Miracle Mile (1988)

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1988
Running Times: 87 mins
Length: 7891 ft
Format: colour
Ratio:
Sound: Ultra Stereo

CREDITS

PRODUCTION
Production Company: Hemdale Film Coporation
Producers: John Daly, Derek Gibson
Co-Producer: Graham Cottle
Associate Producer: Eileen Stringer
Production Supervisor: Graham Cottle
Production Manager: Daniel E. Schneider
Production Coordinator: Karen Altman Morgenstern

SCRIPT
Script: Steve De Jarnatt

DIRECTION
Director: Steve De Jarnatt
1st Assistant Director: David C. Anderson
2nd Assistant Director: Leo Zisman

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Theo Van de Sande
2nd Unit Director of Photography: Jack Wallner
1st Assistant Camera: Paul Hughen
1st Assistant B Camera: Rudy M. Fenenga Jr.
2nd Unit 1st Assistant Camera: Michael S. Endler
2nd Assistant Camera: Donald Burghardt
Key Grip: Robert Gray
Grip: Jim Crandell
Lab: CFI

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editors: Stephen Semel, Kathie Weaver
Post Production Supervisor: Randy Thornton

MUSIC
Music / Performed By: Tangerine Dream

SOUND
Sound Mixer: Mortesa Rezvani
Boom Operator: Michael Reilly
Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Michael Minkler
Sound Editors: Joseph Holsen, Val Kuklowsky
ADR Group Coordinator: Burton Sharp

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Costumes: Shay Cunliffe
Costume Supervisor: Mary Law Weir

VISUAL EFFECTS
Visual Effects Cameraman: Michael Lawler
Plate Camera Operator: Michael Karp
Main Titles Designer: Dan Perri

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Christopher Horner
Art Director: Richard Hoover
2nd Unit Art Director: Katherine Orrison
Assistant Art Director: Pamela Marcotte
Set Designer: Sean Haworth
Property Master: David E. Harshbarger
2nd Unit Property Master: Greg McMickle
Carpenter: Lyndell Wolff
Scenic Artist: Everett D. Wilson
Production Illustrator: Paul Chadwick

MISCELLANEOUS
Script Supervisor: Valerie Norman-Williams
Production Accountant: Cathy Mickel
Aerial Coordinator: John Gillespie
Helicopter Pilot: Gary Anctil
Head Animal Trainer: Brian McMillan
Promotions Coordinator: Steve Anderson
Set Medic: Bundy Chanock

LOCATIONS
Locations: La Brea Tar Pits, Hancock Park, Los Angeles, California, USA; Miracle Mile, Los Angeles, California, USA; Pan Pacific Auditorium, Fairfax, Los Angeles, California, USA; Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, California, USA
Location Managers: Ross Fanger, Kristi Frankenheimer

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Dedicated to Doctor Biobrain

STUNTS
Stunt Coordinator: Gary Jensen
Assistant Stunt Coordinator: Gardner Doolittle
Stunts: Gary Anctil, Bill Bates, Pam Bebermeyer, Michael Carr, John Casino, Fernando Celis, Eugene Collier, Gardner Doolittle, Shari Doolittle, John Gillespie, Gene Hartline, Chris Howell, Sim Hubbard, John Hudkins, Dale Jacoby, Ben Jensen, Gary Jensen, Harold Jones, Robyn Keyser, Kim Koscki, Al Lee, Ken Lesco, Dennis Madalone, Jason Markham, Paula Moody, Eddie Paul, Byron Quisenberry, Chuck Roberson, Ray Saniger, Lincoln Simonds, John Staples, Cris Thomas-Palomino, Victoria Van Der Kloot
Utility Stunts: Stephen Hudis
Stunt Driver: Kim Robert Koscki

CASTING
Casting: Billy Da Mota, Lauren Lloyd

CAST
Anthony Edwards (Harry Washello)
Mare Winningham (Julie Peters)
John Agar (Ivan Peters)
Lou Hancock (Lucy Peters)
Mykel T. Williamson (Wilson)
Kelly Minter (Charlotta)
Kurt Fuller (Gerstead)
Denise Crosby (Landa)
Robert Doqui (Fred)
O-Lan Jones (waitress)
Claude Earl Jones (Harlan)
Alan Rosenberg (Mike)
Danny De La Paz (transvestite)
Earl Boen (drunk man in diner)
Diane Delano (stewardess)
Jose Mercado (bus boy from diner)
Alan Berger (new person in catering truck)
Howard Swain (babbler)
Raphael Sbarge (voice of Chip)
Lucille Bliss (old woman in diner)
Cynthia Phillips (female cop)
Chad Taylor (male cop)
Edward Bunker (nightwatchman)
Brian Thompson (power lifter)
Herbert Fair (Leslie)
Tina Webster (girl in aerobic class)
Kirby Tepper (yuppie at heliport)
Jenette Goldstein (Beverly Hills chick #1)
Victoria Powells (Beverly Hills chick #2)
Jordana Capra (TV anchorwoman)
Bruce Hayes (TV anchorman)
Rickie Biggs (Brian Jones)
Peter Berg (band member)
Chloe Amateau (schoolteacher)
Alan Dillard (lobster man)

Stand Ins: Donna McMullen, Peter Berg

PLOT SUMMARY

Musician Harry Washello meets Julie Peters at the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles, also known as Miracle Mile, and falls in love. But he misses their date and ends up outside the diner where she works at four in the morning. When a payphone starts ringing, he answers it and hears a frightened man babbling about how nuclear war has broken out and that the US has just over an hour before the Russian missiles arrive. Is it for real or a horrible practical joke? Fearing the worst, Harry races against time to find Julie and get her out of the city, just in case...

CAPSULE REVIEW

One of the great "forgotten" gems of the 1980s. By turns mystifying, terrifying and deeply moving it's almost real time construction will keep you guessing throughout until it delivers its killer final blow. A victim of the thawing of the Cold War, Miracle Mile had only a patchy release in the late 80s and has all but vanished since. If ever a film was ripe for rediscovery it's this masterpiece and its lack of stature in fan circles is deeply regrettable. (Full Review)

AVAILABILITY

Canada
Theatrical Distributors: Cineplex-Odeon Films

UK
Theatrical Distributors: Hemdale
Video Distributors: RCA Columbia

USA
Video Distributors: HBO Home Video
Laserdisc Distributors: Image (ID 6912 HB)
DVD Distributors: MGM

CENSORSHIP HISTORY

UK
Rating: 15

USA
Rating: R

AWARDS

1989
Catalonian International Film Festival, Sitges, Spain
Best Special Effects - winner

Sundance Film Festival, USA
Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic (Steve De Jarnatt) - nominated

1990
Independent Spirit Awards, USA
Best Screenplay (Steve De Jarnatt) - nominated
Best Supporting Female (Mare Winningham) - nominated

TIMELINE

1988
September
11: Canada - shown at the Toronto Film Festival

1989
May
19: USA - theatrical release

September
28: West Germany - theatrical release

1990
January
31: France - theatrical release

2003
June
3: USA - DVD release (MGM)

POSTER TAGS

You just found out that you have 24 hours to live. What are YOU going to do?

There are 70 minutes to the end of the world. Where can you hide?

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

Appel d'urgence - French title
Cudowna mila - Polish title
Miracle Mile - pelon maili - Finnish title
Die Nacht der Entscheidung - West German title
A Setenta Minutos do Fim - Portuguese title
Soluzione finale - Italian title

LINKS

FOOTAGE INCLUDED IN
Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003)

REFERENCES

MAGAZINES

American Film vol.9 no.3 pp.44-50 (USA)
illustrated article (One in a Million by Stephen Rebello)

American Film vol.12 no.6 pp.31-36 (USA)
illustrated article (The Ten Best Unproduced Screenplays by Stephen Rebello)

Cinefantastique vol.20 no.1/2 (November 1989) p.117 (USA)
review (by Taylor White)

Empire no.20 (February 1991) p.26 (UK)
illustrated review (by Kim Newman)

Monthly Film Bulletin vol.58 no.685 (February 1991) pp.51-52 (UK)
credits, synopsis, review (by Philip Strick)

Positif no.350 (April 1990) p.68 (France)
illustrated credits, review (by Philippe Niel)

Starburst no.137 (January 1990) p.24 (UK)
review (by Alan Jones)

Starburst no.191 (July 1994) pp.36-38 (UK)
illustrated interview with Robert DoQui (Robocop - Robo's boss by Pat Jankiewicz)

Variety 7 September 1988 pp.34, 40 (USA)
credits, synopsis, review (by Rich)

KEYWORDS

diners, helicopters, nuclear war, police, riots

Last Updated: 1 January, 2009