Updates & News - December 2008 to April 2009

Updates, News and Stuff.

December 2008 to April 2009 (see main menu for older news)

Got a better image, information or something I’m missing or I have wrong?

Like to add something? See the Contact Me page on the main menu

1986-1987 YEARBOOK

Jason Spooner kindly scanned these for us to enjoy. Taken from the year book edition of the UK film magzine, FILM REVIEW.

Cannon on a roll..

“Pot boilers”? Description: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potboiler

1986-1987 YEARBOOK Pt 2

King Solomon's Mines (1985)

…and…

Invasion USA (1985)

…and…

Death Wish 3 (1985)

…and…

The Delta Force (1986)

Controversial co-magnate! But only in some British film circles. Bof!

…and…

Lifeforce (1985)

Lavish, no less. Trailer here

and…

American Ninja (1985)

I’ve never heard of an ill-wisher. Catch the trailer voiced by the late great Don LaFontaine here

Thanks to Jason for the great scans.

Added: 23 March 2009

LOST IN TRANSLATION

After –click for larger Before–click for larger

Very classy before and after example of how local cinema distributors see a film in their own country (this time Pakistan, I believe).

I’ve added that with some other new Asian posters to the Cannon Asia Gallery via the main menu under Film & Image

Catch the trailer here

Added: 17 March 2009

CAMBALACHE –LOGO WATCH

Spain

Interesting logo (got a better version?) from Spain. I assume that’s from around 1979. From what I can tell, Christopher C. Dewey’s Cannon Group Inc

controlled the unfinished project -Sam’s Song (1969)- recut it and shot some new footage with Sybil Danning and Lisa Blount and released it in

cinemas as The Swap (1969) (around 1979 but I’ll stick with 1969 for now due to the IMDb). Original “Re-Release” US one sheet poster. Great bit of promo.

From Cannon’s poster.

I think I’ve counted 25 different DVD releases for this broken film. Some sort of record I’m sure and most consider it ‘public domain’. It’s available

in both versions in the USA on DVD.

IMDb http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0064924/fullcredits (showing as one film)

If you can help with a better quality logo see the Contact Me page on the main menu

Added: 17 March 2009

LOGO WATCH 2

UK advertising sheet –listed as “one sheet” but doesn’t appear on any other material. Alternate USA

Anyone help with this? I’m looking for a higher quality logo for that “CGinc”. If you can help with a better quality logo see the Contact Me

page on the main menu

Thanks!

Added: 17 March 2009

CANNON, IN REVIEW

A site worthy of your visit with lots of reviews of Cannon projects and much more is, The Deuce.

LET ME TELL YOU™: “The Deuce Cinema Database is the original classic international exploitation film wiki/fanzine. A community

run megasite of classic exploitation information.” - from www.grindhousedatabase.com

The link to Cannon stuff is www.grindhousedatabase.com/index.php/Category:Cannon_Films

Thanks to Pete.

Added: 17 March 2009

ENTEBBE: SUITS YOU, SIR

Mivtsa Yonatan / Operation Thunderbolt (1977)

Who’s that good-looking young man 2^nd from the right with the pencil in his hand?

Yes, Menahem Golan. I think he reused that suit 10 years later here (still fits him to this day!). Clothing like that never goes out of fashion.

Info on Operation Thunderbolt (1977)

click for larger

Starring: Yehoram Gaon, Assaf Dayan, Klaus Kinski , Sybil Danning, Ori Levi, Arik Lavi, Shai K Ophir

Directed By: Menahem Golan

Although not a Cannon production, Cannon did handle the rights for a period releasing it on home video in several European countries. The

film has recently been restored and shown at a few trade shows and there’s a 2-disc DVD. The US rights are with MGM Inc. If I’ve seen this it

was a very long time ago and I recall nothing about it. Nominated for the 1977 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Film comment on Operation Thunderbolt (1977) @ http://www.altfg.com/blog/film-reviews/operation-thunderbolt-menahem-golam/ and the

IMDb http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0076398/usercomments

Added: 12 March 2009

CANNON SCREEN

Screen Trade Magazine's Winter (February/March) 2009 edition of their magazine has a Where are They Now? article on Golan-Globus. An

excellent article with input from Giles Howard, who is also compiling Cannon.org.uk's Cannon Timeline. You'll also find mention of the

great read that is Philip Turner's Cannon Cinemas: An Outline History. That book (and entire collection) is still available here It's highly

recommended to Cannon fans wishing to get a better idea of Cannon's rise in the UK and of course an invaluable insight into the wider UK

cinema history.

www.screentrademagazine.com

Thanks to Giles Howard for his input in the Screen Trade article, Screen Trade Magazine's Editor-in-Chief, Philip Turner and to all those who

had input and gave permissions for their work to be used in Cannon Cinemas: An Outline History -some of which has been used on this site.

Contact Me page on the main menu

Added: 12 March 2009

MR. MAILER

Giles Howard has kindly donated the USA presskit for Tough Guys Don't Dance (1987). A film which –the best I can say about it – is it’s strange.

I’ve not seen it for a few years and intend to return to it fresh in the knowledge the people who made it had absolutely no idea what the fuck they

were doing. Or they knew what they were doing but they were on prescription drugs. Either way all I recall now more than 20 years later is it was

a complete car crash of a film. It’s still an attractive project so I think it’s worthy of this site’s- and hopefully your- attention.

The webpage featuring the full 35 page presskit, photos and other bits and pieces I’ve come by is @ www.cannon.org.uk/direct_toughguys.htm

or by going via the main menu under Film & Image I ternd to move things about so it’s best to use the main menu when possible.

Trailer on YouTube www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UasRqrBcMY

Got a presskit you’d like to see here? See the Contact Me page on the main menu

Added: 1 March 2009

CANNON POSTER GALLERY

Double the ninja! Click for larger

Finally found the time to start taking photos of my larger Cannon posters. Would prefer scans but it’s not possible as you’d need a very big

scanner or it would have to be done in sections. The only problem I had was some one sheet US posters have a sugar type sheen and this

causes a flashback. I am pretty useless at camera settings so I’ve set everything to ‘auto’. I need a camera with an “Ultra Stereo” setting.

I have yet to photograph the small video shop posters but that should be easy enough as they’re well pressed and can be done 2 at a time. I’ll

get the gallery up and running in the next week hopefully.

Added: 1 March 2009

BOOTLEG WATCH

USA VHS click for larger

American Nitro (1979)

LET ME TELL YOU™: Drag racing comes in for a close examination in this nostalgic documentary. Filmed mostly at the Fremont Dragstrip, this exhaustive study of the 1970s "funny car" scene adopts a light hearted tone as it explores its subject. Among those featured are superstar drivers Don ("Snake") Prudhomme and Tom ("Mongoose") McEwen. Includes cameo appearances by Shirley ("ChaCha") Muldowney and an interview with Ed Pink, drag racing's foremost engine builder.

It's Americana in every sense of the word with the inner workings of the sport as much on display as the cars, their drivers, mechanics, and support personnel. Much discussion about the future of the sport in the context of big money sponsors and the gas crisis.

The original producers of this film are reported to be planning a DVD release. In the meantime, contact us if you are having trouble finding it. If it is becomes available elsewhere, we will update this information..

That’s the blurb on a bootleg supplier’s site. These old Cannon distributions are fascinating. Never seen this and it’s part of quite a few

releases which are documentaries tarted up to look like features. Paragon released this in the US on tape and Cannon released it themselves

in West Germany. There must be a trailer for it somewhere. If you have any info on this documentary or have images you’d like share please

get in touch. See the Contact Me page on the main menu

American Nitro (1979) @ IMDb http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0190238/

Added: 1 March 2009

ADDED SCANS

click for larger

Added American Nitro (1979) to the IMDb AZ, also added the USA The Barbarians (1987) (thanks to Nasser), the Belgian/Netherlands

Firewalker (1986) and The Brain Machine (1977) (both thanks to Dan). Great scans, thanks guys.

If you have any images you’d like to share with the site please get in touch. They don’t need to be perfect just so long as you think other

Cannon fans will enjoy them. See the Contact Me page on the main menu

Added: 1 March 2009

CANNON DVD WATCH

Steve Carver's classic Michael Dudikoff vehicle, River of Death (1989) has had a couple of releases on DVD. In Belgium/France as La Rivière de

la Mort and in the Netherlands with the English language name. Seems the Dutch version has an English track but I’ve not been able to confirm

this. That French release is from a company called Prism Vision and the Dutch one is from the Collectors Gold series. If you have any other info

or some pictures/scans of the covers, please let me know and I’ll update this site. See the Contact Me page on the main menu

Lots of Cannon back catalogue found at EuroCine Films www.eurocinefilms.com in Spain. From the Cannon Group classic Bolero to the NewCannon release of the

Menahem Golan semi-classic, Death Game, quite a selection. Boaz Davidson's El Último Americano Virgen also gets a release. I found:

Body and Soul (1981) (AKA Cuerpo y Alma)

Crack House (1989)

Mata Hari (1985)

Over the Brooklyn Bridge (1984) (AKA Al otro Lado de Brooklyn)

Swap, The (1969)

That Championship Season (1982) [AKA Cuando fuimos campeones]

NewCannon Inc/Menahem Golan’s

Death Game’s trailer here

A few of those are on Region 1 DVD from MGM but I don’t think I’ve seen Over the Brooklyn Bridge (1984) anywhere else.

Good place for Spanish DVDs www.dvdgo.com

Added: 1 March 2009

EAR ASSAULT

The Assault (AKA De Aanslag) (1986)

The UK rental VHS, of Cannon’s Oscar winning film. I’ve never seen this tape before and it’s been over-dubbed (like the Lemon Popsicle films)

into English and it’s awful. It’s simply not how I know the film. I assume the Oscar prize was for the original Dutch language English subbed

version. The version I have on tape is from Channel 4 UK TV and the newest version is the excellent Dutch release DVD. Both with the original

sound. I think a lot more films were dubbed in the 1980s to be fair on Cannon. Maybe this is why there’s not been a DVD release outside of Europe,

whomever owns the Cannon version doesn’t have rights to the true audio track?

Full scan of cover added to the Cannon MGM/UA Gallery.

More info on Fons Rademakers’s The Assault (1986) here

Added: 21 February 2009

CANNON BLU

Kickboxer (1989)

Cannon distributed it at US cinemas only, but it’s worth a mention as it’s had a Blu-Ray release in Germany www.amazon.de/dp/B001BTPFGS

Some more info: http://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=83708 and www.video.de/videofilm/kickboxer-us-r-rated-fassung-blu-ray-disc-kauf/118474.html

US trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zLhZ9BWT08 US poster: here

Added: 20 February 2009

CAPTAIN ~~RED~~ BLU

Whilst on the subject of Cannon distibuted product, this caught my eye www.amazon.fr/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001Q8UOVU

I have the Polish DVD (click here for screengrabs and info) and it’s very good. But I reckon a nice new Blu-Ray would be even better.

A definite purchase but I’ll have to wait and see what the language options are. The French like to remove English tracks or force French

subtitles over a film. Hopefully it’ll be the full version of the film too.

Only info I could find from the distributor, TF1:

Fiche technique du Blu-ray

Zone : B

Date de sortie : 2 Avril 2009

Editeur : TF1 Vidéo

Resolution : 1080p

Ratio : 2.35:1

Audio

Anglais DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

Français DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

Sous titre

Français, Anglais

Supposed to be released as a ‘Steelbook’ too. That’s where they print straight on to a steel box. Popular with fans in mainland Europe,

apparently.

More info: http://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=85176

The Cannon Group trailer www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJX4O1Jj9UI

Added: 20 February 2009

CANNON FILM

Click for full image

Strange photos of actual film trailer of the House of the Long Shadows (1983).

YouTube trailer

Added: 13 February 2009

CANNON T-SHIRT

No, that’s not me and it’s not a young Menahem Golan. Just another of the many strange photos I’m sent.

If you have any Cannon t-shirt pictures you’d like to share please send them to the site. See the Contact Me page on the main menu

Added: 13 February 2009

POINT OF NO RETURN

Messers Sly and Golan “I think there’s a bigger mirror over there…”

Naseer has sent some very interesting images to Cannon.org.uk Sly and Menaham (above) on the set of Over The Top (1987). That’s a new

picture to me. Trailer for Over The Top (1987) on YouTube here

A couple of interesting VHS scans too:

Click for full image Click for full image

From Greece, for the Filipino film, Terry Becker's Blood Hunt (1974) with Jennifer Billingsley and John Considine. AKA The Thirsty Dead (1974)

and wait for it, Blood Cult of Shangri-La More http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0073801/fullcredits -Correct info? See the Contact Me page on the main menu

And this interesting Greek VHS cover:

Click for full image

I think that’s a version of Netherlands/Belgian cover from Dan:

Click for full image

I’ve never been able to find a definitive IMDb link for that film on the IMDb. Filipino/Asian cinema experts seem to think it’s a couple of films

rolled into one. If you have some info drop me a line: See the Contact Me page on the main menu

Added: 13 February 2009

REACH FOR THE ~~SKY~~ SUN BUT LOWER THE BUDGET

“It’s not my voice, it came from that speaker over there”

I don’t like returning too ofter to the abomination that is Cannon’s Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987), but it’s such a nice interview

with Mark Pillow (Nuclear Man V2.0) that I thought people would like to hear it. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6265117279011296741

It originated at the excellent www.supermansupersite.com

Mark Pillow seems a really nice down to earth guy getting on with his life. I never knew he was British (which, if you listen to the interview, is the

reason he got the Nuclear Man gig). We love tax laws here in Britain because we invented tax and thought everyone else should have tax too.

More interesting scans from Mark Burger too on the subject of Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987). From Starlog, June 1987:

Click for full size

Thanks to Mark.

Trailer for Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)on YouTube here

Added: 13 February 2009

AWESOME DYNASTY

Click for full image circa 1974

According to the advertising blurb, this is the start of the awesome dynasty.

The Godfathers of Hong Kong (1974) was another early Cannon Group pickup in the USA. Released in Super 8mm

What’s Super 8mm? You can find out here

The original Cannon Group Inc trailer with added music mix can be viewed on YouTube here

Added: 23 January 2009

LIFEFORCE

As big as it goes unfortunately, nice though. MGM reused this artwork for the Japanese DVD

Nice article on Lifeforce (1985) @ http://www.bloodygoodhorror.com/bgh/blogs/06/23/2008/final-girl-film-club-lifeforce

Always thought it was a terrible film, but I did like the trailer which features the great Mancini soundtrack. For legal reasons I’m obliged

to feature a picture of Mathilda May. No, I’m not going to be cheap and show her naked torso, I’ll use the cover of the French CD here

Alternate title from Colin Wilson’s book, The Space Vampires.

1985, more back in time newspaper articles from Mark Burger:

Click for full image Click for full image

Added: 23 January 2009

CANNON MASTERS

Click for full image Click for full image circa 1987

A few more great scans from Mark Burger. This time from Cinefantastique which takes a look at He-Man’s transformation into a Cannon film.

Trailer for Masters of The Universe (1987) on YouTube here (I reckon that’s the late, great Don LaFontaine doing the voiceover).

Thanks Mark!

Added: 23 January 2009

PREMIERE

circa 1987

Old advert from the US magazine, Premiere. I subscribed to the US edition of that magazine (had it sent here to the UK). They did a UK

edition but it was a poor comparison as they removed too much US material. It was a great movie magazine but the last time I looked at it

(10 years ago) it had turned into a fashion magazine. The US magazine stopped printing in 2007 I believe.

Premiere has a website www.premiere.com

Trailer for American Ninja 2: The Confrontation on YouTube here

Added: 23 January 2009

PROMO

Enormous thanks to Giles for very kindly donating the great promo material to Cannon.org.uk With that above presskit he also sent much more

which I’ll photograph and add here and then in its own gallery in the main promo section –when I next update it.

If you’d l like to add something (either your own photos or send me stuff) it would be much appreciated. See the Contact Me page on the main menu

Thanks again.

Added: 6 January 2009

TOILET HUMOUR

Click for full image

Thanks to Hans for this great VHS cover scan from the Netherlands. I’ll be adding that to the Cannon Benelux Gallery .

Added: 29 December 2008

KNEEL BEFORE ~~ZOD~~ DIANA

Otello (1986). Mr Golan & Mr Globus suitably attired welcoming HRH Princess of Wales, future Queen of Australia and England, Diana.

Interesting photo from the UK Royal Performance of Zeffirelli’s film. Menahem is also pictured (with a change of jacket

I think) with Franco Zeffirelli .

Added: 29 December 2008

LEERING AT LEAR

click for larger

King Lear (1987). Sadly, not part of my UK quad collection (thanks to Neil for the kind permission to use his photo), I really like this poster from

the great hand of Gerald Scarfe. Scarfe will be known to many people as the man behind some of Pink Floyd’s most memorable art.

You’ll find more on Godard’s Cannon film on the main menu under What Did You Say? -but it’s easily condensed into the secretly recorded

conversation which he added to the film here

Not a ‘lost Cannon film’ as many claim, as the rights reside with (the last I checked) the UK company Hollywood Classics and a French company

(who rereleased the film which led to legal problems (see below)). The film has had a terrible history and maybe it’s best if it were ‘lost’ as I

never gave it any value as a follower of Godard. It was really a poke in the eye to Golan-Globus which they should have seen coming.

THE PAY'S THE THING

22 January 2004

BY LIZA KLAUSSMANN

Publication: Variety

PARIS (Variety) --- A Paris court found Gallic helmer Jean-Luc Godard guilty Tuesday of copyright infringement, after the director used text by writer Viviane Forrester without her authorization in his troubled production of "King Lear."

"In reproducing and diffusing in this film a paragraph of the book 'The Violence of the Calm' without the authorization of the author and the editor, M. Godard and the company Bodega Films have committed acts of copyright infringement against Mme. Forrester and against Editions du Seuil," the court said.

The tribunal forbade Bodega to continue distribution of the film, which was penned by Godard, Norman Mailer and Richard Debuisne ("C'est le bouquet!"), until the passage is credited to Forrester.

Furthermore, the helmer and the French distrib were ordered to pay the author and the publisher E5,000 ($6,350) each in damages and interest.

The verdict must also be published at the expense of Godard in two newspapers or magazines.

The court's judgment is one in a long line of problems "King Lear" has faced since its conception. Godard agreed to do an adaptation of the Shakespeare play at Cannes in 1986, signing a deal on a napkin with producers Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus, of the now-defunct production outfit Cannon Films.

But when Godard showed a work print of the pic the following year at the fest, the film was so far from the Bard's original that the producers threatened to sue the helmer. Godard, however, escaped a legal battle when Cannon folded a month later.

Pic, which stars Godard, Woody Allen (news), Peter Sellers, Burgess Meredith, Mailer, Leos Carax, Julie Delpy and Molly Ringwald, was later bought by Bodega from Hollywood Classics. The distrib finally released "King Lear" on a handful of screens in 2002, 15 years after it was first lensed.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bodega Revives Godard's 'lear' For France Debut

25 January 2002

By Charles Masters

Publication: The Hollywood Reporter

A new French theatrical distributor, Bodega Films, is to make its debut release in April with Jean-Luc Godard's 15-year-old English-language movie, "King Lear," which stars Woody Allen, Norman Mailer, Peter Sellars and Leos Carax.

Godard's outlandish "Lear," which is

anything but a direct adaptation of William Shakespeare's play, unspooled for the press at the Cannes film fest in 1987.

But following a legal wrangle between Godard and the production company, Cannon Films, which subsequently went out of business, the movie fell into a legal void, which meant it never had a French theatrical release.

"Lear" eventually wound up in the catalog of the United Kingdom's Hollywood Classics, from which Bodega acquired all French rights. Bodega plans to release the film with about 10 prints.

Bodega is owned by Jean-Pierre Gardelli, who operates an art-house circuit in southwest France. The company plans to release four to five movies a year.

BOOTLEG LEAR

King Lear (1987) hasn’t got an official DVD AFAIK, I had seen it listed from China in that 49 DVD (!) boxset above but it seems to have been

removed. The film was passed by the UK censor in October 1987 as “KING LEAR - FEAR AND LOATHING”, but I don’t recall the Cannon

Film Distributors cinema release or home video release. Got some information on that? See the Contact Me page on the main menu

MGM list it as their property in the USA:

CANNON FAMILY

click for more

“Welcome to the Cannon Family, Sylvester Stallone” –That’s from the inside of that Japanese program. No sign of Warner Bros.

USA DVD

USA DVD artwork -original USA cinema artwork here Could have been

The Hanoi Hilton (1987), Warner has released this in North America. I watched it on VHS 20 years ago but I have no further recall of the

experience. I watched the trailer a few months ago (which I don’t seem to have on YouTube and can’t find it now) but I can’t say it looks too

attractive. The fact it has an interview with Senator and former presidential candidate, John McCain, must mean –I assume- the film used

some elements of his story.

Review of the DVD over at DVDVerdict.com www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/hanoihilton.php

DVD Pacific www.dvdpacific.com/item.asp?ID=1025085

Amazon.com www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001AX67TE

Director: Lionel Chetwynd

Starring: Michael Moriarty

A Golan Globus Production

Got a better image, information or something I’m missing or I have wrong?

Like to add something? See the Contact Me page on the main menu

www.cannon.org.uk

use only and has no connection whatsoever with The Cannon Group, Inc.