The DI vs. Full Metal Jacket

[Widder, SASS #59054]

The DI is a Hollywood movie (1957)  about Marine Boot Camp starring Jack Webb.

 

Full Metal Jacket is a Hollywood movie (1987) about Marine Boot Camp starring Lee Ermey.

 

Both are good movies.  No doubt Lee Ermey was more 'entertaining' to watch.

 

 

..........Widder

 

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

I like Jack Webb, but The Gunny WAS a Drill Instructor.

[Alpo]

I remember the sand gnat scene in The DI.

 

That's all I remember of it, though. Been a while since I seen it.

[Father Kit Cool Gun Garth]

Either way, I'd do what sarge says! 

[Rye Miles #13621]

I just saw DI last night for the first time, Jack Webb was great! I liked FMJ too, hard to compare, they were both great!

[Pat Riot]

R. Lee Ermey’s performance reminded me so much of my Company Commander in boot camp. He was trained by the Marines and used the techniques that Ermey used in FMJ. It didn’t make me “homesick”. 

 

Jack Webb in DI was very good as well.

[Trigger Mike]

I prefer the DI since FMJ is not kid friendly for my children to see and I want them to learn to embrace the idea of military service even if they never join.  It's important for the nation that our youth appreciate the military.  My dad made a point for me to watch The D I when I was a child to show me how hard basic is so I would let go of my dreams of joining the army like he did.  It had the opposite effect.  It made me want to join even more.  I made a point to show The D I to my children and they not only watched it several times back when we could record movies through the satellite service we had at the time but they off and on still do play the D I .  the oldest has stopped but the younger 3 still do once in a while.  I sometimes played it with them .  I had a smokey the bear blue colored police hat they wore flat out pretending to be a drill instructor.  

[Turkey Flats Jack]

I'll have to check out The D.I. I loved FMJ, that first 20 minutes or so of bootcamp is probably my favorite part of any movie. Not sure why after watching it I still joined the Marines lol

[Utah Bob #35998]

I had an assistant Drill Sgt in basic who looked a lot like Jack Webb. 

[Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172]

I recorded the DI the other day. I watch it from time to time in segments.  Jack Webb was quite an actor. 

Liked his Joe Friday too. 

 

R Lee was, well R. Lee. A true Gyreen, for sure, for sure. 

[Red Cent]

Has anyone ever wondered why the 30 caliber bullet didn't break the tiles on the wall?

[Smoken D]

5 minutes ago, Red Cent said:

Has anyone ever wondered why the 30 caliber bullet didn't break the tiles on the wall?

 

They used Hollyweird bullets.

[Sixgun Sheridan]

The first time I watched Full Metal Jacket I really enjoyed the first part of it with the boot camp. But then Ermey got blasted by the psycho draftee and the entire movie went down the drain after that, at least in my opinion. It became just another "Vietnam is full of insanity" film. Yes I know the war was insane, but we don't need 30 identical films reminding us of that fact.

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

The Gunny was originally hired to be a technical consultant for the movie. He didn't like how the Boot Camp sequences were going, so he gathered some of the crew during their lunch break and let them have it the way he let Marine recruits have it when he was a Drill Instructor in The Corps, and had it filmed for the producers. 

They immediately re-cast him to be the Drill Instructor, AND let him write his own lines. Any Marine who went through Boot Camp during that era can attest to the authenticity of his performance. I went through several years later, and it wasn't that much different, though the Drill Instructors couldn't go "hands on" anymore.

And BTW, Father Kit Cool Gun Garth, Marines don't have "Sarges" we have Sergeants. 

[John Barleycorn, SASS #76982]

Drill Sgt Bickley to me during BRM week, ”Private it looks like we finally found something you can do” 

[Pat Riot]

9 hours ago, Red Cent said:

Has anyone ever wondered why the 30 caliber bullet didn't break the tiles on the wall?

I remember when I saw this movie in the theatre and that was my first thought after he shot himself. Of course, it’s Hollywood but...

[Widder, SASS #59054]

9 hours ago, Red Cent said:

Has anyone ever wondered why the 30 caliber bullet didn't break the tiles on the wall?

 

I've never thought about it but I figure its just another hollywood oversight.

 

At first, I thought your question was a trick question because I first thought it may have

been the 5.56mm.

BUT, looking back, it was defined as a..... "Seven Six Two millimeter, Full Metal Jacket".

 

..........Widder

 

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

10 hours ago, Red Cent said:

Has anyone ever wondered why the 30 caliber bullet didn't break the tiles on the wall?

The walls were built for Marines.

[MAYOBARD SASS #13025L]

Both were excellent films in my opinion.

[Utah Bob #35998]

18 hours ago, Sixgun Sheridan said:

The first time I watched Full Metal Jacket I really enjoyed the first part of it with the boot camp. But then Ermey got blasted by the psycho draftee and the entire movie went down the drain after that, at least in my opinion. It became just another "Vietnam is full of insanity" film. Yes I know the war was insane, but we don't need 30 identical films reminding us of that fact.

I agree. 

[Festus G Lonetree]

FMJ came out 5 years after my stay at Paris Island. I remember thinking "damn that looks familiar" but it did NOT make me homesick for Boot Camp!

[St. Louis Suomi SASS #31905]

An observation:  My youngest, a Marine, after he finished his boot camp and advanced training told me that I was harder on him then the DIs.  My oldest two agreed that I was harder on them that their basic and jump school instructors.  I thought I was a lot less hard on them than my father.  Times change I guess.

STL Suomi

[Trigger Mike]

I've often said my dad was harder than my drill sergeants.  I cruised through basic and laughed during jump school since my dad had been a drill before going to Vietnam and treated me accordingly.