Miami Blues – MVD Rewind

Summary

“You got a real nice touch there, lady.”

Time changes everything. When I was about sixteen or seventeen years old I rented an Alec Baldwin film that had always made me curious at the video store called Miami Blues. Already desensitized by films like Pulp Fiction and Fight Club, I found myself enjoying Miami Blues but a little confused by its themes and its mixture of dark comedy and violence. It just didn’t grab hold of me like those films had. The film seemed to exist without a true hero, choosing to focus on a group of quirky misfits that were sort of thrown against one another. For some reason or other, I never forgot the film despite not attaching a lot of thought to it – probably due to its strange nature. A few years ago, I saw that Shout! Factory was releasing it on Blu-ray, it seemed like a good time to re-evaluate it. Before viewing the film, I bought a cheap paperback copy of the Charles Willeford novel on which it was based and read it while on vacation. I found myself completely enamored by the film (and the novel) now that I was an adult. Obviously, I am not the only person who finds the film so appealing, because MVD Rewind has recently released the film on Blu-ray on their line and Radiance Films (a brand new film distribution label from Fran Simeoni, formerly of Arrow Video) announced a release of Miami Blues in their first slate of films in the UK. Fans of the picture will be happy to see that the initial MVD release comes with a slipcover and allows them to avoid the hefty fees for the out-of-print Shout! Factory edition. 

Ex-con Frederick J. Frenger Jr. (Alec Baldwin) arrives in Miami. He has the assumed identity of Herman Gottlieb and he is sporting a suede jacket he purchased with the man’s stolen money. As soon as Junior gets off the plane, he is approached by Krishna Ravindra and asked what his name is. Junior responds “Trouble,” as he bends back the monk’s fingers – breaking them. Leaving the scene of the crime, Junior has no idea that the monk went into shock from the assault and consequently died. Hoke Mosley (Fred Ward), a local homicide detective with a mouth full of dentures, is assigned to the case. Arriving at a motel, Junior requests a hooker from the bellman. The hooker is a young and sweet natured girl named Susan Waggoner (Jennifer Jason Leigh.) Junior begins to court her as the police begin investigating the death of the monk. When Junior comes face to face with Hoke, they have a long dinner full of beers. The next day, Junior tracks Hoke down and assaults him violently. He steals Hoke’s badge, gun, and his dentures and he represents himself as an officer on the streets of Miami – stealing from thieves and making “arrests.”

I really like Miami Blues a lot. First and foremost, the film is a pitch-perfect adaptation of the novel on which it is based. Fans of the wild and inventive writing of Charles Willeford will see that the same madcap energy of the novel translates extremely well to the screen. No major plot points are left out in the adaptation, and the dialogue is true to the book. This is a film where the plot revolves around the actions of three characters so casting becomes incredibly important. Miami Blues is a great example of casting that makes sense. Alec Baldwin is dynamite in the lead role. Baldwin understands the character perfectly and delivers the goods in every scene. Baldwin is a great actor and he elevates the film in one of his strangest and most electric performances. I would argue that he is exceptional in the film. Jennifer Jason Leigh gives a standout performance as the naive and sweet-hearted Susie. I can’t think of any role that she has taken on that eclipses her work here. It’s not an easy role and she plays it as heartbreakingly sweet as it could be played. The final piece of the puzzle is Fred Ward. Fred Ward was an excellent choice for the role. He makes his eccentric role seem effortless. It is not an easy task to convince viewers as such a madcap character. He nails the role.

For both the screenplay and direction, I tip my hat to George Armitage. It is worth pointing out that this film came out a full two years before Tarantino released Reservoir Dogs and the indie cinema scene became increasingly violent. This film is closely linked to another film from 1986 named Something Wild, which feels like a spiritual cousin. Jonathon Demme directed Something Wild and produced Miami Blues. Miami Blues has a similar energy. Fans of Something Wild will find themselves right at home. Armitage would go on to direct the excellent Grosse Pointe Blank, which was one of my favorite movies growing up. It should be noted for the average viewer that this film is definitely a hard “R” and would not be advisable to watch while the kids are awake due to the sex and violence in the film. It also has some great and unexpected comedic moments that are very rewarding in the film. It is worth noting that there is a real sweet undercurrent to the relationship between Junior and Susie that makes the film even more intriguing and unique.

With great performances, a faithful and unique script, well paced editing, and great direction, this film is well worth rediscovering. If you are in the mood for something a little different and don’t mind a little bit of blood with your laughs, definitely check out Miami Blues.

Video

From what I can tell, the MVD Rewind release is of the same quality visually as the prior release from Shout! Factory. There may be some very slight differences between the two, but they are minimal. Luckily, in both cases this is a good looking presentation. Miami Blues is presented on Blu-ray with a 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded image in 1.85:1 from a 2K scan that was provided by MGM. While the film does show some specking and has some softly focused scenes, Miami Blues has enough visual flair to take advantage of the benefits of the high definition transfer. There is a lot to enjoy in the film due to its colorful palette. Fans of the picture will be pleased to have it in their collection in HD. 

Audio

The LPCM 2.0 track for Miami Blues sounds great. This is identical to the track provided on the Shout! Factory release. This track has pretty good depth of field for only using two channels. Thanks to the erratic nature of Junior’s actions, there is plenty of action that takes place. From the opening song of “Spirit in the Sky,” the film lets you know that the soundtrack will be fun. The score by Gary Chang alternates between action and sentiment with a tongue firmly in cheek. It fits the film well.  

Supplements:

Interviews – this is a great little set of interviews with Alec Baldwin and Jennifer Jason Leigh shot specifically for this release. This is well worth your time to hear the actor’s thoughts on the characters they played and the film itself. I was glad to see that they felt as enthusiastic about the film as I did. This piece was featured on the prior Shout! Factory release.

Original Theatrical Trailer, Video Trailer, and Three TV Spots

Photo Gallery

Overall Scores:

Video – 4/5

Audio – 4/5

Supplements – 3/5

Overall – 4.5/5

Miami Blues deserves rediscovery. With three excellent performances, a wild and at times hilarious script, and energetic direction, the film is a real winner. It also earns its R-Rating with a good amount of sex and violence, so be aware. The film is a very well made adaptation of the novel by Charles Willeford, and an excellent example of sun drenched noir. I am glad to own this film in this new edition from MVD Rewind and I plan to revisit it again soon. I am happy that MVD Rewind has given the film another chance to wow viewers on Blu-ray. Highly recommended!