I just had to share my disbelief and sheer joy at the revelation that one of my favorite films, Miracle Mile, is finally being released on DVD for the first time.
I’ve held onto my VHS copy (long out of print) for far too long. Considering Anthony Edwards’ new popularity from his stint on “ER,” my only surprise is that this wasn’t placed on DVD sooner. It’s a little gem of a movie, and I’m thrilled to see it finally on DVD, even if it is fullscreen format (blah) with no extras to speak of.
For some reason, all my favorite movies get relegated in this way… Fearless is similarly released on a cheap video-transfer DVD, Closet Land is stuck somewhere in limbo, and Branagh’s Hamlet has yet to see DVD release (though for some reason, Love’s Labour Lost made it onto DVD right away). I’m hoping for a better version of Miracle Mile in the future, but for now, I’ll take what I can get…
Hey, that’s great news! A very underrated film. Not going to spoil anything for those who haven’t seen it yet, but I’d just like to say I’m glad they didn’t cop out on the ending. I’ll second the recommendation for seeing it, for those who haven’t yet. Too bad about the dvd release being fullscreen, though.
And it was filmed in my neighborhood (not that I lived here when they filmed it, though)! Yes, I live on the Miracle Mile. The diner (Johnnie’s in real life; can’t remember what it was called in the film) is still around, but sadly no longer open for eatin’, just for filmin’.
[spoiler] But I think it was the ending that caused the movie not to go very far. Downbeat endings, especially ones where we have invested heavily in the characters, tend not to do so well.
Still, the moment in the phone booth, was truly a great scene.
Personally, I didn’t like the ending. It was a little too cutesy for a movie that wasn’t. Crashing in the tarpits-- please. . .
I’m disappointed to see that it doesn’t have any features, such as commentary or interviews. If it did, that would provide a chance to find out if my suspicion is true: that the screenwriter or director originally intended for the main part of the story to be Edwards’ dream. It does have a dreamlike quality (well, nightmare, really, but the kind of nightmares people really have, not the usual Hollywood conception of a nightmare), and there are a couple of coincidences that, IMO, support my theory. I’m sort of with you on the ending, Anamorphic, but I can’t deny what elf6c said.
I remember seeing this years ago on cable. I watched it alone, because my then-wife was out of town on business. I remember being devastated by the ending, which I kept thinking until the end was going to be happy. I have never felt so mind-crushingly alone as after seeing the end of this movie. I still recommend it to people who want to see something offbeat.