Customer Reviews

St Valentine's Day Massacre [VHS]

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Roger Corman does it again in this late sixties version of the most
brutal day in probition history. This love letter to Al Capone may
come off to some as a stylist,violent cartoon but to those know Mr.
Corman's work will accept this version as exploitive entertainment.
Presented in a "matter of Fact" narrative (voiced by the late great
Paul Frees) this movie centers around the bloody day itself and how
it was arranged from start to finish by Mr. Capone played by an all
out,over the top Jason Robards. And what a Rouges Gallery of stock
players George Segal,Ralph Meeker,Kurt Kruger,John Agar,Bruce Dern,
Harold Stone to name a few and look quick for a young Jack Nicholson as a henchmen.

"The St. Valentine's Day Massacre" is the kind of film that needs to be accepted on its own terms. To expect by-the-book authenticity, or post-1970 graphic violence, or extensive location shooting, is asking far too much. There's an early scene in which George Segal, as one of the murderous Guesenberg brothers, intimidates a speakeasy owner into buying beer supplied by Bugs Moran. His tactics are similar to those employed by James Cagney in "Public Enemy," and it is this little homage that should tell viewers that the film is going to make a mere pretense of accuracy - and that this is just fine. "Massacre" is a thoroughly entertaining film that never tries to be anything more or less than that.

Fred Steiner's jangling, dissonant score deserves a mention. It has a Charleston-like rhythm, dominated by a piano. It's an oddly effective thing, heard to best effect over the end title.

Among the cast, no one turns in what could be called a brilliant performance, but Ralph Meeker probably comes off best as Bugs Moran, particularly as he utters the crime boss' most famous quote, near the end. Jean Hale definitely got my attention as Segal's girlfriend, and Clint Richie is appropriately sly as Machine Gun Jack McGurn, who masterminded the title killings.

I found the movie enjoyable even though Jason Robards hardly resembles Al Capone. The movie has Al Capone slitting the throat of rival Joe Aiello on a train as he attempted to leave Chicago before the Massacre was even planned. However, Joe Aiello died from a hail of bullets on October 23, 1930, as he left an apartment building, more than a year after the Massacre took place. This would have been an easy fact to substantiate, yet the film contains this unnecessary error. The movie also has Albert Anselmi and John Scalise murdered by Capone with a baseball bat in "Capone's mansion" following a banquet honoring them. The killings actually took place in a Hammond, Indiana, road house. In addition, Joe Guinta was a third one clubbed to death at that time. Finally the movie includes Boris Chapman and Adolph Moeller as two who took part in the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. That may or may not be, but no mention is made of Fred "Killer" Burke who it is widely believed to be one who definitely took part in the killings. The movie was very entertaining and worthwhile, but the inaccuracies that I have mentioned could certainly have been easily checked out.

One who looks to the theatre, a venue created for the sole purpose of entertainment, for the purpose of witnessing factual accounts of true life stories is a bit naive and more than a little foolish.

What? You mean the epic battles depicted in "300" didn't REALLY happen that way?

No way! Are you telling me that Mozart wasn't REALLY the bawdy buffoon obsessed with lowbrow humor as depicted in "Amadeus"?

When was the last time you saw a film that stuck to straight facts? For me, it was "1492: Conquest of Paradise" back in '92. And yet some still argue that the film is a poor distillation of the truth.

"The St. Valentine's Day Massacre" isn't a film full of actual truths, because Roger Corman never meant it to be. It's a fun, fast-paced, and extremely entertaining film with some truly exceptional sets. Do you think he may have been shooting for that instead?

Sure, for starters, Robards is a bit hammy as Capone. Yes, he does look nothing like Capone did. But if you're a fan of the era and gangster movies in general, give this one a chance, because it's unquestionably one of the finest b-movies ever to emerge from the storied career of Corman.

And by the way, if you want the hard facts, watch a documentary.

I always liked THE ST. VALENTINE'S DAY MASACRE despite historical liberties. This is a hard edge gangster move and a good one at that. This is one of Roger Corman's best films. The story is full of energy and the film's characters are rather charismatic. The cast that includes Jason Robards, Ralph Meeker, George Segal, Joseph Campanella, Frank Silvera, David Canary, John Agar, Jack Nicholson, Leo Gordon, Jean Hale, Harold J. Stone and Bruce Dern. You just don't find a strong cast like that in movies any more. Fred Steiner's composed one of his best score for this film. However simplistic and superficial this film may appear it is very entertaining and well constructed and immediately gets your attention and pulls you in. The sequence leading up to the St. Valentine's Day Massacre are very suspenseful.

Film making at its best. The acting was superb right down to Jack Nicholson's bit part. Also, the re-mastering of this film on DVD has made it look like it was just completed.

Great action packed film. An excellent retelling of the famous 1929 massacre. A must have for action film or history films.

This is one of the best gangster films ever, It is a gritty, in your face story of a true life event. True, there are some inaccuracies, what true life film doesn't have them, As far as I am concerned, they are insignificant and they don't take away from the film, the main context of the story is there, even with the inaccuracies it is still a top film. Shot documentary style, it is a film about the events leading up to the massacre. Jason Robards, though a fine actor, wouldn't have been my choice for portraying Al Capone, and is acting is a little hammie, George Segal did a fair job as Pete Gusenberg, after all, these were people who thought they could get away with anything, and most of the time, did. But this is not a film about any one person, it is a film about an event that still fasinates people today. I believe that the memory of the St. Valentines Day Massacre will live on forever.

This has always been one of my favorite gangster movies ever since I first saw it in the 60's...it depicts the events with pretty decent accuracy, and I have done plenty of research on the subject, outstanding acting from all, especially Jason Robards. With all the interest in the gangster movies there seems to be, I would recommend this to anyone, without hesitation, and Amazon.com is the only place I was ever able to find it on dvd...great job people!

It may be the only gangster movie that focuses on two rival gangs at the same time. I especially enjoyed the scenes depicting Moran and his red hots! I have always felt that the North Side mob of O'Banion and Moran was the most interesting gang during Prohibition. I also think Robards did a fair job as Capone. It's a change of pace to see a rail thin Scarfac.