Jarhead

[abomb]

The first half of that movie is some of the best cinema that I’ve ever seen. I haven’t sat down and watched FMJ from start to finish in many moons. I’ll have to do that sometime in the near future. “How tall are you, private?” “Sir, five-foot-nine, sir.” “Five-foot-nine, I didn't know they stacked s**t that high.”

Plus the fact that the DS from FMJ wasnt an experienced actor makes that movie THAT much better.

 

[D-Dogg]

Plus the fact that the DS from FMJ wasnt an experienced actor makes that movie THAT much better.

He didn't need to act...he was a badass DI already. He was just being himself. Makes you mess yourself to think of training under that guy.

 

[D-Dogg]

The first half of that movie is some of the best cinema that I’ve ever seen. I haven’t sat down and watched FMJ from start to finish in many moons. I’ll have to do that sometime in the near future. “How tall are you, private?” “Sir, five-foot-nine, sir.” “Five-foot-nine, I didn't know they stacked s**t that high.”

When D'Onofrio goes murder/suicide on you, that's one of the best scenes I've ever seen. He's so freaking crazy looking then...just an amazing piece of acting. I'm sure after being yelled at on set day in and day out, it wasn't hard to drag out that kind of crazy emotion, but damn if it wasn't amazing acting.

 

[BigDavis75]

I thought that Jarhead was a lot like Full Metal Jacket, in fact I thought some parts were a rip off. I realize that they both deal with the same subject matter, with FNJ having a darker overtone and Jarhead having a more satirical, but some parts and shots were ripped straight from FMJ. The "this is my rifle..." is one that immediately comes to mind.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Plus the fact that the DS from FMJ wasnt an experienced actor makes that movie THAT much better.

uh, I hope this doesn't make the movie worse, but R. Lee Emery was an experienced actor prior to filming Full Metal Jacket.

That being said, the first half of FMJ is a masterpiece - Kubrick reaching some his highest heights - the 2nd half, average at best - it's a mixed bag as far as I'm concerned. Really an anomaly - I can't remember another movie the literally is broken down in half story-wise and product (great v.mediocre) wise.

 

[Chaplin]

uh, I hope this doesn't make the movie worse, but R. Lee Emery was an experienced actor prior to filming Full Metal Jacket.

It depends on what you would call "experienced". He was a military advisor on Apocalypse Now, and Coppola gave him an uncredited role in the film. That was 1979. In 1978, he was in a movie called The Boys of Company C, in which he was--you guessed it--a drill instructor. That was his first film. Then 5 years after Apocalypse Now, in 1984 he was in a movie called Purple Hearts, and then there was Full Metal Jacket in 1987. So he wasn't really that experienced as yet.

My take on him was that he actually was playing a character very similar to what he was in the military, so that's why his performance looked so natural, not because he was a seasoned actor at the time.

 

[Cheesebeef]

It depends on what you would call "experienced". He was a military advisor on Apocalypse Now, and Coppola gave him an uncredited role in the film. That was 1979. In 1978, he was in a movie called The Boys of Company C, in which he was--you guessed it--a drill instructor. That was his first film. Then 5 years after Apocalypse Now, in 1984 he was in a movie called Purple Hearts, and then there was Full Metal Jacket in 1987. So he wasn't really that experienced as yet.

My take on him was that he actually was playing a character very similar to what he was in the military, so that's why his performance looked so natural, not because he was a seasoned actor at the time.

from imdb.com

A talented character actor known for his military roles, R. Lee Ermey was in the US Marine Corps for 11 years. He rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant, and his service included 1-1/2 tours in Vietnam. After injuries forced him to retire from the Corps, he moved to the Phillipines, enrolling in the University of Manila, where he studied Criminology and Drama. He APPEARED IN SEVERAL FILIPINO FILMS BEFORE BEING CAST AS A HELICOPTER PILOT in Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now (1979). Due to his Vietnam experiences, Coppola also utilized him as a technical adviser. He got a featured role in Sidney J. Furie's The Boys in Company C (1978), playing a drill instructor. Ermey worked with Furie again in Purple Hearts (1984). However, his most famous (or infamous) role came as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket (1987)...

The guy had been acting for over 8 years. That makes him an experienced actor, especially considering that new actors (like Emery was out of the army) are constantly working on things you've never heard of before or ever heard of period during their struggle to make it (you know that as well as I do Chap).

As far as your take, your probably right, but it doesn't take away from the fact that the guy was an actor and had been acting for 8 years previous to the film - it wasn't like they just dragged him right out of the Corps and threw him in there, which it seems like people are suggesting.

 

[Chaplin]

I wonder how much acting he actually did in those Filipino films... I bet there's no way to even track some of those movies down. Man, those must be harder to get than Kubrick's wartime propaganda films.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I wonder how much acting he actually did in those Filipino films... I bet there's no way to even track some of those movies down. Man, those must be harder to get than Kubrick's wartime propaganda films.

seriously. Regardless - R. Lee is afreaking great in almost anything he's in. Hell, eh's the only thing that keeps my from slitting my wrists if I ever come across Saving Silverman. What a shame that movie is - Steve Zahn is a funny guy (although he must have a horrendous agent because he's NEVER in anything good), Jack Black is hilarious and R. Lee is great - how you could have those three guys together in a movie and have it come out as such drek is beyond me.

 

[BigDavis75]

seriously. Regardless - R. Lee is afreaking great in almost anything he's in. Hell, eh's the only thing that keeps my from slitting my wrists if I ever come across Saving Silverman. What a shame that movie is - Steve Zahn is a funny guy (although he must have a horrendous agent because he's NEVER in anything good), Jack Black is hilarious and R. Lee is great - how you could have those three guys together in a movie and have it come out as such drek is beyond me.

I actually like that movie a lot, it's one of the few movies I can watch every time. It's kinda like an Anchorman or Joe Dirt to me, just not as good as those two.