Rent This! Direct to Video Movies

A friend of mine recently told me that he just hates direct to video/cable productions. “They reek,” he said.

Well, hearing any generalization makes me immediately want to play devil’s advocate and argue the other side. In this case, I can back up my point with a list of recommendations. Sure, the categorty of direct-to-video comes with the stigma of “not good enough for the theater.” But there are plenty of gems out there for those who search hard enough.

So, without further ado, here’s my list of non-theatricals that are worth a look.

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Indie films…

RUNNING TIME
Bruce Campbell is released from prison, meets up with his old criminal friends, pulls a heist, and falls in love. All in one long take, ala Rope. Directed by Josh Becker.

FREEWAY
Reese Witherspoon just wants to get to grandma’s house. Kiefer Sutherland is the big bad wolf. Sick sick humor and a crunchy Danny Elfman score.

CONVENT
Funniest take on faux-Satanism and vampire nuns I’ve seen. Adrienne Barbeau kicks ass.

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It came from Canada…
NOTE: It has been pointed out to me that both Screamers and Cube were released theatrically, if in a limited fashion. I’m leaving them here anyway, if only to spread the love for these movies.

SCREAMERS
From a story by Philip K. Dick, so you never quite know who to trust. There’s an interplanetary war going on, and the enemy has devised screaming robots that jump up out of the ground to kill you. Oh, and sometimes the robots look like sweet little children. Peter Weller mumbles a lot, but the effects are cool and the plot twists keep you guessing.

CUBE
Conflict boiled down to its bare elements. Characters in a room, don’t know how they got there. If they try to leave, they could get killed, but they keep trying. I haven’t seen the sequels, but I’ve heard they’re sub-par.

GINGER SNAPS
I kept hearing how good this was, and I wasn’t disappointed. Two teenage sisters learn about becoming women while at the same time becoming werewolves. The Canadian disc has loads of extras not on the U.S. release.

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Probably got theatrical in Europe…

DAGON
One of the most earnest and well done Lovecraft adaptations. Almost half the movie is a chase scene, but what a strange chase! You’ll probably need the subtitles to understand the Spanish actor’s accent, but it’s worth it. Directed by Stuart Gordon.

SPACE TRUCKERS
Another Stuart Gordon film. Reminded me of our Derf the Viking shorts because it’s kind of for kids, but kind of not. Anyway, cool production design, costumes, and creatures. Dennis Hopper drives cargo around the solar system and gets in over his head with pirates. A hodgepodge of genres, similar to the anime Cowboy Bebop.

DOG SOLDIERS
Like Aliens with werewolves. British soldiers get trapped in a house with monsters trying to get in.

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As seen on TV…

FORGOTTEN SILVER
Made for New Zealand TV. A great documentary on film history by Peter Jackson.

SOULKEEPER
I originally caught this on Sci-Fi. Liked it so much I bought the DVD. Two wise-cracking thieves take the wrong job and cross paths with monsters and a magic amulet. Tiny Lister is surprisingly funny in a small role.

THEY NEST
I originally saw this on the USA Network. Ellory Elkayem directed this as a sort of warm-up to Eight Legged Freaks. You have standard elements (people trapped on an island with killer bugs) but the characters are actually interesting, and the bug effects are pretty cool — even though they’re mostly CG. Where else are you going to see killer cockroaches go in and out of Dean Stockwell’s mouth?

MANSQUITO (aka MOSQUITO-MAN)
The secret plot of this movie — it’s the story of Dracula. A man and woman are each exposed to chemicals that bring on horrible changes. The man goes full-on mosquito, while the woman (who got a lighter dose) changes slowly over time. So what does she do? She tries to fight the vampiric impulse to suck blood, while simultaneously attracting the Dracula-bug-man. And who better to play this woman in peril than Musetta Vander, who once played a she-mantis on Buffy The Vampire Slayer? Corin Nemec plays her cop boyfriend with total seriousness.

RATS
Originally aired on Fox, this is top notch ratsploitation. Even better than Crispin Glover’s Willard. We get plenty of gross-out rat gags throughout, as the heroes fight to prove that NYC has a rat problem. The climax is impossible, but incredible, as an entire swimming pool is filled to the brim with rats and then… Oh, I won’t give it away.

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DTV Sequels…

MIMIC 3: SENTINEL
Like Rear Window, only with giant killer cockroaches. Stylish and not your usual by the numbers sequel. Lance Henriksen makes an appearance.

FROM DUSK TILL DAWN 2
Nowhere near the first one in quality, but director Scott Spiegel knows how to keep things interesting by putting the camera in unusual places. Robert Patrick is the reluctant hero.

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Originally intended for theaters…

HIGHWAYMEN
As I’ve said before, a tight little thriller. Directed by Robert Harmon, who did They and the first Hitcher.

GUN SHY
Liam Neeson and Oliver Platt are terrific in this crime comedy. Great writing, but don’t watch it cut on television like I did. The dialogue deserves to be heard without being sanitized.

EQUILIBRIUM
I always thought 1984 needed more martial arts. Okay, maybe I didn’t, but this movie pulls it off. Christian Bale is an officer in the thought police who stops taking his meds. Now he’s doubting his place in the world. Gunkata, a form of kung fu that uses handguns, has to be seen to be believed. See www.gunkatta.com.

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Haven’t seen these yet, but I’m intrigued:

SCHIZOPOLIS, directed by Steven Soderbergh

RIPLEY’S GAME, sequel to Talented Mr. Ripley starring John Malkovich

HAVOC, with Anne Hathaway fighting in the streets. Comes out this week.