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Miami Connection (1987) - Blu-ray Review

5 beersAgainst the Ninja! Let me see those hands in the air! Miami Connection is on blu-ray!

Watching a movie as gonzo as Miami Connection, it’s seriously great, helps one understand just how incredibly awesome the 1980s were when it came to moviemaking and music.   It was indeed a high-water mark when it came to culture trends and this film, almost lost for good when a hurricane had its way with Miami, is proof positive of that fact. This flick kicks major ass.

You thought Miami Vice delivered the goods? Think again, son. There’s nothing quite like a movie the features an ass kicking multi-national martial arts rock band taking justice into their own hands. Starring Y.K. Kim, who also wrote and produced this cult classic, Miami Connection is exactly what B-movie aficionados want in their motorcycle-riding ninja flicks. Pop songs and kung-fu kicks? Hell, yes!

And we have the fine folks over at Alamo Drafthouse Films, always purveyors of great taste, to thank. The resurrection of Dragon Sound will be heard and felt by all! One listen to their top pop song and you will be hooked for life. “Friends through eternity….” will make their dreams come true. Yes, it is completely cheesy but the spirit is ALIVE.

"Yes, it is completely cheesy but the spirit is ALIVE."


Ninjas be everywhere. In an opening that features high kicks and low sweeps and lots and lots of arrows and slicing and dicing, we get a barrage of assaults from a stealthy crew of kung-fu fighters. And then, after the credits and the first musical piece, we get the onslaught of awful acting, bad lines, and horribly shot sequences. HOLY SHIT IS THIS AWESOME!

You see, after we are introduced to the love blossoming between John (Vincent Hirsch) and Jane (Kathie Collie), Jane’s brother (William Ergle) gets all sorts of nasty with the pair. He doesn’t like that she’s got feelings for the bassist. He also doesn’t care for her pipes as she’s joined Dragon Sound, the band that sings about stopping the drug trafficking in Miami. And they will do it with their super positive songs and killer synth lines.

And then, with no other choice present, the band doesn’t with their fists of fury. That’s right, performing kick ass tunes is not enough. They take their songs with a mission to the street and engage in a sort of turf war against all the evil gangs whoring out their drugs. Thanks to the lead and protection of Mark (Kim), the band’s rhythm guitarist and taekwondo instructor, they remain together, playing to win.

But just wait until the revelation that one of the band members mother was Korean and his father was a black American. Oh boy. So funny. Follow this with lines about how hot women on the beach definitely don’t have “buns found down at the bakery” and, yeah, that’s really all you need to know about just how fabulous this independent feature film is.

Miami Connection is calling. It’s time you picked up the see-through phone and identify yourself.

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Miami Connection (1987) - Blu-ray Review

MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime:
83 mins
Director
: Woo-sang Park
Writer:
Joseph Diamand
Cast:
Y.K. Kim, Vincent Hirsch, Joseph Diamand
Genre
: Action | Crime
Tagline:
Survival the ultimate test...
Memorable Movie Quote: "Listen to me. I don't want to have any trouble. I just get the job from agent. Don't bother us."
Theatrical Distributor:
Drafthouse Films (re-release)
Official Site:
Release Date:
August 18, 1988
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
December 11, 2012
Synopsis: Motorcycle ninjas tighten their grip on Florida’s narcotics trade, viciously annihilating anyone who dares move in on their turf. Multi-national martial arts rock band Dragon Sound have had enough, and embark on a roundhouse wreck-wave of crime-crushing justice. When not chasing beach bunnies or performing their hit song “Against the Ninja,” Mark (Tae Kwon Do master/inspirational speaker Y.K. Kim) and the boys are kicking and chopping at the drug world’s smelliest underbelly.

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Miami Connection (1987) - Blu-ray Review

Blu-ray

Blu-ray Details:

Home Video Distributor: Image Entertainment
Available on Blu-ray
- December 11, 2012
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles
: English SDH
Audio:
English: Dolby Digital 2.0
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; single disc; Digital copy
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A

Miami Connection, released from Alamo Drafthouse, is a super low, low budget affair. Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1, Alamo Drafthouse’s 2K restoration and new scan is to be commended. Sure, nothing about this production looks pretty but it sure cleans up well. Having acknowledged all that, though, this release is seriously how good this film is ever going to look. Grain is high, there are scratches and pops from time to time, but the colors are pumped up and so too are the black levels. The sound, presented here in a crisp DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track, is solid enough for the lo-fi feel of the movie.

Supplements:

Commentary:

  • Included with this AWESOME release is an audio commentary with star/producer Y.K. Kim and writer/star Joseph Diamond.

Special Features:

This release is loaded with great supplemental material. From the music to the making of the movie, this release is NOT to be missed.

  • Friend for Eternity: The Making of Miami Connection
  • Deleted Scenes
  • The 25th Anniversary Dragon Sound reunion concert from Fantastic Fest 2012
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • Who is Y.K. Kim? promo video
  • The New American Dream promo video

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Miami Connection (1987) - Blu-ray Review

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