For our readers in their mid-thirties and up, do you remember when you were a kid and you roamed the aisles of the video store and saw all the movies that you did not recall ever seeing in theaters? They just showed up direct-to-video. Some of the cover art was wild and even poorly cropped to look like some big blockbuster with the hero holding a gun. The only thing was that you didn’t recognize who that actor was on the cover. Movies released straight to video are an important market in show business, none more intriguing than the straight-to-video action film.
Straight-to-video horror films still have a fandom that can still find its way to the forefront of the genre.Actionfilms that got a straight-to-video release all have the same feel to them. A rogue cop, a vigilante samurai in Los Angeles, an ex-special forces soldier left for dead by his partner who turned on him, or just some FBI agent who is trying to save his family from a terrorist who has them held captive.
All films like this were just trying to capitalize on trends in Hollywood, and that’s okay. There was nothing better than holding these films in a VHS cassette box, looking at them, and thinking, “This movie might suck, but here we go.”
10Never Say Die (1994)
InNever Say DieFrank Zagarino plays Blake, a man trying to maintain a peaceful existence as a boat repairman; however, he has a past, as he used to be part of a crack team of Commandos. An old friend turned to nemesis, James (Billy Drago), who now goes by the name Reverend James as he is a cult leader and has a kidnapped General’s daughter in his group. Now, Blake must come out of hiding to perform a rescue mission and go toe-to-toe with a former ally who’s gone mad.
Billy Drago Gives Us a Character We Love to Hate
Actor Billy Drago is known forplaying bad guy roles and unlikable charactersthat make us eager to wait and see how they get theirs. Case in point, his role in The Untouchables. Drago’s villainous performance steals the show. He’s doing his absolute best with the material of playing a bad guy in a straight-to-video action movie.
The film feels eerily similar in pacing to Schwarzenegger’sCommandofrom a decade earlier. Even Frank Zagarino has the same high-top haircut. The action is explosive, and the fight scenes are believable. This is why we love this market for action films. It has a trailer that gives the whole film away and a song that is produced strictly for the movie.StreamNever Say Dieon Plex.
9Lady Dragon (1992)
Lady Dragonwas produced and released in Indonesia. Cynthia Rothrock plays a woman whose husband is murdered on her wedding day. As she heals from the pain and suffering from her loss, she is taught by an old martial artist the ways of self-defense as she plots her vengeance against those who did her wrong.
A Straight-to-Video Female Lead
Straight-to-video action films usually have a damsel in distress, but Cynthia Rothrock shook some things up during this era of movies. If there ever were to be anyfemale-empowering midnight moviesout there,Lady Dragonis definitely one of them. It’s no doubt predictable, but it’s also not trying to be something more than what it is. Rothrock is charming, and she packs a punch. She would go on to star in a slew of cheaply made films of this nature over the next few years.StreamLady Dragonon Tubi.
8Firepower (1993)
Firepoweris about two undercover cops in the not-too-distant future (2007, to be exact) who infiltrate the gangs that inhabit the war zone-filled streets. They soon find themselves against one another in a world of underground death matches, and they struggle to find a way to survive.
Illegal Cures for Diseases Are the Subplot of Firepower
Apparently, there has been an illegal cure created for the AIDS epidemic in this film (you read that right, don’t worry). Hence, these two tough-as-nails cops go undercover. There is a ton of macho firepower inFirepower. It is also WWE superstar The Ultimate Warrior’s first and only film he has ever acted in. He plays The Swordsman, but he may as well just be his WWE persona without the face paint.StreamFirepoweron Tubi.
Related:The 10 Best Straight-to-video Sci-Fi Movies of All Time
7Rage (1995)
Rageis about a right-wing militia that performs an experiment on a mild-mannered second-grade teacher. They kidnap him and inject a drug inside of him called ‘Rage’. This was supposed to turn him into a killing machine, but it turns out he can control himself. All of this is being done in hopes of cloning him and making him the ideal specimen to lead their militia for world dominance.
Wild Plot, but Hell of a Payoff
The great thing about a lot of these straight-to-video movies of this era is that they still had great budgets and could pull off a lot of great stunts, even if you happen to see the wires on the actor. Gary Daniels makes his second appearance on this list, as he was dominant in this era of home video releases.
The plot of this film feels kind of insane, but the stunt work and fight choreography cover up a few of the misunderstandings a viewer would have. Turn your brain off and watch one man take on a boatload of angry Republicans in physical combat.StreamRageon The Roku Channel.
6No Code of Conduct (1998)
InNo Code of Conduct, a cop, his father, and his partner team up as they discover a heroin trafficking ring that is going on along the U.S./Mexican border. Now, the three uncover who is behind it all and try to put a stop to it, but end up putting their lives in grave danger.
A Forgotten Father and Son Team-up
You can kind of tell that the Sheen’s wanted this to be more than what it was. Charlie and Martin Sheen had teamed up on screen before on Wall Street a decade earlier, but this just does not come together really all that nicely. Charlie Sheen co-wrote the script with Bret Michaels—yes,thatBret Michaels, the writer of Every Rose Has Its Thorn by his band Poison.
Let’s go a step further. Michaels co-stars and directs this film as well. Now, with that little bit of information, you have to hunt the movie down and watch it. Bret Michaels is no Akira Kurosawa, but he swings for the fences with this one.StreamNo Code of Conducton Hoopla.
5Silent Trigger (1996)
Silent Triggeris about a sniper named Waxman (Lundgren) and his spotter named Clegg (Gina Bellman), who are working on a covert operation that goes terribly wrong. Now the agency that employed them looks to have them killed as the two go on the run.
Dolph Lundgren Has Crossover Appeal
By the late 1990s, Dolph Lundgren’s filmography had taken a turn towards the straight-to-video market. Lundgren always has cross-over appeal in terms of theatrical and straight-to-video. He looks good on the big screen, but stillcomes off as hardcore,even in the films that hit the walls of a video store as their release. Lundgren still thrives in this world of special ops snipers.
The plot can be run-of-the-mill, but he brings a likability to the film that helps move it further past its generic feel, which some may find. Fun fact: This film was written on script a decade earlier and originally had Rutger Hauer attached to direct and star in it.StreamSilent Triggeron Starz.
4Drive (1997)
Mark Dacascos plays a prototype of an enhanced bionic man in the 1997 film,Drive. He goes on the run from a group of Chinese hitmen. He pairs up with some sidekicks along the way as he eludes his pursuers through a lot of hand-to-hand combat.
Old-School Martial Art Styles in Drive
Driveis too good of a movie to fall into the limbo of straight-to-video hell. It’s a Hollywood-produced film but moves like a fast-paced Hong Kong action film. A young Brittany Murphy shows up in an early role and reminds us why, if she were still with us, her versatility in films could have been used so much more.Drivepairs a butt-kicking Asian character with a wisecracking black man.
A year after its release, we would get Rush Hour with Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan. So don’t go thinking this film is aRush Hourknock-off. The bionic human aspect of it does make you realize why this went straight to video; there should have been a better plot line to develop, but all in all,Driveworks for fans of high-concept martial arts movies.StreamDriveon Tubi.
3Termors II: Aftershocks (1996)
InTremors II: Aftershocks,Earl Bassett (Fred Ward) takes all his earnings from hunting Graboids and puts them to good use as he decides to make a living out of hunting the underground-dwelling creatures. The only problem is that these creatures have now evolved and can hunt above ground. So, Earl assembles a team to help him on his most recent mission.
No Kevin Bacon for Tremors II: Aftershocks
Despite the success of the first installment of the Creature feature film,Kevin Bacon opted out of the sequelto go filmApollo 13. This decision could have been what hurt the film from a big theatrical release;Tremors IIwent to home-video release but was still a hit for fans of the first. Everything you like about the original is in the second one, and the world expands a bit,which then makes room for all the sequels to come.RentTremors II: Aftershockson Prime Video.
2Showdown in Little Tokoyo (1991)
Showdown in Little Tokyo
Showdown in Little Tokyostars Dolph Lundgren playing an American police detective with a Japanese upbringing. Brandon Lee shows up as his new partner, a Japanese American who is a little out of touch with his heritage. The two clash on ideals but come together as they square off against a vicious Yakuza gang in the streets of Los Angeles.
One of the Best Buddy Cop Action Films of the 1990s
Technically,Showdown in Little Tokyohad a short run in theaters upon its release, but due to budget constraints, it was pulled out very quickly and found new life on VHS. There’s a lot of off-beat humor in the film, with dialogue that may or may not hit today, depending on how you look at it. The real kicker in this movie is that Dolph Lundgren and Brandon Lee have phenomenal chemistry.
If this film didn’t have some financial troubles with its release, these two could have kept this partnership going for a few more sequels. When you think of what an action movie of this era looked like,Showdown in Little Tokyoembodies that aesthetic.RentShowdown in Little Tokyoon Prime Video.
Related:Brandon Lee’s Family Remembers The Crow Star on the Anniversary od His Death
1The Boondock Saints (1999)
The Boondock Saints
The Boondock Saintsis about two brothers who are tired of the streets of Boston being loaded with crime and murder. They have an eye-opening sign from above saying that it is on them to do what is right and put a stop to it. Through their Irish Catholic beliefs, they take out organized crime and serve a strong batch of vigilante justice to those who try to get in their way. However, a highly eccentric FBI agent is hot on their trial.
A Bona Fide Cult Classic
The Boondock Saintsis arguably one of the biggest cult films of all time. Again, yes, it was given a small theatrical run that nobody remembers, but the Saints eventually struck gold on home video and even exploded further when DVDs hit shelves.Director Troy Duffywill tell you that he had the hottest script in Hollywood at the time.
The Boondock Saintswas supposed to be the second coming ofPulp Fiction, but it ran out of steam a bit after it was filmed, as there was some bad business behind the scenes. Lucky for them, a lot of movie lovers have found this film and sung its praises. Willem Dafoe is electric and proof that he can take on any role and run with it, and, of course, Sean Patrick Flannery and Norman Reedus have career-defining roles as brothers Connor and Murphy.StreamThe Boondock Saintson Peacock.
