Film moguls Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus took over The Cannon Group, Inc. in 1979 when its film unit started to struggle. The cousins kept the ball rolling and were able to produce lots of action flicks, likeMissing in Action(1984),Invasion U.S.A.(1985), andThe Delta Force(1986), all starring Chuck Norris. Among Cannon Films’ most remarkable works are its ninja movies:Enter the Ninja(1981),Revenge of the Ninja(1983), andNinja III: The Domination(1984), all starring Sho Kosugi.American Ninja(1985) and its sequel,American Ninja 2: The Confrontation(1987) are commendable, too. It’s safe to say that the company started a ninja craze.
Its biggest commercial break came fromCobra(1986), headlined by Sylvester Stallone. This cult classic earned around $160 million. Meanwhile, its most critically-acclaimed film isThe Assault(1986), which earned the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The tandem of Golan and Globus continued to spearhead Cannon’s operations until 1989. Cannon Films closed shop in the late ’90s after more than two decades of creating movies in various genres. Renowned critic Roger Ebert once said, “no other production organization in the world today — certainly not any of the seven Hollywood ‘majors’ — has taken more chances with serious, marginal films than Cannon.”
852 Pick-Up (1986)
The neo-noir52 Pick-Up, based on a novel by Elmore Leonard, follows a wealthy man (Roy Scheider) and the efforts to blackmail him due to his illicit affair with a younger woman (Kelly Preston). Ebert praised it for creating “the best, most reprehensible villain of the year, and uses his vile charm as the starting point” of the film. Janet Maslin from The New York Times, meanwhile, commended it for having “no pretensions at all” and for being “fast-paced, lurid, exploitative, and loaded with malevolent energy.”Slant Magazine said52 Pick-Upwas “one of the better of the willfully decadent American thrillers from the 1980s.”
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7Powaqqatsi (1988)
Powaqqatsiis a non-narrative film that highlights life in Third World countries and the battle between traditional life and industrialization. This movie, which has no dialogue, “is an impression, an examination of how life is changing,” said director Godfrey Reggio. He added that it “emphasizes our unanimity as a global community.” Ebert and Time Out Magazine agreed that the movie was “visually stunning.”Powaqqatsi, alongsideKoyaanisqatsi and Naqoyqatsi,is part of the Qatsi trilogy, praised by Greg Klymkiw for being “the best mind-bending movie trips.” This movie remains relevant, especially since the world hasn’t changed that much, more so in developing nations.
6Street Smart (1987)
The critically-acclaimed thrillerStreet Smartearned Morgan Freeman his first Academy Award nomination(best supporting actor), making it his breakthrough film. The veteran thespian played the role of a pimp, Fast Black, who felt alluded to by the fictional write-up of a journalist (Christopher Reeve). Ebert said it was a “clever thriller with a lot of unbelievable scenes and a sappy ending, but two wonderful performances.” He also applauded the effective performances of Freeman and Kathy Baker. TV Guide also commended Freeman’s “terrific performance” and Baker for being “outstanding.” Freeman took the cake with this interesting flick. Street smart indeed!
5Shy People (1987)
The drama filmShy Peopleis about a tragic family reunion. The movie, one of Merritt Butrick’s last projects before he died, is not shy about its class.Barbara Hershey, who also starred inInsidious, earned the best actress award from the prestigious Cannes Film Festival for her performance. Time Out said it was a “melodramatic hokum, pure and simple-minded,” praising its “luminous photography and Hershey’s sterling performance.” Ebert gave it four stars, saying it was “one of the great visionary films of recent years,” as well as one of the “great, lost films of recent years.” Director Andrei Konchalovsky has something to be boastful about inShy People.
4Barfly (1987)
Fans of the poet Charles Bukowski might loveBarfly, the author’s semi-autobiography, in which he also worked on the screenplay. It follows the author’s drinking spree and is led by Mickey Rourke, who “literally” consumed his role. Ebert gave it four stars, enamored by the dialogue of Rourke and Faye Dunaway, which he deemed “poetry.” As it should be because Bukowski had a hand in the film. A review saidBarflywas “an audacious movie about skid-row existentialism.” To end,TV Guide appreciates this work, saying it’s “not a film for everyone, but the unrelieved squalor of Barfly offers its own peculiar fascinations.
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3The Last American Virgin (1982)
The sex comedy filmThe Last American Virgin,which still resonates 40 years later, is the American remake of the Israeli flickLemon Popsicle(1978). Its ending scene (SPOILER ALERT), like in the original version, is often shared online (by hopeless romantics) and a hit on YouTube. Aside from its good soundtrack, the film was praised for its “frankness” that “makes it more honest than its dreamy-eyed descendants.” A critic commended its “realistic” ending, making it relatable. Another review said it was “leering but ultimately surprisingly serious-minded.” Another review appreciated it as “the main character longs (and is left longing) for his dream girl” unlike other “ache-less” flicks.
2Runaway Train (1985)
Another Konchalovsky entry,Runaway Trainis a thriller movie based on the screenplay of the legendary Akira Kurosawa. It’s about two escaped convicts (Jon Voight and Eric Roberts) and a locomotive driver stuck on a runaway train. For his performance, Voight grabbed the Best Actor award for a motion picture drama from the Golden Globe Awards. Ebert was impressed by this film, giving it four stars and saying it was “a superior action movie.” He noticed the smoothly executed and “stunning” action sequences and its ending, which was “astonishing in its emotional impact.” It should be noted, too, that this film was Danny Trejo and Tommy ‘Tiny’ Lister, Jr.’s debut feature.
1Evil Angels (1988)
Evil Angels(titledA Cry in the Darkoutside of New Zealand and Australia) is considered one of the best courtroom drama movies. It was based on the death of the nine-week-old Azaria Chamberlain; the wrongful conviction endured by her mother (Meryl Streep), and the false implication of her father (Sam Neill). The Washington Post’s Rita Kempley praised Streep, who brought her “customary skillfulness” to the role. For that, she took home the best actress award from the prestigious Cannes.Ebert, meanwhile, praised director Fred Schepisi’s success“in indicting the court of public opinion, and his methodical (but absorbing) examination of the evidence helps us understand the state’s circumstantial case.”
