If you're tired of waiting for Kubrick's upcoming Eyes Wide Shut, maybe it's time to brush up on his last film. 1987's Full Metal Jacket follows one marine's journey from Parris Island to the Tet Offensive. The complexities of war and its soldiers are rendered with unflinching realism despite several scenes of almost surreal violence. Oustanding performances by Vincent D'Onofrio and R. Lee Ermey. Based on Gustav Hasford's The Short-Timers and co-written by Michael Herr (Dispatches).

Chris Hodgdon