November 30, 2021

Episode 21.5: Cannonball Run

I got a patreon DM a few weeks ago that simply said 'Cannon Ball Run'. Ensorcelled, I set about finding an extremely legal source to watch a movie about a bunch of guys who drive car fast across united state go far brroom brooom. fast. Hear it's got Roger Moore in it. not entirely clear whats happeneing

To decode this, and also quite frankly to hold our hands because we're still traumatised from the last cars-based media we consumed, we've brought aboard Automotive Writer Victoria Scott!

Find Victoria at
https://twitter.com/mikurubaeahina

*WEB DESIGN ALERT* Tom Allen is a friend of the show (and the designer behind our website). If you need web design help, reach out to him here:  https://www.tomallen.media/

Find us at https://killjamesbond.com and https://twitter.com/killjamesbond

Comments (45)

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Australian Estuary Pirate · December 10, 2025

It's just a series of offensive stereotypes introducing themselves and their cars? This is a videogame cutscene compilation for a racing game, lol.

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Mutual Aid Miniatures · July 30, 2025

This movie wanted so desperately to be softcore porn.

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Finvaara · May 26, 2024

As a 40 year old American who grew up with this movie, finding out that it made one of the bonus episodes was enough, all by itself, to sell me on the patreon even if there hadn't been all these other wonderful episodes. The Expendables wishes it could have had the star power that this movie had when it was released.

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Sublight Monster · March 17, 2024

One point of the film is that everyone in it was famous in 1980, and they’d just be recognized as themselves. Jimmy the Greek was an actual bookie who’d famously give odds for sports events on tv, until he got himself cancelled after a really racist “why blacks are better at sports” tangent.

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The Mad Scientist's toolkit · February 20, 2024

There is no way the movie is anywhere near as funny as this comment section

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Andrew Dunn · November 3, 2023

For the almost-explicitly-Marxist revolutionary, angry version of this movie, watch "Convoy" with Kris Kristofferson

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Spaghetti · July 13, 2024

Here here

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Chaos Merlin · August 17, 2022

Someone tried doing the cannonball run in 2020 and set a physically unbeatable record due to the unique once in a century road conditions - incredible use of a pandemic

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sortai · December 13, 2021

The plural jokes were pretty funny, but no we're not paying multiple subscriptions

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David Purves · December 7, 2021

You guys didn't mention that it's basically "Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines" with every reference to "airplane" scratched out and "fast cars and pretty girls" written over it in crayon.

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Josiah Sweinhagen · December 6, 2021

Due to the way you guys name the bonus episodes (#.5), my phone has been interpreting the info after the decimal as the file format (this episode would try to open as '.5 cannonball run' file which is a bit silly.) I have been renaming the files to change the file format, but it took me a while to realize the problem. I would recommend using an underscore rather than a period in the file name.

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Noblese Oblahaj · December 4, 2021

Was waiting for someone to make a Wacky Racists joke

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AmiAndTea · December 3, 2021

I recently had the pleasure of rewatching the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode wherein there is a Bond Type storyline. If you're looking for future utterly unwatchable shit, that one is right up there.

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Mutual Aid Miniatures · July 29, 2025

Tinker Tailor Doctor Spy is an incredible episode

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Nick Gully · December 2, 2021

Would you consider doing "North by Northwest" as well? Some say the Bond franchise stole most of it's tricks from this Hitchcock film.

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cpw · December 2, 2021

10 year old me is feeling nothing but shame for enjoying this movie..

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Simon Ostick · December 2, 2021

There’s a German Cannonball Run on skis featuring Roger Moore. ‘Fire, Ice & Dynamite’ (1990). It’s director shot the ski scenes for the Lazenby & Moore movies. Plus it’s the second movie in a series so it passes your test as well.

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FortressPlotter · December 1, 2021

There's no connection with JB films, but in the genre of weird 1970s post-energy crisis cinema, the crew might want to check out "Americathon" (1979). Cameo by Elvis Costello as the Earl of Manchester.

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LACE ARRGAR what is Darius Jonna in the comments · December 1, 2021

I have no choice but to propose the censure and castigation of the hosts for watching the first film in a series. You frauds.

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Woody Pase · December 1, 2021

Oops. I commented too soon.

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Woody Pase · December 1, 2021

I would never suggest covering Cannonball Run II, but you might be delightfully surprised to see who Jackie Chan partners up with in a very small Mitsubishi.

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Trannie Oakley · December 1, 2021

Mike Crotch is correct in that Rat Race was a 2001 release, however it was still an extremely 90s movie. It was a terrible movie, worse than Cannonball Run.

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Timothy Pocket-Maggots · December 1, 2021

One of these days they'll crack ans they'll do Master of Disguise and go insane

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Trannie Oakley · December 1, 2021

There was a Cannonball Run remake. It was a 90sv movie called Rat Race

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Mike Crotch - Harvey · December 1, 2021

*pushes up glasses* ACTUALLY Rat Race was a soft remake of It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World. And also it was 2001 not 90's Also there's an entire bus of secret trans women as a plot point Also even as a kid I realised it sucked

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A_Aphelion · December 1, 2021

Feel free to brandish the spray bottle, but I had a look at some stills from this goodawful-sounding movie and Jackie Chan is looking like an absolute snack 👀

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Manuel Kiguel · December 1, 2021

Roger Moore might’ve been Torie trash in real life, but you can’t deny he had a very good sense of humor about his public image. He also played another parody of himself in this really homophobic comedy from 2003 called “Boat Trip” where he played Gay James Bond who super horny for Horatio Sanz. He was the only good/surprisingly non-homophobic part of that awful movie.

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Alfred Lang · December 1, 2021

51:23 its called tombstone technology i believe

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Kerfliggle · December 1, 2021

Did want to note that Jimmy the Greek is, in fact, Greek-American. Born in Ohio but his parents were from Greece and his birth name (later Anglicized) is Dimetrios Georgios Synodinos. So…representation achieved(🤷🏻‍♂️?)

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OvO Hoot · December 1, 2021

Thinking a lot less of the guys who made this movie after hearing that they paralyzed a stuntwoman and then wrote a book about how much fun they had without bringing it up. Also apparently she was a last minute replacement, and she was called because she was the stunt coordinator's fiance??? And he abandoned her after the accident??? Getting too mad to laugh at the movie now.

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This Printer Fights Fascism · December 1, 2021

I came here to mention Jamie Farr but someone beat me to it, so I’ll just say going through MO to get from NY to LA is a perfectly cromulent way to go and to agree wholeheartedly that Abi’s valley girl is an excellent bit.

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Pat Mac · December 1, 2021

abi’s valley girl is dangerously hot

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ECT_by_RadioShack · December 1, 2021

Heartbroken, as a biker movie idiot, to hear Peter Fonda's Easy Rider character (peace-and-love sad boy who happens to ride a motorcycle) mistaken for his Wild Angels character (leader of a Hells Angels-like MC) which by all accounts is what the CbR biker scene is parodying

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default_playername · December 1, 2021

"Our episodes don't regularly run over three hours." ...You say that like that's not something we all want!!!

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Skoloton · December 1, 2021

You have done massive psychic damage to me and driven me feral. Jojo part 7 is based entirely on the concept of the cannonball run and the fact its based on this incredibly horrible movie is like, actually wounding to learn about. But what has actually driven me nuts is ALL OF THE WEIRD DETAILS THAT IT SHARES WITH THE MOVIE. THE KIDNAPPED GIRL, MASCULINE WOMEN, GAY UNDER OVER TONES THAT HAS THE NOT GAY SCENE AND PROBABLY OTHER STUFF I DONT KNOW ABOUT BECAUSE I HAVENT SEEN THIS AND THE OTHER 2 MOVIES. EXCEPT all the bad shit feels like its being commentated on and its an actually good story with good build up and pacing and characters and stuff. IDK how much manga you guys read but you should check it out if you want this concept but good.

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Kill James Bond! · December 1, 2021

Steel Ball Run Babeyyyyy

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Stiltpuppy · December 1, 2021

I'd like to imagine that the owner of the pickup truck I pass on my way to work that has a "never forget" World Trade Center tailgate wrap has just done this to ass-kiss his way out of speeding tickets from the NYPD

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Robert Young · December 1, 2021

The guy playing the Sheik is Jamie Farr, who is Lebanese-American. Yes, he's wearing brownface, and yes that is his real nose. He also was a massive star in that era (though clearly blessedly forgotten today), as a cast member of M*A*S*H, where he was a guy who was trying to get out of the Army by dressing in drag. The "joke" -such as it was- was that they were too short-staffed to discharge him, so he was just constantly in drag though the entire run of the show.

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Cate Kneale · December 1, 2021

Joke is the US Army. Apparently stopped doing the "gag" for nice reasons and I feel like believing that https://outsider.com/news/entertainment/mash-why-did-jamie-farr-stop-recurring-gag-wearing-womens-clothes-later-years/

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Jacob Day · December 1, 2021

Bimbo Stat Wars Abby is a strong bit.

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Kerfliggle · December 1, 2021

Absolutely. This character needs to come back for the Craig-Bonds. And especially for the between Bond Daniel Craig movies given his penchant for, shall we say, highly suspect attempts at an American accent…😂

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LadyKnightTheBrave · November 30, 2021

If you're looking for trash that stars Roger Moore, have you considered doing a bonus episode on Spice World? There is randomly a little bit of spy shit in that movie which would be on brand. Either way love the podcast 💜

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Karis Ritenour · December 2, 2021

God yes, Spice World!!!

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Eve K · November 30, 2021

I vaguely remember this movie! I remember it having a really odd mix of stock characters, all driving cars and sabotaging each other. I hear the record for the real Cannonball Run was completely demolished once the 'rona hit, since the roads were so empty. Feels like there's some Mystique™ and Romanticism™ to that race.

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Riley · November 30, 2021

Y'all should do an episode of Hogan's heroes for a bonus episode. I've been rewatching them and they have a serious James bond vibe in the later ones. Also thanks for all the content keeps me sane at work.