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From: kpm@drufl.UUCP (MalloyKP)
Newsgroups: net.tv
Subject: Yet Another "Miami Vice" Season Premere Review
Message-ID: <44@drufl.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 30-Sep-85 21:13:59 EDT
Article-I.D.: drufl.44
Posted: Mon Sep 30 21:13:59 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 2-Oct-85 06:20:24 EDT
Organization: AT&T Information Systems, Denver
Lines: 65

**REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR FAVORITE VICE COP SHOW**

   Just thought I'd throw in my 0.02 worth on the Miami Vice season premere,
"The Prodigal Son", seen on KCNC-4 (NBC) 8:00pm (MDT) Friday 27 Sept '85. 

   First the high points.  I thought the show was technically great --
fabulous photography and choreography (especially the vertical shots of
NYC's skyline and Crockett's "You Belong to the City" stroll), wonderful 
music ("You Belong to the City" and Jan Hammer's instrumentals), and 
fantastic sets, as expected.  The show was worth wasting a Friday night,
just on its technical merits.

  However, on first watching, the show left me flat -- I was disappointed.
If you took out the panoramic photography, great choreography, shoot-em-up
scenes, and the love scenes, you'd have about 15 minutes of show.  The 
script tries to spin a web that just doesn't hang together.  I thought
the dialog was really contrived, some of it made no sense at all.  Some
of Sonny's (Don Johnson) lines seemed out of place, as did some of his
shots.  (I wonder if his contract states that he is to have so many lines 
and a minimum percentage of screen time).  I also thought that the show was 
**much** too violent (I lost count at 35 dead).

  I watched it again on the following Saturday, thanks to the magic of
VCR and an *early* fall snowstorm here in Denver, and I liked the show
a lot more.  Maybe all of the media hype had worn off and I wasn't
expecting as much.  (Maybe I picked out a bit more detail and the plot
wasn't as bad after all!)

  As for resurrected characters, I was surprised to see Pam Grier (Valerie) 
back, somehow she was acquitted of murdering the man who pimped for her
sister in "Rites of Passage".  I was even more surprised to see Bill 
Smitrovich back -- I suppose he was fired from the DEA for selling 
information to the Colombian cocaine kingpin Calderone ("Miami Vice -- 
The Movie") and was hired by ATF.  Also, Miguel Pinero appears in the 
credits of both the original movie and "The Prodigal Son".  I believe he 
is both Calderone in the original movie and the lead Colombian gangster 
in "the Prodigal Son" (good eye, Jeff Meyer).

  I'm a devoted fan -- I don't miss an episode.  I bought a VCR so my
Friday nights could be free again but now I stay home so I can tape the
show without commercials!  I'm looking forward to a great new season.
I hope there'll be some real gems like last season's premere, "Smuggler's
Blues", and "Evan".  My expectations have not been relaxed by a season
premere that was not up to snuff (in my book).

  BTW, the soundtrack (MCA-6150) is worth getting.  It has "Smuggler's
Blues" (Glenn Frey), "In the Air Tonight" (Phil Collins) [I an see the 
Ferrari heading down the Boulevard now], "You Belong to the City" (Glenn
Frey), "Better be Good to Me" (Tina Turner), and some great instrumentals 
by Jan Hammer.  I made a tape of the album and replaced "Vice" (Grandmaster 
Melle Mel) [not my type of music] with "You Only Left a Picture" (Fashion)
[from "Evan", much better].

  'Til next Friday night, 0900pm (MST).  My VCR will be on, my phone will
be busy, and I'll be glued to the TV, because once again, the drums will
sound, the sun will shine through the palm trees, the familiar chords will
strum (my, aren't we getting carried away), and it will be time for Miami
Vice, again ... I am ...

K. P. Malloy (Kevin)
ihnp4!drufl!kpm
601 W. 11th Ave., #108
Denver, CO  80204

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