# most surprising movies that became direct-to-video franchises **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 10, 2007, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-surprising-movies-that-became-direct-to-video-franchises/403583 "2007-05-10T19:31:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-surprising-movies-that-became-direct-to-video-franchises/403583/1 "2007-05-10T19:31:21Z")
I’ll nominate the _Trancers_ films. Last I saw, they were literally up to number eight or nine in the direct-to-video market. If you had told me that _Point Break_ was going to become a five or six-part home video franchise, I’d have been less surprised than if you told me about Trancers. What’s your vote? Critters? Universal Soldier? Trois? ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-surprising-movies-that-became-direct-to-video-franchises/403583/2 "2007-05-10T19:58:59Z")
It surprises me that so much mileage has been gotten out of the _Puppet Master_ series. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-surprising-movies-that-became-direct-to-video-franchises/403583/3 "2007-05-10T20:12:28Z")
**TREMORS** , a movie that I didn’t expect to like but loved (mainly for Michael Gross/Reba McEntyre’s survivalist nuts), spawned a sequel that premiered theatrically (sans Bacon or Reba) and then some straight to video sequels and a syndicated TV series. I think Michael Gross appeared in all of them. **Eddie & The Cruisers** (starring the great looking and really talentless Michael Pare) was, iirc, the first movie flop to become a big hit on video, so much so that a video sequel was released. **The Addams Family** was a huge box office hit, **Addams Family Values** a hit but not nearly as big, and then when Raul Julia died and Anjelica Huston wasn’t interested the series continued with a couple of video movies. The biggest budget one starred Tim Curry and Darryl Hannah as Gomez & Morticia. The only common cast members were Carel Struycken as Lurch and (magician) Christopher Hart('s) hand as Thing. Later they went to a really low budget series of videos with no-name actors, though John Astin appeared as an Addams ancestor in one. There was a direct to video series of _Captain Kangaroo_ tapes with- BURN IN HELL HERETICS!= a non Bob Keeshan Kangaroo. Since said time producers and stars have lost their immortal souls. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-surprising-movies-that-became-direct-to-video-franchises/403583/4 "2007-05-10T20:14:58Z")
[QUOTE=Sampiro] There was a direct to video series of _Captain Kangaroo_ tapes with- BURN IN HELL HERETICS! [/QUOTE] That seems unusal content for a Captain Kangaroo video. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-surprising-movies-that-became-direct-to-video-franchises/403583/5 "2007-05-10T23:06:56Z")
[QUOTE=Sampiro] There was a direct to video series of _Captain Kangaroo_ tapes with- BURN IN HELL HERETICS! [/QUOTE] I’m picturing the Captain being showered with flaming ping pong balls… ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-surprising-movies-that-became-direct-to-video-franchises/403583/6 "2007-05-11T04:01:29Z")
The Land Before Time simply will not stop. I think I remember seeing the first one in the theater, though I could be wrong about that since I would have been about 4 or 5 at the time, but now they are on number 12 or something. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Hildo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@Johnny\_Hildo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Hildo)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-surprising-movies-that-became-direct-to-video-franchises/403583/7 "2007-05-11T07:13:45Z")
Hard to believe that a [ten-page short story](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087050/) could not only spawn a feature-length movie, but also six sequels. All of which I’ve seen. Yes, I’m that pathetic. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-surprising-movies-that-became-direct-to-video-franchises/403583/8 "2007-05-11T07:19:45Z")
[QUOTE=pbbth] The Land Before Time simply will not stop. I think I remember seeing the first one in the theater, though I could be wrong about that since I would have been about 4 or 5 at the time, but now they are on number 12 or something. [/QUOTE] I saw the first one in the theater too, and then I caught the first sequel on TV, slightly surprised that it got made at all. Then, I suddenly spotted number ten at the video store. Damn. I’d almost like to rent them all just to see what the hell they’re about. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-surprising-movies-that-became-direct-to-video-franchises/403583/9 "2007-05-11T07:52:09Z")
[QUOTE=Priceguy] I saw the first one in the theater too, and then I caught the first sequel on TV, slightly surprised that it got made at all. Then, I suddenly spotted number ten at the video store. Damn. I’d almost like to rent them all just to see what the hell they’re about. [/QUOTE] If you’ve seen one of them, you already know the answer. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-surprising-movies-that-became-direct-to-video-franchises/403583/10 "2007-05-11T07:53:52Z")
[QUOTE=pbbth] The Land Before Time simply will not stop. I think I remember seeing the first one in the theater, though I could be wrong about that since I would have been about 4 or 5 at the time, but now they are on number 12 or something. [/QUOTE] I believe the next one is titled _The Land Before A Couple Of Saturdays Ago_. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-surprising-movies-that-became-direct-to-video-franchises/403583/11 "2007-05-11T08:02:43Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] If you’ve seen one of them, you already know the answer. [/QUOTE] What, they quest to a new place each installment? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-surprising-movies-that-became-direct-to-video-franchises/403583/12 "2007-05-11T08:06:04Z")
Honestly, I don’t know - I’ve only seen a few, but the point is they all seem so bland and samey, I can’t remember what happened in which. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-surprising-movies-that-became-direct-to-video-franchises/403583/13 "2007-05-11T12:53:39Z")
I can’t believe how many “sequels” they got out of **The Howling**. Actually, what I can’t believe is that they got away with calling them sequels when none of them actualy were, except the first one. The original was worth watching for the effects, the cameos, and the cheesy in-jokes. The second was worth watching for Sybil Danning’s boobs (don’t watch it on TV – they can’t show them, so the film has no point). There are a couple of interesting ideas in the others, but not enough to justify a movie (Marsupial werewolves!) ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-surprising-movies-that-became-direct-to-video-franchises/403583/14 "2007-05-11T13:19:01Z")
[QUOTE=Sampiro] … Darryl Hannah as…Morticia. [/quote] That is a courageous bit of casting! How’d she do? ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-surprising-movies-that-became-direct-to-video-franchises/403583/15 "2007-05-11T14:37:05Z")
I did not expect **Poison Ivy** to be made in sequels and I will admit I was a little surprised to see **Roadhouse** get a sequel ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-surprising-movies-that-became-direct-to-video-franchises/403583/16 "2007-05-11T20:14:35Z")
The Addams Family and Captain Kangaroo also had new TV series at one point in time. Speaking of which, _The Land Before Time_ is now also a TV show. Why didn’t they just do that in the first place? The fact that Fox has done _Sandlot_ DTV sequels is amazing, but the king of unusual DTV films (other than Disney, of course, who has announced- thankfully- that they are stopping the process) has to be Universal. Besides the countless _Land Before Time_s, they’ve given us three _Beethovens_, two _Bring It On_s, two _American Pie_s, and rumor had it they were going to do a _Back to the Future IV_. If Universal’s direct-to-video franchising keeps up at this pace, maybe they really _will_ make that movie Peter Jackson joked about where King Kong’s son fights Nazis. ---
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-surprising-movies-that-became-direct-to-video-franchises/403583/17 "2007-05-11T20:32:42Z")
Land Before Time, eh? This is a good opportunity to pimp one of my current favorite webcomics by way of example – [A New Captcha Approach](http://xkcd.com/c233.html). ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-surprising-movies-that-became-direct-to-video-franchises/403583/18 "2007-05-12T21:02:58Z")
> [@](#): > > by **mobo85** > the king of unusual DTV films . . . . has to be Universal. Besides the countless Land Before Times, they’ve given us three Beethovens, two Bring It Ons, two American Pies, and rumor had it they were going to do a Back to the Future IV. If Universal’s direct-to-video franchising keeps up at this pace, maybe they really will make that movie Peter Jackson joked about where King Kong’s son fights Nazis. Universal has been doing this for decades. Dracula, Frankenstein, Wolf-Man, etc. Go to [imdb.com](http://imdb.com) and do a search on Lon Chaney or John Carradine. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-surprising-movies-that-became-direct-to-video-franchises/403583/19 "2007-05-12T22:40:08Z")
[QUOTE=mbh] Universal has been doing this for decades. Dracula, Frankenstein, Wolf-Man, etc. [/QUOTE] Yes, but were there VCRs back then?