The Cannon Film Guide Volume II (1985–1987)
by Austin Trunick
1018 pages
6x9 (Black & White)
ISBN 9781629338880
“Trunick’s Guide . . . will sit comfortably on reference shelves next to Michael J. Weldon’s Psychotronic Encyclopedia of Film and Danny Peary’s Cult Movies books.” – Spectrum Culture
"The Cannon Film Guide is a treasure trove of info for Golan/Globus fans. Even diehard Cannon scholars will learn from this tome.” – Paul Talbot, author of the Bronson’s Loose! books
The unbelievable story of the legendary 1980s B-movie studio continues in The Cannon Film Guide Volume II, which covers the company’s output from 1985 to 1987, their peak production years under Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus. This book takes an up-close look at sixty Cannon movies, from deep cuts to cult classics, including American Ninja, The Delta Force, Over the Top, Invasion USA, Masters of the Universe, Runaway Train, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, King Solomon’s Mines, Lifeforce, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, and many more. With hundreds of photos and more than forty interviews with Cannon directors, writers, and stars, this is an indispensable reference book for fans of the VHS era’s wildest production company.
“For students of film history—of which the Cannon saga has been a largely unexplored chapter—fans of exploitation filmmaking and B-movies, and aficionados of cult cinema, The Cannon Film Guide is likely to be an essential addition to your bookshelf.” – Den of Geek
The Bedlam Files review
Impulse Gamer
All-American Spookshow Horror Podcast
Bands About Movies
Two-part interview on the Fan2Fan Podcast:
Bulletproof Action Podcast guest appearance, discussing Chuck Norris' Cannon career:
Interview on the Cult Connections podcast:
Guest host on Drive-In Asylum's Saturday Night Double Feature introducing Penitentiary 3 and Hercules:
Guest on the All-American Spookshow podcast, introducing the movie Hot Chili (1985):
"The crown for most fun book of the summer is not up for debate—it is easily Austin Trunick’s second dive into the delightful absurdities released by Cannon Films’ inimitable Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus. Trunick’s first entry (highlighted in this column from October 2020) covered 1980 to 1984. The focus in volume II is just three years, 1985 to 1987 — but what a three years these were. This was the heyday of Chuck Norris and Michael Dudikoff, not to mention Superman IV: The Quest for Peace and Masters of the Universe. Throughout, Trunick writes with passion and humor. While he (and we) love to laugh at Ryan O’Neal’s pained “Oh man. Oh God.” moment in Tough Guys Don’t Dance, he also clearly respects the over-the-top output (including Over the Top) of Golan and Globus. “Cannon’s middle period was a time of unrivaled ambition and excitement, but also a self-inflicted disaster,” he writes. “Those three years at Cannon saw a whirlwind of productivity as wild and chaotic as any ever witnessed in cinema history.” Friends, I can’t wait for volume III."
- The Film Stage
Interviewed on the Indie Film Hustle podcast:
And a new interview on Cereal At Midnight (1.5k YouTube views so far!):
Vol. 2 highlighted on The Film Stage's holiday gift guide:
Interview on the Dancing With Ourselves '80s Podcast:
"HORROR DNA" BOOK REVIEW: