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[Blu-ray Review] ‘Miracle Mile’ Explodes on Blu-ray

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Before Kino Lorber announced they were releasing Miracle Mile on Blu-ray I had never even heard of the film, much less seen it. The other night when I got around to popping the movie in and hitting play, I did so with no expectations. What happened in the next 88 minutes blew me away. Maybe it was because of my lack of expectations, or maybe it wasn’t. Whatever the reason, I can’t stop thinking about Miracle Mile.

Director Steve De Jarnatt’s second and shockingly last feature film opens up in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Harry, played wonderfully by a young Anthony Edwards, spots Julie (Mare Winningham) and the two are immediately drawn to one another. They never speak but they constantly lock eyes and flirt as they make their way throughout the museum in an opening credits montage. As the two exit through the gift shop, Harry blows his chance and fails to introduce himself. Dejected, Harry heads to the La Brea Tar Pits and begins to wallow in his disappointment. After a brief moment and much to the surprise of Harry, Julie appears and introduces herself. The two spend the rest of the day together until it’s time for Julie to go to work.

Miracle Mile begins with all the makings of a romantic comedy. Two hip, young people meet and connect instantly, spending a wonderful day together. Then the movie takes a turn. Harry has plans to meet Julie at the diner where she works but he shows up late, after Julie has already gone home. Harry attempts to give her a call on a pay phone but has no luck. Then the pay phone rings back. After a moment of brief hesitation, Harry answers the phone. The person on the other line is very frantic and is calling with a warning. He says a nuclear bomb will be going off within the hour and in 70 minutes it will hit and wipe out LA.

This is when Miracle Mile looks to be taking a shift from a rom-com to more of a screwball comedy. At this point I expected the film to take serious subject matter and play with it in a bit of a light hearted, over-the-top fashion. It does go down this path for a little bit. Harry warns those in the diner of the impending doom and they all begin to load a random array of supplies into a truck. The idea is to get out of town before mass panic ensues. There are some laughs in this scene, particularly when two of the folks in the truck begin to take down a list of the names of important people that they want to make sure survive and help lead the new, post-apocalypse world. One girl suggests Pat Riley.

Harry decides he can’t leave the city without Julie and jumps out of the truck in an attempt to find her. As Harry makes his way through Los Angeles more and more people become aware of what awaits them. This is when the film makes takes a final shift and begins to head down a dark and grim road. The outlook becomes increasingly bleak and yet Harry will not give up. He’s determined to find Julie and get her out of the city.

Miracle Mile somehow manages to be one of the darkest films I’ve ever seen dealing with an all out nuclear war, while at the same time being incredibly sweet and romantic. Harry is a good guy looking for the perfect girl. He finally finds her and he will not let the end of the world stop him from being with her. Despite barely knowing her, he goes through hell to find her. He jumps off a moving truck, steals a car, gets chased by cops and that’s just the beginning of what he’s willing to do.

Essentially Miracle Mile is this sweet, blossoming romance that happens to take place just before a nuclear apocalypse. It’s never sappy or cheesy or anything like that. Whether it’s the romantic aspect or people trying to deal with facing doom, everything feels very real. In fact I’d argue that Miracle Mile may offer up the best depiction of mass panic that I’ve ever seen in a movie. When the entire city becomes aware of what they’re facing, the results are pretty horrific. And still, through it all, Harry and Julie find one another.

If you’re like me and you somehow managed to miss Miracle Mile all these years, do yourself a favor and see it. This really is a fantastic movie and the Blu-ray release from Kino Lorber looks great. I’m no expert when it comes to transfers, but I know what looks good to me and Miracle Mile certainly looks good.  Cinematographer Theo van de Sande certainly took full advantage of the great late 80’s Los Angeles locations available to him and they look gorgeous on this release. The image looks crisp and clear and maintains that wonderful film quality. The release also comes with some nice special features, including two audio commentaries.

Miracle Mile is now available on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber.

Chris Coffel is originally from Phoenix, AZ and now resides in Portland, OR. He once scored 26 goals in a game of FIFA. He likes the Phoenix Suns, Paul Simon and 'The 'Burbs.' Oh and cats. He also likes cats.

Books

‘In Search of Darkness’ Book Review: A Must-Have for ’80s Horror Fans

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In 2019, the documentary of 80s horror In Search of Darkness became an instant hit with horror fans. Now, a beautiful coffee table style companion book is available and is a must-own for all fans of one of horror’s greatest eras. The book is a walk down the horror aisle of the best mom and pop video store in the heyday of VHS, featuring full color photos, poster art, insightful essays and more. More than just a nostalgic throwback, In Search of Darkness is the kind of book I wish I’d had back in my years as a burgeoning horror fan but is also satisfying for the film fanatic I have become in the years since.

The format is beautifully and simply laid out, with at least a dozen (usually more) movies from each year of the decade presented in order of release accompanied by informative and insightful essays by the authors Heather Wixson and Patrick Bromley. Both authors have been mainstays of film journalism, specializing in horror, for many years. Wixson began her career in 2007 with Dread Central and has spent the past ten years as the Managing Editor of Daily Dead, from which she recently retired to focus on books and other projects. She has devoted the past several years to interviewing and writing books about the Make-up and Special Effects wizards that have brought so much to film over the years, specifically the horror genre.

Bromley is a film journalist and critic whose work can be found all over the place including right here on Bloody Disgusting. He recently provided the commentary for the Vinegar Syndrome release of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and is known as something of a Tobe Hooper expert. He is also the founder and editor of F this Movie!, an eclectic film website, and host of its accompanying podcast. So, to be clear, the authors know their stuff.

Wixson and Bromley divide writing duties roughly in half and though each has a distinctive voice, their writing styles dovetail beautifully into a cohesive whole. Each author plays to their strengths. Being familiar with both their work I didn’t even have to look at the bylines to know that Heather covered Christine and Terror in the Aisles and Patrick took on The Funhouse and Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers. Wixson’s passion for make-up effects is clear and comes through in many of her contributions. In general, Wixson takes on the “big” titles, the movies that defined the decade the most, and Bromley covers what the more cynical among us might call schlock, but he would likely call pure cinematic bliss. There are exceptions and surprises, of course, as there should be (Patrick covers The Shining for example). Each essay dives into the history behind the film, the major players involved, the reception, and legacy with often surprising aspects drawn from interviews with the filmmakers from various sources and insights from the authors.

For all their in-depth explorations of each film, in general the authors keep their critics’ hats safely stowed, keeping in mind that every entry on the book has its fans. In fact, they may well have sold me on finally hitting play on some of the schlockier offerings of the decade like Evilspeak, Nightbeast, and Blood Diner. Hell, I may even give The Beast Within a spin for shits and giggles. The point is that this book is a celebration through and through. The authors are honest about the critical receptions of the films, which were often unkind, and sometimes let their own opinions shine through, but recognize how beloved even the schlockiest films can become given time and availability. And that is an ongoing theme of In Search of Darkness. What may have been dismissed in its day often becomes revered as the years pass. Variations on the phrase “the years have been kind to…” referring to various maligned projects like The Thing, Halloween III: Season of the Witch, The Blob and many, many others, can be found throughout the book for good reason.

Each chapter of the book also includes a rundown of the top horror movies at the box office for the year as well as the top movies of all genres for context. The final page for each year highlights some of the major news and pop culture events including the top songs, albums, and television shows. There is a large central section that pays tribute to the talent involved with the greatest horror films of the 80s including directors, actors, effects artists, and more. This section includes brief biographies of John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Stephen King, Tom Savini, Barbara Crampton, Robert Englund, and many others presented in a dynamic and engaging fashion.

One of the beauties of the book is that it covers so much ground. Sure, you’ll find Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Hellraiser, and the Halloween sequels in it, but you’ll also find deeper cuts like The Changeling, The Being, and Tetsuo: The Iron Man. I was happy to find the same love given to Frank Henenlotter and Larry Cohen as to George A. Romero and David Cronenberg. In other words, In Search of Darkness is extraordinarily eclectic, highlighting the diversity that truly defined what is often viewed as a homogenous decade. The authors make the case that the 80s was horror’s greatest decade, and with what they lay out throughout this book, it’s tough to argue against that. I even came across a film or two I hadn’t even heard of before, which has become increasingly rare as the years go by.

At just shy of $85, the cover price may give some horror hounds pause, but believe me, it’s worth every penny. This is a beautiful volume that every fan of 80s horror will want on their shelf or prominently displayed on their coffee table. Filled with favorite titles, hundreds of full color photos, insightful and informative writing, this is simply a must own.

You can order your copy now.

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