Movie Review: Miracle Mile (1988)
Written by Erin Norton
Believe it or not, a movie as“ underground” as Miracle Mile (dir. 1988) has already been written about on Dreamworldgirl’s blog. That is quite literally how I found out about it in the first place. In Jamilla Philson’s article,“ Niche and Nostalgic: Spooky Films You Need To Watch This Halloween Season,” there’s an amazing list of exactly what the title promises! This one was on the docket, and luckily my partner and I needed something spooky and nostalgic to watch.
While on the clock at the La Brea Tar Pits as an educator, Harry meets his dream girl, Julie. Subsequently, they fall in love almost immediately. They agree to go on a proper date together later that evening. Harry tragically misses the date, and upon his realization, he rushes to the diner where they were supposed to meet. Julie isn’t there, hours have passed since they were supposed to see each other. Harry frantically attempts to contact her, but he gets no response. While he’s waiting in the phone booth for a call back, the phone rings. Assuming it’s Julie, he picks it up. It’s a terrified stranger on the other end. This is how Harry receives the news that Russia and the US have declared nuclear war on each other. The bombs from Russia have already been launched, the stranger confirms. The end is imminent. It’s just a matter of time before the end of the world. Harry has only one thing on his mind. He has to find Julie.
Despite the fact we watched it weeks ago, Miracle Mile still remains fresh in my memory. It was both terrifying and very campy, most likely due to the genre mixing. How could a sci-fi, thriller, romance, disaster movie not be a bit cartoonish in its depiction? Filmed mostly on location, the backdrop of apocalyptic Los Angeles was harrowing to witness, even through a screen. The general production design fossilized this film as a product of the 80s. Jaunty cuts between clips containing minute plot details, as well as saturated set pieces mainly in RGB, added a surreal element to the whole film. The absurdity of the plot and circumstance combined with sincerity from the actors created an unsettling tone. For such a simple, small budget film, it packs a punch and stands the test of time. Personally, I believe this should have been a classic, but somehow, it ended up as an overlooked, nearly lost, 80s movie. It left me wondering: If I had 70 minutes left to live, how would I spend it?
