Miami Vice (2006) (88 Films)

[rapta]

Mine arrived today from Amazon, finally!

[DonDiego]

Originally Posted by Special Feature

Did anyone buy this?

Yes, just now delivered from Amazon. Too soon to comment on transfer, etc - this will be added to watch pile so may be a while yet... I haven't seen this film in over a decade but I watched the dvd several times on a laptop way back then and it's a film I enjoy -looking forward to re-visiting.

However, I have opened it and I'm pleased with the package. I don't really care about slips, but if there is one then it's nice to have something more sturdy than a thin piece of card, and this is pretty decent. The booklet is decent too, with plenty of text - had a skim through and it looks well written. There's also a poster which is superfluous really.

[tim_p]

Mine’s despatched but it’ll be a Christmas present.

Would appreciate someone posting once they’ve watched the doc, whether it includes any deleted scenes/footage; still clinging on to that 0.1% chance there will be…

[blueman_Richie]

If anyone can post the runtime of the new retrospective documentary I'd be most grateful!

[chrisandy007]

Originally Posted by tim_p

Mine’s despatched but it’ll be a Christmas present.

Would appreciate someone posting once they’ve watched the doc, whether it includes any deleted scenes/footage; still clinging on to that 0.1% chance there will be…

Yes, please.. definitely what I am most interested in. Especially since Tony Curran was in the movie for 20s.

[Magyalmar]

Originally Posted by blueman_Richie

If anyone can post the runtime of the new retrospective documentary I'd be most grateful!

47 min.

[Rogierb78]

Mine is o the way, but it's a shame to read they used the old transfer. This is my first 88films release, but if they label this as one of the best bluray releases they've produced, then I'm not really impressed. They only added a different audio commentary but left out the most interesting one, and they added a documentary that they didn't produce themselves. And picture and audio are the same as previous releases. I'm really not impressed unfortunately.

[trip66]

I want this. I'm a huge fan of the film, and I just got the US steelbook, but I would really just be buying this for the new doc, the booklet, and (to a lesser extent) the slip cover. I wonder if the slip cover would fit over the steelbook.

Does anyone who got this, and has a steelbook on hand, check to see if the slip fits a steelbook? That would make a cool set if you own both releases.

Does the booklet have some proper essays? Or is it just photos and generic captions and trivia?

[BudBaxter]

Originally Posted by Rogierb78

Mine is o the way, but it's a shame to read they used the old transfer. This is my first 88films release, but if they label this as one of the best bluray releases they've produced, then I'm not really impressed. They only added a different audio commentary but left out the most interesting one, and they added a documentary that they didn't produce themselves. And picture and audio are the same as previous releases. I'm really not impressed unfortunately.

Wacky thought, but maybe wait until you've received it & watched it before passing judgment?

[Magyalmar]

Originally Posted by trip66

I want this. I'm a huge fan of the film, and I just got the US steelbook, but I would really just be buying this for the new doc, the booklet, and (to a lesser extent) the slip cover. I wonder if the slip cover would fit over the steelbook.

Does anyone who got this, and has a steelbook on hand, check to see if the slip fits a steelbook? That would make a cool set if you own both releases.

Does the booklet have some proper essays? Or is it just photos and generic captions and trivia?

I confirm that it fits but quite tightly. If the Steelbook you mention is glossy I wouldn't recommend using the slipcover on it unless you really want scratches.

And the booklet contains a short essay about Michael Mann and television.

[Grimmy11]

Just watched the documentary,

Its..ok. It includes interviews with the producer, some cast (Barry Shabaka Henley & Tony Curran) and crew, although none of the major players are involved (No Mann, Farrell, Fox, etc). The first 20 minutes are people talking about the film and how they got involved. No deleted scenes or behind-the-scenes footage in it. Just interviews and clips from the film.

It does later go into talking about the production a little bit (mostly from Henley) but doesn't really go into any depth.

It's certainly not the warts and all reflection on a famously troubled production that was coolly received at the time and has since found an audience and been critically reevaluated that I imagine most people were hoping for.


It's nice to have both the Theatrical and Directors cut versions together in one package but as a big fan of the film, it's hard not to be disappointed overall after such a long wait. Especially going from a 4K release to a Blu-Ray with the same old transfer.

There's a new commentary by film journalists on the theatrical cut (haven't listened yet), but it is missing the Michael Mann commentary from the director's cut that is on the US release. The documentary mentioned above is the only other new extra. The rest are ported over from the existing release. Minus the Nonpoint "In the Air Tonight" music video, if anyone cares about that.

EDIT: I'm not the person to be judging the picture quality difference since I don't have a professionally calibrated setup and am not as sensitive to it as you lot, but I'd say the 88 release has "slightly" better PQ. The bit rate is a bit higher on average and maybe it looks a touch better to me but it's hard to say.

[trip66]

Originally Posted by Magyalmar

I confirm that it fits but quite tightly. If the Steelbook you mention is glossy I wouldn't recommend using the slipcover on it unless you really want scratches.

And the booklet contains a short essay about Michael Mann and television.

Thanks for checking that out!

[trip66]

Originally Posted by Grimmy11

Just watched the documentary,

Its..ok. It includes interviews with the producer, some cast (Barry Shabaka Henley & Tony Curran) and crew, although none of the major players are involved (No Mann, Farrell, Fox, etc). The first 20 minutes are people talking about the film and how they got involved. No deleted scenes or behind-the-scenes footage in it. Just interviews and clips from the film.

It does later go into talking about the production a little bit (mostly from Henley) but doesn't really go into any depth.

It's certainly not the warts and all reflection on a famously troubled production that was coolly received at the time and has since found an audience and been critically reevaluated that I imagine most people were hoping for.


It's nice to have both the Theatrical and Directors cut versions together in one package but as a big fan of the film, it's hard not to be disappointed overall after such a long wait. Especially going from a 4K release to a Blu-Ray with the same old transfer.

There's a new commentary by film journalists on the theatrical cut (haven't listened yet), but it is missing the Michael Mann commentary from the director's cut that is on the US release. The documentary mentioned above is the only other new extra. The rest are ported over from the existing release. Minus the Nonpoint "In the Air Tonight" music video, if anyone cares about that.

EDIT: I'm not the person to be judging the picture quality difference since I don't have a professionally calibrated setup and am not as sensitive to it as you lot, but I'd say the 88 release has "slightly" better PQ. The bit rate is a bit higher on average and maybe it looks a touch better to me but it's hard to say.

The doc sounds a bit of a fluff piece instead of getting into some of the crazy things that went down. I'm a fan of Dion Beebe and John Murphy and kind of still want to find about what they have to say.

John Murphy had some get scores then: 28 Days Later and its sequel, Millions, and Sunshine. I was friends with him on myspace, and he sent me the full scores of Miami Vice, 28 Weeks Later, and Millions on CD! There were a lot of John Murphy pieces that were used in many of the making of featurettes that didn't make it in the film.

Another disappointment about this release is that they didn't dig up the additional featurettes from the original website. The old MV website had way more featurettes that never made it as special features on dvd or blu-ray. I still have the "Racetrack" feature from the website in glorious 240P! That has some great music from John Murphy over it that wasn't in the film.

[chrisandy007]

Originally Posted by trip66

The doc sounds a bit of a fluff piece instead of getting into some of the crazy things that went down. I'm a fan of Dion Beebe and John Murphy and kind of still want to find about what they have to say.

John Murphy had some get scores then: 28 Days Later and its sequel, Millions, and Sunshine. I was friends with him on myspace, and he sent me the full scores of Miami Vice, 28 Weeks Later, and Millions on CD! There were a lot of John Murphy pieces that were used in many of the making of featurettes that didn't make it in the film.

Another disappointment about this release is that they didn't dig up the additional featurettes from the original website. The old MV website had way more featurettes that never made it as special features on dvd or blu-ray. I still have the "Racetrack" feature from the website in glorious 240P! That has some great music from John Murphy over it that wasn't in the film.

Woah! I actually have the full score of MV, I *think*. Do you happen to know which track plays over the Racetrack feature? Heck, do you even have a shareable version of said feature??

I remember the RZA score was on the website, which was great. I know Mann went through his customary eighteen composers on that show like he always does, I'm surprised Murphy wanted to participate in the doc.

I remember there was an Entertainment Weekly article that did a pretty good job getting into all the drama on the shoot, does anyone know if any other trades/publications covered it around the time of the film's production or release? The Slate article that Kim Masters wrote gets regurgitated all the time but I didn't find it particularly insightful (or well written..)

[Yiddo1981]

I think the review is way off. Mann tried something differently aesthetically and pulled it off. It gave us Spring Breakers. It wouldn’t be right for Mann to do it in the late 90’s with the original cast.

[Special Feature]

The website's review:

Miami Vice: Vice City - Retrospective Documentary - this archival program takes a closer look at the conception and production history of Miami Vice as well as the various characters in it and their connection to the original characters from the iconic TV series. Included in it are clips from numerous interviews with cast and crew members. In English, not subtitled. (47 min).

Archival?

[tim_p]

Gotta be careful with that copy/paste - same intro for the extras that are (archival)

[BudBaxter]

It's a weird review. The guy seems much more interested in telling us what he wanted from a Miami Vice movie than reviewing what we actually got. It's been 17 years. Let it go!

[cooey]

Find it very interesting that 88 have said that this is/was one of their greatest achievements with their releases.....from the Facebook post -

So we’re sorry it’s not UHD but I think this in one of the best Blu-ray sets we’ve produced so far

Considering the titles they've released and with what is included on this release, this seems more of a statement to appease Michael Mann if he were to ever look.

[Grimmy11]

Originally Posted by cooey

Find it very interesting that 88 have said that this is/was one of their greatest achievements with their releases.....from the Facebook post -



Considering the titles they've released and with what is included on this release, this seems more of a statement to appease Michael Mann if he were to ever look.

Thinking about the release a bit more, I think it is a great release. If you haven't owned the film on disc it seems like the version to buy, both cuts of the film, archival extras and a new retrospective feature, even if it is missing the Mann commentary.

It's less of an easy sell if you have an existing release though.

It's the combination of knowing there are loads of stories to tell about this film remaining untold, and 88's communication that makes it feel disappointing.

The premature announcement, that felt like 2 years before they actually released it. Then saying it would be 4K before going quiet and eventually backtracking (I'm sure there was nothing they could do about it, but they shouldn't have said it if it wasn't confirmed), and the above comment when they re-announced its release.

If it wasn't for all that, I'd probably just think it was a good solid release (which it is). It's the tease of what we could have had