About this episode
The episode discusses the reworking of a potential sequel into the film 'Avenging Force' and its implications in the Cannon Films legacy.
So you've developed a sequel to one of your recent "successes," but the legendary action star of the previous film has decided he doesn't want to do a follow-up. Are you supposed to scrap the whole thing? Not if you're Cannon Films, who knew better than to throw out all the work they had already done on a potential Invasion USA sequel, and instead decided to rework it into a new potential franchise starter of its own. "Misfired Cannons" continues as we look at 1986's Avenging Force , which saw Chuck Norris replaced with Cannon's own pet-project up-and-coming star, Michael Dudikoff. Here, Dudikoff takes over the role of Matt Hunter (or is maybe a totally different Matt Hunter?), this time taking on an an underground society of crazed right-wing extremists that likes to hunt men for sport. We discuss Dudikoff's place in the Cannon legacy, the movie's surprising-for-the-time-and-genre politics, the perpetual underutilization of co-star Steve James, and much more. Our Twitter Our Facebook Our Instagram Our YouTube Trev's Letterboxd Chris' Letterboxd
People in this episode
Hosts: Trev, Chris
Topics covered
- action films
- Cannon Films
- film history
- sequel development
- politics in film
- Michael Dudikoff
Keywords
- Avenging Force
- Cannon Films
- Michael Dudikoff
- Chuck Norris
- action movies
- film reviews
- sequel
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Cannon Films
Books & works: Avenging Force, Invasion USA
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- Episode 146 - Terminator Genisys (2015) · May 19, 2026 · 1h 48m
- Episode 145 - Terminator Salvation (2009) · May 5, 2026 · 1h 47m
- Episode 144 - American Samurai (1992) · April 21, 2026 · 1h 27m
- Episode 143 - Cobra (1986) · April 7, 2026 · 1h 36m
- Episode 141 - Invasion U.S.A. (1985) w/ Special Guest: Bryan Kristopowitz · March 10, 2026 · 1h 57m
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