Miami Blues (1990)

An ex-con's first act of freedom is moving to Miami where he restarts his old criminal ways with even more potency.

Director:

George Armitage

Writers:

Charles Willeford (novel), George Armitage (screenplay)

Stars:

Fred Ward, Alec Baldwin, Jennifer Jason Leigh

2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alec Baldwin	...	Frederick J. Frenger Jr.
Cecilia Pérez-Cervera	...	Stewardess
Georgie Cranford	...	Little Boy at Miami Airprt
Edward Saxon	...	Krishna Ravindra at Miami Airport
José Pérez	...	Pablo
Obba Babatundé	...	Blink Willie, Informant
Fred Ward	...	Sgt. Hoke Moseley
Jennifer Jason Leigh	...	Susie Waggoner
Charles Napier	...	Sgt. Bill Henderson
Matt Ingersoll	...	Mourning Hare Krishna
Jack G. Spirtos	...	Pickpocket Victim
Raphael Rey Gomez	...	Pickpocket
Tony Paris	...	Pickpocket's Accomplice
Wendy Thorlakson	...	Toy Store Cashier
William Taylor Anderson Jr.	...	Crack Dealer

Storyline

When Fred Frenger gets out of prison, he decides to start over in Miami, Florida, where he starts a violent one-man crime wave. He soon meets up with amiable college student/prostitute Susie Waggoner. Opposing Frenger is Sgt Hoke Moseley, a cop who is getting a bit old for the job, especially since the job of cop in 1980's Miami is getting crazier all the time.

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Plot Keywords:

neo noir | prostitute | girl stripped down to panties | female frontal nudity | sex scene | 

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Taglines:

Real badge. Real gun. Fake cop.

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 April 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

Le flic de Miami

Filming Locations:

Kendall, Florida, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,002,997, 22 April 1990, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$9,888,167

Company Credits

Production Co:

Tristes Tropiques

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

A framed photograph of Miami Blues author Charles Willeford can be seen on Hoke Moseley's desk in the police station.

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Goofs

When they have to buzz you in through a locked coin shop door, they also have to buzz you out. But Frenger just goes through the door after shooting Pedro and the coin shop owner. No one buzzes him out, and the door would be locked.

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Quotes

Frederick J. Frenger Jr.: Do you know any married people today? They're a team. They pull together and they get rich. They got it all.

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Connections

References Scarface (1983)

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Soundtracks

SPIRIT IN THE SKY
Performed and written by Norman Greenbaum
Courtesy of Transtone Records c/o Celebrity Licensing, Inc.

User Reviews

The three stars are great.

Arresting, oddball and darkly comedic crime fiction from the mind of the late Charles Willeford, written for the screen and directed by George Armitage and co-produced by Jonathan Demme. Some people may find it a little too unpleasant for their tastes, but others will delight in its unpredictability. It's got enough interesting faces in its supporting cast to help it make an enjoyable cult-favourite type of film.

Alec Baldwin plays psychopathic hoodlum "Junior" Frenger, who arrives in Miami intending to "start over", or in his case simply move on to a new assortment of victims. (He begins by messing up a Hare Krishna in an airport.) He hooks up with Susie Waggoner, a sweet, simple minded hooker played by the endearing Jennifer Jason Leigh. A tough homicide detective, Hoke Moseley (Fred Ward, good as always) follows his trail, but gets victimized himself when Junior gets the drop on him, and steals Hokes' gun, badge, and false teeth. Junior then has the time of his life pretending to be a cop, while entering into a domestic situation with Susie.

"Miami Blues" does get fairly violent sometimes, but if this sort of thing doesn't bother you, you can have a good time with this story and these players. It's got a hip soundtrack including a score by Gary Chang (this viewer loves the use of Norman Greenbaums' "Spirit in the Sky"). Among the supporting actors are Nora Dunn of 'Saturday Night Live' & "Three Kings", Demme regular Charles Napier ("The Blues Brothers", "The Silence of the Lambs"), Obba Babatunde, and Jose Perez; cameos range from Martine Beswicke ("Prehistoric Women") to Paul Gleason ("The Breakfast Club") to Shirley Stoler ("The Honeymoon Killers").

Highly recommended to fans of cult cinema.