1. Pretty Much Everything R Lee Ermey Says - Full Metal Jacket
Returning to the films of Stanley Kubrick for a third and final time, this time for the master of American cinema's take on the Vietnam War, Full Metal Jacket. With its uncompromising depiction of the dehumanising aspects of modern warfare, the film was never going to earn the approval of the military establishment, but it was the inclusion of one former US Marine which elevated its status as one of the greatest war movies ever made. R Lee Ermey has reprised his role as Gunnery Sergeant in various films in one form or another so many times now that he's become something of a parody of himself, but it all started with Full Metal Jacket. Ermey, originally assigned to the production as an adviser, decided to film his own audition tape and pass it on to Kubrick who was immediately impressed and cast him in the role. As much as half of the dialogue which made it into the final cut was ad-libbed, with Ermey apparently having to explain to Kubrick what a "reach-around" actually was (we'll leave that for readers to Google if you're not already aware). Hilariously intimidating, each moment Ermey is on screen remains a true classic to this day. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TNhS81w4bM Enjoyed reading this article? Did we miss any other iconic movie moments which were improvised? Why not post a comment below and let us know?
