Tag: direct to video

An Overview of Video Availability, from the DTV Martial Arts Perspective [900 Words]

Photo source

I
think it was the documentary Rewind This!
(2013) which
claimed
that
less than half of all U.S.
movies with
a VHS release also got
released on DVD. This number will
rise as distributors slowly
select older titles
they hope will make
some easy money, but for now,
the statistic
means that viewers have less opportunity to discover (or rediscover)
pictures that were released before video tape’s
obsolescence. This hits the
fans of direct-to-video
flicks particularly hard, as
theatrical features have always received preferential
distribution. Martial arts
movies face their own particular hardship here, as the overwhelming
majority of U.S. karate
features have been
direct-to-video. (A good rule
of thumb for pre-Matrix
movies: unless it stars Van Damme, Seagal, or
Norris, it probably didn’t
get a theatrical
release.) As such, many
martial arts movies produced before the proliferation of the DVD
still haven’t been released in that format – at least not in the
U.S.

This
problem isn’t prevalent with
newer flicks, but if you’re
a connoisseur of older films, it can be disheartening to
try to find these movies in a desired format.
Having faced
this issue for years, I feel
qualified to provide a general overview of such
films’ availability
and how to best get your hands on ones you’re looking for.

VHS
– This is the
format on which
DTV martial arts films are most widely available, but
no major U.S. distributor markets
tapes
anymore and they’re
unlikely to be sold
by primary
sellers.
This leaves you with only third-party sellers to buy from – mainly
online, where eBay tends
to provide good
deals.
Of course, one
of the reasons
behind video tape’s obsolescence is its inferior audio/video
quality, and the fact that it
will inevitably deteriorate over time.
Pros
– Unmatched availability for
earlier
films, cheap prices
Cons
– Third-party sales only, substandard technical
quality, progressive tape
deterioration

DVD
Compilation Packages
– The option
of finding a rare movie as part of a DVD set
is
often overlooked due to their
relative obscurity
and the fact that they sometimes don’t show up in searches
for individual titles.
Nevertheless, in cases where
the single DVD release is incredibly expensive or the picture hasn’t
been released otherwise, such
sets can be a cheap
option. However, the more obscure the distributor is,
the less likely you’ll be getting anything more than a crappy
tape transfer.
Pros
– Inexpensive
Cons
– Relatively
rare, poor
technical
quality

Overseas
DVDs –
Sometimes,
video tapes just don’t
cut it and there simply isn’t
a modern format
of your desired
movie available in
the States.
In such cases,
you could
look abroad. It may surprise some American viewers that international
viewing preferences don’t
directly
mirror the U.S. mainstream, and cheap martial arts films are
actually widely available on
disc in other countries.
Personally, I’ve had luck acquiring
them from German, British,
Australian, and Malaysian distributors – just go online, find a
site from these countries that sells movies (Google’s translation
service
can be
a big help), and check out what they have. Disappointingly, not every
distributor will ship to U.S. addresses, and even if they do, the
import costs can be outrageous.
Additionally, many
of these releases aren’t
the highest quality; many
will inevitably be direct
tape
transfers. Worse yet,
plenty of films
are only available overseas
in censored formats.
Pros
– High
availability, cheap retail price
Cons
– High shipping price, questionable technical
quality,
proliferation
of censored editions

VHS-to-DVD
Conversion*
– There are many devices
commercially available that allow you to
record your video tapes onto a DVD (or even a hard drive). I’ve
heard some people mention that they did this with
their entire VHS collection following the shift
to DVDs, so while I’ve never had much luck with it
myself, it obviously works
well enough for other people. The obvious drawback is that this is a
direct video transfer, so the quality of the DVD will mirror the
quality of the tape – it might even be a little worse. That said,
unlike the tape, the DVD will maintain the
resulting quality
indefinitely.
Pros
– Infinite usage
Cons
– Questionable quality, might be difficult to use

*Technically,
this may be illegal. I feel compelled to mention this, but really, if
you’ve ever burned music to a disc or even recorded something off
the radio, you’re already
guilty of the same level of crime. Just don’t try and sell your
transfers.

Online
Video Streaming
– I’m referring to services like Netflix and other authentic
platforms that have a legal right to market movies. Obviously there’s
much less appeal here for viewers who prefer a physical medium.
There’s
also
the
fact that even if you purchase a film for indefinite use on these
platforms, you don’t actually own
the movie like you would a
DVD: you’re
still technically
renting it, and there’ve
been instances where providers have legally reclaimed what consumers
assumed was their personal property. However, these platforms are
useful for a couple of reasons: they allow you to rent movies that
you won’t find at the progressively
rare
video stores, and they increasingly
provide movies of this subgenre
for a lower cost than more recent productions.
Pros
– Growing availability, rental option
Cons
– Limited by internet service quality, digital
ownership
paradox

I’m
choosing to not list illegitimate video streaming as an outlet. While
distribution on sites like Youtube is
tempting, I don’t
condone consuming content in
a way that won’t directly benefit the filmmakers I wish to support.
And while some
martial arts filmmakers have chosen to post their content freely,
these are typically newer
movies.

4 Disappointing Things About the Direct-to-Video Martial Arts Film Scene [900 Words]

1. Over-Reliance
on Financiers

Photo source

Though economic realities require filmmakers at
all levels to balance their artistic visions with the demands of
financiers, DTV flicks have historically felt these demands
particularly hard. Producers and studio representatives frequently
have vetoing power over all creative aspects of a feature, and the
result has been an often baffling amount of narrative dis-fluency.
Newcomers to the video market in the early-to-mid-2000s like Sony
were particularly bad about this, and the resulting poor quality of
the movies was all too often incorrectly regarded by fans as the
fault of incompetent writers, directors, and talent.

This isn’t to say
that things were super before the new millennium, thanks to the
impact of international distributors. You see, U.S. productions were
(are?) surprisingly reliant on foreign sales to recoup on their
budgets, and as a result filmmakers often planned their productions
to meet an all-important goal: impress agents at film festivals.
Distributors who purchased the rights to these pictures often
wouldn’t even watch the whole movie – just the first few minutes.
Consequently, many films were thematically unbalanced due to the
makers pouring an overabundance of resources into the opening 10
minutes. As such, the stereotype that these movies are all very
similar is truer than I’d like to admit, but for a different reason
than many critics suspect.

2. Skewed Studio Ambitions

Photo source

Smaller,
action-oriented studios like PM, Imperial, and Shapiro-Glickenhaus
developed a reputation for above-average content during video’s
heyday. However, the crash of the video market around the turn of the
century resulted in such
studios
going out of business, being bought up, or otherwise dropping
out of the marketplace.
In their place came the likes of Sony and 20th
Century Fox: giants of film
production/distribution but newcomers to DTV flicks. The transition
wasn’t particularly smooth, with the studios largely churning out
pictures that were clunkier and less memorable than the schlockiest
indie production. This was something of a surprise, since these same
conglomerates were simultaneously producing
award-winning theatrical fare.

The
reason for this
low quality output
is
surprisingly base. As indicated by Nicholas Chartier –
co-founder of Voltage Studios, the production house that released the
Academy Award-winning film The
Hurt Locker
– in
a 2009 Variety
interview, the strategy of larger studios
is to produce and market DTV fare based solely
on name recognition,
ignoring
quality
and
using
the proceeds to finance larger
and
more ambitious productions. While
this may have changed a little over time with
DTV productions eliciting a little more respect from studios,
you can still see this
meat & potatoes
approach in many films.

3.
A Messed Up Hierarchy

Photo source

Before
the time of the aforementioned video crash, the DTV action circuit
was regarded as a potential stepping stone to greater fame and
fortune. Don Wilson, Jeff Wincott, Billy Blanks, Cynthia Rothrock,
Loren Avedon, Michael Worth, Jerry Trimble, and Mimi Lesseos are
just some of the names that fans discussed during
the subgenre’s zenith,
with the question being who
would eventually ascend to Hollywood stardom.
However, the market’s fall saw most of these figures flushed out of
the market
and replaced by previously-established
names:
Steven Seagal, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren, and Wesley
Snipes. The message was clear: there was only limited room for stars
and studios
favored
aging
ex-
A-listers over more talented alternatives. Worse
yet, their movies tended to be pretty darn bad.

In
a short amount of time, fan conversations turned from who was going
to be the next major action hero
to how little Seagal & Co. must care about their fans to deliver
such poor results. To
be sure, the problem wasn’t that these stars were now making
non-theatrical fare, but that doing so came at the expense of
everybody we’d been hoping
to make it big for years. While the ex-superstars
suddenly
dominated the rental shelves with well-funded but poorly-made
vehicles, the heroes of yesteryear were either relegated to even
cheaper
flicks or dropped out altogether. It
was a
disappointing end to
many aspirations.

4.
It’s Left a Disappointing Legacy

Photo source

As stars age and aren’t in the spotlight anymore, we can often
rest
assured that they’ll continue to share their influence behind the
camera as directors
and producers.
Eastwood and Stallone are doing it. Hong Kong fans are particularly
lucky, as Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung and Stephen Chow are known just
as well as filmmakers
as they
are action
stars. The
B-movie action genre, on the other hand, doesn’t have this to
look forward to.

The
best we’ve got is Dolph Lundgren directing the odd low-budgeteer
that the guy himself criticizes. Seagal
and Van Damme have nursed directorial hopes in the low budget realm,
but these have yet to bear fruit. [NOTE:
I just found out that Van Damme’s self-directed Full
Love
is scheduled to come out later this year, after having been in and
out of production for almost
a decade.] And though a few less-recognized names are finding notable
behind-the-scenes work in major motion pictures, the fact is that
most of what made the subgenre enjoyable during its heyday looks like
it’s being forgotten. No other faction of martial arts filmmaking –
from the earliest Chinese productions to the sloppy
Bourne
style  of
fight
scenes – has been so disregarded by its successors, and
it’s happening for no reason. Time will tell whether this changes,
but for now,
it’s not looking promising.

[1600 Word Essay] Women’s & Minority Representation in DTV Martial Arts Movies

It’s
long interested (and, recently, concerned) me how movies represent
women and minorities (ethnic and cultural). As of late, I’ve turned
this scrutiny on my particular film niche – direct-to-video
American martial arts movies. Specifically, I wanted to measure which
demographic was most likely to produce stars within the subgenre. I
already had an idea, but the results were still a little surprising.

I’ve
collected the data as to who’s been a leading star in these sorts
of movies since 1985. All of the performers listed below have starred
in or co-led at least three US-based DTV/limited release
action/martial arts productions. Where applicable, I’ve substituted
a starring role in a TV production in lieu of a third film lead.

White
Men (not Latin):
Loren
Avedon, Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Norris,* Richard Norton, Jeff Speakman,
Jean-Claude Van Damme, Jeff Wincott, Michael Worth, Scott Adkins,
David Bradley, Bryan Genesse, Michael Bernardo, Paul Logan, Sasha
Mitchell, Michael Dudikoff, Ted Jan Roberts, Ron Marchini, Chad
McQueen, Scott Shaw, Eric Jacobus, Matt Mullins, Gary Daniels,
Olivier Gruner, Jerry Trimble, Dale Cook, Antonio Sabato, Jr., Gary
Wasniewski, Steven
Seagal**
White
Women (not Latin):
Cynthia Rothrock, Mimi Lesseos, Zoe Bell
Asian
Men:
Philip Rhee, Ho-Sung Pak, Leo Fong, Johnny Yong Bosch, Jon Foo,
Julian Lee, Jun Chong, Jino Kang, Cung Le, Don Wilson, Ernie
Reyes, Jr.
Asian
Women: N/A
Black
Men:
Billy Blanks, Wesley Snipes, Michael Jai White, Fred Williamson, Ron
Hall
Black
Women: N/A
Latin
Men:
Fabian Carillo, Hector Echavarria, Lorenzo Lamas
Latin
Women: N/A
Arab
Men:
Jalal Merhi
Arab
Women: N/A
Multiracial
Men:
Mark Dacascos
Multiracial
Women: N/A
*Norris describes himself as being of mixed ethnicity, but his claims have been disputed. [SOURCE]
**Ditto. [SOURCE]

[ERRATUM 8/4/18: I may have mis-attributed the ethnicity of Mimi Lesseos, whose Wikipedia article claims she’s actually Latinx and Greek.]

image

The
obvious implications of
this data are that (1) white men
enjoy far greater representation
than all other groups, and (2) women of color are completely
unrepresented.
Additionally, no other
ethnicities or cultural identities than
the ones listed here are represented at all,
and this includes
Asians who don’t fall
under the eastern or southeastern headings.

So…
What’s the problem
here? What’s the issue, especially since we’re talking about such
a very specific
subgenre? Well, to everybody outside of this niche, there isn’t a
problem beyond the degree to which DTV action
flicks mirror the larger filmmaking scene. However,
representation matters here as much as for any
genre because it helps
determine the future of this kind of movie. If
these films are viewed by customers and filmmakers
as primarily a gilding hall
for white male
leads, the number
of women and minorities vying for anything
beyond stuntwork or supporting parts isn’t encouraged
to grow…and that’s likely to deprive us all of
potentially great talent.
Women, people of color, and other minorities
help comprise the cream of the martial arts
crop, and the thought of losing out on the
next potential Cynthia Rothrock or Michael Jai White is
galling. These movies don’t necessarily
thrive on technical or dramatic innovation,
but rather the physical
innovation of its
performers. Given this,
it’s within everybody’s interest that anybody
with the potential to
thrill martial enthusiasts be duly considered.

“Objection:
As this data only represents the DTV realm, it’s not an accurate
portrayal of representation in American filmmaking or even the
action/martial arts genre as a whole.”

The
fact that DTV films don’t encompass the entirety of a
genre doesn’t negate the significance of their own
sector, the same way that one avenue
of occupation needn’t encompass the entire job market to have
unique implications for those involved.
Though often viewed as a derivative of Hollywood, the DTV realm is
very much its own place
with unique hierarchies and politics. Entire careers are played out
within it. What’s more, the DTV circuit
isn’t so small as to be insignificant: even if the U.S.
blockbuster scene became
a beacon of representation, poor practices in
the DTV scene could
still be enough to
unsettle the landscape.
When you consider that less than 100 films are given a widespread
theatrical release in the U.S. each year, it’s easy to imagine how
quickly the smaller, quickly-produced
releases can overtake them in quantity.
Add to that the
popularity of online video streaming services
and their
equalizing nature,
and you can see that DTV flicks
are a significant part
the national film market.

“Objection:
A quantitative measurement doesn’t properly convey how well a group
is represented. For example, Wesley Snipes is more prolific and
successful than almost every white male star listed here.”

Aside
from the fact that too many demographics are still entirely
unrepresented, the problem with pointing to a Wesley Snipes or a
Lorenzo Lamas as adequate representation for an entire group is that
it closes off the chances for anyone else who might fall within that
demographic. If you take one prominent star and say there’s no need
for additional representation, then what reason is there for someone
else from that group to be taken on? Again, the result is the DTV
circuit potentially depriving itself of the next great showstopper.

“Objection:
The sample is too limiting. There’d be more women and minority
entrants if you counted those with fewer than three starring roles
and/or counted
supporting ones (e.g.
lead villains).”

I
opted for no less than three starring roles because this indicates an
established career within the DTV realm, which indicates a
willingness of
studios/distributors to repeatedly invest
in a performer – this
is, to some degree, the mark of a star. I’ve limited the
credits to lead roles because such
parts convey prestige and social esteem, and
this is important. Yes, fans can definitely
find favorites among lifetime supporting players, but supporting role
or even those
of the lead villain typically don’t
convey the positive
qualities that usually
define protagonists. Aside from being promoted
the most, lead characters
are most likely the ones the audience is encouraged to identify with.
By comparison, other
roles don’t measure up.

“Objection:
Maybe there aren’t more women/minorities in lead roles because
there are no viable contenders.”

Here’s
but a small sample of viable contenders – women and men with the
necessary physical talent to lead a fight flick.

Marissa
Labog & Peipei Yuan – Fight Scene
Chris
Balualua – Showreel
Lauren
Mary Kim & Amy
Johnston – Fight
Scene
Percy
“Spitfire” Brown – Showreel
Robert
Parham – Showreel
Fernando
Chien – Showreel
Tamiko
Brownlee & Natalie
Padilla – Fight
Scene
Anna Ranoso
– Fight Scene
Emmanuel
Manzanares – Showreel
Zara
Phytian – Fight Scene
Jawed
El Berni – Short Film, The List
Andy
Leung & Ray
Carbonel – Fight Scene, Contour
Cheryl
Lewis – Fight Scene
Gui
DaSilva – Fight Scene
Nilo Ghajar-Williams

Vs. Ieisha
Auyeung – Fight Scene
Natascha
Hopkins –
Fight Scene
Gichi
Gamba – Film Highlights, PowerRangers
Michelle
Jubilee Gonzalez – Fight Scene w/Peipei Yuan
Shawn
Bernal – Short Film, Flower Thieves
Kristina
Hess – Showreel
John
Lewis & Alex Meraz
– Short Film, The Reward
Cecily
Fay – Film Highlights
Rayna
Vallandingham – Showreel
Ed
Kahana – Fight Scene, Relic Hunt
Eve
Torres – Fight Scene, The
Scorpion King 4
Marie
Mouroum – Showreel
Krystal
Vee & Selina Lo –
Fight Scene, The Scorpion King 3
Juan
Bofill – Fight Scene

“Do
you have any good news?”

The
good news is that the trend of white guys
dominating this subgenre does seem to be abating as
we move further
into the 21st
century. Of the 52
names in the sample, thirteen (13) are individuals who’ve begun
starring in these movies within the past 16 years; of these, only 5
are white men – about 38 percent of the
total.

White
Men: Scott Adkins,
Eric Jacobus, Matt Mullins, Gary Wasniewski,
Steven Seagal
White Women:
Zoe Bell
Asian Men: Johnny
Yong Bosch, Jon Foo,
Jino Kang, Cung Le
Black
Men: Wesley Snipes,
Michael Jai White
Latin
Men: Hector
Echavarria

image

Though
white male performers still enjoy the greatest
amount of representation,
they don’t completely
dominate the pipeline of new stars.

Also,
I get the impression that big-budget Hollywood
is making an effort to diversify the selection
of people it has leading its movies. I’ve said before that the DTV
arena isn’t merely
derivative of Big Studio World, but obviously the latter plays a huge
role in shaping popular trends.
If Hollywood capitalizes on diversity among
stars as
an asset, then low-budget
filmmakers may be inclined
to follow.

“How
do we change this? How do we get new, diverse
performers to helm
these movies?”

The
first step is to find out who’s actually out there. The list of
links I provided is pretty short, given the sheer amount of
performers making their reels publicly
available. Become a fan
of lesser-known kickers. Once you’ve found
someone whose work consistently impresses you and who you’d like to
see lead a production,
you can get started.
Short of stepping down from a theatrical
career, there are generally two
ways that new performers acquire
starring roles in the
DTV scene: (1) they work their way up from smaller parts and/or
stuntwork, or (2) they finance or co-finance
their own productions. In
either case, what you need to do is support
them. Help
finance indie projects they’re
developing via
crowd-funding. Feature them and their work on your social media. If
they’ve had parts in studio work, review these movies publicly
and
point out that their involvement is the reason you looked at the
picture in the first place. And
if a
movie they’ve starred in gets released, buy it directly – don’t
download or buy
it from a third party seller, and for goodness sake don’t post the
whole thing online
for free.

It’s
up to the performer(s)
in question
to prove
that they’d rock
a starring role,
but it’s up us
to
make their
effort worth it.

A Timeline of Low-Budget & Direct-to-Video Filmmaking [Martial Arts Subgenre]

Since
no such thing seems to exist yet,
I decided to lay a foundation. This chronology is undoubtedly
incomplete, but I’ve tried to mention all events that stand out to
me and ones that would probably stand out to others. To the best of
my knowledge, all information is accurate.

March
23, 1987 – The film production &
distribution
company Imperial Entertainment Corp. is founded. One of the first
studios to focus primarily
on
low-budget action features, its releases include Cynthia
Rothrock’s Lady
Dragon,
Jerry
Trimble’s Breathing
Fire,
and Don
Wilson’s Red
Sun Rising.

August
18, 1988 – The
taekwondo-themed action feature
Miami
Connection
receives a limited theatrical release and subsequently bombs, almost
bankrupting star/producer Y.K. Kim. Over 24 years later, mounting
cult
fame inspires
a re-release
for the film on DVD.

1989
– Joseph
Merhi and Richard Pepin found PM Entertainment Group, Inc. – the most
prolific producer of direct-to-video action and martial arts fare of
the 1990s.

February
24, 1989
– American
Ninja 3: Blood Hunt
receives a limited theatrical release before being sent to video.
It’s the first time an installment to
a major martial arts franchise receives anything less than a wide
debut.

February
1990 – Martial
arts legend Cynthia
Rothrock makes her solo debut in the U.S. with China
O’Brien.
Rothrock would subsequently become one of the most prolific
low-budget action heroes and the single
most
successful female martial arts star of the American film market.

February
23, 1990 – Kickboxer
Olivier
Gruner debuts in Angel
Town,
a movie about warring gangs. Ironically, a gang brawl breaks out at a
California drive-in during a screening.

April
12, 1990
– Film
production company Cine Excel Entertainment is founded by director
David Huey. Its first U.S. release, American
Streetfighter,
premieres about two years later on video and is one of the first
starring vehicles of kickboxer
Gary
Daniels.

March
4, 1991
– The
Hong
Kong-based Seasonal
Film Corporation’s No
Retreat, No Surrender
series goes DTV with
its third installment, Blood
Brothers.
Keith W. Strandberg returns as writer, but director Corey Yuen is
replaced by Lucas Lowe. Karate star Keith Vitali makes his debut as a
leading man.

December
18, 1991 – Pro kickboxer Don “The Dragon” Wilson,
America’s most prolific DTV action hero, makes his video debut with
Ring
of Fire.

1992
– The film production
company
Nu Image, Inc. is founded by Avi and Danny Lerner, Trevor Short, and
Danny Dimport. Four years later, a subsidiary called Millennium Films
is launched. Producing both theatrical and DTV fare, their output
over the years has included the Undisputed
and
Ninja
series.

February
7, 1992 – Michael Worth makes his action film debut in Final
Impact,
becoming the first martial arts action hero created by PM
Entertainment. Worth is also the first martial arts star to debut on
the video circuit, without any prior work in theatrical or
international markets.

July
16, 1992
– The release of Tiger
Claws,
one of the first films of the subgenre to feature Chinese martial
arts over karate and kickboxing. Star Jalal Merhi had attempted the
same with his previous vehicle, Fearless
Tiger,
but this wouldn’t receive a U.S. release until 1994.

August
20, 1992
– U.S.
video premiere of Martial
Law II: Undercover,
the first martial arts vehicle of star Jeff Wincott.

October
14, 1992
– Director
Isaac Florentine releases his first U.S. production, Desert
Kickboxer.

November
6, 1992 – Billy Blanks makes his starring debut in Talons
of the Eagle,
which enjoys
a limited release before going to video.

March
3, 1993
– American
Samurai
premieres in
the U.S. on video.
Mark Dacascos co-stars in his first substantial martial
arts-themed role.

May
5, 1993
– Shootfighter:
Fight to the Death is
released, becoming
the
first U.S.
starring
vehicle of Hong
Kong
action
staple
Bolo Yeung.

July,
1993 – At age 13, Ted Jan Roberts makes his video debut in Magic
Kid.
To date, he is the youngest martial arts action hero of
the western hemisphere to
have a substantial solo career.

March
1, 1996 – Almost eight years after the release of the cult hit
Bloodsport,
its sequel The
Last Kumite
premieres via a limited theatrical release. With the exception of one
supporting cast member, no one who worked on the original had a hand
in the sequel.

December
8, 1998
– The
release of Champions,
the first U.S. action
film
based on mixed martial arts competition.

February
9, 1999
– Jean-Claude
Van Damme’s Legionnaire
unexpectedly becomes the star’s first DTV release. With a $35 million
budget (adjusted: $52.5 million), it’s officially one of the most
expensive releases of the subgenre.

2002
– PM
Entertainment folds. Its catalog of over 150 features and two TV
shows is acquired for
distribution by
Echo Bridge Home Entertainment.

November
23, 2004 – Unstoppable
becomes the first Wesley Snipes action vehicle to go DTV, following a
limited theatrical release.

2005
– Nicholas Chartier and Dean Devlin found Voltage Pictures, whose
output includes the
DTV rleases
Puncture
Wounds,
Lady
Bloodfight,
and Eliminators.
In a Variety
interview
four years later, Chartier describes
his business strategy of marketing DTV action flicks as a means to
pay for higher-budgeted theatrical productions.

May
31, 2005 – The
DTV action-thriller Submerged is released, and the Uruguayan
national government subsequently threatens legal action against the producers for
its embarrassing
portrayal of the
country.

December
27, 2005 – Multinational conglomerate Sony first becomes a major
player in the DTV action
scene when its subsidiary, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, releases
Black
Dawn.

2008
– The low-budgeted Money
Fight
(aka The
Red Canvas,
aka Art
of Submission)
becomes the first film to receive an “off-planet” premiere
aboard the International Space Station.

April
28, 2009
– Hector
Echavarria releases his MMA-themed
passion
project, Never
Surrender.
For
the next several years, Echavarria
is
the primary producer of movies capitalizing on the MMA craze by
heavily incorporating cage fighting into his plots
and featuring pro fighters in supporting roles.

February
2, 2010 – The Michael Jai White vehicle Black
Dynamite
is released on DVD, following a limited theatrical release. An
instant cult hit, it
wins widespread acclaim and the “Best Film” award at the
Seattle International Film Festival.

February
2, 2010
– Universal
Soldier: Regeneration
is released on DVD in the U.S. Widely regarded as superior to its
predecessor, its
star
–
Jean-Claude
Van Damme –
reportedly
turned down the opportunity to appear in Sylvester Stallone’s
blockbuster The
Expendables
in favor of focusing on the
smaller production.

June
1, 2010
– Undisputed
III is
released to cult acclaim. The vehicle catapults star Scott Adkins to
martial arts superstardom, and the movie is quickly
regarded as a benchmark of martial arts filmmaking.

August
2011 – DTV movie veteran and pro fighter Joe Son is convicted of
torture and sentenced to life in prison. Two
months later,
he receives
another 27 years for the voluntary manslaughter of a
cellmate.

May
6, 2015
– The
Dolph Lundgren/Tony Jaa collaboration Skin
Trade
is released in the U.S. via the internet. In addition to being Jaa’s
first American production to not be released theatrically, it’s the
first U.S. martial arts film to have an online premiere.

April
14, 2016 – The
Martial Arts Kid
becomes the first full-length martial arts movie produced via crowd
funding.

How to Choose Good DTV Martial Arts Movies

A while ago, I posted a primer about what
direct-to-video martial arts films a newcomer to the subgenre might want to
watch first. I’ve since realized that those recommendations don’t really imbue
the reader with any means of making informed decisions beyond the list, so now,
I’ve come up with a set of tips regarding the subgenre in general. While many
of these suggestions are not without ample exceptions, I have done my best to
ensure that they match general perceptions and are not too biased.

To
choose a quality DTV martial arts flick, consider the following:

The time of release is important
Beware of films released during the home video slump – approximately 1999 thru 2006.
During this time, the smaller studios responsible for the action boom had
either gone out of business or been bought up by larger distributors. Studios
like Sony and Columbia TriStar were new to the low-budget game and tended to
focus on style over substance. Additionally, many of video’s stars had either
left the genre by this time (e.g. Jeff Wincott) or were stepping down from solo
careers to focus on supporting roles (e.g. Cynthia Rothrock).

Different studios make different movies
Not all studios that release DTV martial arts flicks specialize in them, but
there have been several that do. Knowing what to expect from such studios can
be helpful, so here’s a handful of the more prolific ones.

  • PM Entertainment – Better-than-average
    stories and production values, mixed with good (and occasionally great) action.
  • Shapiro-Glickenhaus Entertainment – Strong
    production values and so-so fight scenes.
  • Cine Excel Entertainment – Cheap-o productions,
    often with dubbed audio. Tons of fight scenes of poor quality.
  • Voltage Pictures – Increasingly decent
    productions starring current or ex- A-listers. Its founder publicly stated it
    only produces B-movies to finance larger pictures.
  • Nu Image – Its 1992-1997 output ranged
    from good to decent. 1998-2005 was very questionable. From then ‘til now, Isaac
    Florentine’s productions have set the standard.
  • Millennium Films – A subsidiary of Nu
    Image; see above.

Some guys are lovers
There are a few performers in the DTV market who are identified as “karate guys”
– usually because of past work – but don’t actually feature that much
hand-to-hand fighting in their movies. Primary offenders include Wesley Snipes
and Dolph Lundgren, along with post-2005 Lorenzo Lamas. Michael Dudikoff,
Olivier Gruner, and Steven Seagal have also had some pretty bare stretches.

Eastern Europe = blah
Low-budget filmmakers apparently find favorable
production conditions and a ready stunt community in nations like Bulgaria, but
this is also the place where many productions were shot during the dreaded
video slump. Filmmakers have had a much better time of it since the late 2000s,
but in addition to their unsatisfying action content, these colorless films are
depressing to look at.

MMA-themed movies suck
Again, filmmakers seem to be getting the hang of this nowadays, but mixed
martial arts have ironically fared much better in mainstream cinema than on DTV.
I blame a lot on this on the films of Hector Echavarria, a kickboxer-turned-filmmaker
who cornered the market with movies saturated by bad fight scenes and overhyped
cameos of professional fighters.

Ignore the reviews
Or rather, know to gauge others’ opinions. DTV fare
tends to generate reviews from two kinds of people: cult fans and casual
viewers who rarely watch non-mainstream pictures. This leads to a polarized set
of opinions, and it’s hard to know which to trust in any given case.
Personally, I used to ignore reviews completely, though the consequence has
been sitting through a lot of sludge. As far as reviewing hubs go, Rotten
Tomatoes tends to mirror popular consent, Amazon is where people go to write
positive reviews, and IMDb is the most nuanced of the three.

Yeah, I’m aware of the irony of that last
one, seeing as I write reviews, too. But keep in mind that we’re talking about
a subgenre that is still fairly marginalized. Whereas finding out what movies
you like in the mainstream is relatively easy, finding good low-budget martial
arts movies – some of them 30 years old by now – is like trying to find
treasure using an incomplete map. To that end, I hope this list is helpful.

“What do I watch first?” – A DTV Martial Arts Film Primer

If you’re like me, then around the same
time that you realized your yen for direct-to-video karate flicks, you found
out that you faced a mountain of material. Many of the movies of this label
aren’t very good, and while I had the opportunity to slog my way through
several decades’ worth of schlock, I realize that a few bad initial experiences
may be enough to dishearten a prospective fan – after all, movies cost money,
and why bother when all you’re coming up with is trash? To help orient newcomers,
I’ve put together a list of some of the most essential features in this
subgenre. Not all of these movies are necessarily great, but they’re among the
most-referenced and/or valued ones. They’ll give you some perspective of the subgenre as a
whole, and they’re probably the ones other fans will hope you have seen.

1. China
O’Brien (1990)

image

Why: Cynthia Rothrock is one of the most
consistent contributors to the DTV realm, and her movies are unavoidable. You’ll
have a sizable library to dig into if you enjoy her work, and the best way to
find out if you do is via this Robert Clouse-directed cult vehicle.

If you like this, check out: China O’Brien 2 (1990), Sworn to Justice (1996)

2. The
King of the Kickboxers (1990)

image

Why: A stylistic continuation of the
mostly-theatrical No Retreat, No Surrender
series, this movie mixes an exotic location with a standout cast of fighters
and stellar action. Like several other entries on the list, its lack of Region
1 DVD availability merely enhances its gem status.

If you like this, check out: No
Retreat, No Surrender 3: Blood Brothers (1990), Bloodmoon (1997)

3. Martial
Law II: Undercover (1991)

image

Why: Enter Jeff Wincott, the DTV
realm’s most fondly-remembered action star of the ‘90s. This is his first martial arts movie,
and it catches his best side. Add some strong characters and arguably the best
cast of supporting villains ever assembled, and this one’s hard not to like.

If you like this, check out: Mission of Justice (1992), Martial Outlaw (1993)

4. Shootfighter:
Fight to the Death (1993)

image

Why: Here’s a fight flick with an
edge. This brawl-packed tournament film is great for viewers who like their matches
gory; it will expose them to a slew of lesser-known performers. Fans of Bolo
Yeung will appreciate his sizable role.

If you like this, check out: Firepower (1993), Ring of Steel (1994)


5. Drive (1997)

image

Why: Some of the best American
indies are powered by international talent, and such was the case when Japan’s
Alpha Stunts group got the means to make a feature with actual production values.
The great action is complemented by a fun screenplay and excellent chemistry
between Mark Dacascos and Kadeem Hardison.

If you like this, check out: Extreme
Heist (2002), Contour (2006)


6. Undisputed II: Last Man Standing
(2006) & Undisputed III: Redemption
(2010)

image

Why: The Undisputed sequels are milestones. Last Man Standing saw director Isaac Florentine turn up his game as
an action director and flaunted the realized potential of Michael Jai White and
Scott Adkins as leading men. Redemption
made Adkins the “it” performer of the martial arts scene and set the bar for
fight choreography worldwide.

If you like these, check out: Ninja II: Shadow of a Tear (2013), Falcon Rising (2014)


7. Broken Path (2008)

image

Why: If you value brutal karate
action over all other aspects, this Alpha Stunts rarity will be a dream come
true. It’s an intense adventure that focuses all its production power on fight
scenes.

If you like this, check out: Kill ‘Em
All (2014), Die Fighting (2014)


8. Blood and Bone (2009)

image

Why: Aside from being a good fight
flick and the premier vehicle of Michael Jai White, this film uses a great cast
and excellent production values to attain the elusive status of being just as
palatable to viewers outside of the martial arts fan base.

If you like this, check out: Never
Back Down 2: The Beatdown (2011), The
Girl from the Naked Eye (2012)


9. Universal Soldier: Regeneration
(2009) & Universal Soldier: Day of
Reckoning (2012)

image

Why: With its decidedly dark
presentation and gritty action, Regeneration
proved that a low-budget sequel could outclass its mainstream predecessors. Day of Reckoning demonstrated a new potential
for style and ambitious storytelling on the DTV circuit. Many people seem to
prefer the first to the second, but you’d do well to regard the two as a set.

If you like these, check out: Angel
of Death (2009), Dragon Eyes
(2012)

[Trigger potential: I recommend you investigate the IMDb page of any given film and review the “Plot Keywords” and “Parents Guide” sections for possible triggers.]

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.]