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The 1987 Stanley Kurbrick-directed film Full Metal Jacket cements itself as arguably one of the most famous war films of all time and, according to an expert, the film is also very accurate.

It's not uncommon for war films to take liberties with how accurate they are. However, according to former Marine Corps officer and military expert Elliot Ackerman, Full Metal Jacket is incredibly accurate. And a video by Insider, Full Metal Jacket, scores 10/10 in accuracy in Ackerman's opinion. Ackerman analyzed other scenes, including ones from Barry, Generation Kill, Man Down, The Marine, Jarhead, Heartbreak Ridge, Rules of Engagement, A Few Good Men, and Flags of Our Fathers. Ackerman was shown one of the film's most infamous scenes where drill instructor, Gunnery Sergeant L. Hartman, played by R. Lee Ermey, tears into the recruits with a myriad of "creative" insults, among other tactics.

Ackerman attests to the scenes' accuracy, stating, "[Actor] R.

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This July, Paramount+ is a little light on original content as nothing new is coming out on the streaming service aside from the new Dexter series and the third season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. However, for the purposes of this article, we are only including the films that are coming to Paramount+ next month and have a 90% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score. So, check out the 13 best films coming to Paramount+ in July 2025 with a 90% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score.

A Soldier’s Story (July 1) Rt Score: 90% Credit – Columbia Pictures

A Soldier’s Story is a mystery drama film directed by Norman Jewison from a screenplay by Charles Fuller. Based on Fuller’s 1981 play titled A Soldier’s Play, the 1984 film is set during World War II, and it follows Vernon Waters, an officer of the United States Army,...

Movie fans have received some sad news, as Full Metal Jacket star Kevyn Major Howard, who played the Vietnam War correspondent Rafterman in Stanley Kubrick's war film, has passed away at the age of 69. The actor, born in 1956 in Quebec, Canada, began his Hollywood career in the 1970s when he had just moved to Los Angeles. Howard's acting career was not nearly as long-lasting as that of some of his co-stars, although he did appear in several notable films during the 1980s and 1990s.

The actor passed away in a Las Vegas hospital on Friday, February 14, 2025, surrounded by his loved ones, with no cause of death currently revealed. However, Howard's family reported to TMZ that the actor had been hospitalized for weeks due to respiratory issues. Matthew Modine, a friend and Full Metal Jacket co-star, shared a poignant tribute on X, reminiscing how Kevyn Major Howard's performance in Full Metal Jacket...

Kevyn Major Howard, an actor known for playing Rafterman in Full Metal Jacket, has died. The 69-year-old died on Friday, February 14, at a hospital in Las Vegas with loved ones at his side, his family told TMZ. Howard’s cause of death isn’t yet known, but his family explained he’d been in the hospital and dealing with respiratory issues for weeks. Full Metal Jacket costar Matthew Modine paid tribute to Howard in an X post the following day, sharing a photo of the two of them on the set of the 1987 war film alongside fellow cast members Sal Lopez, Gary Landon Mills, and Adam Baldwin. “Kevyn Major Howard gave and gave and gave so much to the world and especially the men and women of our armed forces,” Modine wrote in his post. “He became famous for his role of Rafterman in Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket.

Kevyn Major Howard, best known for his role as Rafterman in Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket, has passed away at the age of 69. The actor, who later built a reputation as a leading headshot photographer, died in a Las Vegas hospital on Valentine’s Day, according to reports. While his family has yet to confirm an exact cause of death, sources noted that he had been hospitalized for several weeks with respiratory ailments.

Born on January 27, 1956, in Montréal, Quebec, Howard moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career that spanned television and film. His early work included appearances on shows like Trapper John, M.D. and roles in cautionary tales such as Off the Minnesota Strip and Scared Straight! Another Story. He made his film debut in Death Wish II (1982), and his notable credits include supporting roles in Clint Eastwood’s Sudden Impact (1983) and Alien Nation (1988), as well as...

Kevyn Major Howard, known for appearing as Rafterman in the 1987 Stanley Kubrick Vietnam War film Full Metal Jacket, has died at the age of 69.

“Kevyn Major Howard gave and gave and gave so much to the world and especially the men and women of our armed forces,” wrote his friend and former co-star Matthew Modine on X in a tribute. “He became famous for his role of ‘Rafterman’ in Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket. His portrayal gave him a unique entrée into the world of the US Marine Corps. This led him on a decades-long journey to be in service of our nation’s bravest. Thank you for your dedication to others and to America. May all the gods bless you Kevyn. Rest in peace. #SemperFidelis“

He attached a photo from set featuring the “Lusthog Squad,” which included Howard alongside himself and co-stars Sal Lopez, Gary Landon Mills and Adam Baldwin.

Kevyn Major Howard, the actor and photographer best known for his role as "Rafterman" in Stanley Kubrick's acclaimed film Full Metal Jacket, has passed away. He was 69 years old.

Per TMZ, Howard died on Friday, Feb. 7, while surrounded by loving family and friends at a hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada. A cause of death was not shared, but the actor's family said he had been hospitalized for weeks with respiratory issues. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Howard's honor directly to FueledBytheFallen.org, a nonprofit established to help provide aid to veterans and first responders in need of assistance.

Howard was born on Jan. 27, 1956, in Montreal, Quebec, but with his dual citizenship, he relocated from Canada to Los Angeles, California, to embark on a career in show business. In 1981, he appeared in the hit TV show CHiPs, and he followed this up...

This August, Paramount+ is bringing you a lot of entertainment with the highly anticipated streaming release of the biographical film Bob Marley: One Love and a very weird but humorous and heartfelt film Sasquatch Sunset, which follows the daily lives of a Sasquatch family. However, for the purposes of this article, we are only including the films that are coming to Paramount+ this month and have a 90% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score. So, check out the 10 best films that are coming to Paramount+ in August 2024 with a 90% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score.

Airplane! (August 1)

Airplane! is a disaster absurdist comedy film written and directed by Jim Abrahams, David, and Jerry Zucker. Based on the 1957 drama film Zero Hour! by Arthur Hailey, Hall Bartlett, and John Champion, the 1980 film follows Ted Striker, a former pilot with a fear of flying as he finds himself in the impossible situation of landing a...

Director Jeff Nichols opens up about the scrapped Alien Nation remake, calling it a "heartbreaker" and revealing the progress they had made before it was scrapped. Nichols spent four years working on the project and had a script and cast "ready to go" before it was cancelled. Despite the setback, Nichols is hopeful that the script can still be made into a film under Paramount, although it may not be an Alien Nation remake.

An ill-fated remake of the cult '80s science-fiction movie Alien Nation is recalled by its director. Released in 1988, Alien Nation was directed by Graham Baker and starred James Caan, Mandy Patinkin, Terence Stamp, and Kevyn Major Howard. The movie's plot imagines an alternate reality of 1988 when humans make their first contact with aliens, and then three years later, become gradually integrated into human society. At one point, director Jeff Nichols was attached to remake the sci-fi cult classic,...

September 7, 1940, was a beautiful warm day in London, with many people enjoying the fine weather (via Newham Photos). That all changed around teatime when the air raid sirens wailed and over 300 German bombers, supported by over 600 fighter planes, swarmed over the city. One of their main targets was the industrial hub in the East End and Docklands, and the sprawling Beckton Gas Works was hit with high explosives and firebombs.

By the time the all-clear sounded around dawn the next morning, 146 people had lost their lives. That day became known as "Black Saturday" and marked the beginning of the Blitz, with another 56 consecutive nights of bombing rocking the capital. After the war, the Beckton site underwent a huge reconstruction project and became one of the largest gas works in the world until its closure in 1976. Then, over 40 years after the Luftwaffe tried to level it, an American director named Stanley Kubrick...

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment announced today that Full Metal Jacket, Stanley Kubrick's acclaimed 1987 Vietnam War masterpiece, will be released on Ultra HD Blu-ray and Digital on September 22. Based on Gustav Hasford's 1979 novel "The Short-Timers," Full Metal Jacket was produced and directed by Kubrick from a screenplay by Kubrick, Michael Herr and Hasford.

The film stars Matthew Modine, Adam Baldwin, Vincent D'Onofrio, Lee Ermey, Dorian Harewood, Arliss Howard, Kevyn Major Howard (Alien Nation), and Ed O'Ross (Dick Tracy). Jan Harlan served as Executive Producer and Philip Hobbs served as Co-Producer.

Full Metal Jacket was nominated for an Oscar&#174 at the 60th Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay for Stanley Kubrick, Michael Herr and Gustav Hasford.

Recognized as one of the most accomplished, innovative, and influential directors in film history, Stanley Kubrick was a perfectionist who maintained complete artistic control and privacy during the shooting, and even the subsequent marketing of his movies.

I only met R. Lee Emery once. It was brief, it was bold and it was great. I had just finished my first film, “Return to Tarawa,” which featured Ed Harris and recounted the bloody Battle of Tarawa in 1943, and I was able to give him a DVD in Las Vegas. He was very polite and thanked me for my service to America. I was in shock that he said that to me, and it has stayed with me ever since.

Yesterday, the final red carpet was rolled out for R. Lee, most known for his iconic role as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Stanley Kubrick’s legendary 1987 tale of the United States Marine Corp, “Full Metal Jacket.”

It was a perfect blue sky and sunny southern California morning, as I drove out to the Simi Valley funeral home where Gunny was in perfect peace in his dress blues in a gorgeous flag-draped mahogany casket.

Also Read: R Lee Ermey, 'Full Metal Jacket' Actor, Dies at 74

In death, he looked very much like he did in life, with his white Marine gloves holding tightly onto a Heath candy bar, and the ribbons on his dress blues shining as brightly as the California sun. I saluted him and said “Godspeed, Marine.”

I was joined by Kevyn Major Howard, who played Rafterman in “Full Metal Jacket,” along with Tim Colceri, who played the door gunner with the catchphrase “Get Some!” Both men were somber and traded stories about their time on the set with Kubrick and R. Lee.

“R. Lee was clever,” Colceri told me. “The part of Gunnery Sergeant Hartman was originally mine,” he went on to say with a laugh. R. Lee convinced Kubrick to let him train on set with the crew, and it became apparent very quickly that R. Lee had done some serious preparation, and Kubrick decided to put him in the part instead.

Also Read: Is There More to 'The Shining'? 'Long Cuts' of Kubrick Film up for Auction in Italy

Photo: Steven C. Barber

“It worked out fine,” Colceri said. “I have been in 60 movies, and everyone remembers my lines from the chopper flight as the gunner with Rafterman and Joker. R. Lee was more clever than I was, and he deserved the part,” he said. “I am just here to say goodbye, as a friend and a Marine.”

Howard, who attended the service with with his family, said his work on “Full Metal Jacket” has allowed him to live his dream of going around the country to promote his Fueled by the Fallen charity that displaces and races memorial cars for fallen military members and public safety personnel. “Today was Gunny’s last escort,” he said.

A special detachment of the Marine Honor guard gave a final salute to Sgt. Ermey, closed the casket and rolled it to the waiting hearse, with the Usmc crown and anchor on both front doors.

Also Read: 11 Iconic Stanley Kubrick Scenes in Honor of Kubrick Day, From 'Spartacus' to 'The Shining'

We arrived at a church in Palmdale, 200 people along with 12 Marines in dress blues, and a bagpiper blew the Marine Corps anthem for a final goodbye. A poem was read and 12 doves released, before the casket was carried into the church.

After producing two films about the Marines’ work in the Pacific, I was honored to be part of saying goodbye to this iconic and incredibly loved U.S. Marine and Hollywood legend. R. Lee Emery will always be on TV, a smartphone or a website, 24/7, for the rest of humanity.

“Outstanding” and Semper Fi, Marine.

Read original story A Final Salute to Us Marine and Hollywood Legend R Lee Ermey (Guest Blog) At TheWrap...

Stanley Kubrick’s Vietnam war masterpiece “Full Metal Jacket” will open this year’s HollyShorts Film Festival, care of an opening night celebration on August 10. The opening night festivities will coincide with the iconic feature’s thirtieth anniversary — the film first bowed back in June of 1987 — and star Matthew Modine will be on hand to participate in a special post-screening Q&A.

Kubrick’s instant classic depiction of Vietnam — and really, war in general — was based on Gutav Hasford’s novel “The Short-Timers,” which Kubrick sparked to after seeking material for a war film for years. The film stars Modine, Adam Baldwin, Vincent D’Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey, Dorian Harewood, Arliss Howard, Kevyn Major Howard, and Ed O’Ross and follows a motley crew of Marines as they train for and eventually go to battle in Vietnam. The film was a lauded success, and earned an Oscar nod for Best Adapted Screenplay.

20th Century Fox is developing a reboot of the 1988 sci-fi movie Alien Nation, with Iron Man writers Art Marcum and Matt Holloway coming aboard to write the screenplay. The project doesn't have a producer on board at this stage. The studio is envisioning a re-imagining of the original movie, with the hopes of starting a franchise similar to their rebooted Planet of the Apes movies.

The original Alien Nation was set in a future where humans and an alien race were forced to co-exist with each other, as the humans keep the alien species segregated from the general population with very little rights. The plot followed the first ever alien police officer (Mandy Patinkin) on Earth, who is paired up with a racially-biased cop (James Caan). Although they have their differences, a case comes up that causes them to form a mutual respect for one another. The original movie spawned...

We have added a set pictures from the event Honoring Our Heroes Expo at StubHub! Center on November 11, 2014. Guests included 9/11 Angel Tribute Cars, Dave Shelton, Jaime Charoen, Margeaux Vallee, Vee Ly, Sam Sarpong and Alisha Alexander, Jamie Charoen and Sam Sarpong, Miss Wheelchair 2013 and Kevyn Major Howard, Sam Sarpong, Jamie Charoen, Brenda Lombas and Sam Sarpong, Sam Sarpong and The Boy London Army Models, The Boy London Army Models and Jamie Charoen, Miss Wheelchair 2013, Brenda Lombas, Gayle Parks and Brenda Lombas and Eric Zuley. Photos are copyright by Gisele Rebeiro / PR Photos. 9/11 Angel Tribute […]...

In his 30 years on the big screen, Matthew Modine has worked with some of the most talented and revered directors, including Robert Altman, Oliver Stone, and most recently, Christopher Nolan. But there remains one director and one production experience that people never fail to ask him about. “What was Stanley like?” says Modine. “You can see it coming out of people’s mouths before they say it.”

Stanley, of course, is the incomparable Stanley Kubrick, and their collaboration, Full Metal Jacket, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this week with a new special edition Blu-ray. The 1987 Vietnam epic was essentially two...

As part of its new monthly series Back Stage at the SAG Foundation, Back Stage presented the panel "Picture This: Your Headshot From Every Angle" May 12 to a packed crowd at the SAG Foundation in Los Angeles. Speakers included casting directors Marci Liroff, Geralyn Flood, and Stuart Stone and photographers Kevyn Major Howard, Alan Weissman, Sara Corwin, and Jeff E Photo. The event was moderated by Back Stage research and casting editor Jessica Gardner. From the outset, this discussion proved to be lively, with Stone calling out photographers who charge actors more than $375 for headshots. Three out of the four photographers on the panel charge more than that, so it sparked an instant debate that lasted throughout the two-hour event.The panel had tension, drama, plenty of arguing, and strong opinions, but, most important, it was honest. Audience members who volunteered to have their headshots critiqued received candid evaluations from the CDs and photographers.

This book has been out for a while, but many Charles Bronson fans may not know of it's existence because of limited distribution. Bronson's Loose! is author Paul Talbot's meticulously researched ode to the Death Wish series starting with the 1974 box-office smash hit and extending through the film's deterioration into cartoon-like entries. Still, it's a fascinating read and one that any Bronson fan would want in their library.

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In the summer of 1974 the movie Death Wish stunned audiences with its powerful story of an enraged businessman who hits the streets with a handgun to avenge the brutal violation of his wife and daughter. The film packed theaters with cheering moviegoers, became one of the highest-grossing and most controversial movies of the year, and turned star Charles Bronson into the hottest screen icon in the world. Over the next twenty years, four increasingly-violent sequels delivered thrills to...