Trivia / Hamburger Hill

• Backed by the Pentagon: During pre-production, the script was sent for military approval. Ironically, the only thing DOD wanted in return for support was to cut down on sexual content with the prostitutes, but otherwise approved the script and provided the material support needed. Most importantly, the bleak, nihilistic ending was ultimately left intact.
• California Doubling: The Philippines standing in for Vietnam.
• Dueling Works: Released a day after the legendary Full Metal Jacket, with a no-name cast and a B-lister director. Figure out the rest.
• Executive Meddling: At least as far as John Irvin, the director, is concerned. The movie was ready by autumn 1986. However, Paramount execs were unsure about such unpopular subject as the Vietnam War and just waited with a finished movie to see how Platoon by other studio will do in the box office. Not only did this miss the chance to be a forerunner for the entire slew of Vietnam War movies, but then, by the time the film was prepared for release, Stanley Kubrick pushed Warner Bros. to rush the release of Full Metal Jacket, precisely to come out before Hamburger Hill. The end result was a Box Office Bomb, all thanks to overly cautious execs being afraid of a potential bomb.
• The Shelf of Movie Languishment: Finished by September 1986, released almost a year later. This cost the movie any chance it had at the box office, since both Platoon and Full Metal Jacket came out earlier.

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