Miami Blues Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Miami Blues Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman March 16, 2023

Buried in the "fine print" of the front cover of this new Blu-ray release from Radiance, you might make out "Blu-ray Premiere", but that's a Region B reference, since those of us happily (or otherwise) ensconced in Region A may know that Miami Blues has had a Blu-ray release from both Shout! Factory in 2015, and then just last year from MVD Visual's MVD Rewind imprint, both of which I reviewed. In what, to mix cinematic metaphors, I can only call a Groundhog Day -esque phenomenon, it's now back for a third "at bat" with yours truly, so, while I'll post links to my two previous reviews below the first screenshot, I'll just cut to the chase and say that this release offers similar if perhaps not completely identical technical merits to the previous releases, while also porting over the interview with stars Alec Baldwin and Jennifer Jason Leigh that first appeared on the Shout! Factory release, but commendably also adding in a couple of rather interesting new supplements, as well as a nicely appointed insert booklet with some good writing.

As mentioned above, this film keeps recurring in my review queue in an almost comical fashion, but the good news is, I'm a fan. For those interested, you can glean a bit more information about the plot and my general reaction in the following links:

Miami Blues Blu-ray review

Miami Blues Blu-ray review

Miami Blues Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Miami Blues is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Radiance Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. Radiance's insert booklet contains the following information on the transfer:

Miami Blues was transferred in high definition by MGM at Ascent Media and delivered to Raidance as a high definition digital file. Additional picture resotration to remove instance of dirt was carried out by Silver Salt Restoration London. The film is presented in its original aspect ratio with the original stereo audio mix.

There's nowhere where that Groundhog Day attribution mentioned above comes into play for me personally than in trying to get screenshots that are reasonably close to those I've already taken for other reviews, so that those interested can do a side by side (and in this case, by side) comparison, since that first hand visual experience will probably suffice better than any description I can offer. You might need to parse all three reviews in some cases to get the closest frames to this particular review, but the biggest difference to me this time around was the color timing, which seems a bit more yellow on this release than on either of the Region A releases. That lends a kind of pastel hue that is probably in keeping with the Miami locale, but it does tend to make things look slightly jaundiced at times. Detail levels are pretty much interchangeable with the two previous releases in my estimation. The element is largely damage free, perhaps due in part to Silver Salt's efforts, but there are still a few blemishes that have made it through the restoration gauntlet. Grain is tightly resolved for the most part. This transfer shows some of the same intermittent chunkiness and slight downgrades in clarity that the two previous releases have.

Miami Blues Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Both of the Region A Blu-ray releases featured LPCM 2.0 audio, and this one does as well. As is probably none too surprising, I couldn't discern any real difference in this latest version, and this offers another nicely balanced accounting of the film's arch dialogue and really fun soundtrack source cues. Everything is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout, with no issues of any kind to report. Optional English subtitles are available.

Miami Blues Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Alec Baldwin and Jennifer Jason Leigh (HD; 26:01) is the same supplement that was on the Region A releases.


• David Jenkins (HD; 11:58) offers an interesting look at the film, focusing on Jonathan Demme's (producing) participation, and how Demme's career intersected with George Armitage's.


• Maxim Jakubowski (HD; 11:16) is another interesting analysis, this one focusing more on source novelist Charles Willeford.


• Gallery (HD; 3:00)


• Trailer (HD; 2:11)

Additionally, Radiance provides another really nicely done insert booklet, and I have to say after having gotten several of their releases now, for those who like written supplements, these booklets have offered some well written pieces. This particular one features both new and archival essays by Glenn Kenny, Nick Pinkerton, Leila Latif and Robert Seidenberg. Additionally, packaging features a reversible sleeve and Radiance's quasi-obi strip.

Miami Blues Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Well, until next we meet again, another Miami Blues review is coming to a close. Jesting aside, this is a really fun if slightly gonzo movie and I have to say, especially having had it in my review queue twice now in relatively rapid succession, it's the rare movie that can provide laughs and excitement even on a third (or fourth, or fifth) viewing. This transfer is noticeably more skewed toward yellow than the previous two, but detail levels and grain resolution are largely interchangeable. Radiance has ported over the archival interview with Alec Baldwin and Jennifer Jason Leigh, and the two new appreciations are well done. Recommended.