10 Unsung Movie Heroes Of The Video Rental Era
2. Fred Williamson
If you were a regular at a video shop, it is likely you’ll be more familiar with Williamson’s face than with his name. This black belt in karate was a fixture of the popular “blaxploitation” movies of the 1970s. It was his work in Italian (a language he is fluent in) films of the 1980s and appearance in From Dusk till Dawn, however, that would endear him to renters.
The movies that made him a familiar face in home video were Bronx Warriors, The New Barbarians, Rome 2033 and Warrior of the Lost World. All sci-fi action flicks that feature creative violence - to which Fred is large contributor - and bleak futures.
Over a decade later, 1996 saw him as the no-nonsense Frost in From Dusk till Dawn, trying to survive a night of chaotic vampire violence in the Titty Twister club. From Dusk till Dawn was a tape so popular people would spend weeks on a waiting list for a chance to rent it. Even though Williamson doesn’t appear until the second half of the film, he immediately brings his signature moustache and stoic screen presence that helps change the tone of the film. Whatever movie he was in, it was his character that young men looked up to, cool, calm and tough.
The movie tough guy has stayed consistently busy throughout his career. At 81 years-old he starred in the whacky violent horror VFW in 2019.