The Public Enemy

Starring:James Cagney, Jean Harlow, Edward Woods, Joan Blondell, Donald Cook, Leslie Fenton, Beryl Mercer, Robert Emmett O'Connor, Murray Kinnell, Mae Clarke, Frankie Darro, Helen Parrish, Ben Hendricks Jr., William H. Strauss, Robert Homans, Adele Watson, Purnell Pratt, Snitz Edwards, Landers Stevens, George Daly
Director: William A. Wellman, Alfred J. Goulding
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

For a knock-out combination of timeless entertainment and vintage studio history, you can't do much better than The Warner Brothers Gangsters Collection. In the 1930s and '40s, Paramount specialized in glossy comedies, MGM popularized lavish musicals, Universal produced signature horror classics, and Fox scored hits with sophisticated dramas. But it was Warner Bros. that generated controversy--if not always box-office profits--with so-called "social problem" films, and that meant gangsters. When viewed in their pre- and post-Prohibition context and in chronological order (Little Caesar and The Public Enemy, 1931; The Petrified Forest, 1936; Angels With Dirty Faces, 1938; The Roaring Twenties, 1939; White Heat, 1949), these six films definitively capture Warners' domination of the mobster genre, and to varying degrees, they all qualify as classics.

With its stilted visuals and pulpy plot, Little Caesar remains stuck in the stiff, early-sound era, but it's still a prototypical powerhouse, with Edward G. Robinson's titular "Rico" setting the stage for all screen gangsters to follow. The Public Enemy made James Cagney a star (who can forget him smashing a grapefruit into Mae Clarke's face?), and Humphrey Bogart repeats his Broadway success in The Petrified Forest, a stagy adaptation of Robert Sherwood's play, still enjoyable for Bogey's ever-threatening malevolence. Then it's a Cagney triple-threat in Angels (with Pat O'Brien), racketeering in The Roaring Twenties (with Bogart), and especially the jailbird classic White Heat, with a fiery finale and an exit line ("Made it Ma! Top o' the world!") that epitomized Cagney's iconic, tough-guy image. In many ways Cagney was Warner Bros., and this Gangsters Collection pays enduring tribute to him and the important films that forged the studio's rugged reputation. --Jeff Shannon

Description

The Public Enemy showcases James Cagney's powerful 1931 breakthrough performance as streetwise tough guy Tom Powers. When shooting began, Cagney had a secondary role but Zanuck soon spotted Cagney's screen dominance and gave him the star part. From that moment, an indelible genre classic and an enduring star career were both born.

As a psychotic thug devoted to his hard-boiled ma, James Cagney - older, scarier and just as elctrifying - gives a performance to match his work in The Public Enemy as White Heat's cold-blooded Cody Jarrett. Bracingly directed by Raoul Walsh, this fast-paced thriller tracing Jarrett's violent life in and out of jail is also a harrowing character study. Jarrett is a psychological time bomb ruled by impulse. It is among the most vivid screen performances of Cagney's career, and the excitement it generates will put you on top of the world!

In Angels with Dirty Faces, Cagney's Rocky Sullivan is a charismatic ghetto tough whose underworld rise makes him a hero to a gang of slum punks. The 1938 New York Film Critics Best Actor Award came Cagney's way, as well as one of the film's three Oscar nominations. Watch the chilling death-row finale and you'll know why.

"R-I-C-O, Little Caesar, that's who!" Edward G. Robinson bellowed into the phone. And Hollywood got the message: 37-year-old Robinson, not gifted with matinee-idol looks, was nonetheless a first-class star and moviegoers hailed the hard-hitting social consciousness dramas that became the Depression-era mainstay of Warner Bros.

Little Caesar is the tale of pugnacious Caesar Enrico Bandello, a hoodlum with a Chicago-sized chip on his shoulder, few attachments, fewer friends and no sense of underworld diplomacy. And Robinson - a genteel art collector who disdained guns (in the movie, his eyelids were taped to keep them from blinking when he fired a pistol) - was forever associated with the screen's archetypal gangster.

A rundown diner bakes in the Arizona heat. Inside, fugitive killer Duke Mantee sweats out a manhunt, holding disillusioned writer Alan Squier, young Gabby Maple and a handful of others hostage.

The Petrified Forest, Robert E. Sherwood's 1935 Broadway success about survival of the fittest, hit the screen a year later with Leslie Howard and Humphrey Bogart magnificently recreating their stage roles and Bette Davis ably reteaming with her Of Human Bondage co-star Howard. Sherwood first wanted Bogart for a smaller role. "I thought Sherwood was right," Bogart said. "I couldn't picture myself playing a gangster. So what happened? I made a hit as the gangster." So right was he that Howard refused to make the film without him...and helped launch Bogie's brilliant movie career.

In The Roaring Twenties, the speakeasy era never roared louder than in this gangland chronicle that packs a wallop under action master Raoul Walsh's direction. Against a backdrop of newsreel-like montages and narration, it follows the life of jobless war veteran Eddie Bartlett (James Cagney) who turns bootlegger, dealing in "bottles instead of battles." Battles await Eddie within and without his growing empire. Outside are territorial feuds and gangland bloodlettings. Inside is the treachery of his double-dealing associate (Humphrey Bogart). It would be 10 years before Cagney played another gangster (in White Heat), a time in which gangster movies themselves became rare. "He used to be a big shot," Panama Smith (Gladys George) says at the finale, marking Bartlett's demise...and signaling the end of Hollywood's focus on the gangster era.

Customer Reviews:

The prototype of a well-done boxed set.......2007-05-14

Kudos to Warner Home Video for the loving treatment they gave these six classic films from their vaults. Every film gets the Warner Night at the Movies treatment with a newsreel, a trailer, a vintage short subject, and a cartoon each from the year in which the movie was made. Plus there are commentary tracks for all of the films. I liked watching each film through first without the track, and then listening to them with the track turned on for insight into the stars and the style of the film. In addition to this you get the following featurettes:

Little Caesar - "End of Rico, Beginning of the Antihero"
Public Enemy - "Beer and Blood: Enemies of the Public"
Petrified Forest - "Menace in the Desert". There is also a radio adaptation featuring Humphrey Bogart, Tyrone Power, and Joan Bennett.
Angels with Dirty Faces - "Whaddaya Hear? Whaddaya Say?". This also has an audio-only radio production.
The Roaring Twenties - "The World Moves On"
White Heat - "Top of the World"

It's interesting to compare the three stars of these movies - Edward G. Robinson, James Cagney, and Humphrey Bogart - and their styles in each of these movies. "Little Caesar" and "Public Enemy" were made when prohibition was still in effect and gangland crime was still a big problem. Thus Robinson and Cagney each play remorseless criminals with no redeeming values whatsoever. Robinson's Rico is less physical than Cagney's Tom Powers, though. You believe that either one of them would shoot you without a second thought. However, Cagney's Powers is scarier because the real fear is that he would beat you to a pulp for the fun of it and THEN shoot you.

"The Petrified Forest" is not your typical gangster film, with Leslie Howard's vagabond being the real star in what amounts to an improbable romance set against the backdrop of the desperation of the Great Depression which the desert setting seems to signify. This 1936 film has Bogart as Duke Mantee, a gangster on the run, in what amounts to a supporting role. However, you do get to see all of the traits that made Bogart great when he got the opportunity to seize the lead in later roles. And to think they almost cast him as the filling station attendant in this one!

In 1938's "Angels with Dirty Faces" and 1939's "The Roaring Twenties" Cagney is again playing the lead gangster and Humphrey Bogart plays a supporting role in both films. With prohibition long over, though, these movies make Cagney's gangster more three-dimensional, showing him to even be a self-sacrificing character at times as well as a killer. Both movies bother to show that had circumstances been a little different, he might not have even become a criminal in the first place.

1949's "White Heat" shows the influence of film noir that was so popular in the 40's an 50's. Here, Cagney's gangster persona has come full circle back to the viciousness of Tom Powers in "Public Enemy". The big difference is that in this film Cagney's mother is no cream puff. She is, in fact, probably a bigger criminal in thought if not in deed than Cagney's Cody Jarrett. This final gangster film of the six shows technology and thus the law gaining on the criminal, with electronic gadgets and undercover lawmen with college degrees in psychology replacing the determined hard-boiled detectives and beat cops of the past. It very much looks forward to the Dragnet series that is to emerge in the 50's.

In summary, this is just a terrific package and basically acts as a complete course on the gangster film as genre. All studios should stand up and take notice of how Warner Home Video put this set together. Highly recommended.

FIve classic gangster flicks.......2007-01-31

Five classic gangster films from the glory days of Warner Bros.

Granted, "gangster film" isn't the most appropriate description of 1936's "The Petrified Forest," the film based on Sherwood Anderson's talky philosophical play, but if not for the dynamic presence of Humphrey Bogart as Duke Mantee, the "prestigious" production starring Leslie Howard and Bette Davis would likely now be relegated to the same vault that stores "She Loved a Fireman" (with Ann Sheridan) and other forgotten drek from the same period. It was this film that established Bogart as a valuable supporting player on the Warner lot, a position he would occupy until 1940's "High Sierra" made him a top star.

James Cagney and Edward G. Robinson would achieve stardom almost a decade earlier than Bogart with their breakthrough roles in 1931's "Public Enemy" and "Little Caesar" respectively. Directed by William Wellman, the former film holds up quite well despite the somewhat wooden performances of the supporting cast, whereas the latter is too stagy for its own good and remains of interest primarily for Robinson's dynamic performance.

1938's "Angels with Dirty Faces" and 1939's "The Roaring Twenties" are notable for pairing Cagney with Bogart, as adversaries in the former, and as partners, at least for a time, in the latter. Both are highly entertaining with "Angels" benefiting from the casting of the Dead End Kids.

The best film in this set, however, is 1948's "White Heat" with Cagney as Cody Jarrett who makes it to the "top of the world" only to have it blow up in his face. Jarrett ranks with Cagney's portrayal of George M. Cohen in "Yankee Doodle Dandy" as his finest performance.

Brian W. Fairbanks

Kudos for one of the best boxed sets ever.......2007-01-19

While all 6 titles in this set are worthy ones, the four Cagney entries are the ones that are the real jewels and make his claim to the throne of king of the classic gangsters. "White Heat" features his finest and most memorable characterization, a masterpiece of curdled mother love. Warner Brothers is currently giving Criterion a run for its money as the best producer of lovingly restored and well-packaged films on DVD.

Fabulous value, hours of fun.......2006-12-29

It doesn't get much better than this. Settle down with some popcorn, snuggle into your most comfy chair and get ready for hours of entertainment. The transfers of these DVD's are exceptional, especially on The Roaring Twenties and Angels with Dirty Faces. The quality of the other films is slightly less impressive, but still quite acceptable. Remember we're dealing with 75 year old films in the case of Little Caesar and Public Enemy. The audio transfers are also quite good.

The heart of the set is the magnificent 1949 classic, White Heat. This is my favorite gangster movie because of the psycopathic character, Cody Jarret. What a portrayal! Never in movie history has their such a intricately neurotic, mommy-obsessed, gun-toting murderer as Cody. Nobody else but Cagney could have pulled off this performance, which hasn't lost a beat in the intervening 55 years. The interplay between Cody and his mother is the stuff of legend. There isn't one unnecessary or boring moment in White Heat, it is magnificent.

One great thing about this release is that a new generation can grow to love and appreciate the talent of James Cagney. He dominates these films and he's as fresh and lovable as he was back in the 30's. His screen presence jumps out at you and even when he plays a thug, ya gotta love him. His charisma is palpable.

The weak movie here (and one which doesn't quite fit), is Petrified Forest, with Bogie's breakout performance. I would have preferred a George Raft movie in its place. Bogart's performances in the Cagney films is always as a cringing second banana and it's interesting to watch how Jimmy utterly dominates their screen pairing. They made three movies together and it's no surprise that Cagney guns down Bogie in every one!

Little Caesar now seems dated and the supporting cast is generally forgettable, especially the insipid Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. Edward G. Robinson is fabulous, as he always was, but the movie suffers the malady of most early talkers: overacting or over direction.

The extras on this DVD set are exceptional, especially the "Warner Bros. at the Movies." These contain a newsreel, a short, a cartoon and finally, the feature film itself. It allows the viewer to vicariously live through the 1930's. A real pleasure! My highest recommendation.

Great Value collection.......2006-07-24

Since Warner Brohters were famous for their gangster films, a boxed set of the most famous was logical and welcome. This set contains the best and most famous of those fims. More detailed reviews of each film can be viewed under their individual titles. By way of a quick summary:

- In 1930, "Little Ceasar" is the film based on the story of Al Capone which made Edward G Robinson a star but the film is antique and almost unwatchable today except for Robinson's towering performance.
- "The Public Enemy", made in 1931, was James Cagney's starmaking role and is very well directed by William Wellman.
- "The Petrified Forest" from 1936 is a film version of the play using Leslie Howard and Humphrey Bogart from the original Broadway production. Bogart plays a gangster holed up in a remote gas station taking hostage the occupants. The film has a poetic quality which dates it significantly.
- From 1938, "Angels with Dirty Faces" is one of the best of the gangster cycle with Cagney's award winning performance and a great cast, superbly directed by Michael Curtiz.
- In 1939, "The Roaring Twenties" just about the last in the cycle before film makers turned to the war, has an epic and documentary quality and summarises the whole prohibition era. It is very well made.
- In 1949, Cagney returned to the genre for one last role, maybe his best in "White Heat". His gangster now is psychopathic and the film has qualities similar to the popular film noir of the period.

The prints of the films are excellent with the exception of "Little Ceasar" which definitely shows its age. The extras include good featurettes about each film and if you view them in chronological order, you can pick up the continuity on the commentaries - 2 pre Hays Code implementation in 1934, 3 post code and pre war and 1 post war. There are many other extras including cartoons, newsreels and trailers as part of "Warners Night at the Movies". The package is outstanding value.

Average customer rating:

The Public Enemy
Great Cinema
The Public Enemy--an artistic yet forceful early look at the mob and their departed...
As a tsunami, nothing was able to stop Cagney once he was aroused, and no one even thought to try...
Cagney's first starring role and one of the first true talkies

The Public Enemy
Starring: James Cagney , Jean Harlow , Edward Woods , Joan Blondell , and Donald Cook
Director: William A. Wellman , and Alfred J. Goulding
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Angels With Dirty Faces
White Heat
The Roaring Twenties
Little Caesar
Dead End

ASIN: B0006HBV2S
Release Date: 2005-01-25

Amazon.com essential video

Director William Wellman (Wings), a World War I veteran who turned his experiences in battle into an insistence on unpretentious violence in his films, made Public Enemy a particularly brutal account of the rise and fall of a monstrous gangster (James Cagney). Cagney delivers one of the most famous performances in film history as the snarling crook who--in one of the film's most famous scenes--smashes a grapefruit into the face of Mae Clarke. The film's a bit dated, but its action scenes still pack an unusual wallop. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

The Public Enemy.......2007-06-21

Wellman's "The Public Enemy" launched the film career of a pugnacious Irish-American from Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen who started out as a dancer, only to become the toughest tough guy of them all: Jimmy Cagney, never cockier than he is here. Since organized crime was a fairly new and frightening epidemic at the time, Wellman gives "Enemy" the stark feel of a purely cautionary tale. Both the famous grapefruit scene and Tom's final homecoming still pack a wallop, and a stunning Jean Harlow injects plenty of sex appeal as Tom's gal Gwen.

Great Cinema.......2007-05-29

James Cagney was a superstar actor 75 years ago. This is one of his greatest films. The Public enemy is to the gangster movie genre, what "It's a wonderful life" is to Christmas movies. Absolutely integral movie to gangster movie buffs. If you like scarface and goodfellas and the sopranos, you MUST watch this movie. I have seen this movie over 10 times and it is always fun. Cagney was great. This was one of the best dvd purchases I have made.

The Public Enemy--an artistic yet forceful early look at the mob and their departed..........2007-04-11

James Cagney scores a coup in his role as Tom Powers in the movie called The Public Enemy, which chronicles the rise and fall of Tom Powers within the criminal element. Tom's sidekick, Matt Doyle, is played well by Edward Woods. The decision to move Cagney into the leading role and let Matt Doyle be played by Edward Woods works very well for this picture.

The movie begins in the early 1900s when Tom and Matt are already up to no good as young street thugs. Theft, making people fall down, and con jobs are routine parts of their juvenile world. The movie progresses to see Tom and Matt into the early adult lives when they eventually move up in the gangster world in Chicago. They also switch "employers;" they go from working for peanuts from Putty Nose (Murray Kinnell) to making big money working for the big mobster Paddy Ryan (Robert Emmett O'Connor).

The Public Enemy does a great job of displaying the effects of Tom's lifestyle on the members of his household. Tom's brother Mike, played so ably by Donald Cook, acts very convincingly to show his disdain for his brother's involvement with organized crime. Tom's mother, played by Beryl Mercer, remains blissfully unaware that Tom is involved quite so deeply with the mob.

Jean Harlow is about the only actor in this film who could have been used more in the plot; her part is a good one but not a great one. Look for Jean playing Gwen Allen, a love interest of Tom's partway through the picture. She acts wonderfully.

The film's direction by William Wellman shines through all the way through the picture. The most graphic violence is what we never see--instead the camera pans away to show the reaction on Matt's face when Tom kills somebody, or the camera focuses on a record playing on a Victrola when another death has come. Other reviewers note that this enhances the seriousness of the violence--and they are right. Excellent!

The sound quality is excellent for a 76 year old film; and the cinematography is excellent. The characters are well framed within the camera and only off center when it enhances the quality of the scene.

The DVD bonus features only add to this terrific experience. In particular I liked the 20 minute extra entitled Beer and Blood. This extra focuses on Jimmy Cagney and how he participated in the making of this classic movie. The newsreel and shorts reflect good judgment as they greatly enhance the overall experience of watching this movie.

I highly recommend this film for fans of Jimmy Cagney. People who enjoy films about organized crime will consider The Public Enemy to be a classic, too.

As a tsunami, nothing was able to stop Cagney once he was aroused, and no one even thought to try..........2007-01-12

"Public Enemy" brought two things to the screen: the little tough guy, fast-talking, unscrupulous gangster characterization by James Cagney which was to follow him throughout his entire screen career, and the grapefruit scene...

Though "Public Enemy" created the Cagney image, he had already appeared in two other gangsters films for Warners, as a murderer prepared to let someone else pay for his crime in "Sinner's Holiday," and as a double-crossing hoodlum in "Doorway to Hell."

"Public Enemy," however, was a bigger-budget production, directed by William Wellman, and it contained all the elements of success... It is the story of two brothers who become Chicago booze barons in the Twenties... One was Cagney, the other Edward Woods...

It is sometimes claimed that the story of "Public Enemy" is based on that of "Little Hymie" Weiss, leader of the North Side Chicago gang after the murder of Dion O'Banion by the Capones in 1924... What is more likely is that the Cagney characterization is based on "Little Hymie"; the plot itself is pure fiction...

When Cagney, in his striped pajama, sat opposite Mae Clarke at breakfast and decided he had had enough of this boring broad, he wasted no time... He picked up half a grapefruit and planted it full into Clarke's face... It was a piece of screen action which has lasted down the years as the ultimate in violence from the gangster to his moll...

Of course, it isn't - it just seems that way... Since then gir1s have been slapped, kicked, beaten up, run over, shot, stabbed and raped, all in the tradition of mobster violence...

But at the time this scene was daring, and the more daring because it was totally unexpected... We remember Mae Clarke in "Public Enemy," yet forget that Jean Harlow was in it, too... There may have been good reason... The New York Times, reviewing the film in 1934, commented: "The acting throughout is interesting, with the exception of Jean Harlow, who essays the role of a gangster's mistress."

Cagney made violence and a life of crime magically seductive, and "Public Enemy" made him Warners' number 2 gangster, second only to Edward G. Robinson...

Cagney's first starring role and one of the first true talkies.......2006-12-01

The Public Enemy is one of the big three original gangster films along with "Little Caesar" and "Scarface". I call it one of the first true talkies because true dramatic acting is being employed by all of the characters with none of the dramatic posturing and gesturing that were common before. Also, much effect is made of the presence of sound itself, such as in the frequent gunplay and especially in the last scene with Cagney's character's "homecoming" with the sound of the song "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles" playing in the background on the Victrola phonograph. The film's screenplay received the film's only Academy Award nomination, and was based upon the novel "Beer and Blood". However, the film wasn't given a Best Picture nomination, nor was Cagney nominated for Best Actor for his portrayal of gangster Tom Power. This film was released at approximately the same time Little Caesar was making a star out of Edward G. Robinson. Cagney's character was the more intimidating of the two gangsters, though, because Cagney's Tom Power came across as more physical than Robinson's Rico. Rico might shoot you, but Cagney's Tom Power made you fear he'd give you a terrible beating for the fun of it, then shoot you.

"Public Enemy" was one of the first gangster pictures to talk about the "whys" of crime as well as the specific criminal activity. In the case of lead character Tom Power, the root causes clearly included a doting mother and a brutish father. As for the specific criminal actions shown in the film, these were largely borrowed from actual events in the biographies of gangsters Earl Weiss and Charles O'Banion, and rewritten for the screen to accomodate the script. James Cagney's spot-on portrayal of a murderous thug was the role that made him a star. Unfortunately, it also typecast him as a gangster for the duration of the 1930's. The combination of the Hays code and his Oscar winning performance in "Yankee Doodle Dandy" finally began to diversify the roles he played.

As an aside, for such a well-made film, I did spot one particularly "Ed Wood" worthy moment. Clearly after prohibition has started, Tom and his partner in crime are loading beer into a truck that they then force on speak-easies around town. There is a huge sign on the building marked "BREWERY". Today, that would be like a house having a sign on it reading "METH MANUFACTURED HERE", inviting a quick visit by the authorities. If you enjoy this film, you might find "The Warner Gangsters Collection" a better value since it not only has this film but also includes "Little Caesar" and four other movies.

Average customer rating:

Smithereens
fantastic korean movie!!!!!!!!!
Not your typical good cop v. bad guy movie..
Public Enemy is hard edge drama that's funny

Public Enemy
Starring: Park Seung-tae , Lee Seong-jae , Yu Hae-jin , Lee Mun-shik , and Ahn Jin-su
Director: Woo-Suk Kang , and Kang Woo-seok
Manufacturer: Adv Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Another Public Enemy
Memories of Murder
Oldboy
Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance
Yesterday

ASIN: B000ADKWL4
Release Date: 2005-09-06

Description

The essence of the police, public servant, maintaining public peace, striving for the safety of citizens, has nothing to do with Detective Gang of Gangdong precinct. The meaning of being a public official, putting public interests over his own, has been completely lost on him. Gang uses his job as an opportunity to generate side income and settle personal matters.

Customer Reviews:

Smithereens.......2006-05-09

Woo-Suk Kang directs "Public Enemy" with a different sense of rhythm and style from our Hollywood products. His characters are vivid. There is a logical story line, punctuated with some great fight sequences. Some combat seems to be thrown in because it'd be a nice time for a fight. Sol Kyung-gu who won a Best Actor award from the Seattle Film Festival for 2003's "Oasis" plays the bumbling cop who takes bribes and would rather bash a criminal's head to smithereens rather than bring him into the station and have to do the paperwork. While all the other cops have desk drawers full of paper, his drawer contains only one pencil. Lee Seong-jae plays the heavy Gyu-hwan in the movie. He is a corporate type who is completely amoral as he wheels and deals. Unfortunately, his aging father wishes to buy and orphanage and help children rather than invest in one of Gyu-hwan's schemes. Gyu-hwan decides on the obvious solution and shows up in a raincoat on a stormy night and slashes his parents to death, thus inheriting the money. As a criminal, Lee Seong-jae is handsome and sinister. I didn't particularly understand the necessity for the male nudity in the first part of the film. We get a backward glance at Gyu-hwan in the shower performing some manual manipulation. This is followed by a hot tub scene where Chul-Choong's partner who is tattooed from head to foot showers and gets into a naked fight with his partner. That's followed by an odd scene where the tattoo cop scrubs his partner's back. Culturally, this must have a different significance in Korea. Some of Woo-Suk Kang's scene selections seemed to make the film unnecessarily long. There's a sequence where Kang Chul-Cheoong who's been put back on the street as a beat cop stops the wife of Gyu-hwan for a traffic violation. He accepts a bribe and then crumples up the money. However, the wife connection doesn't lead him toward catching Gyu-hwan; it just seems tacked onto the plot. Oh Seung-myeong and Oh Seung-tae as the father and mother of Gyu-hwan do nice jobs as their son's victims. However, while it may be a bit long, the film is filled with good characters and riveting action. Enjoy!

fantastic korean movie!!!!!!!!!.......2006-03-04

this is one of the best korean movies i've ever watched. i enjoyed it very much and just wish more people could find it and enjoy it like me. some of the korean movies really amazed me and sometimes i just don't know what went wrong with the hollywood dudes, almost anything out of it is wrong, cliched, formatted, stereotyped, with annoying sound tracks, overdone explosions, overkilled special effects, horrible screenplays and brain-dead dialogues. i really don't want to say anything further about the stupid hollywood....

Not your typical good cop v. bad guy movie.........2006-01-24

The title of this film says it all like a foreshadowing metaphor for the two main characters. As stated through his narration, you have this corrupt, violent, lazy, thuggish, not-so-bright-extortionist of a detective (played by Sol Kyung-gu from, "Oasis" and "Silmido") who on his way back from heroin heist from gang of dealers (3 kilos worth), witnesses his partner committing suicide after he finds out about an internal investigation from his chief (who gets the axe for corruption) in his precinct. Even after such traumatizing event does not deter his way of abusing his authority for his personal gain as he try to deal his stolen heroin to local dealers. Then we meet a character named Jo Kyu-hwan, (played by Lee Sung-jae from, "attack of the gas station") who on the exterior, not only is a successful stock broker, but also a good father and a husband - your typical upstanding citizen; however, deep within him lurks a cold blooded ruthless killer.

The irony of this movie is about these two characters. Who is the real public enemy? The corrupted detective who abuses his authority for personal gain or successful family man with a hidden agenda? Director Kang Woo-Suk does not use abstract contents or riddles (like David Lynch) that depends solely on intrinsic storyline nor does he dumb it down for the audiences to comprehend where the line of morality is drawn for these characters. The simple story is told straight through as the director forms outstanding character development through their distinctive contradicting personalities for greed, responsibility, and morality. You have this feeble-minded detective trying to solve a crime by botching critical evidence, to using unnecessary brute force for confession, to seeking help from local criminals for forensic evidence to a smart, calculated serial killer who unknowingly makes critical error that no right-minded detective has caught on? Yes, Woo-Suk scripts this movie almost perfectly with undertone of irony. He doesn't force feed the audiences with clich's of typical bad cop turned good cop like stereotypical Hollywood movies, but how a bad cop can retain his characteristics and yet enlighten himself to a point where he becomes somewhat useful, but not completely enough to eradicate his old personality and characteristics.

"Public Enemy," is a dark comedy wearing thriller in disguise. It is one of the most entertaining movies I've seen recently (last time I had this much fun was when I was watching Miyazaki's "Castle in the Sky," to Kon and Furuya's "Tokyo Godfather" to Nolan's "Batman Begins" to etc etc etc..). The movie is over two hours long and some tend to complain that the movie either side tracks or drags itself unnecessarily, but you be the judge. For me, I enjoyed every interaction between characters in different circumstances especially how the new police chief dealt with issues and corruptions -- it was just plain humorous and entertaining!

Korean cinema has come long way since overblown, over hyped and overrated movies such as Shiri, Musa, and that garbage of a movie called attack of the gas station. To my surprise, Korean movies actually have an original script, style, and depth! I'm savoring and enjoying every moment with my newfound respect for Korean Cinema with such movie as, "Public Enemy."

*note: previous reviewer claims that this movie is a drama with comedy??? If that's the case, he should redefine every genre that is known to man.

Public Enemy is hard edge drama that's funny.......2005-12-01

I really did enjoy this picture it was funny but not a comedy. It was more drama based. The story starts off Soule, Korea with a dirty detective who never arrested anyone in his carrer. He crosses path with this sociopath. (how that happens is very funny) The detective doesn't know he just murder two people till a week later. So he's determined to prove to his superiors that he's the guy. No one takes him seriously, because they know he's a big MESS up. He not the sharpest tool in the shed, he's hard headed, and one tuff cop. He probally one of the dumbest cops around but this movie is not a spoof type movie. It have a lot of great one liners and the action isn't what you expect from a Asian movie. There in no karate, some gunplay, but a lot of people getting getting knocked off there block. All fights are street styled fighting. When I seen the detective in this movie, he reminds me of Charles Bronson as far as being tough and taking no crap from anybody. He also reminds me of Chow Yun Fat in those old Hong Kong films when he goes off on just about anybody. You'll be say he's bad a## but why can't he just do this or that to get this guy. That where some of the comedy comes in. It a different type of movie if you're tired of seeing the same old tired movies.

Average customer rating:

The legends will not leave until the kids are ready to lead!
Outstanding Performance!!
Strong&Powerful
Public Enemy Live at the HOB is bananas!

Public Enemy - Live from House of Blues
Starring: Public Enemy
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

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Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation: London Invasion 1987
Revolverlution Tour 2003 Manchester
Bring That Beat Back
Fight the Power: Greatest Hits Live!
A Tribe Called Quest - The Video Anthology

ASIN: B00005NG0G
Release Date: 2001-09-11

Amazon.com

In a fast-moving 85 minutes, Public Enemy tears through their extensive repertoire, from first single "Public Enemy #1," to "Do You Wanna Go Our Way???" The raucous concert was filmed in 1999 before a packed house at L.A.'s House of Blues. Chuck D. is in fine form, bouncing around the stage, rapping with conviction, and working the crowd into a frenzy whenever he senses the energy starting to flag. Flavor Flav, oversized clock necklace in place, backs him up on several numbers, raps solo on a few others, and changes headgear throughout the show, from a Vikings helmet to a baseball cap shaped like a slice of cheese (as Chuck has noted, "If Public Enemy is the steak, Flavor Flav is the A-1 sauce"). The lineup is rounded out by rapper-dancer Professor Griff, who had returned to the fold by this time, and DJ Lord, taking over from Terminator X. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Description

Public Enemy, rap's most incendiary group, brings their hard-charging, political rhymes and their powerful stage show to the world famous House of Blues.

Songs:
Public Enemy #1, 911 Is a Joke, He Got Game, Give It Up, Don't Believe the Hype, Rebel Without a Pause, By the Time I Get to Arizona, Fight the Power, Bring the Noise, and more!

Customer Reviews:

The legends will not leave until the kids are ready to lead!.......2002-03-06

Or something like that, I hope I got the quote right. Anyway, great energetic performance. I cannot believe these guys are in their 40s, they don't act like it! Not only was the live performance great. The extra features had some great history on Public Enemy as well. A must for any Public Enemy fan! It's a shame the content of rap has gone down hill and didn't follow the political path pioneered by Public Enemy. Most of the songs are performed in full. Though, their first hit, "Public Enemy No. 1" is only partially performed, just the first verse. Good thing I can download a full excellent remix version for free here at [Amazon.com] (Public Enemy No. 1 (Tribal Trance Mix) remixed by Dimension Zero in the music downloads section). I hope Public Enemy plans on releasing more DVDs of their older performances. Who has VCRs these days?

Outstanding Performance!!.......2001-10-11

This is truly one of the finest performances that I've seen on DVD! The boys from Strong Island still have a flame that burns within and energy that's unsurpassed. Mind you these guys (Chuck D, Flavor Flav and Prof Griff) are close to forty if not over. They did a great job in performing all their hit records and even at times rapped ole school! My 5.1 Digital Surround Sound system was bumping and blaring as the sound was just clear, concise and incredible. Damn it felt good to sit back and enjoy one of the most knowledgeable, rebellious and legendary rap groups of all time! Power to the People!

Strong&Powerful.......2001-10-03

Performance from Public Enemy.it's really sad that they no longer get half the attention as many of these Bums out now that are making a Mockery of Rap as we know it.with PE School is always in Session.this is a solid Performance&Great Insight to PE.

Public Enemy Live at the HOB is bananas!.......2001-09-14

...is a well produced, carefully crafted, concert for home entertainment. The performance was bananas as most of you who've had the opportunity to see them live would agree. In other words, it was 100% DunDee. The portion of the DVD I enjoyed the most was contained in the SPECIAL FEATURES section and titled "ARCHITECTS OF RAP." It featured Mista Chuck giving the intelligent purchasers of this DVD a vehicular tour of Strong Island and it's relevance to PE's history. We went through the "VELT," Hempstead ( he showed us Eddie Murphy's childhood home), and 510 South Franklin Street--the bat cave, if you will, for PE in their infancy. That was special. Mista Chuck discussed the Friday Night Throwdown at WBAU and the history behind that. Most of us loyal PE fans know that so I won't mention it here. Plus if you want to hear you can bum rush the door of the store and pick up the DVD or you can tap the mac and order it online. The highlight of the tour was when he stopped and talked about the back of a little known McDonalds where Glen Freidman took that famous photo which would turn out to be on the cover of their first album--Yo! Bum Rush the Show. Chuck also discussed how the group and the members in the group got their names. Interesting piece. Gives you real insight on the group. Simply put, it's a must have for you legions of loyal PE fans.

Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation: London Invasion 1987

Average customer rating:

Where's the rest of the show?
Important historical material, but quality is poor
Wow. This is the best PE could do?
An Excellent Video Documentary- way Overdue
Very Poor Video Quality.... it's a ordiray 80's home video

Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation: London Invasion 1987
Starring: Public Enemy
Manufacturer: Mvd Visual
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Gangsta & Hardcore | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

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General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

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( P ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Public Enemy - Live from House of Blues
Revolverlution Tour 2003 Manchester
Chuck D's Hip Hop Hall of Fame, Vol. 1
Hip Hop Immortals
Bring That Beat Back

ASIN: B0007TKGOO
Release Date: 2005-05-10

Amazon.com

Before they released It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, Public Enemy invaded London as part of the Def Jam '87 Tour (along with L.L. Cool J and Eric B. & Rakim). The landmark recording that followed incorporates a number of concert excerpts, including, "London, England, consider yourself warned," "I like that from the people up top," and "Bass for your face, London." In case you ever wondered where those snippets came from, London Invasion '87 is the answer. Along with their exhortations to the Hammersmith Odeon's capacity crowd, this 48-minute film features live performances of early hits, like "My Uzi Weighs a Ton" (Yo! Bum Rush the Show), and soon-to-be-classics, like "Bring the Noise," along with backstage banter from Chuck D, Flavor Flav, and Professor Griff. As befits the group in their early days, this isn't a slick document, but it's an undeniably historic one. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Product Description

IT TAKES A NATION: LONDON INVASION 1987 DVD/CD (PUBLIC ENEMY)

Customer Reviews:

Where's the rest of the show?.......2007-04-29

As someone who saw Public Enemey appear live around the time this video was shot, I would say that this may be one of their best concert videos. Yes, they rapped over their own records (as did all Def Jam acts around this time--if the record skipped on the instrumental, there was no way for the artist to catch up with the beat. The teopry was who cared if you were 70 rows away--you came to SEE them, not hear) However, the picture and audio quality on this DVD is terrible, obviously dubbed from Chuck's 20 year old VHS. This is not a "home shot" video, but an actual broadcast on the BBC. An awesome time capsule, the broadcast also featured Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince, Whodini and LL Cool J. This is PE's full performance (it was clipped on the original show) but it's disappointing that the original masters weren't sought for this DVD. True fans should seek out the two out-of-printlongform PE VHS tapes that Sony released back in the day. They are also PE concerts but they are so overedited in an attempt to match the energy of the show that they'll give the casual watcher a seizure. Hopefully these an the other early Def Jam Videos will make it to DVD one of of these days (or even the rest of the performances filmed for this special). Until then this will have to make due.

Important historical material, but quality is poor.......2005-07-06

I am happy that I picked this item up because I am a long time public enemy fan. However, this item may not be for the casual fan.
To begin with, the 1987 material is well below what I would expect from even archival footage from the era. The dvd contains watchable, but overall poor quality footage shot on VHS. Indeed, although I doubt the mastertape is much better, it appears that the source for the dvd is probably a few copy generations removed from the original. The picture is generally blurry and the colors are terrible. I suppose the audio track must be professionally recorded, but it sounds like an audience recording. Presumably, very few mics were used, and therefore, there was no opportunity to mix and balance discreet tracks. The cd material from 1987 also suffers from poor audio quality.

I don't regret purchasing this set, but I was disappointed because I expected the dvd to have a brilliant picture and punchy sound. Not only was the material neither brilliant to look at nor punchy to the ears, it is far from what I would expect from any professionally recorded concert from the 70's, or even 60's, forward. The material is more akin to semi-pro multi-camera shot bootlegs with an audience audio tape source (if you are familiar with unreleased and amateur recordings, you probably have seen at least a few shows with that type of production).

Enjoy the great material, but don't have high recording quality expectations.

Wow. This is the best PE could do?.......2005-06-10

I'm a HUGE fan of PE. Been to four shows, backstage twice, etc etc. Thus I was really jazzed to check out this CD/DVD, since after all the greatest rap album of all time, Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back, opens with the classic Hammersmith Odeon bit.
But I must say that this was very disappointing. The first four tracks on the CD appear that they played their record and didn't even rap live over the pre-recorded sounds! Miuzi is the first track that appears definitively "live." Plus, they edited the CD like a 1987 mix tape (maybe that was the "theme" intention??) You'll have abrupt fades to silence, then a new song. No mixing. Weird. You can tell that the first song and second was clumsily mixed, at best. Finally, BE WARNED: the sound quality is as if they had a mic in the audience, like a Grateful Dead show. Very weak. perhaps they culled audio from the same weak VHS video tape they used for the DVD? I must recommend you pass on this package--and that's from an old school, but sadder and wiser, fan.

An Excellent Video Documentary- way Overdue.......2005-06-07

Hip-Hop needs more video and audio documentation of concerts, especially in this era of the video superstar, where plenty of rap acts kind of become lazy to the art of live performance.. PE is one of the pioneers that helped bring respect to rap as a live phenomena, and not just a records-only experience.

When I copped mine, it was great... I wonder what sales are so far.. old school fans and younger rap fans can gain a lot from watching and listening to this..

You get to see the full 1987 concert of Public Enemy, as the opening act for LL Cool J-- watch for an extended cameo of LL!

.. loving the live concert cuts on the audio cd, 11 deep, from the YO BUM RUSH THE SHOW LP, though some were excerpted more than I expected..

The bonus cuts and remixes go from Trance to Drum N Bass to Trip Hop to Euro-House and more..

also the bonus cuts-- new cut "bass in ya face", DJ spooky's 'drums of death' trance remix of PE #1, also the Geronimo Punx dark-core remix of the same cut, johnny juice's remix of mklvfkwr, 23 skiddoo's remix of "Do You Wanna Go Our Way", also the NextMen's remix of the same cut; the brand new "bring that beat back", etc..

I guess WORLD TOUR SESSIONS is next on the menu?
or Rebirth of a Nation?

Very Poor Video Quality.... it's a ordiray 80's home video.......2005-05-31

I'm very disappointed... I'm purshased with great expectations, but it's te wost original DVD I saw ever!! very very poor video & audio quality, even with traking problems from original tape!! It's a home video, made with a ordinary and cheap camera of 80's, and viewed millions of times. The earliest Public Enemy VHS saw too much better. REALLY. I am #1 latin Public Enemy fan, and I'll always be. But this DVD sucks.

Average customer rating:

Good versus Evil
A special treat for fans of the first movie

Another Public Enemy
Starring: Kyung-gu Sol , Jun-ho Jeong , Shin-il Kang , Geun-hyeong Park , and Hie-bong Byeon
Director: Woo-Suk Kang
Manufacturer: Tartan Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Crime | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

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Public Enemy
Spider Forest
Natural City
Memories of Murder
H

ASIN: B000E3LGN8
Release Date: 2006-03-28

Description

When a number of unsolved crimes are linked to an enigmatic foundation, newly assigned prosecutor Kang steps up his investigation using his own brand of justice. But after he realizes the man behind the vast corruption of bribery, embezzlement and murder is an old nemesis, hell discover just how far this conspiracy goes.

Customer Reviews:

Good versus Evil.......2006-06-12

Another Public Enemy is the kind of movie that should resonate immediately with American audiences. Although set in South Korea and supposedly dealing with areas of modern Korean culture, the film shows and deals with situations that should be recognizable to most Americans.

Kang Chul-joong is the archetypal self-made man, a prosecutor whose mind and skills are, in some odd way, born into. Like Prosecutor Kang was "born" for one mission and one mission only: to serve the public good.

On the flipside, Han Sang-woo, represents the doppelganger that can be created by the same society: born rich and spoiled he is not interested in playing by the rules of civilized society. It is classic and it works.

In Another Public Enemy, the director Kang Woo-suk tries for social commentary. He focuses on the corruption that exists in politics and business in Korean culture - with caricatures and no subtlety. Yes, one could read Another Public Enemy as too simplistic. It will resonate with those viewers who are stuck in the duality of good versus evil. Why not? For those of us missing heroes and mired in convoluted psychological dramas Another Public Enemy is a solid sequel that expands on its basic ideas in new and exciting ways. It might not be the next Infernal Affair but it was two hours of good fun.

Miguel Llora

A special treat for fans of the first movie.......2006-03-22

I have to be completely honest and say that was never a big fan of police dramas. Most of the time I found them to be repetitive and unrewarding. It wasn't until I saw the South Korean film Public Enemy that I learned to appreciate action/crime drama films. It's been so long since I've written a non horror movie review and I was lucky enough to check out the sequel for Public Enemy, one of the most successful Korean crime thrillers of all time. Gonggongui jeog 2 (Another Public Enemy) was a sequel that I was really anxious to see and I was glad to be able to check it out on DVD. In this new film we fallow Prosecutor Cheol-jung Kang once again as he tries to uncover a new mystery. This time around he isn't looking for a merciless raincoat killer, but he tries to find the truth behind his nemesis in which he may be responsible for bribery, embezzlement and murder. Kang suffers deeply as he goes deeper into the case and even finds himself going above the law to serve his own brand of Justice. This film caught my attention from the very beginning. We're treated to a nice little back story which is filled with a good plot and nice action. It starts of with a steady but great pace and all the action blends in very well in the start.

The purpose of the opening scenes were to show you that power is what rules the world. The opening scenes also show you the relationships between the teachers and the rich kids who have power and I thought that whole idea played out well. More of that idea plays out through most of the movie as we see more of the villain in the movie. From then on we return with some familiar characters as they go into a brand new case. It's much different from the one in the first movie, it's more of your typical gangster type of film where you have the bad guy and who is rich and can pretty much get away with everything. We've seen plenty of movies like this here in the states but what was different for me were the characters. I liked the films plot but it was the relationships between the characters that really kept my attention to the movie. The acting is what impressed me the most. I even heard that actor Sol kyung-gu won a Grand Bell and Blue Dragon award for his performance in the first movie. Unlike his role in the first movie Kang no longer plays a ruthless cop. Instead he is more of a straight laced prosecutor and the difference between this and the earlier picture is shown. I was hoping that this movie would have a lot of action in it, but it's not all there. There were some cool action sequences near the beginning of the movie but that was pretty much it. The rest of the film plays out as a crime drama but it still kept my attention which was a plus.

I usually tend to get tired and bored from these kind of movies but this one had me glued to the screen. I liked the story and I liked what the film had to offer. It's repetitive and even with its slow pace it was pretty good. We're also treated to some nice and fun humor which doesn't ruin the picture but makes it much more fun to watch. If you're unfamiliar with the first movie then that's fine, there aren't really any parts in the film that will leave you confused in case you never watched the first movie. As I mentioned before this film runs at a pretty slow pace. Most of the film is built on drama and story so you can just imagine what the pace must be like. For me it wasn't too much of a problem even though I was hoping for more action or maybe even some really cool plot twists. Everything in this movie is straight forward and you would have to pay attention to understand what is going on. Overall I thought Another Public Enemy was a good movie. The acting is great, the story is and good and it kept my attention though the entire thing. I liked the first movie and I enjoyed this sequel just as much. It's different and un-fulfilling in some areas but it's still a fun watch. Your time wont be waisted for sure.

The bonus features on this DVD are a real treat. The film is of course played in Korean but features both English and Spanish subtitles. It's presented in Widescreen format and bonus features include Commentary with the director and cast, a making of featurette, behind the scenes featurette, theatrical trailers and even some trailers from other great Tartan Asia Extreme releases. Of all the bonus features I enjoyed the commentary with the films director and some of the cast members. The commentary gives you a better idea of what the film is about and like most commentaries you learn plenty of cool facts. Another Public Enemy is a really good treat for those of you who love crime dramas. This is a film I would really recommend renting whether or not if you've seen the first movie. But if you're into this genre of films then picking up the DVD would be a good choice. It's a good movie and the special features make it even more worth the price. I'm proud to have this film in my collection and like the first movie it helped me appreciate these kind of movies more.

Average customer rating:

Great concert, good documentaries
Review from a big fan

Revolverlution Tour 2003 Manchester
Starring: Public Enemy
Manufacturer: Steamhammer Us [Spv]
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( R ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Beats and Places
Bring That Beat Back
Fight the Power: Greatest Hits Live!
Public Enemy - Live from House of Blues
Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation: London Invasion 1987

ASIN: B000GQMPVU
Release Date: 2006-09-12

Description

Three years have passed since Public Enemy embarked on one of the most successful and highly regarded tours of their career, highlighting Revolverlution, their current album at that time. "We're the Rolling Stones of hip-hop," claimed bandleader Chuck D with his typical mix of braggadocio and self-irony. The comparison is certainly legitimate: with over 50 concert tours all over the globe, the band have come to be considered a very special phenomenon on the music scene. Chuck D has no reason to doubt his own talent or his band's global status.

Despite the fact that there are other acts who are generally considered to be of a similar vein, such as Wu-Tang Clan, Beastie Boys, Cypress Hill or Outkast, Public Enemy are still considered the "The Greatest Hip-Hop Group Of All Time" and the Manchester show underlines this status with every single note. Revolverlution Tour 2003 Manchester includes, next to the actual 2+ hour concert with over 20 songs, a short biography, a comprehensive discography, as well as worthwhile tour clips and tour photos. The second DVD features extensive bonus material, including a compelling tour diary and other exciting insights into the world of this unique act.

Customer Reviews:

Great concert, good documentaries.......2006-10-03

this 2-disc set was originally released for Europe and Australia in 2004, and is just now hitting the US.

PROS:
The first disc has a full concert, played in Manchester, UK, in 2003. All current group members are present- Chuck D, Flavor Flav, Professor Griff, the S1W's, DJ Lord (Terminator X retired in `99), and "The Banned": Brian `hardgroove' Hargrove (bass), Mike `NYC' Faulkner (drums) and Khari Wynn (guitar). The concert includes mini-sets from Flav and Griff (the latter with his `7th Octave' nu-metal side project).

The second disc has two different documentaries, one circa `94 for a series of international touring (see Terminator X speak!), and the other in 2003 for the Revolverlution tour (Chuck recalls how the band dissed Washington, DC on their first show there). Some other tidbits include a music video montage, and a group biography and discography.

CONS
When Flav raps his known solo songs (911 is a joke, cold lampin), a track w/ vocals is used instead of an instrumental.. His solo set lags a little as Flav does mini-rants between songs.. No bonus audio commentary for the concert (though it's not really necessary).

The documentaries lag at times, though in fairness some of this footage is 10+ years old (VHS era), and was shot with the plan of "eventually" releasing it in some form.

Also, from what I've been told, the International version has even more footage and/or discs, so if you've got Internet detective skills, you might want to track that down.

Review from a big fan.......2006-09-01

From Flavor Flav's wild outfits and crazy antics, to the S1Ws synchronized marches and fake machine guns, Public Enemy was always a group that took pride in delivering a quality stage show. During Manchester UK Live, filmed Oct. 26, 2003, the crew was no longer rap's most controversial group, Terminator X was gone and the Security of the First World was only two strong and armed with swords, but the rebels without a pause seemed like they didn't age a bit as they rocked Manchester for the first time since 1987.

Joined by Professor Griff and backed by DJ Lord and a band dubbed PE (Yes, it's confusing), Chuck D and Flavor ran through most of their classic cuts and gave a high energy show complete with protest chants (F**k George Bush, f**k Tony Blair!), calls for unity among races and one extremely drawn-out "Yeah boyeee!" from Flavor Flav. Chuck kept moving, Flavor was spastic as ever and dripping with sweat and the S1Ws stepped with precision under the lead of Griff who showed off some impressive martial arts moves during one routine.

The backing band was skilled, especially when ripping through "She Watch Channel Zero?!", but one can't help but long to hear Public Enemy rap over most of the beats as the Bomb Squad had intended them to sound, and at times the music drowns out the vocals. Another technical gripe is that at times it clearly sounds like Flavor Flav is rapping over a recording.

Public Enemy delivers, but the concert lags when Flavor Flav and Griff took the stage for separate outings while the others rested. In all, it's a solid performance, but why it was so special that it needed to be preserved on film is unclear, and why did it take nearly three years to be released? And for a DVD of footage that old, you would think the creators had enough time to make sure that the on-screen graphics correctly match every song that was being performed.

The bonus footage on the concert disc includes a tour photo slide show and a discography which is only accurate up to 2003. The best bonus footage is of Public Enemy performing "Can't Truss It" at a benefit show in Europe. A second disc consists of a tour diary from the Revolverlution tour and a low-quality tour video from the group's heyday that are mostly boring. The older video only picks up steam at the end when Public Enemy performs at the Apollo in 1988 during a rally for then presidential-hopeful the Rev. Jesse Jackson.

The concert and the few interesting bonuses make Manchester UK Live definitely worth checking out, but with nothing out of the ordinary taking place, it will likely only have replay value for the most hardcore of Public Enemy fans.

Average customer rating:

DVD very interesting

American Experience: Public Enemy #1

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Description

From 1933 to 1934, America was thrilled and terrorized by John Dillinger, bank robber and desperado whose reputation grew until he became the country's first Public Enemy No. 1. Hunted by every cop in America, Dillinger became a minor folk hero, garnering the support of ordinary Americans hard hit by the Great Depression. Betrayed by a mysterious woman, Dillinger finally fell to the guns of the F.B.I., led by J. Edgar Hoover.

Customer Reviews:

DVD very interesting.......2007-06-02

I really enjoyed watching this DVD. Being from Indiana, it is part of my family's history

Public Enemy Presents: DJ Lord - Turntablist Chronic

Average customer rating:

Naw...

Public Enemy Presents: DJ Lord - Turntablist Chronic
Starring: DJ Lord
Manufacturer: Mvd Visual
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

( P ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Product Description

DJ Lord provides a first-hand look into the world of turntablism. See him "beat-juggling" and scratching at DJ competitions to showing his personal DJ tips. Hang out with DJ Lord at parties in Australia and Hong Kong, and follow him on the road with PE in New York, Boston, Seattle and San Francisco.

Format: DVD

Customer Reviews:

Naw..........2005-10-23

You don't want to buy this DVD. It's advertised as 90 minutes but really is not even half that long. Just a little over a half hour! Almost 40 minutes when you add the bonus features. It basically is DJ Lord, who is an accomplished & talented DJ (2001 DMC U.S. Championship finalist) giving you a rundown of his routines, thoughts on touring with Public Enemy, and tips on becoming a better DJ. It has a small bit of performance footage, which is alright, but none of it justifies a purchase.

Average customer rating:

Public Enemy

Manufacturer: Red Sun
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video

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Product Features:

Anamorphic Widescreen
Behind The Scenes
Music Video
Photo Gallery
Cast/Crew Info

ASIN: B000G7G3YE

Product Description

On one rainy night while Chul-joong is on watch duty he has no choice but to take a dump behind an electric pole. Chul-joong suddenly bumps into a black shadow, and falls right back on his own manure. Pissed off more than ever, he chases after the man and smacks the back of his head. But the stranger stops with no response, and starts walking again. Chul-joong goes after him again and tries to throw a punch, but the stranger cross a cut on Chul-joong's face and walks away, leaving the weapon behind. A week later, the dead bodies of an old couple are discovered with multiple stab wounds. The police investigate the murder scene, but there isn"t a single clue to this gruesome murder. While looking blankly at the corpses, Chul-joong realizes that it could be the stranger whose knife matches the stab wounds on the corpses. Chul-joong meets a fund manager named Cho Gyoo-hwan. He has an intuition that he's the murder, but has no clue to back it up. Clinching on to this strong hunch, he trails Gyoo-hwan, instigates him, fights him, using whatever means possible to find some evidence. Of course, Gyoo-hwan doesn't just let him get away with it. Money and power is on his side, and he strips away Chul-joong's assignment to this case. The case gets complicated, but the battle between Chol-joong and Gyoo-hwan turns bloody. A showdown between a dirty cop and a merciless killer unfolds as things get more personal.

DVD:

DVD

DVD

DVD

Targets

Megiddo: The Omega Code 2

White Lightning [1973]

DVD: Blood Mania

Norwegen