84C MoPic (1989)
- Cody Iden
- Oct 21, 2021
- 2 min read
Release Date - April 7, 1989
Synopsis:
A cameraman nicknamed "MoPic" by his squad is tasked with filming a supposedly routine Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol mission during the Vietnam War.
Directed by - Patrick Sheane Duncan
Written by - Patrick Sheane Duncan
Produced by - Michael Nolin
Cinematography - Alan Caso
Music by - Donovan
Distribution Company - New Century Vista Film Company
Cast:
Jonathan Emerson - LT
Nicholas Cascone - Easy
Jason Tomlins - Pretty Boy
Christopher Burgard - Hammer
Glenn Morshower - Cracker
Richard Brooks - OD
and Byron Thames - MoPic
Russ Thurman - Unknown Role
Joseph Hieu - Vietnamese Prisoner
Don Schiff - Unknown Role
Run Time - 1 hr. 35 min. Rated - R
Budget - Unknown Gross - $154,264
Review:
Director Patrick Sheane Duncan manages to bring together a believable and sometimes harrowing look at a group of soldiers during the Vietnam War on a shoestring budget. The camaraderie between these seven men comes across as natural and authentic. Despite this, little happens until the second half of the film when the men are presented with several harrowing encounters that test everything they've been through during the War. The film is original in its decision to simply follow the routine daily experiences of a military unit with little to no embellishment of the story and because of its early use of found footage, ten years before that concept was popularized by The Blair Witch Project in 1999. While the film is competently made and even regarded as one of the most authentic films set during the Vietnam War, it gives the audience little to be interested in until over the halfway point in the film and the first 45 minutes can become somewhat tedious for the viewer.
My Score: 64
Plot - 6 Cinematography - 6
Attraction - 6 Editing & Special Effects - 6
Theme - 7 Sound & Music - 6
Acting - 6 Directing - 8
Dialogue - 7 Enjoyability – 6
Trivia:
"84 Charlie MoPic" comes from the Army Military Occupational Security Code "84C", which was used for a Motion Picture cameraman during the Vietnam War era.
The movie is one of the earlier examples of found footage films, a style that would later be popularized by The Blair Witch Project (1999) and Paranormal Activity (2007). As of 1989 only a few obscure instances existed prior to the release of 84C MoPic.
Despite being set in Vietnam, the entire movie was filmed in Southern California.
Actor Glenn Morshower, who plays Cracker in the film, went on to have a long career playing military types in everything from the TV series 24 (2001-2009), to movies like Godzilla (1998), Pearl Harbor (2001) and the Transformers films (2007-2017)
Actor Richard Brooks, who plays OD, went on to star on Law & Order as Paul Robinette from 1990-2006 appearing as a main cast member for the first three seasons of the show and then as a recurring character.
The film was also released as Platoon 2 in the Philippines.
Availability:
Watched in September, 2021
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