The problem with just using a bridge rectifier is that you are going to generate about 160V peak DC (no load). This may not be a problem, but it is something to keep in mind. The voltages listed for AC values are "RMS" values, which is an average of the AC wave.
I have run small DC motors (a little 115VDC gear motor) with a combination of a light dimmer and a bridge rectifier. This allowed for pretty effective speed control. Those light dimmers are not rated for motor use, so I would not try them on anything over about 1/4hp.
If you do this, I would also highly recommend adding a fuse ahead of the rectifier, and putting all the bits in a box.
There are also off the shelf DC controllers that use something called "SCR control". The good ones are expensive, but they turn up as surplus periodically. These allow very nice speed control.