And many of the ones that were, probably shouldn't have been
June 27, 2024 8:12 AM Subscribe
Cannon Films Promo Reel '86 - Half of These Were Never Made! [slyt] Shows planned upcoming films from Cannon Films when they were arguably at their Golan-Globus height in the mid-eighties. Mostly shlock, but some surprisingly serious films in there. (Also, it was more like about two-thirds of them were made, although many of those sank without a trace.)
I was going to make a big post listing all of them and which ones were made, but YT commenter @robmclean4352 already did in the top-voted comment. (Don't know if it's possible to link directly to a comment; I'm pretty sure that it's not kosher to copy-and-paste something like that.)
I was going to make a big post listing all of them and which ones were made, but YT commenter @robmclean4352 already did in the top-voted comment. (Don't know if it's possible to link directly to a comment; I'm pretty sure that it's not kosher to copy-and-paste something like that.)
I like the tactic of showing clips from a bunch of much better movies and promo stills of your prospective stars. Way to fool prospective investors!
Also: Jean-Luc Godard directed a film for Cannon!?!?
posted by Saxon Kane at 8:44 AM on June 27
Also: Jean-Luc Godard directed a film for Cannon!?!?
posted by Saxon Kane at 8:44 AM on June 27
Yeah, I was just laughing at the thought of King Lear by Godard and Norman Mailer being made, but it turns out they made it.
posted by pracowity at 8:51 AM on June 27
posted by pracowity at 8:51 AM on June 27
John Travolta in....something! We're not really sure!
posted by JoeZydeco at 9:00 AM on June 27 [4 favorites]
posted by JoeZydeco at 9:00 AM on June 27 [4 favorites]
I thought that they were talking about Stallone's Saturday Night Fever sequel, Staying Alive, but that came out in '83 from Paramount.
posted by Halloween Jack at 9:39 AM on June 27
posted by Halloween Jack at 9:39 AM on June 27
A long, long time ago I worked in the coin-op business. We did a lot of licensing of Hollywood properties and were fortunate enough to have a pretty hooked-up person on our staff* that would work his connections with the studios, read Daily Variety, etc. So he acted as our scout on upcoming movies that may be worth grabbing when working on new titles. He probably had a copy of this videotape somewhere.
He distilled all that information into a monthly memo. I managed to save one and scan it, here it is from April 1996.
You can see how many movies never made it to the finish line. Some of them are just silly, like throwing spaghetti at a wall to see what sticks (Mr Magoo!)
And a LOT of them took way longer than expected to develop and produce. There's a mention of Indiana Jones 4 and Speed Racer in here, both of which didn't surface until 12 years later (although the Wachowskis had a solid excuse). Some might even be in development hell to this very day.
* (if you recognize the name on the memo then yes!, that's the very same Roger Sharpe that recently had his biography done into an awesome movie. He's still doing the same work for other coin-op companies.)
posted by mookoz at 10:04 AM on June 27 [4 favorites]
He distilled all that information into a monthly memo. I managed to save one and scan it, here it is from April 1996.
You can see how many movies never made it to the finish line. Some of them are just silly, like throwing spaghetti at a wall to see what sticks (Mr Magoo!)
And a LOT of them took way longer than expected to develop and produce. There's a mention of Indiana Jones 4 and Speed Racer in here, both of which didn't surface until 12 years later (although the Wachowskis had a solid excuse). Some might even be in development hell to this very day.
* (if you recognize the name on the memo then yes!, that's the very same Roger Sharpe that recently had his biography done into an awesome movie. He's still doing the same work for other coin-op companies.)
posted by mookoz at 10:04 AM on June 27 [4 favorites]
I thought Zorba was way earlier, like from the 60s or sumpin.
posted by Czjewel at 10:04 AM on June 27 [1 favorite]
posted by Czjewel at 10:04 AM on June 27 [1 favorite]
He distilled all that information into a monthly memo. I managed to save one and scan it, here it is from April 1996.
oh. my. g.
"STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND--in development at Paramount with possiblity of Tom Hanks playing the main character Valentine Michael Smith from this Robert Heinlein 1961 sci-fi classic (should become a ‘hot’ property if “Starship Troopers” hits big)"
*exhales, narrator voice*: "It did not."
"GUNDOWN--from New Line with Bruce Willis and Bruce Dern/Walter Hill directing in what is something of a remake of Kruosawa’s “Yojimbo” that was the inspiration for a “Fistful of Dollars”; in this version we have a gangster picture during prohibition times battling over the liquor business in Texas"
Something of a remake. The movie this became-- Last Man Standing-- is probably as close as Hollywood will ever get to a good Yojimbo remake. It's definitely a product of the 90s but I liked it.
I also loved the description of Starship Troopers including "Jake Busey (son of Gary)". And I have thus far managed to contain the urge to yell out JAKE BUSEY, SON OF GARY, FIRST OF HIS NAME. Whether that lasts the rest of the day is TBD.
posted by howbigisthistextfield at 10:50 AM on June 27 [1 favorite]
oh. my. g.
"STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND--in development at Paramount with possiblity of Tom Hanks playing the main character Valentine Michael Smith from this Robert Heinlein 1961 sci-fi classic (should become a ‘hot’ property if “Starship Troopers” hits big)"
*exhales, narrator voice*: "It did not."
"GUNDOWN--from New Line with Bruce Willis and Bruce Dern/Walter Hill directing in what is something of a remake of Kruosawa’s “Yojimbo” that was the inspiration for a “Fistful of Dollars”; in this version we have a gangster picture during prohibition times battling over the liquor business in Texas"
Something of a remake. The movie this became-- Last Man Standing-- is probably as close as Hollywood will ever get to a good Yojimbo remake. It's definitely a product of the 90s but I liked it.
I also loved the description of Starship Troopers including "Jake Busey (son of Gary)". And I have thus far managed to contain the urge to yell out JAKE BUSEY, SON OF GARY, FIRST OF HIS NAME. Whether that lasts the rest of the day is TBD.
posted by howbigisthistextfield at 10:50 AM on June 27 [1 favorite]
I just have to say I prefer this promo format to modern movie trailers. Trailers have evolved to show waaaay too much and basically ruin many movies.
posted by mazola at 11:27 AM on June 27 [1 favorite]
posted by mazola at 11:27 AM on June 27 [1 favorite]
He distilled all that information into a monthly memo. I managed to save one and scan it, here it is from April 1996
I would go back in time just to subscribe to his newsletter.
"TENTACLE--from Hollywood Pictures is an action thriller described as Aliens meets The Poseidon Adventure"
This one went full scream ahead as Deep Rising (1998).
posted by Molesome at 12:21 PM on June 27 [2 favorites]
I would go back in time just to subscribe to his newsletter.
"TENTACLE--from Hollywood Pictures is an action thriller described as Aliens meets The Poseidon Adventure"
This one went full scream ahead as Deep Rising (1998).
posted by Molesome at 12:21 PM on June 27 [2 favorites]
perhaps relevant: The Cannon Logo Will Get Me Through Tonight, by Hamilton Ontario's own B.A. Johnston
posted by scruss at 1:31 PM on June 27
posted by scruss at 1:31 PM on June 27
You can see how many movies never made it to the finish line. Some of them are just silly, like throwing spaghetti at a wall to see what sticks (Mr Magoo!)
You mean this 1997 Mister Magoo movie, starring Leslie Nielsen? Grossed $28m on a $30m budget.
posted by Hogshead at 2:43 PM on June 27
You mean this 1997 Mister Magoo movie, starring Leslie Nielsen? Grossed $28m on a $30m budget.
posted by Hogshead at 2:43 PM on June 27
The story of Cannon films is absolutely bonkers. There's a documentary called Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films (link goes to the IMBD page, but if you watch the documentary, warning: nudity, including right in the opening credits).
posted by cruelfood at 3:04 PM on June 27 [2 favorites]
posted by cruelfood at 3:04 PM on June 27 [2 favorites]
« Older Paging Gen-X | Ottawa's Response to the Trucker Protest Was... Newer »
posted by pracowity at 8:33 AM on June 27 [2 favorites]