Public Enemies (Michael Mann's new movie)

[Elano]

http://www.publicenemies.net/

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/dWof6CovHxI" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/dWof6CovHxI</a>

with: Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Channing Tatum, Giovanni Ribisi, David Wenham, Leelee Sobieski, Marion Cotillard, and Billy Crudup

Producer Kevin Misher on Michael Mann's Public Enemies:

You've probably heard the title, Public Enemies, or seen the photos of Johnny Depp on set, but I'm guessing that most of you don't know what the story is about or anything about the production. Public Enemies is filmmaker Michael Mann's latest ambitious project, a 1930's era gangster movie based on true events and individuals in history. The film stars Johnny Depp as bank robber John Dillinger and Christian Bale as FBI agent Melvin Purvis and just finished shooting a few weeks back. I came across an interesting article in the Los Angeles Times where journalist Patrick Goldstein caught up with one of the producer's on the project, Kevin Misher. It's an interesting read for those who aren't familiar with Public Enemies yet but are interested in hearing more or want to know more about how Michael Mann works on set.

Let's start with a bit of a background on the story of bank robber John Dillinger. Dillinger primarily robbed banks during the 1930's and became known as the Jackrabbit for his graceful movements during bank heists, such as leaping over the counter and many narrow getaways from police. Some considered him a dangerous criminal, while others idolized him as a present-day Robin Hood. He was pursued by FBI agent Melvin Purvis, a young agent who helped lead America into the "public enemy era," which led to development of the modern and more sophisticated FBI. Dillinger was eventually caught in 1934 when the FBI was tipped off that he would be attending a film at the Biograph Theater in Chicago, where police were waiting outside. A shoot out began and Dillinger was killed before he had the chance to escape.

If you're already concerned that the story sounds too boring and not the least bit exciting, then you're not looking at this close enough. Think Ridley Scott's American Gangster, but set in the 1930's with bank robberies and shoot outs. Producer Kevin Misher puts it all into perspective: "If you're looking for action, I don't think you'll be disappointed. We've got three bank robberies, two prison breaks and who knows how many shootouts." Universal Chairman Marc Shmuger also chimes in: "It really felt like the most exciting thing Michael's done in years. It's a seminal gangster saga, but it's also a classic doomed lovers story. They meet on the run and you know that they know that the relationship can't last, which makes the film really heart-wrenching. With that combination, well, let's face it, there's just not that many filmmakers in the world besides Michael could do that."

Director Michael Mann, known for films like Heat, Ali, and Collateral, is a very visceral filmmaker. You can read more about some of his previous stories in the LA Times article, but as for Public Enemies, Misher explains that they shot in the real life locations as much as possible. "If we could find where Dillinger walked, we shot where he walked." That kind of mentality will most certainly shine through in the quality of the film. "We shot at the Biograph Theater on the very street where Dillinger was killed, so that scene was exactly where the real events happened. All we did was change the facades of the buildings and reverted them back to period. We also shot at the Little Bohemia lodge up in northern Wisconsin, which is the scene of a famous gunfight between the FBI and Dillinger and Baby Face Nelson."

The La Times article

When I saw producer Kevin Misher painfully limping into Chaya Brasserie for lunch this week, having just returned from spending months in Chicago producing "Public Enemies," the upcoming Michael Mann 1930s gangster movie, I have to admit that my first thought was: "Oh no, Mann must've been using live ammunition again." Anybody who's ever worked on a Michael Mann film has stories to tell that sound like tall tales, at least until you spend some time on his sets and see for yourself that pretty much anything can happen when Mann has a full head of steam.

Outside of James Cameron and perhaps David Fincher, no one is as much of a hard-headed perfectionist as Mann, who has a special zeal for authenticity. When I spent time on his "Ali" set in Miami, he insisted on shooting a scene where Ali first sees Malcolm X at the exact mosque where Malcolm was preaching. He also shot a scene set in the backyard of Ali's Miami home at Ali's real house, even though the backyard was right in the flight pattern of Miami International Airport, meaning a plane flew overhead every 90 seconds, repeatedly drowning out the dialogue. One of the production guys shook his head, grumbling "We didn't have this problem when we shot near LAX with 'Heat.' " Why was that, I asked? "Michael got the flight controllers to reroute LAX traffic to a different runway for a few hours."

Frankly, when I scheduled my lunch with Misher back in May, I thought for sure the producer would end up canceling. "Public Enemies," which stars Johnny Depp as John Dillinger and Christian Bale as Melvin Purvis, was slated to finish shooting June 30 to beat the SAG strike deadline. But having seen what happened on Mann's last movie, "Miami Vice," which went endless months over schedule, I figured the odds of Mann being done on time were about as slim as the Dodgers finishing the season with a winning record. And yet, here was Misher, bloodied (he actually hurt his leg in a hiking fall) but unbowed. So how did Misher and Universal Pictures manage to keep Mann on schedule?

"Whenever we could we shot exactly where the events happened--if we could find where Dillinger walked, we shot where he walked," said Misher. "We shot at the Biograph Theater on the very street where Dillinger was killed, so that scene was exactly where the real events happened. All we did was change the facades of the buildings and reverted them back to period. We also shot at the Little Bohemia lodge up in northern Wisconsin, which is the scene of a famous gunfight between the FBI and Dillinger and Baby Face Nelson." Mann even dug up vintage tommy guns that were made in the '30s to be used by the gangsters. When I asked for details, Misher threw up his hands. "You gotta ask Michael," he said. "The guns are his department. He knows all there is to know."

The truly amazing thing, frankly, is that Universal Pictures, having lost tons of moola on "Miami Vice," had the stomach to get back into the ring with Mann a second time around. But like Martin Scorsese, Mann is a great filmmaker who's a magnet for movie stars, so the studio couldn't resist the idea of an action-packed period thriller with Johnny Depp at the top of the bill. As Misher put it: "If you're looking for action, I don't think you'll be disappointed. We've got three bank robberies, two prison breaks and who knows how many shootouts."

Slated for July 1, 2009, "Public Enemies" gives Universal a big summer tentpole movie. But instead of the dumbed-down dreck that decorates most studio summer slates, "Public Enemies" has the opportunity to be a critical success as well. It also boasts a romantic storyline--"La Vie en Rose's" Marion Cotillard has a hefty role in the film as Depp's love interest--that could draw female moviegoers too.

Universal Chairman Marc Shmuger says the studio got revved up when it first read the script, which was written by Ronan Bennett, with a rewrite by Mann and Ann Biderman. "It really felt like the most exciting thing Michael's done in years," said Shmuger. "It's a seminal gangster saga, but it's also a classic doomed lovers story. They meet on the run and you know that they know that the relationship can't last, which makes the film really heart-wrenching. With that combination, well, let's face it, there's just not that many filmmakers in the world besides Michael could do that."

Shmuger admits that it was a tough shoot, but that comes with the territory in Mann Land. "When Sam Fuller said that 'Film is a battleground, love, hate, violence, action, death--in a word, emotion,' he must've been thinking about Michael Mann," Shmuger says. "With every movie, he goes into battle. I'm sure you've heard all the legendary stories about the fallout and casualties. But that's the only way Michael knows how to make movies. And we're willing to take the bet that out of that commitment and passion will come a great movie."

[corner_boy]

cant wait, thanx for the info

[DJ SUGAFREE QUIK]

Oh yeah I remember that movie now.  I'm definitely watching it.