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Miracle Mile [Blu-ray]
(Steve De Jarnatt, 1988)
Review by Gary Tooze
Production: Theatrical: Miracle Mile Productions Inc. Video: Kino Lorber /Arrow (UK)
Disc: Region: 'A' / Region 'B' (as verified by the Oppo Blu-ray player)Runtime: 1:28:04:475 / 1:28:03.778 Disc Size: 27,837,754,971 bytes / 31,041,309,597 bytesFeature Size: 18,666,283,008 bytes / 22,313,156,160 bytes Video Bitrate: 24.15 Mbps / 29.45 Mbps Chapters: 8 / 12Case: Standard Blu-ray case / Transparent Blu-ray CaseRelease date: July 28th, 2015 / October 16th, 2017
Video: Aspect ratio: 1.78:1 / 1.85:1Resolution: 1080p / 23.976 fps Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio English 1716 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1716 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit) Commentaries:
Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps
LPCM Audio English 2304 kbps 2.0 / 48
kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit
Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps
2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps
Subtitles: None / English (SDH), none
Extras: • Audio Commentary with Director Steve De Jarnatt and Film Critic Walter Chaw• Audio Commentary with Steve De Jarnatt, DP Theo van de Sande and Production Designer Chris Horner • Excavations From the Editing Room Tar Pits - Deleted Scenes, Outtakes and Bloopers (11:20) • Supporting Cast and Crew Reunion (14:24) • Harry and Julie: Interview with stars Anthony Edwards and Mare Winningham (12:23) • Alternate Diamond Ending (4:30) • Trailers for MIRACLE MILE (2:15) and CHERRY 2000 (2:25)
•
New video interview with
writer/director Steve De Jarnatt (30:44)
•
Alt Ending (0:56) /
Storyboarding (1:54) / Trailer (2:15)
Bitrate:
Description: What would you do if you knew you only had an hour to live? This intense, eerily euphoric romantic thriller stars Anthony Edwards (Top Gun) and Mare Winningham (St. Elmo's Fire) in a frighteningly plausible story that yanks you by the lapels and draws you into a high-velocity roller coaster. After 30 years of searching, Harry (Edwards) has finally met the girl of his dreams... unfortunately, before they even have a chance to go on their first date, Harry intercepts some chilling news: WWIII has begun and nuclear missiles will destroy Los Angeles in less than an hour! Not sure if this is a prank or an omen, Harry races through L.A., fighting angry mobs of terrified people in desperate search for Julie (Winningham). Steve De Jarnatt (Cherry 2000) stylishly directed this cult-classic that features a stellar cast that includes John Agar, Lou Hancock, Mykelti Williamson, Kurt Fuller and Denise Crosby.
The Film:
Miracle Mile starts conventionally enough, with bashful musician Anthony Edwards going ga-ga over waitress Mare Winningham. After a pleasant if somewhat quirky day together, Edwards and Winningham plan a tete-a-tete at the all-night restaurant where the girl works. While preparing to call her on a pay phone, Edwards intercepts a frantic call from a soldier stationed at a Midwestern missile silo. The message: nuclear warheads have been launched, and it's only 70 minutes to Armageddon! This unsettling news casts severe doubts over the future of Edwards' and Winningham's relationship.
A nuclear thriller with a devastating narrative hook. Having arranged to meet a new girlfriend (Winningham) after her night shift at an LA diner, trombone-player and shy romantic Harry (Edwards) oversleeps and misses her. At 4.05 am, he picks up a ringing pay-phone outside the diner, and a voice screams 'It's happening! I can't believe it. We're locked into it...50 minutes and counting'. Is this some late-night freak's joke, or has a chance crossed line given Harry warning of impending nuclear Armageddon? With one deft stroke, writer-director DeJarnatt taps into the nightmare of being the first to know about the (possible) end of the world, and the awesome responsibility of having to communicate this news to others. The patrons of the Miracle Mile diner are understandably sceptical, but with less than an hour to live, Harry's personal priorities come sharply into focus. Cleverly written, authentically staged and sympathetically played, it's brave, uncompromising, and above all, frighteningly believable. Excerpt from TimeOut located HERE
Image : NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc. The Kino Lorber Blu-ray of Miracle Mile has similar features to many other 80's films put to 1080P. There is a thickness that doesn't always export a film-like presence. It is consistent and clean and colors are solid but not rich. Contrast seems decent for the most part and the frequent darker scenes don't exhibit any undue noise. The visuals aren't particularly remarkable but I do believe they give an accurate representation. This Blu-ray gave me a watchable, and worry-free, viewing in regards to the picture quality.
Arrow advances with the image quality being both more robust - with a higher bitrate - and it is in the correct 1.85:1 aspect ratio. It has richer, slightly warmer, colors and shows consistent grain - it edges ahead of the Kino in appearance.
CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Subtitle Sample Arrow - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
More Blu-ray Captures
Audio :Kino Lorber use a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel track at 1716 kbps in the original English language. There are some adroit effects in the film - fire, guns etc. It all sounds fine with clear consistent dialogue. There are no subtitles offered and my Oppo has identified it as being a region 'A'-locked.
Linear PCM, and 24-bit as opposed top 16-bit. It is, again, superior. The score is composed by Paul Haslinger (his first of many features) plus some music from the distinctive pioneering German collective Tangerine Dream (Risky Business, Thief, Sorcerer etc.) The Arrow Blu-ray has optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region 'B'-locked disc.
Extras : Kino Lorber don't scrimp on the extras on this release. We get audio commentaries first with director Steve De Jarnatt and film critic Walter Chaw (who wrote a book, entitled Miracle Mile) dealing with a lot of the depth of the film and a second with De Jarnatt, DP Theo van de Sande and Production Designer Chris Horner - being more production based. I had heard neither before. Fans will eat these up. There is also a dozen minutes entitled Excavations From the Editing Room Tar Pits - Deleted Scenes, Outtakes and Bloopers but mostly through poor generation quality clips. There is the 1/4 hour supporting cast and crew reunion footage with each giving an intro etc. Harry and Julie is a 12-minute interview with stars Anthony Edwards and Mare Winningham discussing their roles and the concept behind Miracle Mile. We get the Alternate Diamond Ending running about 4.5 minutes and, lastly, trailers for Miracle Mile (2:15) and Cherry 2000 (2:25).
Most of the extras from the Kino are included - the two commentaries, interview with Mare Winningham and Anthony Edwards, the reunion featurette, outtakes etc. but Arrow add a new 1/2 hour video interview with writer/director Steve De Jarnat, Rubiaux Rising, a short story read by De Jarnatt and Arrow's first pressing has a collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by Tim Lucas.
Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Arrow - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
BOTTOM LINE:
Arrow, predictably, nudge ahead in all categories - Region 'B'ers are treated to the superior release. Tons of value for this much-loved apocalypse film. Arrow is the way to go! Gary Tooze July 2nd, 2015 October 24th, 2017
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