Overview: Welcome back to the Arrow Video Store! In the late 80’s and early 90’s boom of DTV action films, vengeance was a key theme amongst the bullet-ridden gun fights, vehicular explosions, helicopters and the muscly-man on a mission.

In this second edition of Arrow Video’s Enter the Video Store box-set, we collate some of the more underrated and lesser-seen gems from the period, featuring a wonderfully nostalgic cast list, including Dolph Lundgren, Yaphet Kotto, John Saxon, John Schneider, Ken Foree, David Hasselhoff and scores more.

Newly remastered from the best materials available, along with brand new and archival extra features, it’s time to order in your favorite takeout, put your legs up on the sofa and settle in for night of classic 80’s and 90’s Video Vengeance!

COMING SOON IN 2027 ... ENTER THE VIDEO STORE: EMPIRE SCREAMS BACK!

4K UHD Blu-ray Verdict: In Ministry of Vengeance (1989), Vietnam vet and devoted minister Rev. David Miller (John Schneider) puts down his Bible in exchange for an assault rifle to take revenge on the Lebanese terrorists who murdered his family.

John Schneider, of the legendary Cocaine Wars (1985), here plays David Miller, A Vietnam Vet that became a priest after he left the service. He has plenty of flashbacks about the horrors he saw in ’Nam and, naturally, he is a man of peace and nonviolence. At a Rome airport, a gang of super-evil terrorists open fire on the crowd.

The leader of the terrorists is Ali Aboud (Miano). He personally kills Miller’s wife Gail (Register) and his young son Kim (Joey Peters). This shakes Miller’s faith, and, after consulting with his fellow priest and confidante, Rev. Hughes (Kennedy), he decides to take a break from the Priesthood and goes on an obsessive quest to find Aboud.

He reconnects with his old ’Nam buddy Col. Freeman (Tolkan), now a tough-as-nails drill sergeant. Freeman agrees to help Miller but first puts him through his paces once again and re-trains him for combat. Now trained and teamed up, Miller discovers Aboud is hiding out in Lebanon, so the two men go there.

There, Miller meets Rev. Bloor (Beatty), a kindly Priest in a little church, and Zarah (Apollonia). Now closer to exacting his revenge on Aboud and his men than ever before, will he be able to do it - or will a conspiracy that goes all the way to the top prevent it from happening?

One of the best things about Ministry of Vengeance is the top-notch cast. Everyone here puts in a quality performance. First off, we should also mention Yaphet Kotto as the bureaucrat Whiteside, whose special appearance is a glorified cameo. His talent deserved more.

Miano is scummy and evil as Aboud, Beatty is quirky as Bloor, Kennedy is dependable as the kindly priest, Tolkan seems to be having fun as the R. Lee Ermey-style army guy, and Schneider is once again great as Miller.

In closing, Ministry of Vengeance is a quality, theatrically-released product and yet whilst everything seems in place, it could have used just a bit more edge for my taste. Nevertheless, it was a thrill ride to watch again this past Saturday night with friends, that’s for sure.

Meanwhile, in The Final Alliance (1990), ex-Marine Will Colton (David Hasselhoff) returns to his small hometown with his pet puma to take on a corrupt sheriff and a gang of bikers led by an albino named Ghost (John Saxon).

Well, yes, the film is a cheapjack, straight-to-video action vehicle for a stoic Hasselhoff to show off his styled stubble, leather jacket, close fitting jeans, wicked cowboy hat and to obviously let loose and whilst it doesn’t entirely stretch the imagination - as the plot is about an unknown stranger makes himself at home in a small corrupt country town to clean up, but there’s also another ulterior motive driving him - everything having been milked over and over again, it still remains absurdly trashy and deliciously harebrained (like Hasselhoff and Moore getting their priorities mixed up, as they reinforce their love for each other at the very wrong time!)

While violent are times ahead, for most part the film is light-weight on actual violence (due to the humor making light of many situations and the biker cronies even with their nun chucks and chains coming off more bumbling than threatening), yet there are some boisterous action set-pieces (road chases, booby trapped homestead, assault on an airport hanger, et al) and groin-tensing stunt-work.

Mario DiLeo’s homespun direction never lets it hit a speed bump either, by keeping it simple-minded and moving at a fast clip. But slow-motion was sorely under-used, only one sequence. Still, it’s a powerful moment due to the circumstance surrounding it; and enough to bring a genuine tear to one’s eye, that’s for darn-tootin’ sure!

The hugely enjoyable cult classic R.O.T.O.R. (1987) presents a rogue robotic cop who takes to the streets of Dallas acting as judge, jury and executioner - and only its creator, robotics expert Barrett Coldyron, can stop him!

A malfunctioning experimental law enforcer robot gets accidentally activated and embarks on a wild spree in which it issues severe punishments to minor offenders. It’s up to rough ’n’ tumble good ol’ boy Coldryon (woodenly portrayed by Richard Gesswein) and the impossibly butch Dr. Steele (the deliciously dreadful Jayne Smith, who sports a beautifully hideous skunk mullet) to stop ROTOR!

Boy, does this hilariously horrendous honey possess all the right/wrong stuff to qualify as a real four star stinkeroonie: Ham-fisted (mis)direction by Cullen Blaine, an absurd plot that’s played ludicrously straight, clunky martial arts fights, an appalling Native American stereotype secondary character named Shoeboogie, a blithely preposterous script complete with unavoidable cheesy one-liners, and some ineptly staged action set pieces (the awkward fight between ROTOR and three rednecks is simply sidesplitting!)

Oh, and there’s more: an irritatingly bouncy country rock soundtrack, terrible acting from a hopelessly lame no-name cast, primitive computer graphics, an annoying comic relief robot called Willard, a gloriously ridiculous conclusion, and even a surprise bummer ending to-boot!

So yeah, this is a totally cruddy hoot of a movie and one that truly deserves to have a new and wider audience devour it (which is why I am so glad that it found its way into this most glorious box-set).

In Peter Maris’ film Hangfire (1991), Vietnam veteran and local Sheriff Ike Slayton (Brad Davis) teams up with his old army friend, Billy (Ken Foree), to rescue his wife held hostage by a large group of escaped convicts.

In my humble opinion, Hangfire is a tight little action thriller about a prison break that attempts to serve as a metaphor for the current Middle East crisis, but strains credibility. Filmmaker Peter Maris had already made the aforementioned above actioner the year before Ministry of Vengeance, and was back knee deep in much the same world again here.

This time out though, and except for a wisecrack about Henry Kissinger-style shuttle diplomacy, the film is ostensibly all-American in content. Character actor Lee de Broux, in a bravura performance, in a bravura performance, plays a serial killer/rapist who leads a prison escape in New Mexico as the cons are being transported to safety to avoid toxic chemical clouds after a truck crash near the pen.

De Broux and his minions take over the town of Sonora and hold its 50 or so inhabitant prisoner. The National Guard is called in, led by gung-ho Jan-Michael Vincent, who calls up helicopters and even a tank to do battle. From the opening threat of dangerous chemicals to the emphasis on hostages during a confrontation, scripter Brian Jeffries is obviously shooting for bigger bear in this actioner. However, the film moreover succeeds on a literal level, with effective tension, solid thespian work and good stunts.

Local sheriff Brad Davis and his Vietnam vet pal Ken Foree (who excels in Maris assignments such as Viper) are the secret weapons who manage to defeat de Broux and rescue Davis’ wife (Kim Delaney) while the military proves largely ineffectual.

De Broux’ no-nonsense portrayal of a heinous villain deserves kudos for not romanticizing the character. Vincent’s military man is a stereotype, but the rest of the cast, including Lyle Alzado and Lou Ferrigno for comic relief, is effective.

Finally, stunt legend Vic Armstrong’s directorial debut Joshua Tree (1993) sees Dolph Lundgren on the run and seeking revenge against the corrupt cop (George Segal) who framed him and put him behind bars.

Also better known these days as the rebranded Army of One, it is an actioner obviously made by people who truly love the genre. It was directed and produced by Vic Armstrong, stunt co-ordinator and second unit director on films like Total Recall, Starship Troopers and the two latest Bond-films (Tomorrow Never Dies and The World Is Not Enough). This man is responsible for some of the best action sequences ever made so he obviously knows what he’s doing.

The film was written by Steven Pressfield. He also co-wrote Steven Seagal’s first film, Above the Law, as well as Freejack. Based on this film, he might just be the perfect writer for tough action films. He successfully takes a basic concept (a man convicted of a murder he didn’t commit sets out to find the true killers and get his revenge) and elevates it above similar films with his characters, scenes and dialogue.

He takes the film and its subject matter with just the right dose of self-irony but never lets it become a parody. The dialogue flows nicely and occasionally there are some truly classic lines (for example, Alfonso: You’re not a very nice person. You’ve hurt several people. Lundgren: I never said I was running for pope!).

This is quite a bit smarter than your average actioner. As I said, the plot is formulaic (and fans like myself want an action film to have a formulaic plot), but the characters and dialogue are interesting. Dolph Lundgren has the right stuff for an action hero. He’s got the looks and the voice and he knows his way around action scenes. But it’s George Segal and Beau Starr as the nagging duo, who really steal the show.

Of course, there’s the beautiful woman (Kristian Alfonso) as Lundgren’s sidekick but they don’t portray her as a helpless victim. Instead, she’s a cop and more than able to take care of herself. Luckily, she does still wear tight jeans (Lundgren even notices this and teases her about it!) and there’s the obligatory love scene. The scene where Lundgren and Alfonso check in a hotel is a classic! Alfonso immediately takes a shower and even asks if she has enough time to wash her panties(!). Alfonso uses a body double who turns around and around for the camera to the extent that the scene is almost comical.

This scene is so gratuitous that it’s hard not to like it. Because the film shows so much class in other scenes, it becomes clear that this scene isn’t just here to fill time and show T&A. It’s here because an action movie like this always has gratuitous nudity. It’s one of the trademarks of this masculine genre and if you love the genre, you will include a scene like this.

All this is nice and well, but what really counts is the action. And the action here is absolutely breathtaking! The action-scenes are choreographed so beautifully that I’m still impressed while watching them although I’ve seen the film six times now. First, there’s a major shoot-out during which Lundgren kills probably over 30 guys using his fists, a shotgun and two handguns (this isn’t John Woo and it doesn’t really try to be, but the fans of his style will probably still like this).

When he runs out of bullets, he just picks up another gun from the floor. Once again, this scene is not a parody but it _is_ so over-the-top that it obviously isn’t meant to be taken too seriously. Anyway, there are some great stunts here and Armstrong has directed the scene flawlessly. All this amounts to one of the coolest shoot-outs in recent history and one which has since been copied in countless b-actioners. Then there’s the car chase with a red Ferrari and a black Lamborghini. Phenomenal!

The score by Joel Goldsmith is simply brilliant. There’s a strong theme, atmospheric background music for the opening scenes and really energetic music during the action scenes. Also the cinematography by Daniel L. Turrett works well. And even the acting is pretty good. As I said, Dolph Lundgren makes a good hero, Alfonso has the looks and Segal and Starr are responsible for the film’s class and laughs (although there aren’t that many laughs in the film, but when there are, they work).

4K ULTRA HD SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS:
Limited Edition packaging featuring newly commissioned artwork by Laurie Greasley
Reversible sleeves featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Yvan Quinet
Collectors’ perfect-bound book featuring new writing on the films by Paul Lê, Jennie Kermode, Yasmina Ketita, Russell Lee and John Torrani, plus select archival material

DISC ONE - MINISTRY OF VENGEANCE
Brand new 2K restoration from the original 35mm camera negative
High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation
Original lossless mono audio
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Brand new audio commentary by Rob Hill, author of The Bad Movie Bible
Act Like It’s Warmer, a brand new interview with actor John Schneider
Lebanon in California, a brand new interview with director of photography Mark Morris
Apocalypse Then, an appreciation of the Vietnam veteran genre by Douglas E. Winter, filmed exclusively for Arrow Video in 2026
Trailer
Image gallery

DISC TWO - THE FINAL ALLIANCE
Brand new 2K restoration from the original 35mm camera negative
High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation
Original lossless stereo audio
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Brand new audio commentary by Mike Hewitt, Russell Lee and Jim Smith from EatMyBrains
Hasseling the Hoff, a brand new interview with co-writer/co-producer Harel Goldstein
The Rise of DTV, Dave Wain from The Schlock Pit discusses the history of the direct-to-video boom
Trailer
Image gallery

DISC THREE - R.O.T.O.R.
High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation featuring additional grading and picture restoration by Arrow Films
Original lossless mono audio
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Brand new audio commentary by Matty Budrewicz and Dave Wain from The Schlock Pit
A Matter of Character, a brand new interview with actor Bill Blair
Machine Head: A Potted History of Robo Schlock, a visual essay from Matty Budrewicz and Dave Wain from The Schlock Pit
Interzone (1989), a bonus feature film in SD starring Bruce Abbott and Beatrice Ring
Trailer
Image gallery

DISC FOUR - HANGFIRE
Brand new 2K restoration from the original 35mm camera negative
High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation
Original lossless stereo audio
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Brand new audio commentary by Russell Brodie, Ross Hendry, Scott Lyall, Pat McGarvey, Anna Westin and Lisa Westin of the Edinburgh Zombie Club
Brothers in Arms, a brand new interview with actor Ken Foree
Crash and Burn, a brand new interview with director of photography Mark Morris
Image Gallery

DISC FIVE - JOSHUA TREE
Brand new 2K restoration from the original 35mm camera negative
High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentations of two different versions of the film: the R-rated cut (Joshua Tree) and the unrated cut (Army of One) available via seamless branching
Original lossless stereo audio
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Archival audio commentary with director Vic Armstrong and producer Andy Armstrong
Vic Armstrong on Joshua Tree, a brand new interview with the director, recorded exclusively for Arrow Video in 2025
A Look Back at the Joshua Tree, an archival featurette
Archival interviews with director Vic Armstrong and producer Andy Armstrong discussing their careers
Alternate ending with optional commentary by Vic and Andy Armstrong
Trailer
Image gallery

Official Purchase Link

www.arrowvideo.com