A New Man

Vincent Phillip D’Onofrio, the roly-poly marine who blew out the back of his skull in “Full Metal Jacket,” really wants moviegoers to see his newest effort, “Signs of Life,” but he offers some reservations.

“It’s not a very high-concept picture,” says D’Onofrio of the molasses-paced drama set in a New England seaside village. “I don’t think my generation is really going to go see it. I think they’ll like ‘Lethal Weapon 2’ better, or the ‘Indiana Jones’ movie,” laments the now slimmed-down 28-year-old.

He does go on, however, expressing a desire for public acceptance of his little movie, because he didn’t do it for the money.

D’Onofrio, recently featured in “Mystic Pizza,” attributes his success so far to the legendary, reclusive Stanley Kubrick’s war drama that was not only his debut movie, but one he didn’t even have to audition for. Well into filming, “Full Metal” star Matthew Modine knew the part of Pyle was still uncast and suggested that D’Onofrio send Kubrick a videotape.

“The only thing that (was bad) about that film was that it took so long to make and I had to keep the weight on that long,” says D’Onofrio of the production that took well over a year to complete. D’Onofrio, a man after Robert De Niro’s own heart, feasted with frenzied abandon and gained more than 70 pounds for the movie.

However.

“Kubrick was a breeze to work with,” says D’Onofrio. “I don’t particularly think it’s (“Full Metal Jacket”) that great of a film, but it’s certainly a unique thing and you don’t see films like that often.”

Concluded D’Onofrio: “He’s a film maker, man.”