The Best 90s Action Movies You Never Saw

While everyone remembers the nineties as the heyday of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Steven Seagal, they weren’t the only ones making action movies. Hollywood tried to launch some new heroes at different points, with mixed results- but at lot of these films are real gems. In this video we dive into three of them.
Fortress: While it only received a modest release in North America, this Christopher Lambert action vehicle was a blockbuster overseas.
Kuffs: An attempt by Hollywood to launch a Beverly Hills Cop-style franchise for Christian Slater, this was hampered by a PG-13 rating, although it made a decent amount of coin.
Surviving the Game: Ice-T made a legit action hero in this take on The Most Dangerous Game, which included a classic lineup of 90s villains: Gary Busey, Charles S. Dutton, F. Murray Abraham and Rutger Hauer.
Which of these films is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!
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[@ca9968]

"No Escape" also know as "Escape From Absolom" (1994) starring Ray Liotta is another often overlooked gem, a lot like these films were...

[@dwhelm84]

Oh man, I literally came here to hype No Escape. Ray Liotta was awesome in it. Blown Away (1994) is another unloved Gem.

[@getajob3435]

They have also made a video on this movie

[@sharebear421]

Can’t believe that wasn’t in this list

[@timgautreaux2871]

Love that movie, Ray Liotta at his bad ass best

[@mungomckay]

I was a background extra on Absolom and Fortress. Met Liotta and Lambert. Had a lot of fun . The Fortress set was impressive. Three stories high built in sound stage five. Watched Lambert work that scene when he fired the guards machine gun out of that ducting tube. Awesome!

[@superunknown8775]

I saw Kuffs at the cinema. It's a fun, underrated movie, with a good music score. Surviving The Game was great also - class cast!

[@fartooeasy7315]

I think Fortress belongs in the Robocop universe. Its that fucking awesome.

[@jackwatsonepic626]

Yeah, I've seen it 40 times so if it was a shittt film I wouldn't have seen it twice.🇬🇧

[@jekw23]

Ah Stuart Gordon made some Classic pulp movies. Very well made and entertaining. Kurtwood Smith was in that as well so another Robocop link.

[@oldpunker885]

Surviving the Game was badass. So underrated. Ice T in his early acting days.

[@196cupcake]

DAD! DAD DO SOMETHING! DAAA-OUHH

[@user-fq6fv3bt3x]

This movie and ice t and roc performance was on point great overlooked movie

[@jimmym3352]

Ice T also has a song called Surviving the Game with his band Body Count which came out just before this movie I believe. No relation to the movie I don't believe, at least it's not used in the movie at all.

[@callmemrbroadstreet5602]

Yes

[@GOODTARGETBARTZ]

It must have been on tnt alot or something cuz my brother and I loved that movie

[@user-xw6du3ny2u]

Kuffs rules! Agreed that Goldywn and Slater chemistry is priceless. Probably my favorite film of both these actors. Gotta get a t-shirt with a picture of myself on it too.

[@neojay80]

Loved Ted's limited vocabulary scene. Wish they could have done more, Slater and Goldwyn are funny as hell together in Kuffs.

[@jimthar17]

What could they possibly see in a man that dresses that badly?

[@keiththorpe9571]

Admittedly, his many of his movies were never huge hits in America. However, to his fans here in The States, he played the greatest, the most compelling, the most tragic, the most mysterious fantasy/action heroes in the character of Connor MacLeod (of the Clan MacLeod). "Highlander" was such a high-concept fantasy adventure movie, and Connor MacLeod was such an incredibly fascinating characters I ever saw, Christopher Lambert will forever be "The One".

[@philsurtees]

Don't forget The Kurgan! Clancy Brown totally owned that role. To this day I can't look at him without thinking of The Kurgan. _"I have something to say. It's better to burn out, than to fade away (cackles evilly as he struts out of the church, with his bald head and safety pins in his neck from when his throat was slit)..."_ Unforgettable...

[@positivepsycho2932]

Its nice to hear someone acknowledge Clifton Collins Jr. I have been a fan since he played Tack in The Stoned Age.

[@ItsFreakinHarding.]

"Who the Hell is Tack?!"😅

[@TurdFergusson318]

I loved Kuffs when I was a kid

[@homeaccount5943]

Never seen? Hell, I own these on DVD !

[@memoriesofmychildhood7297]

I like you.Live long and prosper.

[@homeaccount5943]

@@memoriesofmychildhood7297 You too, bro !

[@Kresegoth]

When I read The Witcher books at the end of 90's, I always imagined Christopher Lambert as Geralt.

[@DavoInMelbourne]

Yeah i get that. Lambert was badass in Highlander

[@blasterofmuppets4754]

When i read Neuromancer I always imagined Christopher Lambert as Case. 😀

[@Trayton]

He was basically Geralt/Dante from DMC in Beowulf

[@ThatGuyNorm]

Seen and love all 3 of those movies. Great story. I was walking home from work. We talking over 25 years ago. And I crossed through this park where I spotted this VHS tape. There were no stickers on it so I didn't know what was on it. I took it home, put it into the VHS machine, hhad to first rewind it!! Then hit play. It was KUFFS! I'd never seen it before then and the movie was so great.

[@bartlester591]

I was born in 1973 when some of these movies came out I was either graduated or graduating from high school I remember all of these I’m a true child of the 1980s and all of the action movies in your spot on on all of them and they’re all good and I’ve seen all of them

[@El_hombre_malo]

Surviving the game ty for putting some light on that movie. Watching with my pops as a kid. Brings great memories. now I'm going to watch it with my sons this weekend.

[@joebonar6759]

80s kid from the Midwest US here; I have always loved Christopher Lambert and Fortress (and its sequel which is, in my opinion, on par with the first one) is one of my favorite of his movies. We didn't really go out to the theater much, but we always visited the local rental stores (our regional grocery chain had a video rental section, there was a blockbuster we never went to, and two indie video rental places) and would rent just, freaking anything. When we got digital cable around 2000, anytime I saw Christopher Lambert in the credits for a movie I would watch it even if it didn't seem like something my horror and action, violence riddled mind would be interested in. Surviving the Game was another awesome movie I found thanks to Digital Cable, and when I saw it on again I had to record it, and of course I watched the crap out of it. Ice T has always been a good actor (considering he started out in music) and this and Tank Girl are really good examples of his early work. Regarding our video rental visits, my brother and I would each rent a few movies on friday nights, then spend the whole weekend duplicating them (originally we started with a camcorder we used the video out of to feed signal to the VCR, but we would eventually end up with dual-VCRs on every TV in the house. Our video library had very few official releases, but was full of EP and SEP VHS with just, the most random movies on each tape, of course. Sure, I had every Friday the 13th, but no two movies were on the same tape. One of my favorite things about rentals was the previews, because we tended towards the not-so-new releases, most preview movies were out, so we could rent the ones that looked good next weekend. Thanks for making this video and reinvigorating my nostalgia for these great movies.

[@ryangraham2459]

F'in FORTRESS?! 😊 YOU ARE MY FAVORITE KZbinR NOW LOL. Nothing will ever beat the moment I heard red forman say "RANDOM INTESTINATIONS"

[@Fecalage]

A Christian Slater movie no one appreciates is the Tales From the Darkside movie. Him, Steve Bescemi, Julianne Moore, James Remar, Rae Dawn Chong, Debbie Harry, all in the same fantastic film.

[@alswearengine4867]

I always liked KUFFS.

[@Keenergetic]

"The Fortress" is a very good sci-fi movie!

[@Sweat404]

I was a big fan of Christopher Lambert as a 90s kid in Australia. I really liked fortress too, some of my other favorite lambert movies include, gunmen and mean guns. I actually taped mean guns on late night tv and it was shared around with all the guys in my high school class. Mean guns had ice-t in it as well!

[@jp3813]

Most western audiences haven't seen plenty of Hong Kong action classics from the 80s & 90s: Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain, Project A 1&2, A Better Tomorrow, Miracles, Once Upon a Time in China 1-3, Crime Story, etc...

[@Paul07791]

I always struggle with Miracles, but all the others you mentioned are pure gold. Crime Story is so action packed that I feel like I'm aching after watching.

[@jp3813]

@@Paul07791 If you can appreciate Frank Capra, then Miracles is a breeze, which is one of JC's favorites. Personally, OUATIC 3 is my least favorite of this bunch.

[@Paul07791]

@@jp3813 It is one of his favourites for sure. I dunno, I'll give it another go, definitely happy to do that... It's kind of chaotic in its direction where it should not be (Richard NG RIP), but also doesn't really establish that Jackie is superstitious (ie. buying a rose - turn of events = always buy a rose) ...though maybe that's culturally a given for Hong Kong folk. The crux of it though are the long stretches with no action.

[@jp3813]

@@Paul07791 I find most of 20th century Hong Kong comedy to be unfunny. But since that film is basically a remake of Lady for a Day (1933) & Pocketful of Miracles (1961), it's more reminiscent of classic Hollywood.

[@jasonmay6368]

@@jp3813 Screw the east.

[@Hardtarget87jcvd]

Fortress is one of my all time favourites! Great movie!

[@jamesbutler271]

What's it mean when you've seen all of these, not once, but many, many times? These were all fun movies. Thank you for bringing these great imovies back into the light so that maybe they will find a whole new audience.

[@maverickslb80]

Christophe Lambert is a cult legend.

[@themetalpig7613]

Had a worn out VHS of this. Me and my brother loved it!

[@Monolythic]

Soldier with Kurt Russell was also another movie that didn't get released to much fanfare but has always been an entertaining watch. Every pick you made was spot on. I haven't watched Surviving the Game in forever, I'll have to give that another look!

[@viandengalacticspaceyards5135]

Nice someone remembers Fortress. I worked on Fortress 2, building props (and still have some of the stuff lying around.) Working with Christophe Lambert is great; he's a real nice guy to have around, and a work attitude of "let's get stuff done", not caring much about discomfort or even getting hurt. Maybe biased, but I think Fortress 2 is worth checking out.

[@ColinRichardson]

Read title: "movie you never saw".. Look at thumbnail: "that's fortress" 23 seconds in to the video "the film fortress".. Sends a screenshot of the thumbnail to a friend, While I'm still typing he replies back with "woah, is that fortress?? not seen that in forever" Thanks to this thumbnail, we have scheduled a day to meet up and watch this movie AND watch Screamers also..

[@lukedraper4100]

Don't forget fortress 2

[@caeserromero3013]

Saw the first two on video when they came out. I particularly remember Kuffs due to the Timbuk 3 tune intro. I tracked it down online around 2010 during a Nostalgia binge about the same time I snagged a digital copy of Licence to Drive.

[@DaiAtlus79]

13:26 because he's a huge Trekkie as well as his mom was casting director on Star Trek VI , Mary Jo Slater.

[@MichaelLopresto]

Christopher Lambert and Vernon Wells are two seriously underrated actors.

[@bobby4tw]

Fortress is awesome. One of my best movies from childhood

[@Oatmeal_Games]

Surviving the Game was so rad.

[@fredrm6023]

During 2012, Stuart Gordan was my professor at the Los Angeles Film School. Although I was unaware of his films at the time, after researching him, I was amazed that he ended up at my film school. A talented director who adapted so many concepts into incredible films. There was no appreciation from Hollywood for good talent such as his. Rest in peace.

[@Brian-sf6ew]

*Lambert's chuckle laugh is GREATNESS.*

[@boxonothing4087]

Not 90s, but I still think Big Trouble in Little China is the most underrated movie of all times

[@GhostDiZ]

Surviving the game with Rutger Hauer Gary Busey and ice tea is definitely one of my favorites of all time

[@mr.holliday9456]

I really enjoyed kuffs,love da bomb n dog scene. Also was obsessed wit gleaming da cube.

[@jimthar17]

*The *With. There you go. I Englished it for you. The movie is called Gleaming THE Cube.

[@mr.holliday9456]

@@jimthar17 Deez nutz. My sincerest apologies good sir I meant these nuts.lol

[@CptVein]

Holy shit! I've been looking for that Ice-T movie for over 25 years. That head in the jar scene marked me so much, it's the only thing I remember from the movie. I almost don't believe I've actually found it.

[@marinerstim9420]

same rented from the video store when i was kid and couldn't remember the name lol

[@frost8077]

Some of those Kuffs lines got a laugh out of me, and I normally find the dialogue of 90s to be cheesy. I think I owe it a watch now.

[@skyttyl]

Cuffs was a sleeper for me- one of the things my father and i used to do before he passed away was go to the local used book/electronics store and buy up vhs's and dvd's up to a out $20 at a time. It was fun coming home with a lode of films and going through them throughout the week, watching all kinds of things we'd never give a 2nd look in a video store. Cuffs was one of those movies.

[@jesseswarbrick7895]

Speaking of Christopher Lambert, check out the movie The Hunted(1995) ...you will not be dissappointed...It was a Universal Pictures movie so it had a good budget

[@Captainkirk88410]

Thank you for making this video. Some of the movies mentioned I’ve not seen. 😉

[@DrKuryakin]

Talking about Jeffrey Combes, you should cover him, one of my favourite actors of that era.

[@makkmchammer4247]

Kuffs is very criminally underrated. I never even knew of the films existence until a friend loaned me a DVD copy of it almost a decade ago, and I've owned and watched it at least a hundred times since. Very enjoyable cast and story.

[@Alexvander10]

I only slightly remember "Fortress" (1992) from possibly some cable commercials at the time but never actually saw it. The same exact thing with "Kuffs" (1992). Will have to find both of these films, thanks! I saw "Surviving the Game" (1994) back when it was new to home video and loved it.

[@sleepydragonzarinthal3533]

Fortress is on the list for sure! after falling back in love with Deep Space 9 in the 2010s, I will make any excuse to watch anything with Jeffrey Combs in it. Lambert is a plus, Kurtwood Smith is just icing on the cake. Definitely going to find a way to watch this movie that I don't remember ever hearing of, let alone seeing

[@corymatousek6544]

Clifton Gonzalez Gonzales will forever be TACK from The Stoned Age! Terribly great movie that I know a lot of people haven’t seen.

[@WaldoBagelTopper]

Kuffs is a childhood classic favorite of mine. Super underrated for a cop movie.

[@jtscustomcutlery317]

I can’t believe this. This is a movie I snuck into because I wasn’t old enough and it was already on but got caught and didn’t get to finish it and had no idea what it was called. Can’t wait to rewatch this (fortress) I’ve actually seen the others

[@Toaster81]

I absolutely love Fortress, No Escape, They Live & any other dystopian movies. They pretty much show the trajectory of humanity. I also like movies like Barbarian Brothers, Stone Cold, Prayer of the Roller Boys, Adventures of Ford Fairlane, Breakin 2 the ElectricBoogaloo, & Cuffs. So many 80's & 90's movies that weren't considered hits are awesome in my opinion. Maybe its the nostalgia for me, maybe I just like off the wall stuff. I personally like Waterworld. There are so many shows & movies from back then that you couldn't even think of making now. The 80's & 90's were a different time & I'm glad I got to live through that time of history

[@daviddr115111]

There is a blu ray release for surviving the game. Shout factory brought it out last year in the fall.

[@Deimos001]

Wow I still have the VHS of the movie fortress 1 and 2 here in working condition, growing up Christopher Lambert were my favorite actor.

[@dreamofstuff9125]

Dude was definitely B-list at height of fame. He had movies with full theatrical releases. Worked w/big names. Also, he is more successful and credited than Steven Segal. Definitely below JCVD and A list though. Love this dude.

[@Turbo5150]

I have Kuffs and surviving the Game on DVD still

[@pop_ulation]

i saw surviving the game a bunch of times on network television when i was a kid, still a weird favorite of mine!

[@JulienVicomteArt]

cool list . seen 2 on 3. fortress and surviving the game are pretty cool flicks. gonna try to find the one with CS. cool channel btw . cheers from france.

[@kevinmyoui7577]

Can't believe you didn't mention Slater in "Gleaming the Cube." I loved that movie in my teen years with him because I was a skater at the time.

[@spencerdrake6871]

Fortress is one of my favorite B movies of all time. Ive seen this 100+ times love it more every time.

[@danbeerbeard]

Kuffs is a very good watch

[@DarksladeDiaries]

Wow. for 90's action films I never saw, I've seen all of these. And in fact, have two still on VHS. And I gotta admit, Kuffs was a real gem in the rockpile of action films at the time.

[@HikoSeijuroXIII]

Robot Jox and Death Machine were my jam in the 90s.

[@tmilker]

The Fortress region A-B-C Bluray you can get from Spain is perfect and isn't missing anything big, with all the cuts this movie had. I saw it for the first time this year and it's an awesome movie, a new fave!

[@Thathorrorguy12FU]

That's hilarious that you mentioned him being like a teenage Jack Nicholson. I've said this on so many occasions to ppl while watching his movies and nobody understood. Gleaming the Cube was his first big hit . Especially with the skateboarding. It was very popular back then.

[@tylernathan7985]

When Christian slater points his gun at the lawyer and the lawyer reacts is the funniest scene ever

[@normadamous]

"Well, now we know he can add, and he can subtract " funny, funny line in Kuffs!

[@NHinPA]

So it must be a regional thing Chris, I’m from across the border (New Hampshire) and I saw all of these films multiple times and had VHS copies recorded from HBO. I’m a little older but enjoyed all of them while in junior high and high school.

[@anthonyclark9441]

Yeah, I saw all of these. I always felt that Surviving The Game was CRIMINALLY underrated. Was it a great Film? No, but it was never boring, and had some of the best Villain Actors ever in it. Ice-T did a fine job being the Lead. After Highlander, I was all in on anything Christopher Lambert, and I felt that Fortress was really weird, but I like weird Films. No Escape was ok. I watched it on Cable often. Heathers made me a massive Christian Slater Fan, so I went to see whatever that Guy was in. KUFFS always put me in the frame of mind of 21 Jump Street, and I liked it. Speaking of Underrated Action Films of the Era, that features Black Leads; Ricochet, Bulletproof, and Action Jackson don't get enough love.

[@Foddergaming]

Watched all these films in the day, none were great but definitely entertaining movies and still remember them well

[@CailenCambeul]

I saw Fortress a few years ago. It was good. First saw Christoph(er) Lamber(t) in Highlander at the pictures. Next I saw him in a French movie in subway tunnels. He's a better actor than most people give credit.

[@Dr_1212]

Surviving The Game 😎👍

[@shaunhooker85]

Nick Mullen pointed out that Christian Slater pretty much does a Jack Nicholson impersonation in his movies and now i can't unsee it, especially in Kuffs.

[@JoBloOriginals]

It’s at its most potent in Kuffs and Heather. In the dvd doc on Heather Slater admits that he saw Witches of Eastwick before and was trying to be him.

[@makkmchammer4247]

I had cool grandparents growing up, my grandma being a huge Charles Bronson fan, so of course, any goofy action or sci-fi flick that made rounds at our local ma and pa video rental, came to the house. And that is how I became a fan of Fortress, and Surviving the Game

[@seanbax3051]

Need to see this, Lambert is great! The hunted has always been one of my favs.

[@poopscoop5836]

Fortress is actually a perfect B movie. Its fuckin sick. Great pacing, one liners, ultra violence and full of thick 90s sci fi ambiance.

[@nak3dxsnake]

I always saw the Busy scene just showed what kind of man they all were and associated with.

[@jasondouglas152]

Fortress was awesome. Saw it on VHS in 94

[@thedddemon]

Awesome director, excellent movie.

[@filippos13]

An amazing film! It used to be on TV all the time when I was a kid. Great fun.

[@newspooiechannel]

Another great high-action movie from the late 90s that few people have seen is "Drive" with Mark Dacascos, Kadeem Hardison and a young Brittany Murphy. The plot is paper thin, but the action sequences are incredible... especially considering the budget and the fact that Dacascos does so many of his own stunts. It was co-financed across four continents and was a hit outside of the United States, but the US distributor put it on a shelf for two years before gutting 30 minutes of footage, re-scoring it and releasing it direct to video. MVD did a nice 4K/BR release of it a few years ago. Add to that the Richard Grieco James Bond satire "If Looks Could Kill," which was intended to launch his movie career, but no one actually went to go see. The movie was written by Darren Star, creator of Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place and Sex and the City and revolves around a High School student, Michael Corben, mistaken for a similarly-named secret agent when he arrives in France with his summer class to make up credit for graduation. Mistakenly believed to be the special agent on loan to MI6, he must set out to save the day and his classmates.

[@doomhare75]

wow i watched all 3 of these back in the day.

[@Rockinroomsrob]

Surviving the Game is awesome, I loved that film in the 90s, New Jack City too..I'm an Ice T fan

[@KingCulebra]

Very interesting video, I love Fortress (La fortaleza infernal en España, mi país).

[@ryanarborist]

They played Surviving the Game on TNT all the time. I think that was the first movie I saw with Gary Busey in it. It was as good back then watching it as a kid as it is now.

[@vasuviusjones5883]

How dare this guy put down Christopher Lambert. He's a freaking ICON!!!

[@LinktheSamoyed]

My Dad was so great at picking out some killer movies for our weekend video rental back in the 90s. Usually if it was scifi and cyborgs or a Martial arts action flick we saw it! I was probably (definitely) way too young for most of them but I remember Fortress pretty well.

[@Brian-sf6ew]

*I loved Surviving The Game. Despite the predictability. AND Trespass. Which was pretty funny with a good ending.*

[@jeffreyriley8742]

I used to have Kuffs on tape.

[@user-lk9sx9we9u]

Not forgotten. Watched them all. Some people are older then 14.

[@jackmackakaheavyguyhaiku545]

Surviving The Game was as great as Hard Target. It's a tough call as to which I like more. An amazing double feature.

[@derDunkelelf2345]

I sometimes watch "Fortress" in German tv. I remember this Movie running on "Kable1" TV Station from time to time.

[@ItsFreakinHarding.]

Oh man I love Christopher Lambert aka the Highlander! and the movie Fortress...and its sequel Fortress 2! Which a lot of people forget about.

[@througtonsheirs_doctorwhol5914]

it was one of the movies i watched the most taping it on VHS from "Super Ecran" , Quebec's Netflix of the 1990s on Cable TV

[@JALaflinOfficial]

I knew about Surviving the Game from 90s hip hop. Everyone was really into it.

[@jasonsanders8797]

"Ice T plays a down on his luck homeless man"......er, aren't all homeless men down on their luck?

[@nishidohellhillsruler6731]

Okay, you got me with that last one, but two out of three isn't bad.

[@DeltaDemon1]

I saw Fortress in theaters. I was good but it was not more powerful than Total Recall.

[@guitfidle]

Loved this movie! I think I still have it on VHS somewhere... I loved Lambert, I think I still have Knight Moves, Highlander, and Greystoke.

[@guitfidle]

And Total Recall was the first movie I ever saw twice in the theater 😁

[@jesseswarbrick7895]

Have you seen The Hunted(1995) with Christopher Lambert? Awesome movie

[@guitfidle]

@@jesseswarbrick7895 I actually have that on VHS too 😁😁 Yeah, it really is a good one. I've been a pretty big fan of his.

[@Nothingmuch1039]

I'm going to watch this tonight. It's on TUBI

[@mottahead6464]

I watched Greystoke in a movie theater. That was a great movie. The first Highlander was also awesome. Fortress... I remember seeing it at the VHS rental store....never watched it.

[@V3ntilator]

I think i watched every single of these movies on release when they were new.