Phil's Netfix Picks: ELECTRIC BOOGALOO: THE WILD, UNTOLD STORY OF CANNON FILMS (2014) - August 1, 2018

In the 1980's there was one studio that dared to be different, bold, and daring by releasing some of the most bizarre, inept, batshit crazy, out-of-this-world films of all time: Cannon Films. During this decade, they released WTF films like THE LAST AMERICAN VIRGIN, OVER THE TOP, NINJA III: THE DOMINATION, MISSING IN ACTION 1&2,  DEATH WISH 2-5, BREAKIN', MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE, DELTA FORCE, and CYBORG just to name a few. Though no longer with us, those of us who came of age in this time period have a soft spot for Cannon Films. All of this nostalgia leads me to my Netflix Pick of the Week for the awesome documentary ELECTRIC BOOGALOO: THE WILD, UNTOLD STORY OF CANNON FILMS and why you should watch it!

Official Theatrical Poster (2014)

The film's official synopsis: A documentary about Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus - two movie-obsessed cousins whose passion for cinema changed the way movies were made and marketed - and the tale of how this passion ultimately led to the demise of the company they built together.

I found myself relating to Menahem and Yoram because I'm just like them: I love movies. They transport us to different places, different times, telling us stories that we lived and ones that we haven't lived, etc. From the silent films to modern blockbusters, films have the power to take us on fantastic, magical rides. Menahem and Yoram did just this, only taking us more on a low budget ride on coach.

Writer/director Mark Hartley is no stranger to this subject of filmmaking, having made the incredibly awesome 2008 documentary NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD: THE WILD, UNTOLD STORY OF OZPLOITATION! and the phenomenal 2010 documentary MACHETE MAIDENS UNLEASHED! Here, Hartley does the same thing: providing the audience with some of the most outrageous stories about Cannon Films from those who were there like actresses Sybil Danning, Martine Beswick, Catherine Mary Stewart, Lucinda Dickey and Bo Derek, actors like Elliott Gould, Alex Winter, Michael Chambers, Michael Dudikoff and Richard Chamberlain. Also contributing to the documentary are industry veterans like Michael Hartman, John G. Avildsen, Mark Rosenthal, Tobe Hooper, Greydon Clark, and Charles Matthau just to name a few.

As a young kid and teenager coming up in the 1980's, I was there at my local theaters watching first hand these insane films that were being churned out by Cannon Films. I remember seeing BREAKIN', MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE, OVER THE TOP, MISSING IN ACTION and SUPERMAN IV: THE QUEST FOR PEACE. They weren't all that great, but they were somewhat entertaining and I found myself just wondering how the hell these were even made to begin with! Well, now I know, thanks in large part to the documentary.

What I took away from this documentary was the passion that Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus had for films. They lived and breathed movies twenty-four hours and day, seven days a week. It's a shame that they split up and stopped talking to one another, and then Menahem was diagnosed with cancer. Lovingly known as the "Go-Go Boys", when Mark Hartley asked them to be part of this project, they declined, and instead, made their own documentary entitled THE GO-GO BOYS: THE INSIDE STORY OF CANNON FILMS. It was released four months before Hartley's film. Sadly, Menahem Golan passed away on August 8, 2014 in Tel Aviv, Israel at the age of 84.

ELECTRIC BOOGALOO: THE WILD, UNTOLD STORY OF CANNON FILMS is a loving tribute to both Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus and the legendary Cannon Films!! If you're a die hard fan of 80's cinema and you went and saw these films in the theaters, then you'll have a fun-filled traveling down Memory Lane as you are transported to that decade of decadence. And if you missed out on all the fun, then watch this film and then go seek out those cinematic gems that have become cult classics! This is one of my favorite documentaries discoveries of this year on Netflix and you should definitely check it out!! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!! 

ELECTRIC BOOGALOO: THE WILD, UNTOLD STORY OF CANNON FILMS is now streaming exclusively on Netflix. To start your subscription, visit their website at www.netflix.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!