Think you don’t like direct-to-video martial arts films? Try these!

Inspired by a post from GORE IS FOR GIRLS, I wanted to put together a similar bill for my subgenre
of expertise: low-budget and direct-to-video martial arts movies. Now, some
people just don’t like violence in their movies, but I think there are a
significant number of folks who steer clear of kick flicks produced outside the
mainstream despite enjoying action and martial arts movies in general. This
post is for the latter, and I’ll address some of the most prominent reasons why
these movies tend to get passed over.

Q: Why don’t you like DTV martial arts films?

A:
“They have poor production values and look cheap.”

Try:

• Timecop 2: The Berlin
  Decision (2003)
• Tekken
  (2010)
• Kung Fu Killer
  (2008)
• Blood and Bone
  (2009)
• Into the Sun
  (2005)

A:
“They feature no real stars.”

Try:

• Sworn to Justice
  (1996) – Brad Dourif, Walter Koenig, Tony Lo Bianco
• Sabotage
  (1996) – Carrie-Anne Moss, Tony Todd, Graham Greene
• Skin Traffik
  (2015) – Mickey Rourke, Daryl Hannah, Michael Madsen
• Mercenaries (2014) – Kristanna Loken, Vivica A. Fox, Brigitte
  Nielsen
• Red Sun Rising
  (1994) – Terry Farrell, Michael Ironside, Edward Albert

A:
“They’re mundane and feature no interesting premises.”

Try:

• Ninja Apocalypse
  (2014)
• Hellbinders
  (2009)
• Knights
  (1993)
• Samurai Avenger: The
  Blind Wolf (2009)
• The Swordsman
  (1992)

A:
“They address no relevant issues.”

Try:

• In Hell
  (2003) – Exploitation and abuse of prisoners
• Pistol Whipped
  (2008) – Gambling addiction, parenting
• Death Grip
  (2012) – Autism in families
• Skin Trade
  (2014) – Human trafficking

A:
“I prefer Hong Kong-style action scenes.”

Try:

• Invincible
  (2001)
• Bloodmoon
  (1997)
• Belly of the Beast
  (2003)
• Drive
  (1997)
• Extreme Heist
  (2002)

A:
“I can’t watch them with my young children.”

Try:

• Wendy Wu: Homecoming
  Warrior (2006)
• Magic Kid
  (1993)
• Double Blast
  (1994)
• Adventures of Johnny
  Tao (2007)
• Sci-Fighter
  (2004)

A:
“They’re full of bad acting.”

Quality of acting is relative, so I’m
going by critical acclaim. Try:

• The Girl from the Naked
  Eye (2012) – Multiple acting nominations,
  Hoboken Int. Film Festival
• Replicant
  (2001) – “Best Actor” nomination, DVD Exclusive Awards
• The Martial Arts Kid
  (2015) – “Best Supporting Actor,” Sunscreen Film Festival
• Fighting with Anger
  (2007) – “Best Actor,” New York Int. Independent Film & Video Festival
• Money Fight
  (2012) – “Best Supporting Actor,” Action on Film Int. Film Festival

[Trigger potential: I encourage investigating
any given movie’s page on IMDb
and checking out the “Parents Guide” and “Plot Keywords” sections for possible
triggers.]