Public Enemies (1996) (V)

User Rating:

2.8/10   

Director:

Mark L. Lester

Writer:

C. Courtney Joyner (writer)

Release Date:

19 April 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller | Crime

Tagline:

No one could stop them.

Plot:

Glorified and glamourized fact-based tale of Ma Barker and her boys who robbed banks and generally terrorized...

Plot Keywords:

Ma Barker | Bank | 1930s | Violence | Kidnapping

Cast

Leah Best	...	Young Kate Clarke
Chip Heller	...	Mr. Clarke
Theresa Russell	...	Kate 'Ma' Barker
Richard Eden	...	George Barker
Tom Ward	...	Paymaster
Brent O'Plotnik	...	Herman Barker at 11 years
Trevor Meeks	...	Lloyd Barker at 10 years
Joseph Lindsey	...	Herman Barker
Joe Dain	...	Lloyd Barker (as Joseph Dain)
James Marsden	...	Doc Barker
Gavin Harrison	...	Freddie Barker
Terry D. Seago	...	Tall Sheriff
Brian Peck	...	J. Edgar Hoover
Dan Cortese	...	Melvin Purvis
Grant Cramer	...	Sam Cowley

Also Known As:

Public Enemy #1
Public Enemy No. 1 (USA) (TV title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence, some sex scenes, drug use and language.

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:MA | Germany:18 (video premiere) | Spain:13 | UK:15 (video premiere) | USA:R | Spain:18

Filming Locations:

Guthrie, Oklahoma, USA

Company:

American World Pictures (AWP)

Trivia:

Kathy Bates was originally cast in Theresa Russell's role.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The final shootout between Ma Barker and Melvin Purvis is captioned to have occurred in Lake "Wier" when in fact the location is near Lake Weir.

Quotes:

Kate "Ma" Barker: You said, "Dead by Christmas." Is that the kind of chance you're talking about?
Melvin Purvis: You can't believe everything you read in the papers. I'm the F.B.I., not a bounty hunter.
Herman Barker: No difference.

One of the All Time Worst Movies

Wow, pretty amazing that something this bad could actually be made. I am giving this movie a 2 because it is so bad it has a certain "car wreck" kind of appeal. Its so bad its comical and that does have a certain entertainment value. Plus there is a bit of gratuitous nudity and that is always appreciated.

So where do I begin. The acting is beyond awful, its like you are watching a high school play being filmed. Theresa Russell must have done something really bad to have been forced to make this movie and her acting reflects how happy she is to be in the middle of this mess.

The rest of the cast is simply silly with the casting of Dan Cortese as an FBI agent the cherry on the top of this piece of crap. His acting actually had me laughing at loud.

As for the screenplay and the directing C. Courtney Joyner and Mark L. Lester should simply be taken out back and shot.