Taking his cue from Charles Willeford’s novel Miami Blues, MIAMI BLUES director George Armitage (Grosse Pointe Blank) creates a jet black comedy about crimes and, well criminals. Imagine Noir as drawn by the sardonic wit of Saki. Alec Baldwin is Frederick J. Frenger, Jr., a criminal with a love of crime and a compulsion to just commit it enmasse. Fresh out of jail, he lands in Miami to just be his best self. A dead Hare Krishna aside, its been plain sailing. One crime follows another and in a hotel room with  Susie (Jennifer Jason Leigh, Single), a hooker with ambition, he seems set. But crime nevers pays (well unkess it is white collar stuff) and Freds mounting crime spree is cataching up with him. Homicide cop and quirk Hoke Moseley (Fred Ward) threatens to stop Fred in his tracks. Fred has other ideas obviously.

The overall release list of Radiance has been well recieved and in truth, is setting up to be a delight. MIAMI BLUES is a strong choice. Yes indeed it is you say. I say that this is the sort of film that will please lovers of SOMETHING WILD and MARRIED TO THE MOB. A fusion of mad cap, Screwball and satire that holds up under say Wards detective Hoke type investigation. Now the disc is a very good thing and has a little misstep. First the misstep. I was less taken with the HD for a single reason, it feels drained of depth in colours but this is likely my eyes than the disc though in regard of watching THE LAST EMPORER on 4K. Where the disc excels is with a logical sense saying ‘dont swamp it with extra baggage’. The two new things here are great. David Jenkins Miami Blues and Jonathan Demme’s role in the production feature is the ideal introduction to the film for the new comer. A lot of things we know are there, then a few we dont. The the best. most detailed outline of a favoured writer by Maxim Jakubowski. Whose piece is close to a love letter to the Willeford character craft. 

Limited Edition Special Features:

• High Definition digital transfer
• Original uncompressed stereo PCM audio
• Interviews with Alec Baldwin and Jennifer Jason Leigh (2015)
• David Jenkins looks at Miami Blues and Jonathan Demme’s role in the production (2022)
• Pulp crime expert Maxim Jakubowski discusses the character of Hoke Moseley in both Miami Blues and Willeford’s novels in which he is a recurrent character (2022)
• Behind-the-scenes and promotional image gallery
• Trailer
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow
• Limited edition 44-page booklet featuring new writing on the film by Glenn Kenny, an interview with George Armitage by critic Nick Pinkerton, critic Leila Latif on Alec Baldwin in comedy, an archival feature on Fred Ward and an overview of reviews
• Limited edition of 3000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings