Themes: Murder Investigations, Military Life, Serial Killers
Main Cast: Willem Dafoe, Gregory Hines, Fred Ward, Amanda Pays, Lim Kay Tong
Release Year: 1987
Country: US
Run Time: 102 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Buck McGriff (Willem Dafoe) and Albaby Perkins (Gregory Hines) are military police from the army's Criminal Investigation Department assigned to find a serial killer in 1968 war-torn Saigon. Hookers have been ritualistically murdered, and the two cops spend their final days of active duty in the sleazy back alleys of Saigon tracking down the killer in this military mystery. One by one, possible witnesses who can shed light on the case are systematically murdered. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
Scott Glenn - Col. Dexter Armstrong; Woody Brown - Co-Pilot; Keith David - Maurice; David Alan Grier - Rogers; Peter MacKenzie - M.P.; Raymond O'Connor - Staff Sgt. Flowers; Louis Roth - Captain; Ken Siu - Ploughboy; Wasan Uttamayodhin - Rogersan; Tawan Mahathavorn - VC Prisoner; "Arm" Suvinit Pornvalai - V.C. Taxi Driver; Arun Sunantalod - Sapper; Boonchai Jakraworawut - ARVN Interpreter; Fr. Buncha - Bishop; Norah Elizabeth Cazaux - Mother Superior; Coconut - Dead Whore's Baby; Clive Gray - M.P.; Hoang Nga - Vietnamese Interpreter; Jean Phuturoj - Vietnamese Interpreter; Kamsine Spinog - Gen. Vin; Kanya Wongsawasdi - Nguyen Tri Quan; Jim Kinnon - Top; Greg Knight - M.P.; Kovit Vatanakul - V.C.; Robert Langlois - M.P.; Elizabeth LeCompte - Nurse; Look Nam - Whore; Mayura Sristtidecharak - Bar Girl; Nguyen Kim Hoa - Sappers's Mother; Elizabeth Nguyen Thi - Vietnamese Interpreter; Thommas Pestony - Bar Band; Piathip Khumwong - Dragonlady; Pipot Nalinat - V.C.; Pradit Prasartthong - V.C. Prisoner; Prae Petchompoo - Francine; Praput Puuyatip - Bar Band; Richard Lee Reed - Col. Sparks; Rungsima Kasikranund - Whore; Tom Schroeder - M.P.; Somboun Phuturoj - Vietnamese Interpreter; Suksanti Cherpat - Sapper; Terd Porn Manophaiboon - V.C. Prisoner; Thuy Ann Luu - Lanh; Tongaow Taveprungsenukul - Aborigine; Trachi Chaivan - Bar Band; Viladda Vanadurongwan - Sister Agnes; Greg Wayne Elam - Batman; Richard Brooks - Preacher
Credit
Scott Ritenour - Art Director, Michael S. Glick - Associate Producer, Judy Taylor - Casting, Mike Fenton - Casting, Jane Feinberg - Casting, Deborah La Gorce Kramer - Costume Designer, Peter V. Saldutti - Costume Designer, Doug Metzger - First Assistant Director, Christopher Crowe - Director, Douglas Ibold - Editor, James Newton Howard - Composer (Music Score), Archie Bell - Songwriter, Michael Brown - Songwriter, Billy Buttier - Songwriter, Lester Christian - Songwriter, Joe Levin - Songwriter, Betty Jean Newsome - Songwriter, Arthur Resnick - Songwriter, Felicity Bowring - Makeup, Joan Petch - Makeup, Dennis Washington - Production Designer, David Gribble - Cinematographer, Alan Barnette - Producer, Crispian Sallis - Set Designer, Joe di Gaetano III - Special Effects, David Lee - Sound/Sound Designer, Chad Randall - Stunts, John-Clay Scott - Stunts, Dick Ziker - Stunts, Phil Culotta - Stunts, Greg W. Elam - Stunts, Tawan Mahathavorn - Stunts, Chuck Picerni, Jr. - Stunts, Buddy Van Horn - Stunts, Scott Wilder - Stunts, Danny Costa - Stunts, Mic Rodgers - Stunts, Danny Wong - Stunts, Freddie Hice - Stunts, Christopher Crowe - Screenwriter, Ron Shelton - Screenwriter, Jack Thibeau - Screenwriter, Alison Cross - Screenwriter, James Brown - Musical Performer, Jimi Hendrix - Featured Music, Roger Miller - Featured Music, Sly & the Family Stone - Featured Music
Off Limits is a 1988 film set during the Vietnam War starring Willem Dafoe and Gregory Hines and directed by Christopher Crowe. The term "off limits" referred to the area where the original crime took place, an area of Saigon off limits to military personnel. The name of the film was changed to Saigon or Saigon: Off Limits when it was released throughout the rest of the world.
Plot synopsis
Although set during the war, the tale is more of a mystery than a story about the war. Sergeant First Class Buck McGriff (Dafoe) and Sergeant First Class Albaby Perkins (Hines) are two joint services CID agents on duty in war torn Saigon. When a prostitute is found murdered they discover that a high ranking military man may be the murderer and also the father of the dead girl's child. Investigations lead them to Colonel Dexter Armstong (Scott Glenn), but Armstrong rules himself out of inquiries by committing suicide. With the help of a French nun Sister Nicole (Amanda Pays) and their non-commissioned officer in charge, Master Sergeant Dix (Fred Ward), they finally close in on their target, although their inquiries end up with them nearly being sent home.
The film marks Willem Dafoe's second Vietnam War movie. He had previously starred in Platoon and would go on to play a role in Born on the Fourth of July.
