Appearance of home video in eighties became replacement of drive-in theaters and switched on an opportunity for big companies to produce films where doesn’t require a large budget. It allowed to appear sequels, which previous parts didn’t make money in box-office and maybe were profitable on VHS or it can be use of title with less popular actors. It was time of entrance of small companies, which specializing on movies for that format as known of them are Nu Image, Film One, Vidmark Entertainment (later Trimark Pictures), PM Entertainment. Their filming crew were flying to a poor country where for five to ten million dollars could make a good action flick. VHS breaded new action actors and brought fallen ones or those who didn’t stay long. Great actors in past decades dropped from a big screen also can find place in these movies, which with little budget had equal quality of screenplay and it can had same relation from filming crew as there can be magnificent flicks.
Blood of the Innocent (Beyond Forgiveness) (1994)
Ah, human trafficking in Poland. Some flaws what usual in B movie, but a screenplay isn’t trivial. Thomas Ian Griffith isn’t a man who well in acting when he does excellent in kicking and shooting, which have pleasure staging. Spectacular and delight from Rutger Hauer (how I'm missing him!) and John Rhys-Davis.
Sacred Cargo (1995)
Personages Kanevsky Brothers, who are not a circus dynasty, just priest and marine in acting of Martin Sheen and Chris Penn fly to cheap back then and typical very gloomy Mother Russia, where sometimes can obviously see that it’s beautiful shot was made in Czechia, for church relics. Specialty: this film made by Russians and what’s surprising here that is right demonstration of Russia. Correct, KGB and Neo-Nazi groups in their control is not a fiction. Chris Penn with his body structure doesn’t look a typical hero of action movie, but, as we know that it’s not a factor for capability to fight, and his personage makes to believe that he can kick asses and shoot. This factor is advantage for me. I couldn’t stop for long in laughing in airport scene where he asks his brother. Using of songs of Gorky Park decorates a film. Excellent moment where alone Vincent (that’s Chris Penn) without language knowledge sits in taxi where meets savage driver who changes his behavior for one hundred bucks. A car rolls through streets of Saint Petersburg and plays Stranger. I understand such mood as Michael Jackson with Stranger in Moscow tells about me. A screenplay of Sacred Cargo has part of pattern as he meet a girl (Russian played by non-Russian.) and et cetera with, of course, bed, but whole story is elaborated where have no idea on next. And J.T. Walsh, who usually a sudden villain, is a priest here. I adore this actor who was so young.
Note on failed VHS potential. William Forsyth played a main personage in Direct Hit (1994). His guise was identical for coldblooded CIA assassin has deep voice and smokes. His changing on human person is interesting process. Richard Norton’s personage was also match. Unfortunately, it with a screenplay, which was in preposterous.
Mercenary (1996)
Vinyl returned to relevance, because sound better than on disks. Action films from eighties, nineties and released on VHS are superior after watching all that CGI stuff due to naturalness. Olivier Gruner in hyping action plays mercenary Karl May with nickname Hawk who accepts a mission of John Ritter’s Jonas Ambler with whom they going to kill a Cold War adversary Phoenix (Martin Cove) who did attack on client and killed his wife. Nothing for be predictable. Beautiful action where has a precisely detail that enemy forces can be demoralized if kill their commanders. So sad that sequel hasn’t universe mighty of screenplay and it’s not unusual among direct-to-VHS.
Hitman’s Run (1999)
Mark L. Lester directed classic Commando what explains why it’s a fantastic action with Eric Roberts and short appearance of Joe Viterelli who always charms.
Redline (Deathline) (1997)
Crazy sci-fi movie released before what is known now as Skype, Kinect, virtual reality (it has very interesting game calls Royal Hunt.). Also Redline has a woman president in Russia where takes action, but was filmed in Hungary what doesn’t make to not believe. Amazing Rutger Hauer performs John Anderson Wade who was betrayed and shot by Merrick in act of Mark Dakascos. Modern technology in Russia (I know, that can’t be a part of sci-fi.) returns to life a lead personage who wants to revenge and it will does in captivating shooting scenes through mad Mother Russia to which I have admiration here.
Note on failed VHS potential. The Eastern Europe seduces me. Streets of old Budapest, premises of houses and same charming impression in trams. I was in very much pleasure to look on Hungary in The Zone (1995), which I couldn’t watch as a movie due to badly written plot where main role had Robert Davi. VHS films had in lead the actors played villains in movies of silver screen. Gary Busey before that was in hyping Bulletproof (1988) had tremendous cast in Henry Silva, Wilbur Smith, L.Q. Jones, Juan Fernandez, Danny Trejo and imposing Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa in plot where main hero fights against variable national evil, which was directed by Steve Carver. It was released for theaters and didn’t earn even million for recoup of five million dollars.
Perilous (2000)
Bruce Boxleitner moves to Russia (I’ll tell you, it’s not so good idea.) where sometimes appears that is not Saint Petersburg and it’s Lithuania, which country's studio made this movie. It has some banality, but excellent thriller about a regular guy who got in extreme situations and where he finds a woman, but without bed.
The Substitute 2: School’s Out (1998), The Substitute 3: Winner Takes All (1999)
That belle époque in films! When subtitles were tough. The Substitute film series launched in cinema theater with astonishing Tom Berenger, which continued on VHS with Treat Williams. It’s interesting conception on ex-Marine turned mercenary who goes undercover as teacher in a school for trouble kids for reveal shadow business. Grand Canyon deep characters, iron strong screenplays (the third film takes social by talking about drugs.) and excellent comes when happens shooting and fighting. Karl Thomasson is individual whose methods of teaching are acceptable for me and I like how he demonstrates a personal experience when comes to conflict. The Substitute had also the fourth part with interesting idea that Williams’s hero goes undercover in army academy, but Dan Gurskis wasn’t a writer for film without part number and having a mighty subtitle Failure Is Not an Option.
From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman’s Daughter (1999)
Vampires wanted to rob bank by words of Robert Patrick, which describes a born terrible second film. Robert Rodriguez involvement in scriptwriting of the third part gave quality. It’s good that setting in the Wild West, which fine add for backstory. Interesting enriched characters, their development and fates. It is not comparable in captivation with original, but for definition of “fine”.
Black Day Blue Night (1995)
I have passion to films about trips. Straight movement without long standing. Nineties had many such road travel flicks where journey usually had a detective mystery. Black Day Blue Night changes in events and introduces in personages where once comes J.T. Walsh. It surprised me that it was for VHS.
Night Hunter (1996)
Kickboxer champion, brilliant martial arts fighter and good in acting Don “The Dragon” Wilson is Jack Cutter is descendant and the last hunter on vampires fight with rest of that type who wants infect a whole planet. Director Rick Jacobson can stage presence of vampire, does excellent with action and he makes to believe in threat.
Critters 3 (1991), Critters 4 (1992)
Critters (1986) quadrupled in theaters spent budget. Critters 2: The Main Course (1988) didn’t make any money profit and therefore continuation was on VHS. Critters 3 and Critters 4 filmed in back-to-back production don’t degrade in any quality as in screenplay, humor, ambience, methods of destroy critters and has magnificent conclusion. Hillbilly Charlie McFadden (Don Keith Opper) in lead role in these two films in which he takes occupation of hunter on critters as also among characters stays alien Ug (Terrence Mann). Critters 3 despite on working by formula “die only not so good in qualities people” such a hateful stepfather of Josh by teenage Leonardo DiCaprio who among actors had a horror film in first roles (as Billy Zane was in Critters.) doesn’t harm story happening in one apartment house. Critters 4 is unpredictable in everything and, as Leprechaun and Hellraser comes in space in the fourth part, what is logical, because those monsters from other world.
Raven (1996)
Lost in popularity in box-office Burt Reynolds once performed in Raven, which is intricate in screenplay and twists about acting and ex CIA black ops operatives where, of course, present impressive shooting and explosions. Additional for today in became gracious an aesthetics of nineties what is one more reason of elegance of VHS.
Bloodsport III (1997), Bloodsport 4: The Dark Kumite (1999)
I hadn’t a thought that I will nostalgic on films with roman numerals. Bloodsport II: The Next Kumite (1996) was debut for Daniel Bernhardt who didn’t believe that invited to play in sequel and hung up a phone. It was released for theaters and wasn’t box-office breakthrough as Bloodsport (1988) with Jean-Claude Van Damme. A flick appeared on VHS in most countries. However, it has magnificent martial arts and little improves to supernatural. Daniel Bernhardt talented in fighting as same he shows in acting by playing thief Alex Cardo. Interesting story, hero's changing, meeting with Master Sun whom implemented magnificent James Hong. Bloodsport II recalls with main theme, which can remind “Immortals” in Mortal Kombat (1995), but it’s individual and I want to listen and continue to do that. Bloodsport III continues story of Alex Cardo where circumstances bring to learn new technique of martial arts, which is absolute extreme for come on new tournament where participate future fighting coordinators, stuntmen and action film director as J.J. Perry and Chad Stahelski. Bloodsport 4: The Dark Kumite has peculiar and predictable plot what eccentric absurdness turns to positive with sexy smile of Daniel Bernhardt who plays a new personage an agent John Keller who goes undercover for reveal a secret death tournament.
Perfect Target (1997)
Daniel Bernhardt is actor who has many elegant VHS movies. Grandiose of this one in that it has Sheldon Lettich who is director of only classic drama touching Lionheart, which is my favorite of JCVD flicks on tournaments, The Order, Double Impact and such credits he has in scriptwriting, which is Bloodsport, Rambo III, Legionnaire, Max. High-A filmmaker who did before for small budget masterpiece did again on VHS about mercenary David Benson involved in political struggle in Latin dictatorship state.
Black Sea Raid (2000)
Specialty that mind captivating action with Daniel Bernhardt was filmed in free back then Crimea. Satisfaction and thoroughly in screenplay action on team who must sneak on hostile territory for execution of mission and leave territory what willn’t without calm and twists. I didn’t take in attention limitation of budget, because film reached to accept as realistic.
Best of the Best 3: No Turning Back (1995), Best of the Best 4: Without Warning (1998)
I didn’t accept conclusion of Best of the Best (1989) and considered it as overdrama. I didn’t understand why Tommy Lee (Phillip Rhee) didn’t continue to beat an advisory. Years later I got on what is true victory. This film was about legal fight when Best of the Best II (1993) had illegal Coliseum in Las Vegas whom rules Gustave Brakus (Ralf Moeller). Grandiose fighting scenes and main theme of David Michael Frank where I become seduced by saxophone. Films weren’t successful in box-office and it’s creator Phillip Rhee continued on VHS where didn’t fade in quality of plots and martial arts. He changed competitions on conflicts with using also firearms against Neo-Nazis in little town in the third part and Russian mafia does moneyforgering in the fourth.
Turbulence 3: Heavy Metal (2001)
Threequel got a gold-quality screenplay what hadn’t Turbulence 2: Fear of Flying, which I couldn’t watch due to VHS typical foolishness in action of characters and plot ceased in existing of commonsense. It began in theaters with Turbulence (1997). A film for fifty million dollars has suspense, tension and good scriptwriters and it collected one-fifth of budget in box-office. Series were bought by Trimark and had new installments on VHS. I didn't understand origin and reason of explosion in airport, but it's a breathholding thriller is creatively combined: excellent idea of hard metal concert on plane, a grandiose cast of known and unknown performers (Rutger Hauer, Gabrielle Anwar, Joe Mantegna, Craig Sheffer, John Mann.), surprising script’s turns, thoroughly elaborated characters and powerful scenes such a band leader tears down a Satan symbol.
Zeroes became decline for VHS and losing market to DVD, which eventually was taken by it in 2008. The last time I bought a VHS-cassette in 2005 by feeling that format obsoleted. I didn’t care then and paid for XXX: State of the Union (the first movie was written in agony of delirium when I was hopeful on the second due to change a main personage and death a lead in the first one – I have no clue what view I would have today when it was nice then.). It was due to I saw a looking for movie on cassette first.