Redwarmin This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

ChicDragon It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

Ogosmith Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

tavm I just finished watching this documentary about Cannon Films on YouTube. It touches on the company's beginnings in the late '60s when it was run by one of its co-founders, Christopher Dewey who consented to be interviewed for this doc as did John G. Alvidsen who directed one of the company's first notable films-Joe about a bigot's teaming with an upper crust man in looking for the latter's daughter. I reviewed that on this site so look for my review under that title if you're interested. Then it jumps to when a couple of Israeli cousins-Yoram Globus and Menahem Golan-bought the studio for their own productions. They revitalized Charles Bronson's career when he made various Death Wish sequels and made Chuck Norris a major star with his actioners. They also made Breakin'-the quickie attempt to beat Orion Pictures' Beat Street in showcasing break dancing on film. They seemed to do pretty well for themselves but then they overextended their credit to the point to when they made Superman IV and Masters of the Universe, they went into bankruptcy which then led to their split. Various talking heads mention how things went so wrong while also telling how much charisma they had when making deals. In summary, Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films is quite a ride in telling the story of how a studio went so out of control before anyone knew what hit them! So that's a recommendation. P.S. I remember as a teen watching two of the studio's films: Treasure of the Four Crowns-a 3-D ripoff of Raiders of the Lost Ark which had some entertainingly scary zoom scenes of things coming at you but not much plot or good acting. And The Last American Virgin which me and my brother watched on HBO and liked many of the nude scenes and raunchy jokes...but was shocked at the unhappy ending that came!

MaximumMadness Writer/director Mark Hartley delivers one of the most entertaining, enthralling and genuinely hilarious documentaries of the decade with his 2014 release "Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films." In many ways a loving tribute to the iconic and infamous studio that rose to fame in the 1980's with its schlocky and exploitative releases before fizzling out in the early 90's, the documentary is filled with heart, soul and laughs. Containing interviews with dozens of figures associated with the brand in addition to numerous clips and scenes from various Cannon releases, "Electric Boogaloo" is as informative as it is amusing.Much of the film's focus is placed on Israeli cousins Menahem Golan (a struggling filmmaker) and Yoram Globus (the money-man), whom purchased the company in 1979 and started it down the path that would eventually lead to both it's meteoric rise and sudden fall. They were the main driving force behind the company and their story is one for the ages. They're the sort-of duo who might serve as inspiration to some while being a cautionary tale to others, as they were clearly passionate and loved what they did, but made many poor choices and were often less than honorable. Wisely, Hartley doesn't approach the subject matter with any sort-of agenda, and instead lets his various interview subjects discuss the cousins and the films they worked on with their own personal views and recollections. Which makes it weirdly poignant in a way when you see some talking fondly about their experiences with Golan and Globus while others condemn them.I highly admired the production of this documentary, and I definitely think this should be a must-watch for college film analysis and production classes. While the bulk of the movie is simply talking- head style interviews intercut with film clips and stock-footage, it's never anything less than enthralling thanks to Hartley's keen direction and pitch-perfect sense of editing. While it might move a bit too quickly for some, I think it does a remarkable job at setting and maintaining just the correct sense of urgency and flow. It's very much a "get in, get it done and move out" affair, and we're doled out just enough information about just enough key events in Cannon History to neither feel uninformed or overwhelmed. The interview subjects run the gamut and include everyone from Cannon film directors, to studio associates who were responsible for distributing their films to the various actors and actresses who have appeared in Cannon films. Unfortunately, Golan and Globus are nowhere to be found, and their addition to the film would have been invaluable.While I cannot give it a perfect score due to a few minor nitpicks I have with the production and final product, I can say with some certainty that "Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films" is amongst my favorite films of the past several years. It's never anything less that engaging and entertaining, and there's a lot to be learned over the 100 or so minute run-time. The story of Golan and Globus, and indeed Cannon films at large is one of the more fascinating and strange tales to emerge from Hollywood's varied and often sordid history, and it makes for one hell of a fun film.I give "Electric Boogaloo" a very strong 8 out of 10.

paul2001sw-1 As 'Electric Boogaloo' tells it, Cannon Films was established by two Israeli wheeler-dealers, who came to the United States, established a film production company, and managed to make a huge quantity of low budget, low class movies before eventually their wild ambition caught up with them and they ran out of money. What makes the story more interesting is that this ambition was not just to establish a film-making giant, but also to make movies of at least some distinction: but a combination of unavoidable financial constraints and an inherent belief they could do it on the cheap inevitably sank their grander ambitions. This could make for a riveting film, but in fact, all we get are a succession of clips coupled with talking heads asserting ad nauseam just quite how crazy the company was. How do you actually make a low budget movie? How did the company stay in business for as long as it did, when (according to what we're told), its every film was a disaster? What is the evidence that the founders did, as we're repeatedly told, genuinely love cinema in spite of their abysmal product? We never really learn these facts. Instead, 'Electric Boogaloo' promotes a legend of Cannnon in a way that the studio's own bosses (whose talent for self-promotion is repeatedly attested to) might have envied. In fact, there's an irony here: asked to participate, the two of them made their own movie (and true to their past record, made it first). Without their involvement, there's a hole at the heart of the film they chose to spurn. Although based on the evidence presented here, I'm not sure I'd expect too much of their own effort, either.

Mr-Fusion The name Cannon Films is an evocative one, bringing to mind synonyms like schlock and cut-rate, and it's a well-earned reputation for cheapness. The story of two Israeli guys with a passion for making movies is a noble one, although their questionable business decisions tend to undercut that enthusiasm. Still, their rise and fall make for interesting documentary material, and that's part of what makes "Electric Boogaloo" so good.The other reason is the testimonial side of things. Rounded up before the camera are a wide-ranging group of people that have had dealings with the studio, and each and every one of them is eager to opine on such a reckless outfit. I can only wonder what venom Christopher Reeves would have in store were he still us today, and I would like to have heard Stallone's views after "Over the Top" (good or bad, can't tell). Chuck Norris is a glaring omission, given his 5-picture deal with them . . . or is he merely content with how it all turned out? But there's the ever-charming Catherine Mary Stewart and the surprisingly mocking Alex Winter offering their input, and both are amusing. There's a lot involved in this; it's really a varied roster.This is a hugely entertaining movie that moves at a brisk pace and is funny throughout. A lot easier to sit through than most of Cannon's movie's, that's for sure.Highly recommended.8/10