When I posted the video of Brian Atene’s Full Metal Jacket audition tape last month, I knew it was possible his performance was a joke, not a serious attempt to impress Stanley Kubrick. After watching the video a few more times, I became fairly convinced that Atene made the tape simply to amuse himself … and I got a sinking feeling that I had fallen for a prank. Whatever his motivations were, the tape is hilarious: If it was a joke, it’s a funny one; if it wasn’t a joke, the hubris and scenery-chewing are stunning to watch.

Well, Brian Atene himself has posted a video response to his 1984 tape, and he more or less admits that the video wasn’t a joke. This isn’t one of the lame fake Atene videos that popped up on YouTube in the wake of the original video—it really is Atene this time.

If you skip the first two (very weird) minutes, this new video is pretty entertaining. Atene seems off his rocker, but he’s also weirdly charismatic. Among other things, he says he didn’t actually send the famous tape to Kubrick; he made two tapes and ended up submitting the other one.

[via someone on Echo.]