Jeff Wincott delighted action fans in the 1990s with a string of DTV classics. Both a trained actor and martial artist, he was a complete action hero. In this ranking, we’ll present you the films where he took center stage in and outside the action sequences!

7 – Deadly Bet (1992)

The early entries from the grand masters of low-budget action PM Entertainment were not as wild as their mid-90s output, but Deadly Bet still manages to entertain. Angelo (Wincott) gambles his money and girlfriend away in Las Vegas. A few more lost bets later, he is forced to take out the trash for the local mafia. Will Angelo get himself together to fight back and win back his lost love?

There’s macho men galore, including Wincott’s Angelo, who undergoes an almost divine transformation from unsympathetic fool to re-energized force of good. The film has plenty of fights, most of them are only mildly exciting, however. Wincott gets to join in on the action, but is not given a very demanding choreography. At least we get to admire rising star Gary Daniels doing splits and roundhouse kicks. Deadly Bet is a fun action romp on a budget.

6 – No Exit (1995)

This Running Man rip-off carries that vibe of ultra-cheap DTV movies that I always appreciated. College professor Jon (Wincott) for Ethics & Physical Application gets abducted and is forced to fight in a tournament to the death in an arctic wasteland, with the threat that his wife will be killed if he refuses. The film has many priceless moments such as Wincott beating up two street punks, and remarking afterwards that “violence is not the answer”.

The film’s cheap look often resembles the set of a home shopping television show, and all money went to the action unit as it should be. We want to see Wincott deliver roundhouse kicks, and he does not disappoint! In fact, he’s the only one with martial arts competence in the whole film. Its unapologetic seriousness combined with clumsy production values and pushes No Exit film firmly into trash territory. I had lots of fun with it.

5 – Open Fire (1994)

The last part of Wincott’s and director Kurt Anderson’s informal trilogy turned the quality down a small notch, but is still a highly entertaining DTV flick. Former FBI agent Alec is called to action when a group of terrorists takes over a chemical plant and threatens to release toxic compounds to the environment unless their leader is freed from prison.

In this Die Hard clone Wincott is set up with some great fights, and he did some serious overtime delivering punches and kicks like a boss. His trademark stick fight is a highlight of the film, and the showdown with Robert Kilpatrick – who is great as a choleric psychopath – is a five-minute long display of uninhibited brutality. Open Fire is a delightful cascade of cheap thrills!

4 – Last Man Standing (1995)

Wincott reunited with PM another time after their first collaboration Deadly Bet, and this time they really painted the town red. A gang of bank robbers keeps the city on tenterhooks, not least thanks to a corrupt police department. Only detective Kurt Bellmore (Wincott) can bring them to justice, but not without a leaving trail of gutted cars and demolished buildings. 

It’s the classic PM recipe: breakneck stunts on a budget that are executed flawlessly. Wincott, besides being a formidable action hero, impresses with a blindness-inducing color combinations of his suit pieces. The only criticism is that the pyrotechnics and car crash inferno gives no room for him to show his fighting skills. Last Man Standing delivers non-stop mayhem, and that’s all what is needed to provide deep satisfaction.

3 – Martial Outlaw (1993)

In an endless ocean of low-budget martial arts movies, Martial Outlaw become an island of badassery. DEA operative Kevin (Wincott) tracks a Russian drug ring to Los Angeles. He reunites with his estranged brother Jack, a police detective who is in the pockets of the Russian mob. When Jack volunteers to participate in Kevin’s investigation things go from bad to worse. The plot involves some tedious drama and there’s some sketchy acting from the supporting cast. 

But i promise you’ll forget about all of this, as Martial Outlaw delivers the action goods almost non-stop! Jeff Pruitt created the action choreography for all films in our top three, and his involvement was a big contribution to the fantastic action set pieces in this film and the others. The fights are full of excitement with lots of broken furniture and bones. Wincott hits all body parts hard and fast, with special attention given to the balls. Martial Outlaw is exquisite 90s video store material.

2 – Martial Law 2 – Undercover (1991)

Two legends of DTV martial arts action, Cynthia Rothrock and Jeff Wincott, teamed up to thrash and endless stream of goons. Police detective Sean (Wincott) joins a new unit, and shortly after an old friend and colleague is found dead. Sean asks his former partner Billie (Rothrock) to help with the investigation, and soon enough the two are fighting an entire crime syndicate. The plot is mundane, but keeps us invested thanks to quirky characters, an atmospheric cinematography, and a swinging synth score.

Rothrock is charming and a bad-ass when needed, while Wincott embodies the rare combination of being a good actor and a good martial artist. The two make a good team, and when it hits the fan police protocol requires them to deliver a kick to the face first and ask questions later. It’s beatdown after beatdown, and it’s all filmed beautifully. Martial Law II: Undercover hits all the right buttons and delivers clean, simple fun.

1 – Mission of Justice (1992)

With Mission of Justice, Wincott showed that he can easily carry a movie on his own, and it became one of the best low-budget actioners ever made. Suspended cop Kurt (Wincott) investigates the death of a close friend, which leads him to the vigilante squad the Peacemakers. He joins them undercover, discovers a malicious plot, and his quest for justice yields many shattered bones and smashed windows. 

Director Kurt Anderson, fight choreographer Jeff Pruitt and Wincott created a bunch of A-tier fights thanks to a choreography that is fantastic for a US actioner of its time. The beatdowns are brutal, with breakneck performances by the stunt crew. People are getting thrown and kicked around mercilessly, we can almost feel the pain when someone is smacked through a door. Wincott is totally juiced and his delivery of an intense character portrayal and relentless fights makes Mission of Justice his ultimate masterpiece.