84C MoPic

Much of the credit for the genuine feel of this film should go to two former Marines who had "been there, done that": Russ Thurman and Dale Dye. Dye's method of running the actors through a mini-boot camp helps raise this film to the level of "Platoon" and "Saving Private Ryan", his more widely-known achievements. Seen largely through the eyes (or lens) of the handheld camera of the mostly-unseen "Mopic", it gives viewers a different perspective on bonding that happens when men put their lives into each other's hands almost daily. Its ring of truth comes from endless tiny details that only former grunts would ever notice. When someone asks this former Marine which are the best Viet Nam films, "84 Charlie MoPic" and "The Odd Angry Shot" are at the top of a very short list.