I've got a question about Full Metal Jacket.

GelflingJohn · 03-24-2005, 04:01 AM

What was it with the other soldiers pounding at the fat soldier Pyle in the belly with soap & towels?

jriseden · 03-28-2005, 04:09 PM

They did that to punish him because they were sick of having to do all the extra push ups and laps because of his stupid mistakes.

thomashton · 11-03-2005, 10:35 PM

In the military it's called a "blanket party".

It is used to "straighten out" screw ups who are causing the rest of the company or platoon to lose passes, do more push ups, get extra duty, or whatever. In this case it seemed to work on Pvt. "Pile". The idea of him shooting his drill instructor is pretty far fetched and mostly a product of an anti-military/anti-war movie.

All trainee weapons and everybody else's weapons for that matter are locked up in the armory every day after use. The one exception of course is on a deployment in a hostile environment/war.

Blanket parties are now frowned upon by the Army. When I was in basic training back in 1998 we were told not to do it, although there were a lot of jokes suggesting one by the drill sergeants to help a screw up. None ever happened in my class, but they are something in the Army culture.

They really aren't that prevelant anymore, but definately talked about. The soap in the sock was so you could swing it pretty fast, but not punch and supposedly it won't leave a bruise like a fist will. Don't know--never given nor received a blanket party. Supposedly, another great insert for the sock is an orange and will hurt like crazy, but will give and not leave a bruise.

Dilmo · 11-03-2005, 10:44 PM

Nevermind.

tomdkat · 11-03-2005, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thomashton

In the military it's called a "blanket party".

I thought it was called a "Code Red". I mean Demi Moore said that, right?

Peace...

Dilmo · 11-03-2005, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomdkat

I thought it was called a "Code Red". I mean Demi Moore said that, right?

Peace...

That is way more serious, and Tom Cruise used it also in A Few Good Men. I take you are talking about G.I. Jane?

tomdkat · 11-03-2005, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dilmo

That is way more serious, and Tom Cruise used it also in A Few Good Men. I take you are talking about G.I. Jane?

Nope, A Few Good Men is what I was referring to. In that movie, they described a "garden variety" Code Red. Demi Moore raised the idea of

Spoiler (Highlight or Triple Click to Read):
Private Willie [I forget] being murdered

as being a "Code Red" and Tom Cruise ended up going with that in the court case.

Peace...

Dilmo · 11-04-2005, 12:53 AM

Okay, they both used it. Fair?

MooglePorn · 11-04-2005, 01:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dilmo

Okay, they both used it. Fair?

The whole movie was about it.

Lex M · 11-04-2005, 01:03 AM

GI JANE rules.

MooglePorn · 11-04-2005, 01:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lex M

GI JANE rules.

I've never seen it. That and Kingdom Under Fire are probably the only Scott movies I can say that about.

tomdkat · 11-04-2005, 04:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dilmo

Okay, they both used it. Fair?

Yeah, that's fair but I'm one for accuracy, you know that.

Peace...

LemJe · 11-04-2005, 07:56 PM

I went through Maine Corps boot camp in 1989 and at that time we still used the term banket party. I remember seeing "A Few Good Men" at the theatre and thinking that the Marines in Cuba must be strange because I had never heard of a code red.
As far as whether blanket paries or code reds are still used or not, I cant speak for the army but in the Marine Corps I saw I saw a couple. Never as severe as the one in Full Metal Jacket. Ussually someon just pretty much getting beat in the middle of the night by the entire platoon. I know the whole idea seems pretty rough but unless you have been there its hard to imagine the unblievable amount of stress a person is under in bootcamp. Add to that that you have someone hat is constantly makeing it so you have to work even harder and it all builds up.

Dilmo · 11-04-2005, 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomdkat

Yeah, that's fair but I'm one for accuracy, you know that.

Peace...

You just can't handle the truth!

dhmacg · 11-16-2005, 01:53 AM

If anyone is interesting in reading The Short-Timers, the short novel upon which Full Metal Jacket was based, it's available online:

http://www.gustavhasford.com/short.htm

trevanian · 06-30-2006, 05:08 AM

Amazing the guy has got a website. I remember he was supposedly jailed for having stolen thousands of library book during the 70s and 80s (guess that Bookman from SEINFELD must have busted him.)

I've read the Haford book, but for the life of me I don't know why Kubrick didn't choose NO BUGLES NO DRUMS instead. Easily the best VietNam novel I've ever read, and yet nobody ever adapted it. I think Coppola grabbed some stuff out of it for APOC (a lot of the narrator's lines are classics, like when he describes a fellow trooper's rebel yell as being so shrill that it "curdled my sperm.")

Nicholas S. Folsom · 05-13-2007, 06:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dhmacg

If anyone is interesting in reading The Short-Timers, the short novel upon which Full Metal Jacket was based, it's available online:

http://www.gustavhasford.com/short.htm

THANK YOU, dhmacg! I've been interested in reading Hasford's Short-Timers ever since I drew my own Full Metal Jacket poster back when I was in school.

03-24-2005, 04:01 AM	#1 (permalink)
GelflingJohn Supporting Actor Join Date: Dec 2004	I've got a question about Full Metal Jacket. What was it with the other soldiers pounding at the fat soldier Pyle in the belly with soap & towels?

11-03-2005, 10:35 PM	#3 (permalink)
thomashton Actor Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: University of Margaritaville, Northern Utah Branch	In the military it's called a "blanket party". It is used to "straighten out" screw ups who are causing the rest of the company or platoon to lose passes, do more push ups, get extra duty, or whatever. In this case it seemed to work on Pvt. "Pile". The idea of him shooting his drill instructor is pretty far fetched and mostly a product of an anti-military/anti-war movie. All trainee weapons and everybody else's weapons for that matter are locked up in the armory every day after use. The one exception of course is on a deployment in a hostile environment/war. Blanket parties are now frowned upon by the Army. When I was in basic training back in 1998 we were told not to do it, although there were a lot of jokes suggesting one by the drill sergeants to help a screw up. None ever happened in my class, but they are something in the Army culture. They really aren't that prevelant anymore, but definately talked about. The soap in the sock was so you could swing it pretty fast, but not punch and supposedly it won't leave a bruise like a fist will. Don't know--never given nor received a blanket party. Supposedly, another great insert for the sock is an orange and will hurt like crazy, but will give and not leave a bruise. __________________ "I help those who help themselves!" -Zoidberg Jesus The Good Stuff

11-04-2005, 07:56 PM	#13 (permalink)
LemJe Actor Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Kernersville, NC, USA	I went through Maine Corps boot camp in 1989 and at that time we still used the term banket party. I remember seeing "A Few Good Men" at the theatre and thinking that the Marines in Cuba must be strange because I had never heard of a code red. As far as whether blanket paries or code reds are still used or not, I cant speak for the army but in the Marine Corps I saw I saw a couple. Never as severe as the one in Full Metal Jacket. Ussually someon just pretty much getting beat in the middle of the night by the entire platoon. I know the whole idea seems pretty rough but unless you have been there its hard to imagine the unblievable amount of stress a person is under in bootcamp. Add to that that you have someone hat is constantly makeing it so you have to work even harder and it all builds up. __________________ Get busy living......or get busy dying. My Little Collection

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

03-28-2005, 04:09 PM	#2 (permalink)
jriseden Actor Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: los angeles	They did that to punish him because they were sick of having to do all the extra push ups and laps because of his stupid mistakes.

11-03-2005, 10:44 PM	#4 (permalink)
Dilmo Suspended Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: New Braunfels, Texas. Far From Crawford!	Nevermind.

11-04-2005, 12:53 AM	#8 (permalink)
Dilmo Suspended Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: New Braunfels, Texas. Far From Crawford!	Okay, they both used it. Fair?

11-04-2005, 01:03 AM	#10 (permalink)
Lex M Actor Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Los Angeles	GI JANE rules.

11-16-2005, 01:53 AM	#15 (permalink)
dhmacg Supporting Actor Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Atlanta, GA USA	If anyone is interesting in reading The Short-Timers, the short novel upon which Full Metal Jacket was based, it's available online: http://www.gustavhasford.com/short.htm

06-30-2006, 05:08 AM	#16 (permalink)
trevanian Actor Join Date: Feb 2004	Amazing the guy has got a website. I remember he was supposedly jailed for having stolen thousands of library book during the 70s and 80s (guess that Bookman from SEINFELD must have busted him.) I've read the Haford book, but for the life of me I don't know why Kubrick didn't choose NO BUGLES NO DRUMS instead. Easily the best VietNam novel I've ever read, and yet nobody ever adapted it. I think Coppola grabbed some stuff out of it for APOC (a lot of the narrator's lines are classics, like when he describes a fellow trooper's rebel yell as being so shrill that it "curdled my sperm.")