin with Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus, CEOs of The Cannon Group, whose big hits that year were Invasion U.S.A., starring Chuck Norris, and Death Wish 3, with Charles Bronson. Godard — who died last year at age...
- 5/17/2023
- by Damon Wise
- Deadline Film + TV
If you were a movie fan in the 1980s, then you have at least a little soft spot for the Cannon Group. Walk through any video store, and you’d be greeted by covers featuring oiled up men, steely ninjas, and so many guns. If you wanted low-quality, instantly satisfying trash, you looked for the Cannon logo.
Although it had been around since the late 1960s, Cannon became Cannon in 1979, when Israeli cousins Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus took over, ushering in a golden age of low-budget, deeply satisfying shlock. Under the cousins’ reign, the Cannon Group pumped out movie after movie, hitting its peak in 1984, when it put out 42 features in one year. So dominant was Cannon that they very nearly produced a Spider-Man movie directed by none other than James Cameron. However, that same hubris drove the cousins to overreach, and after the flop of their big-budget play...
Although it had been around since the late 1960s, Cannon became Cannon in 1979, when Israeli cousins Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus took over, ushering in a golden age of low-budget, deeply satisfying shlock. Under the cousins’ reign, the Cannon Group pumped out movie after movie, hitting its peak in 1984, when it put out 42 features in one year. So dominant was Cannon that they very nearly produced a Spider-Man movie directed by none other than James Cameron. However, that same hubris drove the cousins to overreach, and after the flop of their big-budget play...
- 3/17/2023
- by Kirsten Howard
- Den of Geek
Known for his high-flying kicks and flexibility, Belgian actor Jean-Claude Van Damme is trained in kickboxing, taekwondo, and kung fu. As a teen, he won the European Professional Karate Association's middleweight championship. Hoping to use his unique skillset to become the next big thing in Hollywood, he moved to Los Angeles in the '80s. Today, Van Damme is regarded as one of the best action stars of all time.
His impact extends beyond the world of cinema. He inspired the ring name for one of my favorite professional wrestlers, WWE Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam, whose look and high-flying maneuvers were identical to those of the "Timecop" star, so much so that I actually thought they were brothers. In a 2021 episode of "WWE Icons," the wrestler explained the effect the actor had on his career:
"When I'm down in Florida in '91 and '92, [wrestler-turned-promoter] Ron Slinker is running the [professional wrestling studio] Tampa Sportatorium.
His impact extends beyond the world of cinema. He inspired the ring name for one of my favorite professional wrestlers, WWE Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam, whose look and high-flying maneuvers were identical to those of the "Timecop" star, so much so that I actually thought they were brothers. In a 2021 episode of "WWE Icons," the wrestler explained the effect the actor had on his career:
"When I'm down in Florida in '91 and '92, [wrestler-turned-promoter] Ron Slinker is running the [professional wrestling studio] Tampa Sportatorium.
- 10/1/2022
- by J. Gabriel Ware
- Slash Film
As the Cannes Film Festival celebrates its 75th anniversary, the concurrent Marché marches into its 63rd year. The wilder, oft-times disreputable sister of the more sedate, ergo, more esteemed, official festival, there’s no shortage of tales when it comes to the Cannes Market.
There’s no better place to start than Cannon’s “go-go” boys: Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus. Cannon flew 18 staffers to the 1986 festival and took over the Martinez Hotel, encircling it with bodyguards. Cannon’s endless line of posters along the Croisette made the late critic Roger Ebert dub that year the “Cannon Film Festival.”
“Golan [was] one of the last free-wheeling dealmakers at an event where a lot of people would like to be capitalist buccaneers, but few have the courage or the capital,” wrote Ebert. “People still talk about the time Golan had lunch with Jean-Luc Godard at the Majestic Hotel and wrote out a contract on a table napkin,...
There’s no better place to start than Cannon’s “go-go” boys: Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus. Cannon flew 18 staffers to the 1986 festival and took over the Martinez Hotel, encircling it with bodyguards. Cannon’s endless line of posters along the Croisette made the late critic Roger Ebert dub that year the “Cannon Film Festival.”
“Golan [was] one of the last free-wheeling dealmakers at an event where a lot of people would like to be capitalist buccaneers, but few have the courage or the capital,” wrote Ebert. “People still talk about the time Golan had lunch with Jean-Luc Godard at the Majestic Hotel and wrote out a contract on a table napkin,...
- 5/10/2022
- by Angus Finney
- Variety Film + TV
James Cameron’s Spider-Man. Kind of has a nice ring to it, don’t you think? Well, unlike the fictional James Cameron’s Aquaman–of which only a few fleeting seconds exist in the universe of the long-defunct HBO series Entourage–a Spider-Man movie written and directed by the legendary filmmaker almost came to pass in the early 1990s.
But like so many superhero and comics-based projects during that time–a relative Dark Ages for the genre–Cameron’s vision for the webslinging high school student never swung into theaters.
Almost all of it was down to legal issues surrounding the rights to Spider-Man, which kept him off the screen for years. But a glance through the “scriptment” that Cameron worked up–a detailed treatment outlining the story, characters, and even passages of dialogue–indicates that Cameron’s conception of the character and his mythos was very faithful in its own way.
But like so many superhero and comics-based projects during that time–a relative Dark Ages for the genre–Cameron’s vision for the webslinging high school student never swung into theaters.
Almost all of it was down to legal issues surrounding the rights to Spider-Man, which kept him off the screen for years. But a glance through the “scriptment” that Cameron worked up–a detailed treatment outlining the story, characters, and even passages of dialogue–indicates that Cameron’s conception of the character and his mythos was very faithful in its own way.
- 12/10/2021
- by Don Kaye
- Den of Geek
Festivals
This year’s 38th Jerusalem Film Festival will host a tribute to iconic Israeli company Cannon Films and producers Yoram Globus and Menachem Golan, curated in collaboration with Quentin Tarantino. The Cannon Film Group produced and distributed films from 1967 to 1993. In ’79 the company was purchased by producer Globus and Golan, who tailored its production slate through the ‘80s, focusing heavily on action films. Along the way Cannon became one of the world’s leading independent production companies.
Jerusalem’s tribute will include eight films produced by the company, presented in 35mm. On Aug. 26, Tarantino will head a panel discussion about the history of Cannon Films ahead of screenings of “The Ambassador” (1984) and a double feature of “Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects” (1989) and “The Naked Cage” (1986). Other titles screening in the program include “The Delta Force” (1986), “Death Wish 4” (1987) and “10 to Midnight” (1983).
“We are certain Mr. Tarantino will offer interesting and...
This year’s 38th Jerusalem Film Festival will host a tribute to iconic Israeli company Cannon Films and producers Yoram Globus and Menachem Golan, curated in collaboration with Quentin Tarantino. The Cannon Film Group produced and distributed films from 1967 to 1993. In ’79 the company was purchased by producer Globus and Golan, who tailored its production slate through the ‘80s, focusing heavily on action films. Along the way Cannon became one of the world’s leading independent production companies.
Jerusalem’s tribute will include eight films produced by the company, presented in 35mm. On Aug. 26, Tarantino will head a panel discussion about the history of Cannon Films ahead of screenings of “The Ambassador” (1984) and a double feature of “Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects” (1989) and “The Naked Cage” (1986). Other titles screening in the program include “The Delta Force” (1986), “Death Wish 4” (1987) and “10 to Midnight” (1983).
“We are certain Mr. Tarantino will offer interesting and...
- 8/13/2021
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Tarantino will also participate in panel discussion about Cannon Films on August 26.
Quentin Tarantino is curating a tribute to Yoram Globus and Menachem Golan’s legendary 1980s production company Cannon Films at this year’s Jerusalem Film Festival, which is taking place later than usual this year from August 26 until September 4.
The festival will screen eight Cannon films handpicked by Tarantino: Runaway Train, Barfly, The Ambassador, Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects,The Naked Cage ,The Delta Force, Death Wish 4 and 10 To Midnight.
Tarantino will also participate in a panel discussion which he will attend in-person. Yoram Globus will participate in the panel remotely from LA,...
Quentin Tarantino is curating a tribute to Yoram Globus and Menachem Golan’s legendary 1980s production company Cannon Films at this year’s Jerusalem Film Festival, which is taking place later than usual this year from August 26 until September 4.
The festival will screen eight Cannon films handpicked by Tarantino: Runaway Train, Barfly, The Ambassador, Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects,The Naked Cage ,The Delta Force, Death Wish 4 and 10 To Midnight.
Tarantino will also participate in a panel discussion which he will attend in-person. Yoram Globus will participate in the panel remotely from LA,...
- 8/11/2021
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
New Indie
Emma Seligman’s impressive “Shiva Baby” (Utopia) premieres on Blu-ray this month, and it’s a blisteringly funny, character-based comedy about a young Danielle (played by Rachel Sennott) whose rootless life when she attends a shiva with her parents (Fred Melamed and Polly Draper), only to encounter the boyfriend who’s financially supporting her, his wife — whom Danielle didn’t know existed — and Danielle’s ex-girlfriend. It’s a full buffet of misunderstandings, awkward encounters, and scene-stealing character actors, with a cast that also includes Jackie Hoffman, Dianna Agron, and Molly Gordon.
Also available: A jaded clickbait reporter has an unforgettable encounter in the indie comedy “15 Things You Didn’t Know About Bigfoot” (Kino Lorber); over-the-hill kung fu disciples rouse themselves from mid-life torpor to avenge the death of their master in the martial-arts comedy “The Paper Tigers” (Well Go USA Entertainment).
New Foreign
Eytan Fox’s cultural-generational...
Emma Seligman’s impressive “Shiva Baby” (Utopia) premieres on Blu-ray this month, and it’s a blisteringly funny, character-based comedy about a young Danielle (played by Rachel Sennott) whose rootless life when she attends a shiva with her parents (Fred Melamed and Polly Draper), only to encounter the boyfriend who’s financially supporting her, his wife — whom Danielle didn’t know existed — and Danielle’s ex-girlfriend. It’s a full buffet of misunderstandings, awkward encounters, and scene-stealing character actors, with a cast that also includes Jackie Hoffman, Dianna Agron, and Molly Gordon.
Also available: A jaded clickbait reporter has an unforgettable encounter in the indie comedy “15 Things You Didn’t Know About Bigfoot” (Kino Lorber); over-the-hill kung fu disciples rouse themselves from mid-life torpor to avenge the death of their master in the martial-arts comedy “The Paper Tigers” (Well Go USA Entertainment).
New Foreign
Eytan Fox’s cultural-generational...
- 7/8/2021
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
It's hard to believe, but here on Reel Action, this is our first foray into the wild and wonderful world of The Cannon Group. Founded by Israeli cousins Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus, Cannon were the kings of eighties B-movie action flicks, and by far their biggest star was the one and only Chuck Norris. In the early eighties, James Cameron and Sylvester Stallone's script for what would become Rambo: First Blood Part 2 was making the rounds, and Cannon did their version with two…...
- 5/26/2021
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Cannon Films is legendary as far as eighties action flicks go. An independent company headed by Israeli cousins Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus, the two became famous (or infamous) for a run of schlocky eighties B-movies. Their action movies, while cheesy, are a ton of fun, with them making icons out of Chuck Norris (with the Missing In Action series), Michael Dudikoff (American Ninja) while also doing a whole slew of movies with an aging Charles Bronson. One of their…...
- 5/17/2021
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Akira Kurosawa wrote the original story for this slam-bang action picture that finally got Cannon Films on a, ‘Hey this is a great movie’ list or two. Mean, nasty, desperate men make an impossible escape attempt across a frozen landscape that might as well be on the moon. Jon Voight gets to use the same eccentric gimmicks that Dustin Hoffman exploited, and comes off great while Andrei Konchalovsky showed Cannon what a brilliant director could do. The show also established Eric Roberts and Rebecca De Mornay as talents to watch.
Runaway Train
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1985 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 111 min. / Street Date March 16, 2021 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Jon Voight, Eric Roberts, Rebecca De Mornay, Kyle T. Heffner, John P. Ryan T.K. Carter, Kenneth McMillan, Edward Bunker, Hank Worden, Danny Trejo, Tommy Lister, Don MacLaughlin, Loren James, Dick Durock, Dennis Franz.
Cinematography: Alan Hume
Original Music: Trevor Jones
Written by Djordje Milecevic,...
Runaway Train
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1985 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 111 min. / Street Date March 16, 2021 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Jon Voight, Eric Roberts, Rebecca De Mornay, Kyle T. Heffner, John P. Ryan T.K. Carter, Kenneth McMillan, Edward Bunker, Hank Worden, Danny Trejo, Tommy Lister, Don MacLaughlin, Loren James, Dick Durock, Dennis Franz.
Cinematography: Alan Hume
Original Music: Trevor Jones
Written by Djordje Milecevic,...
- 2/23/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
The Notebook Primer introduces readers to some of the most important figures, films, genres, and movements in film history.Golden Eighties From a broad angle view, it seems as though all movies made in the 1980s could be classified as either action or musical. The neon glitz of the decade easily melds with the flamboyance of musicals, and it was a time when budgets soared, so lavish song-and-dance set pieces fit in nicely with the decadence. But 80s musicals also changed things up in the genre—sometimes focusing more on choreography, other times the songs. The burgeoning cult status of The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) also had producers scrambling for the ineffable weirdness that captured the imagination of an audience so intensely that they wanted to spend every weekend watching and mimicking what so delighted them on screen This resulted in odd choices that inevitably flopped, and took decades to gain a devoted following,...
- 12/22/2020
- MUBI
Darren Lynn Bousman joins Josh and Joe to discuss his favorite over-the-top musicals of the 70s.
Show Notes:
Movies Referenced In This Episode
Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008)
Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)
Sorcerer (1977)
Star Wars (1977)
Death of Me (2020)
Jesus Christ: Superstar (1973)
Pennies From Heaven (1981)
A History Of Violence (2005)
Requiem For A Dream (2000)
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
The Movie Orgy (1968)
Gremlins (1984)
The Room (2003)
Rocky (1976)
Hair (1979)
The Apple (1980)
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978)
Tommy (1975)
Quadrophenia (1979)
Altered States (1980)
The Devils (1971)
Trapped Ashes (2006)
Apocalypse Now (1979)
Devil’s Carnival (2012)
Phantom of the Paradise (1974)
Rent (2005)
Wild In The Streets (1968)
A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory (1971)
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
The Jazz Singer (1980)
Forbidden Zone (1982)
Eddie and the Cruisers (1983)
The First Nudie Musical (1976)
Chatterbox (1977)
Goldilocks and the Three Bares (1963)
Cabaret (1972)
Saw II (2005)
Other Notable Items
Final Draft
Paris Hilton
Elvira
Angelyne
The William Friedkin podcast episode
Leonardo DiCaprio
Jesus Christ Superstar...
Show Notes:
Movies Referenced In This Episode
Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008)
Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)
Sorcerer (1977)
Star Wars (1977)
Death of Me (2020)
Jesus Christ: Superstar (1973)
Pennies From Heaven (1981)
A History Of Violence (2005)
Requiem For A Dream (2000)
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
The Movie Orgy (1968)
Gremlins (1984)
The Room (2003)
Rocky (1976)
Hair (1979)
The Apple (1980)
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978)
Tommy (1975)
Quadrophenia (1979)
Altered States (1980)
The Devils (1971)
Trapped Ashes (2006)
Apocalypse Now (1979)
Devil’s Carnival (2012)
Phantom of the Paradise (1974)
Rent (2005)
Wild In The Streets (1968)
A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory (1971)
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
The Jazz Singer (1980)
Forbidden Zone (1982)
Eddie and the Cruisers (1983)
The First Nudie Musical (1976)
Chatterbox (1977)
Goldilocks and the Three Bares (1963)
Cabaret (1972)
Saw II (2005)
Other Notable Items
Final Draft
Paris Hilton
Elvira
Angelyne
The William Friedkin podcast episode
Leonardo DiCaprio
Jesus Christ Superstar...
- 10/6/2020
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
“You fool! You can not stop me! I am the ninja! No one, nothing can stop me!.”
BearManor Media has published The Cannon Film Guide, a Trilogy of Books About the Movies Released By the Legendary 1980s B-Movie Studio, Cannon Films. Order The Cannon Film Guide Here
Volume One Available Now: Over 500 Pages Covering the Company’s First Five Years under the Leadership of B-Movie Icons Golan and Globus
From 1980 until 1994, The Cannon Group was responsible for the production of more than 200 films. Quantity, rather than quality, was the key to Cannon’s game: their output included many of the 1980s’ most beloved (and notorious) b-movies. Along the way they dipped their toes into every imaginable genre of movies, made stars out of Chuck Norris and Michael Dudikoff, kicked off the ninja and breakdancing crazes, and kept Charles Bronson working into the twilight of his career. While it’s rare...
BearManor Media has published The Cannon Film Guide, a Trilogy of Books About the Movies Released By the Legendary 1980s B-Movie Studio, Cannon Films. Order The Cannon Film Guide Here
Volume One Available Now: Over 500 Pages Covering the Company’s First Five Years under the Leadership of B-Movie Icons Golan and Globus
From 1980 until 1994, The Cannon Group was responsible for the production of more than 200 films. Quantity, rather than quality, was the key to Cannon’s game: their output included many of the 1980s’ most beloved (and notorious) b-movies. Along the way they dipped their toes into every imaginable genre of movies, made stars out of Chuck Norris and Michael Dudikoff, kicked off the ninja and breakdancing crazes, and kept Charles Bronson working into the twilight of his career. While it’s rare...
- 6/26/2020
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
If you watched an action, sci-fi, or horror movie in the 1980s, there was a good chance it was produced by Cannon Films. The studio — perhaps the last great home of B-movie and exploitation classics — was founded in 1967 but hit its apex between 1979 and 1987, releasing scores of films that (mostly) no one would call high cinema but which delivered thrills, chills and plenty of blood, action, and fire on a budget.
Tapping into the massive market for both high and low concept fare — the 1980s equivalent of drive-in double bill fillers — Cannon, under the leadership of Israeli cousins Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus, were perhaps best known for churning out chintzy crowdpleasers like the Chuck Norris-starring Missing in Action and The Delta Force along with a slew of Death Wish sequels.
But the company also produced titillating titles like Lady Chatterley’s Lover, slasher fare such as Schizoid and New Year’s Evil,...
Tapping into the massive market for both high and low concept fare — the 1980s equivalent of drive-in double bill fillers — Cannon, under the leadership of Israeli cousins Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus, were perhaps best known for churning out chintzy crowdpleasers like the Chuck Norris-starring Missing in Action and The Delta Force along with a slew of Death Wish sequels.
But the company also produced titillating titles like Lady Chatterley’s Lover, slasher fare such as Schizoid and New Year’s Evil,...
- 6/23/2020
- by Don Kaye
- Den of Geek
The producer of Narcos takes us on a walk through some of the movies that made him.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Contagion (2011)
Panic In The Streets (1950)
Rififi (1955)
Night And The City (1950)
Thieves’ Highway (1949)
Never on Sunday (1960)
The Karate Kid (1984)
The Game (1997)
The Dirty Dozen (1967)
The Great Escape (1963)
Children of Men (2006)
Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory (1971)
If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium (1969)
Charlie And The Chocolate Factory (2005)
The Wild Bunch (1969)
The Godfather (1972)
Apocalypse Now (1979)
Animal House (1978)
An American Werewolf In London (1981)
Trading Places (1983)
Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession (2004)
Fellini Satyricon (1969)
The Beastmaster (1982)
Sheena (1984)
High Risk (1981)
Ghostbusters (1984)
The Masque of the Red Death (1964)
Piranha (1978)
Gallipoli (1981)
Witness (1985)
The Killing Fields (1984)
Mad Max (1980)
Max Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)
Picnic At Hanging Rock (1975)
The Last Wave (1978)
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
The Lord of the Rings (1978)
The Hobbit (1977)
The Return of the King (1980)
Class (1983)
The Great Santini (1979)
Fast Times At Ridgemont High...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Contagion (2011)
Panic In The Streets (1950)
Rififi (1955)
Night And The City (1950)
Thieves’ Highway (1949)
Never on Sunday (1960)
The Karate Kid (1984)
The Game (1997)
The Dirty Dozen (1967)
The Great Escape (1963)
Children of Men (2006)
Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory (1971)
If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium (1969)
Charlie And The Chocolate Factory (2005)
The Wild Bunch (1969)
The Godfather (1972)
Apocalypse Now (1979)
Animal House (1978)
An American Werewolf In London (1981)
Trading Places (1983)
Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession (2004)
Fellini Satyricon (1969)
The Beastmaster (1982)
Sheena (1984)
High Risk (1981)
Ghostbusters (1984)
The Masque of the Red Death (1964)
Piranha (1978)
Gallipoli (1981)
Witness (1985)
The Killing Fields (1984)
Mad Max (1980)
Max Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)
Picnic At Hanging Rock (1975)
The Last Wave (1978)
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
The Lord of the Rings (1978)
The Hobbit (1977)
The Return of the King (1980)
Class (1983)
The Great Santini (1979)
Fast Times At Ridgemont High...
- 6/16/2020
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
The heyday of Cannon Films, that is when the company was led by Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus back in the eighties, has been subject of fairly recent documentaries: Mark Hartley’s Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films and Hilla Medalia’s The Go-Go Boys: The Inside Story of Cannon Films. And now, for those fans of crazy cinema that would like to dig even deeper into the world of Cannon, there’s a new book out that tackles one specific filmmaker from those glorious days. Stories From The Trenches: Adventures In Making High Octane Hollywood Movies With Cannon Veteran Sam Firstenberg is a mammoth collection of interviews with the director behind such Cannon flicks as Revenge of the Ninja and Ninja III: The Domination...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 3/6/2020
- Screen Anarchy
By Lee Pfeiffer
In the 1970s and 1980s, Israeli producers Yoram Globus and Menahem Golan took Hollywood by storm by unleashing a tidal wave of low-budget exploitation films that were superbly marketed and which made their Cannon Films company the toast of the town. The fare was generally for undiscriminating viewers who were willing to plunk down their money to see movies about breakdancing, sexual slapstick and over-the-top action movies. They made a feature film star out of the charisma-free Chuck Norris and revived Charles Bronson's career after the major studios had pronounced him to be past his sell date. The glory days of Cannon were relatively short-lived as movie fans sought more sophisticated fare. Still, it must be said that occasionally, Cannon did try to move out its comfort zone by producing respectable, mainstream films, one of which was "Runaway Train" in 1985. The movie starred Jon Voight as Oscar "Manny" Manheim,...
In the 1970s and 1980s, Israeli producers Yoram Globus and Menahem Golan took Hollywood by storm by unleashing a tidal wave of low-budget exploitation films that were superbly marketed and which made their Cannon Films company the toast of the town. The fare was generally for undiscriminating viewers who were willing to plunk down their money to see movies about breakdancing, sexual slapstick and over-the-top action movies. They made a feature film star out of the charisma-free Chuck Norris and revived Charles Bronson's career after the major studios had pronounced him to be past his sell date. The glory days of Cannon were relatively short-lived as movie fans sought more sophisticated fare. Still, it must be said that occasionally, Cannon did try to move out its comfort zone by producing respectable, mainstream films, one of which was "Runaway Train" in 1985. The movie starred Jon Voight as Oscar "Manny" Manheim,...
- 2/7/2020
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Cobra, the 1986 cop movie that endorsed lethal force, starred Sylvester Stallone, the biggest box office draw in the world at the time. So it's even more surprising to realize that it was produced by Menaham Golan and Yoram Globus of Cannon Films. Cobra was directed by the late George P. Cosmatos. But if you know Cannon's filmography, then watch Cobra, you'll understand exactly how the film fits into, well, Cannon's canon. Stallone plays a stock character within Cannon's ouevre of 'man who wouldn't take it anymore' films, or in this case, a man who probably never took it, and deals out his own murdery blend of justice. This lieutenant is eager to send the bad guys straight to hell rather than...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 1/28/2019
- Screen Anarchy
There will never be another studio like the Cannon Group, the company co-owned by Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus, who famously churned out dozens upon dozens of low-budget genre films in the 1980s. Though known for producing mostly schlock, the Cannon run of the ‘80s is one of my favorite periods for movies, probably because they made exactly the kinds of movies I grew up loving and still do to this day.
A shameless combination of Flashdance, The Exorcist, and a ninja movie, Ninja III: The Domination is the third installment of Cannon’s “ninja” trilogy, none of which have anything to do with one another except that Sho Kosugi appears in all of them, each time playing a totally different character. It begins as all ninja movies do: on a golf course. We’re then introduced to Lucinda Dickey (Breakin’), who stars as a woman who works on telephone...
A shameless combination of Flashdance, The Exorcist, and a ninja movie, Ninja III: The Domination is the third installment of Cannon’s “ninja” trilogy, none of which have anything to do with one another except that Sho Kosugi appears in all of them, each time playing a totally different character. It begins as all ninja movies do: on a golf course. We’re then introduced to Lucinda Dickey (Breakin’), who stars as a woman who works on telephone...
- 7/6/2018
- by Patrick Bromley
- DailyDead
Sonia Kronlund’s engaging documentary focuses on the indomitable Salim Shaheen, who has made more than 100 films in war-torn Afghanistan
The show must go on, and movies must get made, and this holds true even or especially in troubled war zones. Film-maker Sonia Kronlund has made this funny and affectionate documentary portrait of veteran Afghan movie mogul Salim Shaheen: actor, producer, director and creator of more than 100 features. He is the prince of an industry he calls “Nothingwood” – a Hollywood that must make do with nothing at all.
The indomitable and bulky Shaheen, perennially giving his cast and public observers rousing pep talks and calling for a round of applause, resembles Diego Maradona. He admires the Bollywood style and the Bollywood work ethic and his work resembles those films, with a strong dash of the cheap’n’cheerful action shlock produced by Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus at Cannon Films in the 80s.
The show must go on, and movies must get made, and this holds true even or especially in troubled war zones. Film-maker Sonia Kronlund has made this funny and affectionate documentary portrait of veteran Afghan movie mogul Salim Shaheen: actor, producer, director and creator of more than 100 features. He is the prince of an industry he calls “Nothingwood” – a Hollywood that must make do with nothing at all.
The indomitable and bulky Shaheen, perennially giving his cast and public observers rousing pep talks and calling for a round of applause, resembles Diego Maradona. He admires the Bollywood style and the Bollywood work ethic and his work resembles those films, with a strong dash of the cheap’n’cheerful action shlock produced by Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus at Cannon Films in the 80s.
- 12/15/2017
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a precedent! Barbet Schroeder’s documentary gets up close and personal with a narcissistic dictator consumed by his own ego. Idi Amin rants and raves incoherently and demands to be the center of all attention while taking his country down a road to ruin. This is Africa in 1973, where Uganda has been converted into ‘The Idi Amin Reality Show’ — and where a minion in disfavor might be fed to the crocodiles.
General Idi Amin Dada: A Self-Portrait
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 153
1974 / Color / 1:37 flat Academy / 90 min. / Général Idi Amin Dada: Autoportrait / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date December 12, 2017 / 39.95
Starring: Idi Amin
Cinematography: Néstor Almendros
Film Editor: Denise de Casabianca
Original Music: Idi Amin
Produced by Jean-Francois Chauvel, Charles-Henri Favrod and Jean-Pierre Rassam
Written and Directed by Barbet Schroeder
Criterion’s decision to bump Barbet Schroeder’s daring 1970s documentary to Blu-ray at this...
General Idi Amin Dada: A Self-Portrait
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 153
1974 / Color / 1:37 flat Academy / 90 min. / Général Idi Amin Dada: Autoportrait / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date December 12, 2017 / 39.95
Starring: Idi Amin
Cinematography: Néstor Almendros
Film Editor: Denise de Casabianca
Original Music: Idi Amin
Produced by Jean-Francois Chauvel, Charles-Henri Favrod and Jean-Pierre Rassam
Written and Directed by Barbet Schroeder
Criterion’s decision to bump Barbet Schroeder’s daring 1970s documentary to Blu-ray at this...
- 12/5/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Tobe Hooper, who died over the weekend at 74, was a leader in the Vietnam-era boom in independent, ultra-violent horror films. His 1974 “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” is considered the last in a trio of low-budget horror breakouts that included George Romero’s 1968 “Night of the Living Dead” and Wes Craven’s 1972 “Last House on the Left.”
Though grosses for these films were unreliably reported, “Texas” appears to have done the best. Its reported $30 million domestic take (adjusted, around $140 million today) was at least 100 times its budget (also a guess, though some reports have it as high as $300,000 in 1974 value). Producers recouped costs and little else from distributor Bryanston (best known for the Andy Warhol and Paul Morrissey’s “Frankenstein” and “Dracula” movies, as well as taking over distribution of “Deep Throat”).
Like Romero and Craven, the hit boosted Hooper’s career. But unlike his peers, Hooper struggled to establish his brand after “Texas.
Though grosses for these films were unreliably reported, “Texas” appears to have done the best. Its reported $30 million domestic take (adjusted, around $140 million today) was at least 100 times its budget (also a guess, though some reports have it as high as $300,000 in 1974 value). Producers recouped costs and little else from distributor Bryanston (best known for the Andy Warhol and Paul Morrissey’s “Frankenstein” and “Dracula” movies, as well as taking over distribution of “Deep Throat”).
Like Romero and Craven, the hit boosted Hooper’s career. But unlike his peers, Hooper struggled to establish his brand after “Texas.
- 8/29/2017
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
Director and documentarian Mark Hartley scores both a film history and comedy success with this ‘wild, untold’ account of the 1980s film studio that was both revered and despised by everyone who had contact with it. The ‘cast list’ of interviewees is encyclopedic, everybody has a strong opinion, and some of them don’t need four-letter words to describe their experience!
Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films
On a double bill with
Machete Maidens Unleashed!
Blu-ray
Umbrella Entertainment (Au, all-region
2014 / Color / 1:77 widescreen / 106 min. / Street Date April 4, 2017 / Available from Umbrella Entertainment / 34.99
Starring: Menahem Golan, Yoram Globus, Al Ruban, Alain Jakubowicz, Albert Pyun, Alex Winter, Allen DeBevoise, Avi Lerner, Barbet Schroeder, Bo Derek, Boaz Davidson, Cassandra Peterson, Catherine Mary Stewart, Charles Matthau, Christopher C. Dewey, Christopher Pearce, Cynthia Hargrave, Dan Wolman, Daniel Loewenthal, David Del Valle, David Paulsen, David Sheehan, David Womark, Diane Franklin, Dolph Lundgren, Edward R. Pressman,...
Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films
On a double bill with
Machete Maidens Unleashed!
Blu-ray
Umbrella Entertainment (Au, all-region
2014 / Color / 1:77 widescreen / 106 min. / Street Date April 4, 2017 / Available from Umbrella Entertainment / 34.99
Starring: Menahem Golan, Yoram Globus, Al Ruban, Alain Jakubowicz, Albert Pyun, Alex Winter, Allen DeBevoise, Avi Lerner, Barbet Schroeder, Bo Derek, Boaz Davidson, Cassandra Peterson, Catherine Mary Stewart, Charles Matthau, Christopher C. Dewey, Christopher Pearce, Cynthia Hargrave, Dan Wolman, Daniel Loewenthal, David Del Valle, David Paulsen, David Sheehan, David Womark, Diane Franklin, Dolph Lundgren, Edward R. Pressman,...
- 4/8/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Christopher Pearce, who in the 1980s served as head of production of Cannon Films, the legendary B-movie house known for churning out a slew of action fare, has died. He was 73.
Pearce died Sunday in Boca Raton, Fla., after a battle with cancer, family friend Polly Chung told The Hollywood Reporter.
Working for Israeli cousins Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus at Cannon, Pearce helped take the company’s production output from a handful of films per year to an astounding 43 in 1985. Movies made by Cannon that year included Death Wish 3, American Ninja, Missing in Action 2: The...
Pearce died Sunday in Boca Raton, Fla., after a battle with cancer, family friend Polly Chung told The Hollywood Reporter.
Working for Israeli cousins Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus at Cannon, Pearce helped take the company’s production output from a handful of films per year to an astounding 43 in 1985. Movies made by Cannon that year included Death Wish 3, American Ninja, Missing in Action 2: The...
- 12/8/2016
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Cannon Films knocks one out of the park: Jon Voight and Eric Roberts escape from prison only to end up on a huge, speeding, out of control juggernaut of a freight train plowing through the Alaskan wilderness. It's both an action bruise-fest and an existential statement, and it's still a wild thrill ride. Runaway Train Blu-ray Twilight Time 1985 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 111 min. / Street Date October 11, 2016 / Available from the Twilight Time Movies Store 29.95 Starring Jon Voight, Eric Roberts, Rebecca De Mornay, Kyle T. Heffner, John P. Ryan T.K. Carter, Kenneth McMillan, Edward Bunker, Hank Worden, Danny Trejo, Tommy Lister, Don MacLaughlin, Loren James, Dick Durock, Dennis Franz. Cinematography Alan Hume Original Music Trevor Jones Written by Djordje Milecevic, Paul Zindel, Edward Bunker based on a screenplay by Akira Kurosawa. Produced by Yoram Globus, Menachem Golan Directed by Andrei Konchalovsky
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
When I stumbled into The Cannon Group on...
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
When I stumbled into The Cannon Group on...
- 11/15/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
At the bitter end of a ten-year slide into ever-cheaper productions, The Cannon Group sends stars David Bradley (a nice guy), Steve James (everyone's favorite) and Marjoe Gortner (a stiff) to South Africa for an anemic entry in this series. Cannon is considered a 'fun' subject this year because of those funny documentaries that came out. Savant cut the trailer for this particular picture, so takes the opportunity to talk about the wild life and times in the Cannon trailer department. American Ninja 3: Blood Hunt Blu-ray Olive Films 19 / B&W / 2:35 1:85 widescreen / 1:37 flat Academy / 90 min. / Street Date August 16, 2016 / available through the Olive Films website / 29.98 Starring David Bradley, Steve James, Marjoe Gortner, Michele Chan,Yehuda Efroni, Alan Swerdlow. Cinematography George Bartels Film Editor Michael J. Duthie Original Music George S. Clinton Written by Gary Conway from characters by Avi Kleinberger & Gideon Amir Produced by Harry Alan Towers Directed...
- 8/30/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Exclusive: Yoram Globus, half the team that generated 300 pictures through Cannon Films, has returned to finance Rebel Way Entertainment, a company that gets underway with Deported, a film that will try an intriguing way to reconnect web-crazy young audiences with the theatrical experience. The idea is to take talent that has built huge viral followings through YouTube, Vine, Facebook and other web portals and package them into features surrounded by more experienced…...
- 7/18/2016
- Deadline
This is a "go to" festival for international filmmakers with Jewish films who want to have their films premiere in Hollywood. The 11th L.A. Jewish Film Festival May 18th through May 25.
Opening night on May 18 will be a grand, red carpet, star-studded gala at the Steve Tisch Cinema Center at the Saban Theatre, Beverly Hills. Lajff will recognize the Laemmle Theater family with a special honor for their ongoing commitment to film and filmmakers. This family, headed by legendary Universal studio owner, Carl Laemmle and continuously run by subsequent three generations of Laemmles, is truly a force of nature. The Laemmle Theaters is a 75+ year old family run business which has established a sense of community through film in every neighborhood of Los Angeles they touch. The Laemmle family also supports many local organizations.
Watch this wonderful history of the Laemmle theaters in which Gregory Laemmle, the President of Laemmle Theaters, gives the Beverly Hills Historical Society a summary of the Laemmle family movie theater's history and his programming of the Fine Arts and Music Hall theaters in Beverly Hills.
Opening night film is the North American premiere of “False Flag” /”Kfulim”, a gripping espionage thriller TV series (now known as “filmed entertainment”) which premiered at the Berlinale’s inaugural Special Series section and won the Grand Prize at Series Mania. It comes from the makers of “Homeland” as it first appeared in Israel in 2015 before being remade for U.S. audiences.
Created by Amit Cohen and Maria Feldman, Amit will be present after the screening for a Q&A with actor Angel Bonanni.
Variety, October 2015 called it a “Thrill Ride. Keshet’s hot strike may continue with False Flag”
C21 Hot Picks for Mipcom 2015 said, “’False Flag’ has a touch of ‘Homeland’ about it and could be the next big Israeli drama”.
Directed by Oded Ruskin, it stars Ishai Golan, Ania Bukstein, Angel Bonanni, Roy Assaf and Orna Salinger who play five Israeli citizens who find themselves plunged into a gripping international espionage affair overnight. These ordinary people, going about their daily business, wake up one morning to discover that they are implicated in a ruthless kidnapping operation following the disappearance of the Iranian Defense Minister while on a secret visit to Moscow. News bulletins repeatedly flash their names and passport photos on screen, linking them to video footage from the kidnapping.
French pay TV channel Canal Plus acquired exclusive rights to “False Flag” for France from Keshet International. Will it be remade for U.S.??? We shall see.
In addition to the opening night ceremony, this year will be the first year for a new award. Lajff will establish the Marvin Paige Hollywood Legacy Award. Marvin Paige who died in 2014 was a classic Hollywood casting director, the go-to Hollywood star wrangler of anybody and everybody needing to get a hold of a celebrity. He worked with Lajff for its entire 11 years and his work continues with his former protégé.
Read Leonard Maltin on Marvin Paige
The Marvin Paige Hollywood Legacy Award will be presented on closing night, Wednesday, May 25th, at the iconic Beverly Hills theater, The Fine Arts, to legendary actress Marsha Hunt, formerly blacklisted and still known as a free speech and humanitarian activist today at age 98!).
Closing night film Wednesday, May 25th is the classic, 72 year old movie ”None Shall Escape” starring Marsha Hunt and directed by André De Toth, starring Marsha Hunt, Alexander Knox, Henry Travers, and written by Alfred Neumann and Joseph Than (Alfred Neumann and Joseph Than were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Story.)
"None Shall Escape" is a 1944 war film. Even though the film was made during World War II, the setting is a post-war Nuremberg-style war crimes trial. Production began August 31, 1943 and finished October 26, more than eighteen months before the war in Europe ended. About the career of a Nazi officer as shown as flashbacks from his trial as a war criminal, the film will be discussed by film historian, Professor Jan Christopher Horak with Marsha Hunt in person.
There will also be a very special screening of Israel’s beloved, 1966 film musical, “Sheni Kuni Lemel”/ “The Flying Matchmaker” featuring an appearance from L.A. local celebrity and star of the film, Mike Burstyn who starred in the film when he was just 19 years old. This is the first screening of the newly restored print from Israel - the first to be shown in the U.S. Lajff will honor this classic Israeli star with an award on the first night of the screening for “Sheni Kuni Lemel”. (Learn more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flying_Matchmaker)
Another film definitely to be seen is the first film made by Oscar-winning director of “Son of Saul”, László Nemes. The 2008,14 minute short, “ With a Little Patience” will be playing before “Fever at Dawn” on May 23. Director László Nemes fixes the camera on the evocatively stoic face of a young female office clerk, capturing her every nuance as she methodically goes about her daily routine, which leads to a solemn revelation just outside the window, where a man is waiting. The film premiered at the Venice International Film Festival
and was the winner at the 14th Drama International Short Film Festival.
Monday, May 23, 7:30 pm Laemmle’s Music Hall, Beverly Hills program introduction by Consul General of Hungary, Laszlo Kalman
Another top film here is “The People Vs. Fritz Bauer”. If you saw the German submission for the Academy Award this year, “Labyrinth of Lies” you will know the story, but will find this film much,much more authentic and engrossing. It is the real story of the boss of the young man “Labyrinth” who is the true life hero.
Audience Award Winner at the Locarno International Film Festival, World Premiere Toronto International Film Festival 2015. Cohen Media has U.S. rights.
Its L.A. premiere will be Tuesday, May 24, 7:30 pm Laemmle’s Music Hall. Drama, Germany, 2015, 105 minutes, Director: Lars Kraume, in German with English subtitles
Top German actors Burghart Klaussner (“The White Ribbon”) and Ronald Zehrfeld (“Barbara”, “Phoenix”) star in this riveting historical thriller, which chronicles the staggering efforts of German district attorney Fritz Bauer to bring Nazi war criminal Adolph Eichmann to justice.
Few figures encapsulate the conflicted character of postwar Germany better than Fritz Bauer, the Attorney General who was instrumental in bringing the elusive Adolf Eichmann to trial in Israel. This film is both a portrait of this complex man and a riveting historical thriller that chronicles the Herculean efforts and tremendous risks undertaken en route to apprehending the chief engineer of the Nazis' Final Solution.
In the late 1950s, Germany flourishes under the economic miracle, and grows increasingly apathetic about confronting the horrors of its recent past. Nevertheless, Fritz Bauer (Burghart Klaussner) relentlessly devotes his energies to bringing the Third Reich to justice. One day Bauer receives a letter from Argentina, with information about Adolf Eichmann. He is excited by the promising lead, but obstructed at every turn by authorities with Nazi ties, many of them former higher-ups under Hitler, now in top government positions. Bauer journeys to Jerusalem to seek alliance with Mossad, the Israeli secret service. This is an act of treason — yet committing treason is the only way Bauer can serve his country.
Fritz Bauer was the Attorney General portrayed in “Labyrinth of Lies.” This is the story that led up to the Frankfurt Auschwitz Trials.
Introduction: Deputy Consul General Stefan Biedermann of the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany. Sponsored by the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany
“A La Vie” / “To Life”
Drama, France, 2014, 104 minutes
Director: Jean-Jacques Zilbermann
Starring: Julie Depardieu, Johanna ter Steege, Suzanne Clément
Audience Award Winner at Warsaw Jewish Ff 2015
Breaking Glass has U.S. rights.
Veteran French writer/director Jean-Jacques Zilbermann (“He’s My Girl” - Lajff 2011) sets his engaging new drama in postwar Paris where Hélène (Julie Depardieu), a young Auschwitz survivor rebuilds her life while searching for her friends from the camp, Lily and Rose (Johanna ter Steege, Suzanne Clément). When the women are finally reunited, they share a watershed vacation in 1962 in a seaside resort, enjoying the intimacies of life, love and faith. This emotionally complex film about the sustaining power of women’s friendship was inspired by the director’s mother and her annual vacation with the friends she made in the camps. Don’t miss this masterful film starring a trio of award-winning actresses.
“Children Of Giant”
Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqBYPp8IfQw
La Premiere
Documentary, United States 2015, 85 minutes
Director: Hector Galan
Thursday, May 19 at the Laemmle's Town Center, Encino at 7:30 pm
Marilyn Moss, George Stevens biographer, M.G. Lord, Elizabeth Taylor biographer Plus Earl Holliman (actor from the film) and Jim Silke join the panel discussion, moderated by Nick Redman.
Sixty years after the Hollywood blockbuster that dared tackle the issue of prejudice against Mexican-Americans, “Children Of Giant” explores the cultural and social legacy of the landmark 1956 drama. Starring a legendary trio—Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson and James Dean—Giant is the epic story of a powerful West Texas ranching dynasty, and the Anglo-Latino tensions their characters encounter. Edna Ferber, the daughter of a Hungarian-born Jewish storekeeper, whose own encounters with discrimination informed her work, bases the film on the novel. Similarly stirred to address human rights issues after his WWII military service, Oscar-winning director George Stevens embraced the book’s controversial themes of feminism, class division and racism in the post-war American Southwest. The lavish production had an enormous impact on the dusty little town of Marfa, Texas, and the Mexican-Americans who saw it as a first exposure to their second-class status.
Rare behind-the-scenes footage and clips from the movie complement interviews with surviving cast and crew, film historians, as well as residents whose lives mirrored the social issues explored onscreen.
“Golan: A Farewell To Mr. Cinema”
Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evRsJy8GxrU&spfreload=10
La Premiere
Documentary, UK/Israel, 74 minutes
Directed by Christopher Sykes
Sunday, May 22, 7:00 pm, Laemmle’s Music Hall, Beverly Hills
Speakers for Golan: Farewell to Mr. Cinema. Sam Firstenberg and Sybil Danning.
This film is the final chapter in the extraordinary life and career of Menahem Golan, Israeli movie director, producer, mogul and 'madman'. Golan and his cousin Yoram Globus, pursued the American Dream and turned the Hollywood power structure upside down, producing over 300 films and becoming the most powerful independent film company in the world; Cannon Films. Golan produced movies featuring such stars as Sylvester Stallone, Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Charles Bronson.
In his eighties and living in Jaffa, Golan looks back to his great days in Hollywood, forward to a new blockbuster, and dreams of the Oscar he has always wanted...
“In Search Of Israeli Cuisine”
La Premiere
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOd6cyFvBr8
Documentary, United States 2015, 97 minutes
Thursday, May 19, 7:30 pm Laemmle’s Music Hall, Beverly Hill
Q&A with Amelia Saltsman, cookbook author and personality and Rob Eshman, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief of the Jewish Journal.
Sunday, May 22, 4:30 pm, Laemmle’s Town Center, Encino
Q&A with Elana Horwich, owner of Meal with a Spiel
Director: Roger Sherman
Starring: Michael Solomonov
Michael Solomonov, the James Beard award-winning celebrity chef-restaurateur travels across Israel to savor a food revolution rooted in centuries-old tradition. Developed in only the last 30 years and using both ancient farming techniques and high-tech innovations, Israel’s food scene is among the most dynamic in the world. From Tel Aviv’s most exclusive eateries to street bazaars, Israeli-American Solomonov interviews chefs, home cooks, farmers, vintners, and cheese makers drawn from the more than 100 cultures that make up Israel today — Jewish, Arab, Muslim, Christian, and Druze. This journey to his homeland reaffirms that Israeli cuisine is a beautiful and delectable reflection of the country’s unique diversity.
In a gastronomical expedition, celebrity chef-restaurateur Michael Solomonov zigzags Israel to savor a food revolution rooted in centuries-old tradition.
Israel’s food scene is among the most dynamic in the world, extending beyond falafel and hummus to include tasty ethnic and regional specialties. Having won the James Beard award for embracing these authentic flavors, Israeli-American Solomonov returns to his homeland to discover his culinary heritage anew. From Tel Aviv’s most exclusive eateries, to street bazaars, to simmering pots in family kitchens, “In Search Of Israeli Cuisine” excites the taste buds with multi-cultural recipes passed on and elevated. But even food is not immune to sectarian conflict, as Palestinian cooks chafe when their savory secrets are adapted by Jewish chefs. Equally eye-opening is the story behind the ingredients that Israel produces using both ancient farming techniques and high-tech innovations. Combining a procession of mouthwatering dishes and interviews with chefs, home cooks and farmers of all backgrounds, Oscar-nominated documentarian Roger Sherman presents a diverse portrait of the Israeli people told through the very personal language of food.
Rob Eshman, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the Jewish Journal, Blog “Foodaism” to lead discussion. Additional guests Tbd. Sponsored by the Jewish Journal and the Consulate General of Israel
Food sponsored by Mickey Fine Pharmacy & Grill and Yrf Darca
For the full array of programming go to: http://lajfilmfest.org/...
Opening night on May 18 will be a grand, red carpet, star-studded gala at the Steve Tisch Cinema Center at the Saban Theatre, Beverly Hills. Lajff will recognize the Laemmle Theater family with a special honor for their ongoing commitment to film and filmmakers. This family, headed by legendary Universal studio owner, Carl Laemmle and continuously run by subsequent three generations of Laemmles, is truly a force of nature. The Laemmle Theaters is a 75+ year old family run business which has established a sense of community through film in every neighborhood of Los Angeles they touch. The Laemmle family also supports many local organizations.
Watch this wonderful history of the Laemmle theaters in which Gregory Laemmle, the President of Laemmle Theaters, gives the Beverly Hills Historical Society a summary of the Laemmle family movie theater's history and his programming of the Fine Arts and Music Hall theaters in Beverly Hills.
Opening night film is the North American premiere of “False Flag” /”Kfulim”, a gripping espionage thriller TV series (now known as “filmed entertainment”) which premiered at the Berlinale’s inaugural Special Series section and won the Grand Prize at Series Mania. It comes from the makers of “Homeland” as it first appeared in Israel in 2015 before being remade for U.S. audiences.
Created by Amit Cohen and Maria Feldman, Amit will be present after the screening for a Q&A with actor Angel Bonanni.
Variety, October 2015 called it a “Thrill Ride. Keshet’s hot strike may continue with False Flag”
C21 Hot Picks for Mipcom 2015 said, “’False Flag’ has a touch of ‘Homeland’ about it and could be the next big Israeli drama”.
Directed by Oded Ruskin, it stars Ishai Golan, Ania Bukstein, Angel Bonanni, Roy Assaf and Orna Salinger who play five Israeli citizens who find themselves plunged into a gripping international espionage affair overnight. These ordinary people, going about their daily business, wake up one morning to discover that they are implicated in a ruthless kidnapping operation following the disappearance of the Iranian Defense Minister while on a secret visit to Moscow. News bulletins repeatedly flash their names and passport photos on screen, linking them to video footage from the kidnapping.
French pay TV channel Canal Plus acquired exclusive rights to “False Flag” for France from Keshet International. Will it be remade for U.S.??? We shall see.
In addition to the opening night ceremony, this year will be the first year for a new award. Lajff will establish the Marvin Paige Hollywood Legacy Award. Marvin Paige who died in 2014 was a classic Hollywood casting director, the go-to Hollywood star wrangler of anybody and everybody needing to get a hold of a celebrity. He worked with Lajff for its entire 11 years and his work continues with his former protégé.
Read Leonard Maltin on Marvin Paige
The Marvin Paige Hollywood Legacy Award will be presented on closing night, Wednesday, May 25th, at the iconic Beverly Hills theater, The Fine Arts, to legendary actress Marsha Hunt, formerly blacklisted and still known as a free speech and humanitarian activist today at age 98!).
Closing night film Wednesday, May 25th is the classic, 72 year old movie ”None Shall Escape” starring Marsha Hunt and directed by André De Toth, starring Marsha Hunt, Alexander Knox, Henry Travers, and written by Alfred Neumann and Joseph Than (Alfred Neumann and Joseph Than were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Story.)
"None Shall Escape" is a 1944 war film. Even though the film was made during World War II, the setting is a post-war Nuremberg-style war crimes trial. Production began August 31, 1943 and finished October 26, more than eighteen months before the war in Europe ended. About the career of a Nazi officer as shown as flashbacks from his trial as a war criminal, the film will be discussed by film historian, Professor Jan Christopher Horak with Marsha Hunt in person.
There will also be a very special screening of Israel’s beloved, 1966 film musical, “Sheni Kuni Lemel”/ “The Flying Matchmaker” featuring an appearance from L.A. local celebrity and star of the film, Mike Burstyn who starred in the film when he was just 19 years old. This is the first screening of the newly restored print from Israel - the first to be shown in the U.S. Lajff will honor this classic Israeli star with an award on the first night of the screening for “Sheni Kuni Lemel”. (Learn more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flying_Matchmaker)
Another film definitely to be seen is the first film made by Oscar-winning director of “Son of Saul”, László Nemes. The 2008,14 minute short, “ With a Little Patience” will be playing before “Fever at Dawn” on May 23. Director László Nemes fixes the camera on the evocatively stoic face of a young female office clerk, capturing her every nuance as she methodically goes about her daily routine, which leads to a solemn revelation just outside the window, where a man is waiting. The film premiered at the Venice International Film Festival
and was the winner at the 14th Drama International Short Film Festival.
Monday, May 23, 7:30 pm Laemmle’s Music Hall, Beverly Hills program introduction by Consul General of Hungary, Laszlo Kalman
Another top film here is “The People Vs. Fritz Bauer”. If you saw the German submission for the Academy Award this year, “Labyrinth of Lies” you will know the story, but will find this film much,much more authentic and engrossing. It is the real story of the boss of the young man “Labyrinth” who is the true life hero.
Audience Award Winner at the Locarno International Film Festival, World Premiere Toronto International Film Festival 2015. Cohen Media has U.S. rights.
Its L.A. premiere will be Tuesday, May 24, 7:30 pm Laemmle’s Music Hall. Drama, Germany, 2015, 105 minutes, Director: Lars Kraume, in German with English subtitles
Top German actors Burghart Klaussner (“The White Ribbon”) and Ronald Zehrfeld (“Barbara”, “Phoenix”) star in this riveting historical thriller, which chronicles the staggering efforts of German district attorney Fritz Bauer to bring Nazi war criminal Adolph Eichmann to justice.
Few figures encapsulate the conflicted character of postwar Germany better than Fritz Bauer, the Attorney General who was instrumental in bringing the elusive Adolf Eichmann to trial in Israel. This film is both a portrait of this complex man and a riveting historical thriller that chronicles the Herculean efforts and tremendous risks undertaken en route to apprehending the chief engineer of the Nazis' Final Solution.
In the late 1950s, Germany flourishes under the economic miracle, and grows increasingly apathetic about confronting the horrors of its recent past. Nevertheless, Fritz Bauer (Burghart Klaussner) relentlessly devotes his energies to bringing the Third Reich to justice. One day Bauer receives a letter from Argentina, with information about Adolf Eichmann. He is excited by the promising lead, but obstructed at every turn by authorities with Nazi ties, many of them former higher-ups under Hitler, now in top government positions. Bauer journeys to Jerusalem to seek alliance with Mossad, the Israeli secret service. This is an act of treason — yet committing treason is the only way Bauer can serve his country.
Fritz Bauer was the Attorney General portrayed in “Labyrinth of Lies.” This is the story that led up to the Frankfurt Auschwitz Trials.
Introduction: Deputy Consul General Stefan Biedermann of the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany. Sponsored by the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany
“A La Vie” / “To Life”
Drama, France, 2014, 104 minutes
Director: Jean-Jacques Zilbermann
Starring: Julie Depardieu, Johanna ter Steege, Suzanne Clément
Audience Award Winner at Warsaw Jewish Ff 2015
Breaking Glass has U.S. rights.
Veteran French writer/director Jean-Jacques Zilbermann (“He’s My Girl” - Lajff 2011) sets his engaging new drama in postwar Paris where Hélène (Julie Depardieu), a young Auschwitz survivor rebuilds her life while searching for her friends from the camp, Lily and Rose (Johanna ter Steege, Suzanne Clément). When the women are finally reunited, they share a watershed vacation in 1962 in a seaside resort, enjoying the intimacies of life, love and faith. This emotionally complex film about the sustaining power of women’s friendship was inspired by the director’s mother and her annual vacation with the friends she made in the camps. Don’t miss this masterful film starring a trio of award-winning actresses.
“Children Of Giant”
Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqBYPp8IfQw
La Premiere
Documentary, United States 2015, 85 minutes
Director: Hector Galan
Thursday, May 19 at the Laemmle's Town Center, Encino at 7:30 pm
Marilyn Moss, George Stevens biographer, M.G. Lord, Elizabeth Taylor biographer Plus Earl Holliman (actor from the film) and Jim Silke join the panel discussion, moderated by Nick Redman.
Sixty years after the Hollywood blockbuster that dared tackle the issue of prejudice against Mexican-Americans, “Children Of Giant” explores the cultural and social legacy of the landmark 1956 drama. Starring a legendary trio—Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson and James Dean—Giant is the epic story of a powerful West Texas ranching dynasty, and the Anglo-Latino tensions their characters encounter. Edna Ferber, the daughter of a Hungarian-born Jewish storekeeper, whose own encounters with discrimination informed her work, bases the film on the novel. Similarly stirred to address human rights issues after his WWII military service, Oscar-winning director George Stevens embraced the book’s controversial themes of feminism, class division and racism in the post-war American Southwest. The lavish production had an enormous impact on the dusty little town of Marfa, Texas, and the Mexican-Americans who saw it as a first exposure to their second-class status.
Rare behind-the-scenes footage and clips from the movie complement interviews with surviving cast and crew, film historians, as well as residents whose lives mirrored the social issues explored onscreen.
“Golan: A Farewell To Mr. Cinema”
Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evRsJy8GxrU&spfreload=10
La Premiere
Documentary, UK/Israel, 74 minutes
Directed by Christopher Sykes
Sunday, May 22, 7:00 pm, Laemmle’s Music Hall, Beverly Hills
Speakers for Golan: Farewell to Mr. Cinema. Sam Firstenberg and Sybil Danning.
This film is the final chapter in the extraordinary life and career of Menahem Golan, Israeli movie director, producer, mogul and 'madman'. Golan and his cousin Yoram Globus, pursued the American Dream and turned the Hollywood power structure upside down, producing over 300 films and becoming the most powerful independent film company in the world; Cannon Films. Golan produced movies featuring such stars as Sylvester Stallone, Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Charles Bronson.
In his eighties and living in Jaffa, Golan looks back to his great days in Hollywood, forward to a new blockbuster, and dreams of the Oscar he has always wanted...
“In Search Of Israeli Cuisine”
La Premiere
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOd6cyFvBr8
Documentary, United States 2015, 97 minutes
Thursday, May 19, 7:30 pm Laemmle’s Music Hall, Beverly Hill
Q&A with Amelia Saltsman, cookbook author and personality and Rob Eshman, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief of the Jewish Journal.
Sunday, May 22, 4:30 pm, Laemmle’s Town Center, Encino
Q&A with Elana Horwich, owner of Meal with a Spiel
Director: Roger Sherman
Starring: Michael Solomonov
Michael Solomonov, the James Beard award-winning celebrity chef-restaurateur travels across Israel to savor a food revolution rooted in centuries-old tradition. Developed in only the last 30 years and using both ancient farming techniques and high-tech innovations, Israel’s food scene is among the most dynamic in the world. From Tel Aviv’s most exclusive eateries to street bazaars, Israeli-American Solomonov interviews chefs, home cooks, farmers, vintners, and cheese makers drawn from the more than 100 cultures that make up Israel today — Jewish, Arab, Muslim, Christian, and Druze. This journey to his homeland reaffirms that Israeli cuisine is a beautiful and delectable reflection of the country’s unique diversity.
In a gastronomical expedition, celebrity chef-restaurateur Michael Solomonov zigzags Israel to savor a food revolution rooted in centuries-old tradition.
Israel’s food scene is among the most dynamic in the world, extending beyond falafel and hummus to include tasty ethnic and regional specialties. Having won the James Beard award for embracing these authentic flavors, Israeli-American Solomonov returns to his homeland to discover his culinary heritage anew. From Tel Aviv’s most exclusive eateries, to street bazaars, to simmering pots in family kitchens, “In Search Of Israeli Cuisine” excites the taste buds with multi-cultural recipes passed on and elevated. But even food is not immune to sectarian conflict, as Palestinian cooks chafe when their savory secrets are adapted by Jewish chefs. Equally eye-opening is the story behind the ingredients that Israel produces using both ancient farming techniques and high-tech innovations. Combining a procession of mouthwatering dishes and interviews with chefs, home cooks and farmers of all backgrounds, Oscar-nominated documentarian Roger Sherman presents a diverse portrait of the Israeli people told through the very personal language of food.
Rob Eshman, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the Jewish Journal, Blog “Foodaism” to lead discussion. Additional guests Tbd. Sponsored by the Jewish Journal and the Consulate General of Israel
Food sponsored by Mickey Fine Pharmacy & Grill and Yrf Darca
For the full array of programming go to: http://lajfilmfest.org/...
- 5/5/2016
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Cannon. A name that means excellence in cinema history. Ok, maybe excellence isn’t the word. However, when I saw that logo or the Cannon name, I knew that I was at least due for a treat. After seeing Mark Hartley’s excellent documentary, Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films, it seems that there has been a spike in interest into the Cannon film history. While there is another documentary that we are waiting to see, one that probably paints the combination of Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus in a more positive light, news has been posted on the site, The Action Elite (boss name, gang), which was pulled from company portion of the Cannon Films website. It looks like this info has been on Cannon’s site since September or November.
Further investigation alludes that this information may have been published last year based off their Cannon’s Facebook.
Further investigation alludes that this information may have been published last year based off their Cannon’s Facebook.
- 2/17/2016
- by Andy Triefenbach
- Destroy the Brain
Enter the Ninja
The film that heralded the start of the ninja craze in the West, Enter the Ninja was one of many martial arts action films made by the uber-prolific producers Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus after they purchased Cannon Films in the late 70s.
Directed by Golan, Enter the Ninja tells the story of Cole (Franco Nero), a Westerner who is trained in the art of ninjitsu in Japan. Finishing his training he heads the Philippines to visit his war buddy Frank Landers (Alex Courtney) and his newlywed wife Mary Ann (Susan George), who are the owners of farm which is under attack from unscrupulous businessman Charles Venarius (Christopher George) because – unbeknownst to the Landers – there’s a huge oil deposit under their land! Of course having Franco Nero’s ninja on their side means that the Landers can easily see off Venarius’ henchmen. That is until he...
The film that heralded the start of the ninja craze in the West, Enter the Ninja was one of many martial arts action films made by the uber-prolific producers Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus after they purchased Cannon Films in the late 70s.
Directed by Golan, Enter the Ninja tells the story of Cole (Franco Nero), a Westerner who is trained in the art of ninjitsu in Japan. Finishing his training he heads the Philippines to visit his war buddy Frank Landers (Alex Courtney) and his newlywed wife Mary Ann (Susan George), who are the owners of farm which is under attack from unscrupulous businessman Charles Venarius (Christopher George) because – unbeknownst to the Landers – there’s a huge oil deposit under their land! Of course having Franco Nero’s ninja on their side means that the Landers can easily see off Venarius’ henchmen. That is until he...
- 1/31/2016
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
★★★☆☆ Aside from a couple of exceptions, Cannon Films' Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus may not be remembered in the annals of film history as purveyors of quality cinema, but they certainly showed a skill for spotting and quickly capitalising on growing social trends. This is the duo who reaped vast box office rewards by bringing the breakdance phenomena to the screen with Breakin' and the quickly cobbled-together sequel barely a later year. But three years prior to that, they crafted a cinematic response to the growing legions of adolescent fans in the west enthralled by the ninja mythos. The three titles in what would become a loosely-related chop-socky trilogy have now been restored and re-released via world cinema archivists Eureka Video.
- 1/20/2016
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
Columbia Pictures
If you’re watching a movie with a scene where the indestructible cop hero clings to the roof of a speeding vehicle, it was probably made in the 1980s. In a lot of these films, the driver doesn’t attempt to swerve or hit the brakes, he just holds his hands in front of his face before crashing through a plate glass window.
At Cannon Films, the home of Chuck Norris and Charles Bronson, B-grade action films seemed to roll off the conveyor belt every week as founders Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus sought to fashion new stars in the mould of Arnold Schwarzenegger. These cheapies were cranked out by no-name filmmakers, scored by musically ungifted composers who owned an inordinate number of synthesizers and invariably concluded with freeze-frame endings following the climactic rooftop confrontation.
Elsewhere, Sylvester Stallone was setting the standard for over the top, wildly jingoistic...
If you’re watching a movie with a scene where the indestructible cop hero clings to the roof of a speeding vehicle, it was probably made in the 1980s. In a lot of these films, the driver doesn’t attempt to swerve or hit the brakes, he just holds his hands in front of his face before crashing through a plate glass window.
At Cannon Films, the home of Chuck Norris and Charles Bronson, B-grade action films seemed to roll off the conveyor belt every week as founders Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus sought to fashion new stars in the mould of Arnold Schwarzenegger. These cheapies were cranked out by no-name filmmakers, scored by musically ungifted composers who owned an inordinate number of synthesizers and invariably concluded with freeze-frame endings following the climactic rooftop confrontation.
Elsewhere, Sylvester Stallone was setting the standard for over the top, wildly jingoistic...
- 1/11/2016
- by Ian Watson
- Obsessed with Film
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Looking for good books about the movies to read? We've got a bumper selection of recommendations right here...
A confession. I actually started writing this article in 2013, and the reason you've only reading it now is that I've made sure I've read every book on this list, save for one or two where I've marked otherwise. As such, what you're getting is a very personal list of recommendations. Each of these books has at least something to it that I think is of interest to someone wanting to learn more about film - or just enjoy stories of movie making.
I've tended to avoid picture books, with one exception, as these ones I've chosen are all intended to be chock-full of words, to relax with at the end of a long day. Which is what I did. There are one or two notable omissions, as I'm still...
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Looking for good books about the movies to read? We've got a bumper selection of recommendations right here...
A confession. I actually started writing this article in 2013, and the reason you've only reading it now is that I've made sure I've read every book on this list, save for one or two where I've marked otherwise. As such, what you're getting is a very personal list of recommendations. Each of these books has at least something to it that I think is of interest to someone wanting to learn more about film - or just enjoy stories of movie making.
I've tended to avoid picture books, with one exception, as these ones I've chosen are all intended to be chock-full of words, to relax with at the end of a long day. Which is what I did. There are one or two notable omissions, as I'm still...
- 12/10/2015
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
Subtitled The Wild Untold Story of Cannon Films, director Mark Hartley’s 2014 documentary is a treasure trove for 80’s movie nostalgists. Hartley puts together a remarkable band of over 80 Cannon vets (including Bo Derek, Elliott Gould and Dolph Lundgren) to tell their own stories while further embellishing the already outrageous legends of Cannon founders Menahem Golan and his cousin Yoram Globus. Guru Mark Helfrich even chimes in with his own experiences working at Cannon. Though given a very limited theatrical release, the film was well received and can be found on dvd and streaming services.
- 12/7/2015
- by TFH Team
- Trailers from Hell
Hollywood Banker, directed by Frans Afman’s daughter Rozemyn, charts the bankers early days working with producer Dino De Laurentiis through to his fall out with Credit Lyonnais Nederland over the company’s financing of MGM to Giancarlo Parretti, which would result in both the bank and the studio’s bankruptcy.
It’s hard to believe that, before Afman, there really was no model for independent studios to “easily” finance their projects. Yet today Afman’s model of pre-sales and completion guarantees seems simple. It’s no wonder how easily Afman managed to make himself the go-to guy for filmmakers in the 80s. A prime example being Dino De Laurentiis’ King Kong remake, which was the first film to bring Afman’s financial nous to the attention of more than just the independent studios of the time. After all, the pre-sales model not only made it easier to finance movies...
It’s hard to believe that, before Afman, there really was no model for independent studios to “easily” finance their projects. Yet today Afman’s model of pre-sales and completion guarantees seems simple. It’s no wonder how easily Afman managed to make himself the go-to guy for filmmakers in the 80s. A prime example being Dino De Laurentiis’ King Kong remake, which was the first film to bring Afman’s financial nous to the attention of more than just the independent studios of the time. After all, the pre-sales model not only made it easier to finance movies...
- 11/21/2015
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
For fans of trashy, low-budget action films, Cannon Films defined the 1980s. The company was revitalized, after a decade-long rocky start, by director Menahem Golan and producer Yoram Globus, Israeli cousins now seen by many as the dollar-store precursor to the Weinstein brothers. As tasteless as they were unscrupulous, Golan and Globus are responsible for a flood of Charles Bronson, Chuck Norris, and Jean-Claude Van Damme films, not to mention cheapy ninja-sploitation films, eccentric art-house films (including Jean-Luc Godard's King Lear and John Cassavetes's Love Streams), and, uh, Lou Ferrigno as Hercules. This week, Warner Brothers collected a ten-film DVD/Blu-Ray box set to coincide with and bolster the release of Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films, director Mark Hartley's funny, informative documentary. In the spirit of Hartley's inclusive doc, we present a list of the ten most Cannon-y moments included in the box set.
- 10/2/2015
- by Simon Abrams
- Vulture
We’re only a little over a month away from Halloween now, kiddies, and Tuesday’s home entertainment releases are primed to get you ready for the haunting season. John Carpenter’s classic adaptation of Stephen King’s Christine is making its way to Blu-ray on September 29th, as well as the cult slasher film Savage Weekend, which is being presented by the fine folks over at Kino Lorber.
For those of you Cannon Films fans out there, Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films documentary is arriving on DVD this week and Kevin Bacon’s latest outstanding thriller, Cop Car, is also coming to Blu and DVD September 29th. A handful of indie horror films are also being released this week, and for those of you out there with genre-loving progeny, a few fun movies perfect for younger viewers will arrive on home media as well.
Christine (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment,...
For those of you Cannon Films fans out there, Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films documentary is arriving on DVD this week and Kevin Bacon’s latest outstanding thriller, Cop Car, is also coming to Blu and DVD September 29th. A handful of indie horror films are also being released this week, and for those of you out there with genre-loving progeny, a few fun movies perfect for younger viewers will arrive on home media as well.
Christine (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment,...
- 9/29/2015
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Bronson!….Norris!…..Dudikoff!
Electric Boogaloo was the name of the wacky 1985 sequel to the break dance epic Breakin’ – which I don’t know was worthy of a follow-up but if there was one studio up to the effort in the mid-‘80s, it was Cannon Films. Electric Boogaloo: The Wild Untold Story Of Cannon Films is the title of a new documentary that plays for one night only in St. Louis at Landmark’s The Tivoli Theater Thursday, September 17th at 7pm.
Israeli cousins Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus, prolific salesmen with little regard for quality, bought Cannon Films for half million dollars in 1979 (it was founded in ’67) and turned it into an efficient assembly line of high-concept, action, and exploitation. Lovers of low-brow cinema could always count on a good time when that Cannon Films logo appeared on-screen. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Pt 2, the Sly Stallone arm wrestling opus Over The Top,...
Electric Boogaloo was the name of the wacky 1985 sequel to the break dance epic Breakin’ – which I don’t know was worthy of a follow-up but if there was one studio up to the effort in the mid-‘80s, it was Cannon Films. Electric Boogaloo: The Wild Untold Story Of Cannon Films is the title of a new documentary that plays for one night only in St. Louis at Landmark’s The Tivoli Theater Thursday, September 17th at 7pm.
Israeli cousins Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus, prolific salesmen with little regard for quality, bought Cannon Films for half million dollars in 1979 (it was founded in ’67) and turned it into an efficient assembly line of high-concept, action, and exploitation. Lovers of low-brow cinema could always count on a good time when that Cannon Films logo appeared on-screen. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Pt 2, the Sly Stallone arm wrestling opus Over The Top,...
- 9/8/2015
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
In recent years there has been a real boom in documentaries surrounding popular culture. Films such as Electric Boogaloo, Video Nasties, The Search for Weng Weng and Adjust Your Tracking have captured the zeitgeist of fans across the globe, and in turn inspired more people to create their own documentaries about pop culture subjects that matter to them…
But not all these documentaries see the same success. Having been on something of a documentary kick lately, I thought I’d break down the ten of the best little-known, or better yet little-discussed, pop-culture documentaries from the many, many examples I have been watching. So here they are and, for once, they’re in order:
1) Slaughter Nick For President
There’s a good reason this film is at the top of my list. This is the documentary that kicked off my exploration of pop culture documentaries (eventually ending up at compliling this list) and,...
But not all these documentaries see the same success. Having been on something of a documentary kick lately, I thought I’d break down the ten of the best little-known, or better yet little-discussed, pop-culture documentaries from the many, many examples I have been watching. So here they are and, for once, they’re in order:
1) Slaughter Nick For President
There’s a good reason this film is at the top of my list. This is the documentary that kicked off my exploration of pop culture documentaries (eventually ending up at compliling this list) and,...
- 8/18/2015
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
.Hollywood studios rarely release theatrical documentaries so Mark Hartley is chuffed to be invited to Los Angeles next month for the premiere of his profile of the 1980s filmmaking machine run by Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus.
Warner Bros. is launching Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-igpjqRDgDI&feature=youtu.be) in 17 Us cities on September 18.
Hartley and his producer, Wildbear Entertainment.s Veronica Fury, found an ally in Brett Ratner and James Packer.s RatPac Entertainment, which co-finances films with WB.
Ratner contacted Hartley when he read a story in Variety about Drafthouse Films acquiring the Us rights to the doc.. Subsequently a big piece of the Australian funding fell through when Screen Australia declined to invest in the project (although the agency later put up completion funds).
Drafthouse agreed to step aside, realising that RatPac's investment was the only...
Warner Bros. is launching Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-igpjqRDgDI&feature=youtu.be) in 17 Us cities on September 18.
Hartley and his producer, Wildbear Entertainment.s Veronica Fury, found an ally in Brett Ratner and James Packer.s RatPac Entertainment, which co-finances films with WB.
Ratner contacted Hartley when he read a story in Variety about Drafthouse Films acquiring the Us rights to the doc.. Subsequently a big piece of the Australian funding fell through when Screen Australia declined to invest in the project (although the agency later put up completion funds).
Drafthouse agreed to step aside, realising that RatPac's investment was the only...
- 8/17/2015
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
While we often lament some of the films that end up stuck in development Hell, never to become realized on the big screen, there are some films we should all be glad never came to fruition.
Sometimes they don’t get it! We all know that the film industry is a business and they want to make money, but Hollywood doesn’t always realize that the best way to do that is to make a good film. Sometimes, Hollywood’s habit of taking a known property and stretching them out to absurd proportions proves that they just don’t get the point. Fortunately, there are times when someone recognizes a bad idea and puts on the brakes. Below is a list of 14 films where someone was smart enough to notice that they were making a pile of trash and threw in the towel.
Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian
Due to the success of Beetlejuice,...
Sometimes they don’t get it! We all know that the film industry is a business and they want to make money, but Hollywood doesn’t always realize that the best way to do that is to make a good film. Sometimes, Hollywood’s habit of taking a known property and stretching them out to absurd proportions proves that they just don’t get the point. Fortunately, there are times when someone recognizes a bad idea and puts on the brakes. Below is a list of 14 films where someone was smart enough to notice that they were making a pile of trash and threw in the towel.
Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian
Due to the success of Beetlejuice,...
- 7/5/2015
- by feeds@cinelinx.com (Rob Young)
- Cinelinx
With my first Siff now in the books, I can say that I’ve learned some valuable lessons. The first being what a remarkable festival and diverse program the organizers came up with for the 41st edition. From the venues to the volunteers, everything was top notch. Like most festivals, it was a bit front-loaded with premieres, but there were also notable premieres later in the program, including Max Landis’ Me Him Her on the closing weekend. From top to bottom, this was a great line-up with very few thin spots.
The other major lesson I learned is that it’s impossible to adequately cover a film festival in the city in which you live. Family, friends, and full-time jobs don’t simply disappear just because you want to have some fun. I come away feeling disappointed that time constraints kept me from seeing a lot of great films, as...
The other major lesson I learned is that it’s impossible to adequately cover a film festival in the city in which you live. Family, friends, and full-time jobs don’t simply disappear just because you want to have some fun. I come away feeling disappointed that time constraints kept me from seeing a lot of great films, as...
- 6/15/2015
- by J.R. Kinnard
- SoundOnSight
Who needs good taste when you have plenty of enthusiasm? Fantastic new documentary Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films charts the rise and fall of two movie-obsessed Israeli cousins - Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus - after buying a financially troubled American film studio in 1979.
The duo subsequently churned out some of the most iconic movies of the 1980s... but not necessarily on the strength of their artistic merit. Buy 'em cheap and pile them high was the initial ethos that led to titles like Hospital Massacre, Enter the Ninja and a plethora of increasingly exploitational Death Wish films. Yet occasional gems and cult classics like Runaway Train and Lifeforce emerged too, plus there's the title of a breakdancing movie sequel that entered popular culture - Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo.
So many fascinating revelations emerge in the documentary surrounding the genesis, production and release of the films...
The duo subsequently churned out some of the most iconic movies of the 1980s... but not necessarily on the strength of their artistic merit. Buy 'em cheap and pile them high was the initial ethos that led to titles like Hospital Massacre, Enter the Ninja and a plethora of increasingly exploitational Death Wish films. Yet occasional gems and cult classics like Runaway Train and Lifeforce emerged too, plus there's the title of a breakdancing movie sequel that entered popular culture - Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo.
So many fascinating revelations emerge in the documentary surrounding the genesis, production and release of the films...
- 6/6/2015
- Digital Spy
Who needs good taste when you have plenty of enthusiasm? Fantastic new documentary Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films charts the rise and fall of two movie-obsessed Israeli cousins - Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus - after buying a financially troubled American film studio in 1979.
The duo subsequently churned out some of the most iconic movies of the 1980s... but not necessarily on the strength of their artistic merit. Buy 'em cheap and pile them high was the initial ethos that led to titles like Hospital Massacre, Enter the Ninja and a plethora of increasingly exploitational Death Wish films. Yet occasional gems and cult classics like Runaway Train and Lifeforce emerged too, plus there's the title of a breakdancing movie sequel that entered popular culture - Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo.
So many fascinating revelations emerge in the documentary surrounding the genesis, production and release of the films...
The duo subsequently churned out some of the most iconic movies of the 1980s... but not necessarily on the strength of their artistic merit. Buy 'em cheap and pile them high was the initial ethos that led to titles like Hospital Massacre, Enter the Ninja and a plethora of increasingly exploitational Death Wish films. Yet occasional gems and cult classics like Runaway Train and Lifeforce emerged too, plus there's the title of a breakdancing movie sequel that entered popular culture - Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo.
So many fascinating revelations emerge in the documentary surrounding the genesis, production and release of the films...
- 6/6/2015
- Digital Spy
In the 70s Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus's reign at Cannon Films produced some of the shlockiest B-movies to (dis)grace the screen. Andrew Pulver remembers some old favourites (Enter the Ninja, Invasion USA, The Last American Virgin) and explains why Mark Hartley's documentary about the studio that gave early breaks to Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Norris and Charles Bronson is worth your time this week. Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films is out in the UK now Continue reading...
- 6/5/2015
- by Andrew Pulver and Henry Barnes
- The Guardian - Film News
★★★★☆ There are few Hollywood stories as intriguing as that of Cannon Films, the independent distributor born from the ambitions of Israeli immigrants Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus. Throughout the 1970s and 80s the pair made a name for themselves as purveyors of low brow, trashy cinema that would almost accidentally engrave their names into Hollywood folklore, and make them infamous among cinephiles for years to come. Through a serious of rueful interviews and archive footage, Not Quite Hollywood (2008) director Mark Hartley relives their pursuit of the 'American Dream', which they would achieve by any means necessary.
- 6/2/2015
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
From anime to pitch-black thrillers, here's our pick of the underappreciated movies of 1987...
Sometimes, the challenge with these lists isn't just what to put in, but what to leave out. We loved Princess Bride, but with a decent showing at the box office and a huge cult following, isn't it a bit too popular to be described as underappreciated? Likewise Joe Dante's Innerspace, a fabulously geeky, comic reworking of the 60s sci-fi flick, Fantastic Voyage.
What we've gone for instead is a mix of genre fare, dramas and animated films that may have garnered a cult following since, but didn't do well either critically or financially at the time of release. Some of the movies on our list just about made their money back, but none made anything close to the sort of returns enjoyed by the likes of 1987's biggest films - Three Men And A Baby, Fatal Attraction...
Sometimes, the challenge with these lists isn't just what to put in, but what to leave out. We loved Princess Bride, but with a decent showing at the box office and a huge cult following, isn't it a bit too popular to be described as underappreciated? Likewise Joe Dante's Innerspace, a fabulously geeky, comic reworking of the 60s sci-fi flick, Fantastic Voyage.
What we've gone for instead is a mix of genre fare, dramas and animated films that may have garnered a cult following since, but didn't do well either critically or financially at the time of release. Some of the movies on our list just about made their money back, but none made anything close to the sort of returns enjoyed by the likes of 1987's biggest films - Three Men And A Baby, Fatal Attraction...
- 5/13/2015
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
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