Actor R. Lee Ermey, best known for playing the drill sergeant in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, is claiming that Kubrick phoned him shortly before his death in February 1999 to tell him that Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman "had their way with him" on the set of Eyes Wide Shut, that he was "disgusted" with the finished film and thought it was a "piece of s--t."
Sorry, but I don't buy Ermey's story, and not just because I'm a fan of the movie. It was Kubrick who kept Cruise and Kidman sequestered on a London soundstage for nearly two years during the filming of the movie, and not the other way around. Whatever you might think of Eyes Wide Shut, Kubrick was clearly the one calling the shots on that set.
Besides, Kubrick would not hesitate to get rid of an actor who wasn't giving him what he wanted: Both Harvey Keitel and Jennifer Jason Leigh were part of the original cast of Eyes Wide Shut, but both were replaced during production. Kubrick may not have been the eccentric weirdo he was reputed to be, but he certainly wasn't the "shy timid little guy" that Ermey describes, either.
I'm guessing Ermey is probably just looking to get a little attention for his newest movie, which needs all the help it can get.
Whether it was Tim and Nicole's fault, or Kubrick's, the final result speaks for itself: "Eyes Wid Shut" is awful.
Honestly, how anyone can rank Kubrick among the five or 10 greatest directors is beyond me. And, yes, I know a lot of people regard him as such.
Posted by: Juan | October 06, 2006 at 03:39 PM
That should be "Eyes Wide Shut."
Posted by: Juan | October 06, 2006 at 03:40 PM
Rene>
I guess Mr. Ermey won't be attending the screenings of "Full Metal Jacket" and "Eyes Wide Shut" at the Miami Beach Cinematheque at November's Kubrick Retrospective, but actor Gary Landon Mills, who was also in "Full Metal", will be there...with another story or two about working with Kubrick. And Surprise...it's all good!
Posted by: Dana Keith | October 07, 2006 at 04:24 PM
I had comments about this movie when it came out and after hearing these allegations, had to comment further. Rene knows more than I on this matter, but I agree with him that it was Kubrick's name on the screenplay, and ultimately his responsibility if it was "Eyes Wide Sh*t"
http://www.extremegossip.com/showthread.php?t=3208
Posted by: Rob Boyte | December 29, 2006 at 07:50 AM