As the internet age evolves and grows, we are finding more ways to stream our favorite films and videos. Pay services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime offer a variety of options, but did you know that you can find many excellent movies on Youtube FOR FREE? That’s right! For the mere price of an internet connection, movie lovers have far more options than they might have realized. Here are my top five free movies that you should take a look at when you’re craving some unique fare off the beaten path.

 

1. Vice Squad (1982) King of the B-Movies Wings Hauser owns this gritty look at life on the Hollywood streets with his performance as a deranged, murderous cowboy pimp who is seeking revenge against a prostitute who got him arrested. This fine example of 80’s noire strips away the niceties of modern police procedurals and goes right for the jugular. I hate to say they don’t make movies like this anymore, but they don’t.

 

2. The Mummy (1999) With the kind of thrills, chills, and spills that made Indiana Jones famous, Brendan Fraser stars in this big budget reboot of the classic Universal

   

   Pictures monster. Low on gore but high on action, this rollercoaster of a flick hits all the marks it needs to. Sure, it may be more in line with Abbot and Costello at times but the slapstick doesn’t take away from this solid action scarefest. Get yourself ready for the latest reboot of the Mummy by catching this classic first.

 

3. Captain Kronos-Vampire Hunter (1974) Before there was Blade, there was katana-wielding, opium-smoking Captain Kronos and his hunchback sidekick roving across Europe looking for Vampires to slay. This is one of the best offerings from English Horror giant Hammer Studios. This was to be the first many films but poor box office receipts deep-sixed the franchise before it even got off the ground. Plenty of sword fights and vampire action for even the most jaded connoisseur

 

4. Battle Beyond the Stars (1980) Roger Corman, while un-credited, gets most of the props for bringing this “Seven Samurais in Outer Space” mash-up to life. Veteran character actors like Richard Thomas, John Saxon, and George Peppard eat up the scenery while super babe Sybil Danning prances around in a cheap Valker outfit. Yes, there is cheese aplenty but in usual Corman fashion, it goes down real smooth.

 

5. The Quick and the Dead (1995) Sam Rami knocks it out of the park with this star studded tale of gunfighters converging in a crooked town to decide who is the best shooter. Russell Crowe, Gene Hackman, Leonardo DiCaprio, Sharon Stone, and Gary Sinise all put in fine performances in this well-paced but poorly scripted spaghetti western. You won’t see anything new in this gunfighter’s paradise; but at least it was well done.

 

So the next time your budget prevents you from seeing the latest blockbuster at an IMAX theater, there are many fine classics you can watch for free. Check these out first!