This week’s pick is the Vietnam MIA rescue film Uncommon Valor (1983) directed by Ted Kotcheff (Rambo: First Blood). It stars Gene Hackman, Fred Ward, Patrick Swayze, Reb Brown, Tim Thomerson, Robert Stack and Randall “Tex” Cobb.

Uncommon Valor touches on the subject of American servicemen who had been designated POW/MIA since the end of American involvement in The Vietnam War. Gene Hackman stars as Col. Jason Rhodes, a retired Marine and Korean War veteran who believes his son has been a POW for over ten years in a Laos prison camp.

Rhodes has spent years combing Southeast Asia finding clues that lead him to believe Frank is still alive. Rhodes even enlists the help of the U.S. State Department who offer little or no help.

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This week is a different kind of war movie, because it’s a war movie on the home front which mirrors the actions and feelings of what the country was going through during the latter half of the Vietnam War. Southern Comfort (1981) is a psychological thriller from acclaimed director Walter Hill (The Warriors, The Long Riders, 48 Hours, Streets of Fire, Geronimo: An American Legend.)

The film centers around a squad of nine National Guardsmen who are on weekend maneuvers in the Louisiana bayous in 1973. The film stars an assortment of fantastic character actors ranging from Powers Boothe (Cpl Hardin), Keith Carradine (Pfc. Spencer), T.K. Carter (Pfc. Cribbs), Peter Coyote (Ssgt. Poole), Brion James (Cajun trapper), Sonny Landham (Cajun hunter), Lewis Smith (Pfc. Stuckey), and Fred Ward (Cpl. Reece).

As the squad of men descend deep into the swamp, Cpl. Hardin (Boothe) and Pfc. Spencer (Carradine) quickly become pals and are the only two level headed individuals in this motley crew of weekend warriors. Hardin is a recent transfer from the Texas Guard who is trying to finish his stint so he can return to civilian life. He has total lack of respect for the Army and for those in charge such as Ssgt. Poole (Coyote) and Sgt. Casper (Les Lannom).

As the film progresses, the squad commandeers a few Cajun canoes in order to make their way to the other side of the swamp. In doing so they seal their fate with a bunch of Cajuns who retaliate due to their canoes being stolen, and after Pfc. Stuckey (as a prank), scares them by opening fire with his M-60 machine gun which is loaded with blanks. Terrified, the Cajuns shoot back killing Ssgt. Cribbs. The men quickly become paranoid as to their fate and have only a few precious live rounds to do battle with the Cajuns who use their knowledge of the terrain to their advantage.

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With all the sometimes disappointing and questionable remakes, reboots and do-overs coming out of Hollywood these days, sometimes its nice to get news of a reboot and actually be happy about it. What am I talking about? Well, according to The Risky Business Blog, The Dark Knight producer Charles Roven and Transporter producer Steve Chasman are teaming up to bring Remo Williams (aka “The Destroyer”) back to the big screen.

According to the report, the producers have enlisted Charley and Vlas Parlapanides, who are currently writing the action film War of Gods, to take on the screenplay based on the first book in the massive Destroyer novel catalog — which was written by Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir in the 70s and 80s. In case you’re not familiar with The Destroyer, it concerns New Jersey cop Remo Williams, who’s convicted of a crime he didn’t commit.

Williams is sentenced to the electric chair, but his death is faked so he can become The Destroyer, a vigilante who joins a top-secret group of assassins set up by the government to operate outside the law. With the help of Chiun, his Korean mentor and a deadly assassin himself, Williams goes on missions for the government and takes his revenge on the criminal underworld and those who framed him.

As a big fan of the books and the original movie starring Fred Ward as Remo Williams and Joel Grey as Chiun, I’m pretty happy that The Destroyer is getting another chance at the big screen. Its a great story and one that, if done well, can be very entertaining and action-packed. No word yet on who will take on the role of Remo Williams. However, with the two producers involved, might it potentially be either Christian Bale or Jason Statham? It could happen and if it does, we’ll bring you all the news.