The 25 Best Movies You Didn't See in Theaters

Since the dawn of VHS and the birth of the rental industry, the direct-to-video film has existed. This fresh new world more or less replaced the second-run theatrical grindhouse market dominated by Roger Corman and other filmmakers and producers like him. The direct-to-video market was now the new playground for exploitation, bad movies, low-budget kids films and experimental pictures.

In recent years, however, the direct-to-video (or DTV) market has evolved quite a bit. Even the term direct-to-video has changed somewhat. What was once a market made up of cheaper, usually mediocre films built specifically for video, is now also filled with movies that just didn't find an audience in theaters. And studios like Magnolia Entertainment change the game even further, offering VOD, DVD and theatrical releases almost simultaneously. In fact, some films hit the On-Demand market before ever even seeing the inside of a theater or video store (Hobo with a Shotgun, for example, is one of these films).

This flood of fresh, new, and arguably better-made films has forced the standard DTV filmmakers to improve their pictures. While some studios still churn out bottom-barrel DTV titles, and most DTV titles are far from flawless, others are clearly upping their game. That being said, the genres still remain limited largely to action, fighting pictures, horror and the occasional comedy.

This "Best Of" list compiles a collection of our favorite direct-to-video titles. Included are some classic DTV hits, but also a hearty collection of new films that have helped shape and evolve the DTV industry as well. Please be advised that this list does include some films that have received theatrical releases, but not one film here earned more than $300,000 during its first U.S. theatrical run. And also note that while some films on this list are really great, not every film here is an out-an-out masterpiece of cinema. Regardless, each of these low-budget pictures does have something fascinating and worthwhile to offer audiences.

If you have any more titles you'd like to bring to our attention, or the attention of our readers, feel free to comment on our forum below and share your thoughts. Naturally, there's a sea of DTV goodness out there, but finding all of them is like searching for a needle in a haystack. At least direct-to-video movies are improving. And I suspect that, one day, the DTV market will be just as highly regarded as indie cinema and mainstream movies. In the meantime, here's a look at some of the best out there:

Critters 3 (Science-Fiction, Horror) Available on DVD. On-Demand at Amazon, iTunes and VUDU.

Critters 3 was the first genuinely passable DTV sequel I'd ever seen (just ahead of Tremors 2, which has seen a decent DTV franchise itself). For starters, Critters 3 melds your standard Die Hard-like action characteristics with the quirky sci-fi/horror story introduced in the first two Critters movies. Add a young Leonardo DiCaprio and some decent, though limited, effects and you've got a pretty straight-forward, enjoyable little DTV B-movie. Just be sure to skip the dreadful fourth film that followed. It's not bad per se, but it's not nearly as off-the-wall and fun as this one, though it does feature Brad Dourif and Angela Bassett in the cast.

Arena (Science-Fiction, Fighting) Available on VHS. On-Demand at Netflix.

While there aren't many golden DTV oldies on this list (most of the older DTVs are pretty terrible), I felt the need to include Arena. It's a bad ass sci-fi fighting movie where a man named Steve Armstong (subtle, I know) must face-off against a swarm of nasty alien monsters in a sort of intergalactic fighting competition that determines who's the strongest creature in the universe. Not only does the film boast terrific set design and a fun story, the practical alien effects are actually pretty great (for the budget), and the fights are engaging. If you can track Arena down, you're bound to love its slam-bang sense of style and Grindhouse charisma.

Tunnel Rats (Drama, War) Available on DVD. On-Demand at iTunes.

Yup, Uwe Boll actually made one good movie a few years back. And he even made some solid, cheeseball DTV exploitation pictures (Sanctimony, an American Psycho ripoff and Heart of America, Boll's wayward take on the Columbine massacre) before turning to crappy video game adaptations. But Tunnel Rats, a Vietnam war thriller, really is his crowning achievement. It takes the viewer on a haunting, atmospheric ride that rarely lets up once it gets going. It's not the smartest movie ever made, but Boll manages to drive quite a bit of tension into his narrative, particularly once our heroes find themselves trapped in the Vietnamese tunnels – unaware of the booby traps and villains awaiting them. If you're in the mood for a good war drama, give this one a look.

Ninja (Action) Available on DVD and Blu-ray. On-Demand at Amazon, iTunes and VUDU.

Scott Adkins hasn't really made his way into the big-budget movie realm just yet, though he did sub for Ryan Reynolds' Dead Pool at the end of X-Men Origins: Wolverine. But once Hollywood catches on that Adkins is a true martial arts master, and a pretty enjoyable actor, he's bound to be in high demand. Ninja is the first example (on this list) of how great Adkins is as a martial arts performer. I managed to see this one just a day after watching Ninja Assassin and I was shocked by how much more enjoyable this movie was. Don't expect a mind-blowing story or anything, but when it comes to high-flying ninja action, this film has what it takes.

The Tinker Bell Franchise (Kids) Available on DVD and Blu-ray. On-Demand at Amazon, iTunes and VUDU.

Disney's made some pretty terrible DTV films over the years, from recent titles like Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 to the that awful Beauty and the Beast Christmas movie, the first Aladdin sequel and so many more, I've lost count. But their CG-animated Tinker Bell franchise is actually pretty darn great. Not only does the series uncover the world Tinker Bell inhabits pre-Peter Pan, but it also explores exciting new characters while fleshing out exactly who (and what) Tinker Bell really is. I know some might think this franchise is sacrilege, but factoring the junky entertainment that's spoon-fed to children on a regular basis, this franchise is practically Oscar-worthy by comparison. It teaches good values, has some decent action and entertains audiences of all ages all that the same time.

Blood and Bone (Fighting, Drama) Available on DVD. On-Demand at Amazon, iTunes and VUDU.

If you've watched a few DTV action films, chances are you've seen a film starring (or featuring) Michael Jai White. He even pops up in a few big-budget pictures every so often (The Dark Knight, for example). Blood and Bone is the first of three movies on this list that he appears in, and with good reason – Michael Jai White rocks! He's an awesome action star, with brutally fast martial arts moves. And he's not a bad actor, either. Blood and Bone is far from a perfect action picture, but the story isn't half bad, and Michael Jai White kicks some serious ass in this movie. If you're in the mood for a good knuckle-buster, give this one a look.

Special (Drama, Comic Book) Available on DVD. On-Demand at Amazon and Netflix.

The first of two "real" superhero stories on this list, Special is a tragic, moving comedy-drama. The film follows an aimless soul (Michael Rapaport) simply looking for direction in his life. But when an experimental drug draws him into a paranoid, euphoric, schizophrenic state he begins to think he's some kind of superhero, with disastrous results. Rapaport is terrific here, and the supporting cast (including Josh Peck, Alexandra Holden and Paul Blackthorne) adds quite a bit of weight to the picture as well. Pair this one with Kick-Ass and Defendor (more on that film later) for a night of true superhero action, drama and fun.

Crawlspace (Horror, Drama) Available on DVD. On-Demand at Fancast, iTunes and Netflix.

If you don't know anything about Klaus Kinski, you should look the guy up right this minute. Kinski was one crazy dude, and his manic eeriness (similar to Heath Ledger's interpretation of The Joker) translated to the screen with incredible intensity. But Kinski never really took off as a mainstream star, probably because the guy was more than a little nutty. Instead, he was relegated to world of B-movies, where he thrived. Crawlspace, which got a limited theatrical release, but found its home on video, is about a crazy Nazi doctor living in the U.S. who spies on the strange tenants of his apartment building. Slow building and creepy through-and-through, Crawlspace is the stuff of midnight movie dreams. Pair this one with a few other Kinski flicks, like Android, Nosferatu and Venom, for a night of great B-movie entertainment.

Splinter (Horror, Science-Fiction) Available on DVD and Blu-ray. On-Demand at Amazon, iTunes, Netflix and VUDU.

Splinter takes an older plot idea borrowed from films like The Thing and Leviathan and gives it fresh new life thanks to a terrific cast, great characters, awesome gore effects and a stinging script. Splinter proves that a limited budget really doesn't matter as long as the story is sharp and audiences actually give a damn about the characters. Hopefully director Toby Wilkins will continue to thrill us with future horror films. Right now he's heading up MTV's Teen Wolf, which could bode quite well for that strange, and often misguided, reboot. Fingers crossed.

Frozen (Thriller) Available on DVD and Blu-ray. On-Demand at Fancast and Netflix.

This low-budget horror film was in theaters for all of about 10 minutes. It opened limited and was gone in a blink of an eye. And, to be honest, that's a frickin' shame! Frozen is easily one of the scariest, most unnerving thrillers of 2010, and is now one of the better DTV films out there. The performances are refreshing, the dialogue works, and the set pieces are terrifying. Watch this one with friends in the dead of night, in a cold, dark room, and it should creep the ever-loving hell out of you. If nothing else, it'll make you think twice before you go skiing. Of all the films about people being "stuck" to/inside stuff (127 Hours, Buried, Unstoppable, Devil) this one takes top prize for thrills.

Good Dick (Drama) Available on DVD. On-Demand at Netflix and Hulu.

To be frank, the title, Good Dick, is misguided. It might turn some people off. It might turn on the wrong audience. And it makes the film seem a little naughtier than it really is. But peel back the layers of this indie romantic-drama and you'll quickly find a beautifully strange film about the nature of communication, trust and love. Led by two wonderful performances by up-and-comers Jason Ritter and Marianna Palka (the latter also wrote and directed the film), Good Dick is a deeply moving, offbeat romance film, and one of the best indie dramas on the DTV market.

Dog Soldiers (Horror) Available on DVD and Blu-ray.

Dog Soldiers is the film that launched the career of filmmaker, Neil Marshall (best known for his creepy horror film, The Descent). Arriving out of nowhere, Dog Soldiers has quickly become a cult hit, and with good reason. This creepy and surprisingly inventive werewolf thriller cleverly combines war-like action (think: Aliens) with nail-biting horror. And it never lets up once it gets going. Even better, the film's delightful twists and turns, and fresh new take on werewolf lore, should keep even the most cunning horror aficionado on their toes.

Interstate 60 (Metaphysical, Comedy) Available on DVD. On-Demand at Amazon, iTunes and Netflix.

Unsure of which direction to head in his life, Neal Oliver (James Marsden) finds himself on a most peculiar path when his wish for "answers" is granted by a mysterious genie of sorts. Neal makes his way to Interstate 60, a metaphysical highway filled with Twilight Zone wonder (and fear) and Michel Gondry/Charlie Kaufman zaniness and zest. Written and directed by Bob Gale, the man who brought us Back to the Future, and loaded with A-list stars (Gary Oldman, Chris Cooper) cult faves (Christopher Lloyd, Michael J. Fox, Kurt Russell) and plenty of up-and-comers (including lead Marsden and Amy Smart), Interstate 60 is wild, eerie, amusing and a touching ride full of delightful surprises.

Hobo with a Shotgun (Action, Comedy) Coming to DVD and Blu-ray soon! On-Demand at iTunes, Amazon and VUDU.

It all started out as a silly faux grindhouse trailer, but then the faux trailer became wildly popular and it spiraled into a feature film. And now that film is here – and let me tell you, it's one helluva ride, better than Machete and almost as enjoyable as Planet Terror and Death Proof. Hobo with a Shotgun is a gory, nasty, crazy good time, wrought with offbeat action and loads of cathartic butt-kicking. Once Rutger Hauer picks up that shotgun, there's no turning back. While this release hasn't even come to video yet (it's getting a limited theatrical run, first), it's already available On-Demand ... and it's well worth a rental.

Universal Soldier: Regeneration (Action, Science-Fiction) Available on DVD and Blu-ray. On-Demand at Crackle, VUDU, Amazon and iTunes

The first two DTV sequels to Universal Soldier were an absolute embarrassment. And the first theatrical sequel, Universal Soldier: The Return, wasn't much better. But things improved quite a bit with this third DTV sequel – a direct sequel to the theatrical films. Dolph Lundgren and Jean-Claude Van Damme return for one last fight. But the real show is the other UniSols who fight, claw, shoot and smash their way through dozens of armed troops. The murder and mayhem is high. And the action is well staged. The film might be a little brain-dead, but it's a worthy, more thoughtful follow-up to the hokey (but awesome) original.

Bronson (Drama, Fighting) Available on DVD and Blu-ray. On-Demand at Amazon, iTunes, Netflix and VUDU.

While Bronson was a semi-hit overseas, it flopped in the U.S., becoming a DTV darling. It's also the film that launched the knuckle-busting mainstream career of Inception star Tom Hardy, who's seriously awesome here. Knowing that the legacy of Michael Peterson, aka Charles Bronson (not the movie star), is far from over does make Nicolas Winding Refn's Bronson a bit of an odd experience, especially for a biopic. But Refn isn't out to tell your typical generic paint-by-numbers biopic. Bronson is a strange, unruly and quite unsettling masterpiece, similar to the works of Stanley Kubrick.

Undisputed II and III (Fighting, Drama) Available on DVD. Undisputed III is available on Blu-ray. On-Demand at Amazon, iTunes, Netflix and VUDU.

Undisputed is a pretty weak movie – a messy concoction of '90s stylistics combined with bad acting, a dumb story and stagey fights. Undisputed II and III, however, are masterpieces of the DTV fighting genre. And each sequel gets better than the next! Undisputed II: Last Man Standing pits the villain of the first film (now played by Michael Jai White) against a Russian baddie (Scott Adkins, who's even better in this role than in Ninja), who becomes our hero in the third film, Undisputed III: Redemption. For a fun treat, watch these in reverse order. It adds quite a bit of dimension to the previous chapter.

Trick 'r Treat (Horror, Comedy) Available on DVD and Blu-ray. On-Demand at Amazon, iTunes, Netflix and VUDU.

Trick 'r Treat was meant to come to theaters, but several legal/political factors delayed its arrival. Eventually, the film was shuffled to the DTV market. Why Warner was afraid to give this film a theatrical release is still beyond me. Not only is the film scary good fun, paying homage to the classic anthology horror films and TV shows of yore (like Creepshow, From a Whisper to a Scream, and Tales from the Crypt ), but it's got plenty of comic relief and fresh thrills and chills up its sleeve. The film isn't always out-and-out scary as it could be (none of the anthology films ever were), but it's quite amusing, with a macabre sense of humor.

Troll 2/Best Worst Movie (Horror, Comedy, Documentary) Available on DVD. Troll 2 is available on Blu-ray. On-Demand at Amazon, iTunes, Netflix and VUDU.

Troll 1 isn't a half-bad movie. It's got a zany cast. A magical preteen hero named Harry Potter (yup) and, yes, quite a few trolls. But the sequel is a wonder of bad movie making. It isn't even about trolls, but goblins – but that's not even cracking the surface of how bad this movie is. Easily the best worst movie ever made (just ahead of Tommy Wiseau's The Room), Troll 2 is a blast to watch. And just last year, a terrifically touching documentary arrived, playing as a thoughtful retrospective piece while examining the accidental cult fame that followed the film's video and cable release. Together they make the perfect DTV bad movie experience. Sometimes the best includes the worst.

Defendor (Comic Book, Drama) Available on DVD and Canadian Blu-ray. On-Demand at Amazon, iTunes and VUDU.

2009 was a great year for veteran actor Woody Harrelson. Not only did he win over critics with his Oscar-nominated performance in The Messenger, and gain cult and mainstream momentum with the hit zombie-comedy Zombieland, but he gave us his most dynamic, tragic performance in this indie comic-book comedy-drama. The film, about a mentally unstable man who pretends to be a vigilante crime fighter, is far darker, edgier and perhaps more real than Kick-Ass or Watchmen. And it makes a great complement to either of those films as well. If you like Defendor, be sure to pick up the Blu-ray from Canadian distributor Alliance. Sadly, Sony – who distributed the film in the U.S. – didn't think the title warranted a Blu-ray. Commence booing...now.

Timecrimes (Science-Fiction) Available on DVD. On-Demand at Amazon, Netflix and VUDU.

I love the time-twisting subplot of Back to the Future Part II. Going back to 1955 and revisiting the first film from a fresh new angle was genius. It's easily one of my favorite subplots from any film series. But could such an idea largely sustain an entire picture? Timecrimes does just that. And it not only succeeds at keeping us occupied, it creates a rousing thrill-ride along the way with dozens of twists and turns and a real Spielberg-Crichton vibe. In fact, this low-budget Spanish thriller caught the eye of Hollywood, and a remake is allegedly planned for 2012. Just be sure to watch the original before seeing the redo. It'll blow your mind.

The Children (Horror) Available on DVD and Blu-ray. On-Demand at Amazon and VUDU.

We all love those creepy children in our horror movies. Be it The Shining, The Ring or The Exorcist. And, quite naturally, there are plenty of creepy children movies on the DTV market (sadly, most of these consist of Children of the Corn sequels). But the mother of all DTV creepy children movies has got to be the aptly titled thriller, The Children. It's a powerful, tense and eerily relevant British film that's easily one of the more effective DTV horror outings of the past decade. Be wary if you have kids of your own, though – you might not look at them the same after watching this one.

Black Dynamite (Comedy, Action) Available on DVD and Blu-ray. On-Demand at Amazon, iTunes, Netflix, VUDU and Fancast.

Michael Jai White rocks in Blood and Bone and he kicks even more ass in Undisputed II, but he's at his very best (and funniest) in this indie Blaxploitation spoof Black Dynamite (which was also written by Jai White). The film got a very limited theatrical release (and it tanked), but its has found new life on video where it's quickly evolved into a bona fide cult classic. In fact, the film has gained such momentum that Adult Swim just picked up an animated version. If you're in the mood for some zany action and silly humor, Black Dynamite's got'cha covered, you dig?

The Boondock Saints (Action, Drama, Comedy) Available on DVD and Blu-ray. On-Demand at Amazon, iTunes, Netflix and VUDU.

If ever there was a film that defined the evolution of the DTV genre (from manufactured bad movies to misunderstood flicks without a home), it's probably The Boondock Saints. The film did get a very limited theatrical release, where it died a quick death grossing a mere $30k. But then it came to video and slowly built a cult following. Today, it's one of Fox's most popular titles. It's spawned a sequel and gobs of merchandise, not to mention double-dips galore. Thanks to strong word of mouth and a dedicated following, The Boondock Saints easily ranks as one of the best direct-to-video films ever made, even if, ironically, it wasn't meant to be DTV in the first place.

Warner/DC Universe Animated Original Movies (Comic Book, Action, Drama) Available on DVD and Blu-ray. On-Demand at Amazon, iTunes, Netflix and VUDU.

Some might call it a bit of cheat to put the entire DC Animated library into one entry – but Warner and DC have made some really great DTV comic book adaptations over the years. If I put them all on here, this list would be dominated with their titles. You've got Batman: Under the Red Hood, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern: First Flight, All-Star Superman, Batman: Gotham Knight and so many more. Even their shorts are terrific. And some of their upcoming projects (including Batman: Year One) look quite ambitious. If you're a comic book lover and a DTV junkie, nobody is as consistently great at outputting stellar home entertainment as DC Animated. These guys know their market, and they build great films for their fans. If only all DTV companies could be like them. One day...one day.