FT
Failure to Franchise

Episode 141 - Invasion U.S.A. (1985) w/ Special Guest: Bryan Kristopowitz

March 10, 2026·1h 56m
Episode Description from the Publisher

For film fans of the '80s, one studio was synonymous with over-the-top action, wild premises, and low to mid-budget insanity. Cannon Films delivered a massive output of video store staples and cable classics, and today are looked back on nostalgically as an entertaining alternative to the "big" studio fare of the era. But Cannon certainly had at least one thing in common with the major studios - their fare share of failed franchise starters. So we're devoting two months to the studio's "Misfired Cannons." First up, a look at the 1985 Chuck Norris vehicle Invasion USA, which sees the denim-clad action icon single-handily take on an army of foreign terrorists invading the United States. It might not be the "best '80s action movie," but it is arguably the "most '80s action movie." But we couldn't discuss such a crazy cult-classic alone, so for this discussion we're joined by Bryan Kristopowitz, author of the "Gratuitous B-Movie Column" on the 411mania website, and the recently published book, Not Coming to a Theater Near You!: 50 Great Direct-to-Video Action Flicks of the Early 2000s. So slip on your Chuck Norris Action Jeans, and join us for an in-depth discussion of one of the wildest action movies, and movie studios, of all time! Our Twitter Our Facebook Our Instagram Our YouTube Trev's Letterboxd Chris' Letterboxd Buy Bryan's book HERE, titled: Not Coming to a Theater Near You!: 50 Great Direct-to-Video Action Flicks of the Early 2000s

AI Summary coming soon

Sign up to get notified when the full AI-powered summary is ready.

Get Free Summaries →

Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.

Listen to This Episode

Get summaries like this every morning.

Free AI-powered recaps of Failure to Franchise and your other favorite podcasts, delivered to your inbox.

Get Free Summaries →

Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.