Willie Williams Movies
Following up on Streetwise, his powerful documentary on the homeless kids of Seattle, director Martin Bell returned to that city for a dramatic feature. Nick Kelson (Edward Furlong) is a troubled teenager whose mother has been dead for many years; he spends much of his time with other throwaway kids roaming the city. When Nick's father Jack (Jeff Bridges) is released from a long stretch in prison, the father and child reunion is a bumpy one. Jack senses an obligation to his son but is trying to focus on taking responsibility for his own life before he can extend himself. Nick is wary of his father's criminal background, but he also craves the stability of a real home life. Aware that a return to the city whose mean streets spawned his criminal career might pull him back into his old ways, Jack talks about moving to Alaska to make a fresh start, but it's not clear if Nick is part of his plan. The film's unsentimental look at its characters always on the verge of backsliding didn't endear it to ticket buyers, but it was lauded by many critics for its honesty and for Bridges' strong performance, which won an Independent Spirit award. ~ Tom Wiener, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jeff Bridges, Edward Furlong, (more)
A raped woman seeks revenge and recruits a former Vietnam vet as her lover and protector. Together they comb the Asian jungles in search of her attackers. ~ Rovi
A special forces unit is sent to Vietnam to combat a group of renegade rebels made up of POW and MIA in this limp war drama. Sergeant Rick Stratton (Brett Clark) is reluctantly teamed with reporter Chris Chandler (Cec Verrell) to head off the rampaging rebels from continuing their unauthorized, murderous rampages. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Brett Baxter Clark, Robert Patrick, (more)
This action film from prolific Filipino director Cirio Santiago stars Cec Verrell as tough cop Jennie ("Silk"), who works for the Honolulu police. A series of murders has the police baffled, so Silk is called in to help uncover the culprits. Her sleuthing leads to several shoot-outs and evidence that incriminates one of the cops. Connected to the deaths are gangland figures and the ugly business of selling fake identities. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Cec Verrell, Bill McLaughlin, (more)
This is a very macho action film in which the good guys are just that "guys". Col. Cooper (David Carridine) has been captured by the North Vietnamese and wheels and deals his way out of this predicament with the sleazy Vietnamese commandant, Capt. Vinh (Mako). Vinh agrees to let Cooper and the other P.O.W.s leave if Cooper will take Vinh and his ill-gotten gains back with them to the United States. Cooper agrees, and then has to struggle with the ever-frustrating Sparks (Charles R. Floyd), who thinks he knows better than anyone else about how to escape from the camp. The motley crew set off into the jungle, encountering the enemy and a very uncooperative Mother Nature along the way. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- David Carradine, Charles R. Floyd, (more)
Revenge and violence are the key motifs in this action film by Philippine director Cirio Santiago. Vince (Richard Young) is a Vietnam vet who has been a shade too brutal in his handling of some petty thieves. His actions rankle the murderous minds of the thieves, and they exact revenge by blowing up Vince's pleasure boat with his wife and child on board. Now fueled with hatred, Vince not only goes after the killers, but with the help of a military friend, he determines who it was that supplied the technical, explosive know-how to the punks who blew up the boat. It seems Vince had an enemy during the Vietnam war who is in league with the murderous thieves. Once the two sides have been defined, a kind of mini-war results. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Richard Young, John Ericson, (more)
Being a former Vietnam POW himself, Colonel James Braddock (Chuck Norris) was the natural choice to accompany an MIA investigation to Ho Chi Minh City. After turning up some questionable information, Braddock travels to Thailand to meet an old buddy (M. Emmet Walsh) who could help him launch a rescue mission. Just four months after the film's successful release, the prequel Missing in Action 2 - The Beginning followed and performed equally well at the box office. The third installment, Braddock: Missing in Action 3 was released four years later. ~ John Bush, Rovi
- Starring:
- Chuck Norris, M. Emmet Walsh, (more)








