Home Forums Miscellaneous Topics Movie, Book, and Music Review Public Enemies

I got to see the movie "Public Enemies" yesterday afternoon.
And, I am taking the VarmintWife to see it tonight.
She was unable to go yesterday (the opening day here in Dillon, Montana).
I enjoyed it very much on many levels - it was action packed - it was suspenseful - it was surprising - it had lots of blood and gore and MOST importantly it had close ups of lots of COOL guns!
I would give it a 95 on a scale of 1 to 100.
I really, really liked it.
It may have some unfactual instances and scenes - I am not that familiar with John Dillinger and his run ins with the law but if you want a double popcorn bag full of entertainement and excitement and great old guns by all means go see "Public Enemies" on the big screen.
On second thought, I will give "Public Enemies" a 96!
I held back a point or two on my scale because Johnny Depp is such a liberal puke in real life - but he is sure a great actor.
Hope you all get to see it and enjoy it as much as I did - I won't reveal any of the plot twists or story telling methods but will say this a person MUST pay attention to the story all along to get the full plot.
No bathroom breaks then, and its about 2 hours and 10 minutes long.
Can't wait to see it again tonight.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

it shows up here on Friday.......may knock off work an hour early and go to the 4 o'clock show....

Rattler: I was just up in your corner of the state on an extended Prairie Dog Hunt a couple weeks ago - north of Miles City I did not see a movie theatre!
I hope you don't have to drive to far to see the show and I certainly hope you enjoy it.
Drive careful.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Miles City is a ways south and west from me....2 and a half hour drive.......ive got to walk all of a block from work to hit the theater here in Wolf Point.....we have two screens even add that to the fact the wife is a co-manager of it and i dont even have to pay to get in

I liked it.

Rattler: Wow! Good for you and the "benefit" (movie situation!) in that regard.
Enjoy that situation!
I think the movie theater in Baker, Montana (way south of you) is for sale. I was through there a couple years ago and a for sale sign was in the marquee thing.
I always wanted to own a movie theater (free popcorn!).
Alas my wife decided to spawn kind of late in life and I am just this December going to have 2 boys graduating from two out of state colleges with two degrees apiece.
Its been a trying 6 1/2 years of late!
I am to old now to be starting up another business.
Hope all is well up Wolf Point way.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Look for the biography of Melvin Purvis, "Vendetta".
It is good to read after seeing the movie.

I friend of mine owns some of Dillinger's guns, which he got from Purvis. I'll PM you the photos. Johnny Depp and the actor who played Purvis visited with him and spent time getting down the mannerisms of Purvis, Dillinger and other G-men.

Lee24: Interesting information.
My E-mail is VarmintGuyaol.com
Thanks
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

finally saw it last night.....good movie.....not outstanding but worth seeing.....course i also had alot on my mind yesterday aswell....

VarmintGuy,
I am looking on some backup drives for where I put the digital photos of Dillinger's stuff. Some of it has some glare from a lamp, so I may reshoot them with a better camera, using a Polarizing filter.

Good God, when are you all going to stop falling for Lee24's bullshit?

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/2925575/1

As for the movie, understand that it was a FICTIONALIZED account of John Dillinger's last year on Earth.

Bricktop,
I will try to take some new photos tomorrow, with a note to you in the photo.

If you receive public television, ask them to get a copy of the 2009 documentary on Melvin Purvis, which interviews my friend. It is available in the public television system.

Bricktop: What did you think of the movie itself?
Were you entertained?
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I think it was entertaining and I think Michael Mann captured the spirit of what occurred with tracking Dillinger and his gang; the FBI is portrayed as in over their heads (they were) and desperate to catch him (also true), while Dillinger and his gang are also portrayed as desperate not to get caught. However, I think Mann took an overly sympathetic view of Dillinger.

Bricktop: In my 29 year career as a POH-lice I caught MORE than my share of bank robbers.
By more than my share I mean I took down 6 of them.
That does't sound like many - and its not. But I worked my whole street career on the "graveyard" shift (from 8:00 PM until 4:00 AM!) and all the banks were closed well before I started my shifts.
I used methods not to much different than Purvis did - informants are a critical. I used informants to capture 3 of those 6 bank robbers and the other three fell to a method/tactic I do not wish to discuss publicly!
Bottom line is bank robbers DESPERATELY do not want to be caught!
The punishment for bank robbery is way more severe than similar but less "federal" crimes! WAY MORE SEVERE.
Its always been that way and always will be.
I think the FBI back then was extremely undermanned and there were social sympathies from much of the public towards bank robbers back then - and that didn't help.
Glad you were entertained - more than indulging in a historical critique of the movie I enjoyed the armaments, the action, the photography and the old cars VERY much.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I am very well aware of the penalties for bank robbery; minimum 7-year sentence if a weapon was used, though most of the serial robbers who only produce a note but no weapon receive about a year or so. Federal sentencing guidelines are public record and widely reported in the newspaper as well. (One of the parents at my oldest daughter's birthday party a few years back was an FBI SA in charge of a bank robbery squad.) And no, it hasn't ALWAYS been like that. During the time portrayed in the movie, bank robbery wasn't a federal crime. (Taking a stolen car across state lines was and that was the FBI's actual interest in Dillinger.)

The FBI had only been carrying weapons a year or two prior to Dillinger's death and Hoover was desperate to transform the Bureau of Investigation into a professional law enforcement agency.

Bricktop: The FDIC began insuring bank deposits in 1933 and bank robbery has been a Federal offense since then!
Robbing a bank has always brought a more severe sentence than say robbing the local Woolworht's store!
IF you think a bank robber only gets sentenced to 1 year in the callaboose for robbing a bank then you are vastly misinformed!
Bank robbery is one crime you DO NOT want to be convicted of!
The Feds WILL seize any and all of your assets to the point of recovering all monies you may have originally stolen and for costs of investigating said crime!
AND if you have no assets at the time of your arrest/conviction then once you get out of Federal Prison and DO acquire assets the Feds WILL then seize those assets in the future until your "obligation" to the FDIC and the law enforcement agencies involved is met!
Hell if 1 year was the penalty for bank robbery I might even consider becoming a "note passer"?
Yeah just mosey on down to your local bank and pass them a note demanding money and see what a long term [bleep] falls on your head!
I am thinking of buying the DVD of Public Enemies when it comes out.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I held back a point or two on my scale because Johnny Depp is such a liberal puke in real life - but he is sure a great actor.


VG, I thought so too until I saw him on David jerk Letterman.
Said he was looking forward to his kids getting a little older
so he could start shooting with them.I almost fell out of my chair. Well, he didn't say every one should do it,but I never would have guessed that he liked to, Bob

BOBBALEE: I to have always held young Mr. Depp in great disdain because of his liberal bent - good for him taking his young'uns out to go shooting when they are old enough.
David Letterman is another liberal puke that I abhor!
That white sock wearing fruit ball is deserving of this major [bleep] that began heaping up on him, of recent!
It LITERALLY makes me sick that he owns land in Montana!
Theres an old saying (I forget how it goes exactly) about being young and liberal and then aging and gaining perspective and responsibility and becoming more and more traditional (conservative!) that I hope will apply to Mr. Depp!
I hope Mr. Depp lives a safe and long life and enjoys his progeny to the max - especially when they go out shooting together.
I would never have guessed!
Hold int the wind
VarmintGuy

VarmintGuy, I well understand your revulsion toward Letterman.

IF he had land in Texas I'd send him brochures about Oklahoma.

Good Hunting. Bob