{{short description|1987 American film directed by Y.K. Kim}} {{Use American English|date = November 2019}} {{Use mdy dates|date = November 2019}} {{Infobox film | name = Miami Connection | image = MiamiConnectionPoster.jpg | caption = Theatrical release poster | director = {{Plainlist | * Richard Park (Park Woo-Sang<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://mubi.com/films/miami-connection |title=MUBI |access-date=November 25, 2022 |archive-date=November 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221125140602/https://mubi.com/films/miami-connection |url-status=live }}</ref>) * Y.K. Kim }} | producer = Y.K. Kim | story = {{Plainlist | * Richard Park * Y.K. Kim }} | screenplay = Joseph Diamond | starring = Y.K. Kim | music = Jon McCallum | cinematography = Maximo Munzi | editing = Maximo Munzi | studio = P.J.K. Group | distributor = Manson International | released = {{Film date|1988|08|26}} | runtime = 84 minutes | country = United States | language = English | budget = $1 million<ref name=Ayers/> }}
'''''Miami Connection''''' is a 1987 American independent martial arts film starring Y.K. Kim, who also wrote and produced the feature. Originally, the film was critically maligned and received poor box office return upon release. It remained unseen for decades until Drafthouse Films restored the film for a proper release in 2012. The film was released on DVD, Blu-ray, limited-edition VHS, and various digital download options on December 11, 2012. Since then, the film has been better received by audiences and has garnered a cult following.
==Plot== A cocaine deal in Miami is interrupted by a group of motorcycle-riding ninjas led by Yashito, who steal the drugs and ride back to Orlando to party. At a club, Yashito's close associate, Jeff, sees his sister Jane onstage. She has become romantically involved with John, the bassist of the club's band, Dragon Sound, which consists of an ethnically diverse group of five college students who are best friends. They live, train Taekwondo, and attend University of Central Florida all together; they are also all orphans. Jeff disapproves of his sister's relationship with John and confronts him at school, but Mark, rhythm guitarist of Dragon Sound, the band's Taekwondo instructor and father-figure to the other band members, stands up to him.
Another band confronts the owner of the club over his hiring of Dragon Sound but gets beaten up. The rival band leader brings a large group of rowdy guys to Dragon Sound directly and fights them in the street, but Dragon Sound defeats them with Taekwondo. Consequently, the rival band enlists the help of Jeff, who summons Dragon Sound to fight at a train depot, but he and his gang are badly defeated by Dragon Sound's superior martial arts skills. Jeff tries again by kidnapping Tom, the lead guitarist and singer of Dragon Sound. The remaining band members stage a rescue, wherein they free Tom and accidentally kill Jeff. Yashito is angered by Jeff's death and sets out for revenge.
Meanwhile, the keyboardist of the band, Jim, has revealed that he is searching for his long-lost father. He is initially nervous about revealing that he is not a true orphan like his friends, but they accept him anyways. He finally receives word that his father has been located, so the band pools their money to buy him a suit and then heads to the airport. Along the way, Yashito and his gang of ninjas surround Mark, Jim and John and chase them into a park, where they do battle. Jim is critically injured, but John and Mark manage to kill all of the ninjas, and Mark kills Yashito in single combat. At the hospital, Jim survives his wounds and reconnects with his repentant father.
==Cast== * Y.K. Kim as Mark, Korean rhythm guitarist of Dragon Sound, and Taekwondo instructor and father figure to the other band members * Vincent Hirsch as John, Irish-American bass guitarist of Dragon Sound, and Jane's boyfriend * William Ergle as Jeff, leader of a gang of hooligans which is closely associated with Yashito's gang of ninjas, and Jane's brother * Siyung Jo as Yashito, leader of a gang of ninjas which is closely associated with Jeff's gang of hooligans * Kathie Collier as Jane, guest vocalist of Dragon Sound, John's girlfriend, and Jeff's sister * Joseph Diamond as Jack, Israeli-American drummer of Dragon Sound * Maurice Smith as Jim, Korean/African-American keyboardist of Dragon Sound * Angelo Janotti as Tom, Italian-American lead guitarist/vocalist of Dragon Sound
==Production== The film was made in 1987.<ref name=Ayers>Ayers, Mike. "[http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/08/showbiz/movies/miami-connection-film-ayers/index.html 'Miami Connection' goes from flop to fame] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121122135134/http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/08/showbiz/movies/miami-connection-film-ayers/index.html |date=November 22, 2012 }}." ''CNN''. November 8, 2012. Retrieved on December 1, 2012.</ref> Film director Richard Park<ref name=Ayers/> (a.k.a. Park Woo-sang<ref name=HumanickSlant>Humanick, Rob. "[http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review/miami-connection/6676 Miami Connection] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121119170959/http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review/miami-connection/6676 |date=November 19, 2012 }}." ''Slant Magazine''. November 9, 2012. Retrieved on February 12, 2013.</ref>) saw Y.K. Kim on the Korean talk show ''{{ill|Meet at 11 P.M.|ko|11시에 만납시다}}'' (11시에 만납시다) in 1985.<ref name=Ayers/> Kim was promoting a book about taekwondo.<ref name="Babineauleads">Babineau, Jeff. "[https://www.proquest.com/docview/277227365 MIAMI CONNECTION' LEADS TO ORLANDO]". ''Orlando Sentinel''. August 26, 1988. E1 Style. Retrieved on February 12, 2013. [https://www.proquest.com/docview/277227365 Archived] on March 7, 2016. "The prospect of making a movie was pitched to [Kim] by Korean filmmaker Richard Park, who had the film's basic storyline in mind when he saw Kim being interviewed in Korea about three years ago. Kim was there promoting a book he had written on Tae Kwon-do, and Park was interested enough to follow Kim back to the United States." and "[...]couldn't help but exchange tales they had heard about the film's star, YK Kim."</ref> Park met Kim and convinced him to make a film.<ref name=Ayers/> Park conceived the story while watching Kim's interview.<ref name=Babineauleads/> Early plans involved casting Bobby Kim (no relation to Y.K. Kim) as one of two brothers, with Y.K. Kim playing the other. The working title was ''TaeKwon-Do''.<ref>Boyar, Jay. "[https://archive.today/20140223025732/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/orlandosentinel/access/91743741.html?dids=91743741:91743741&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current FILMS' BEST FICTION SEEMS TO BE IN ADS]." ''Orlando Sentinel''. June 15, 1985. E1 Style. Retrieved on February 12, 2013. [https://www.proquest.com/docview/276655149 Archived] on March 4, 2014. "[Bobby Kim] said that he's working on a new project: a gangster movie involving martial arts, part of which may be filmed in Central Florida. Also involved in that project is Y.K. Kim, a martial-arts master who is associated with several local TaeKwon-Do centers. If things proceed as planned, the two Kims, who are not related, will play brothers in the film, which will be called simply TaeKwon-Do."</ref>
Kim borrowed from friends, took out loans, spent all of his savings, and mortgaged his taekwondo school to finance the film. He had never made a film before. Erin Sullivan of ''Orlando Weekly'' said that Kim "had no idea what he was doing".<ref name="Sullivanroped1">{{Cite web |last=Sullivan |first=Erin |title=Orlando's Grandmaster Y.K. Kim just wanted to make a good taekwondo movie |url=https://www.orlandoweekly.com/movies-tv/orlandos-grandmaster-yk-kim-just-wanted-to-make-a-good-taekwondo-movie-2246254 |access-date=2024-02-20 |website=Orlando Weekly |language=en |archive-date=February 20, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240220013034/https://www.orlandoweekly.com/movies-tv/orlandos-grandmaster-yk-kim-just-wanted-to-make-a-good-taekwondo-movie-2246254 |url-status=live }}</ref> Kim said that he hoped to find a distributor so the film would play nationally, but hundreds of distribution companies and studios rejected the film,<ref name=Ayers/> including all of the major film distributors and several independent film distributors. He later said, "Every distribution company rejected it after screening and said to me, 'Don't waste your time. Just throw it away; it is trash.'"<ref name=Sullivanroped1/>
After the rejection, Kim continued work on the film by refilming and reworking portions. A small distribution company purchased the film for $100,000.<ref name=Sullivanroped1/> Sullivan states that Kim planned to "make a movie that draws attention to 'exciting martial arts action (not computer-generated).'"<ref name=Sullivanroped2>Sullivan, Erin. "Orlando's Grandmaster Y.K. Kim just wanted to make a good taekwondo movie." ''Orlando Weekly''. December 12, 2012. [http://orlandoweekly.com/film/orlando-39-s-grandmaster-y-k-kim-just-wanted-to-make-a-good-taekwondo-movie-1.1415048?pgno=1 2] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140114152049/http://orlandoweekly.com/film/orlando-39-s-grandmaster-y-k-kim-just-wanted-to-make-a-good-taekwondo-movie-1.1415048?pgno=1 |date=January 14, 2014 }}. Retrieved on February 12, 2013.</ref>
==Release== thumb|upright|Re-release poster by Drafthouse Films. The film opened in August 1988 in eight theaters in Greater Orlando<ref name="boyar">{{Cite web |last=By |date=1988-08-26 |title=IF YOU CAN'T SAY SOMETHING NICE |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1988/08/26/if-you-cant-say-something-nice/ |access-date=2024-02-20 |website=Orlando Sentinel |language=en-US |archive-date=February 20, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240220013034/https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1988/08/26/if-you-cant-say-something-nice/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and was also screened in Daytona Beach and Melbourne, Florida.<ref name="Sullivanroped1" /> The film also opened in West Germany.<ref name=HumanickSlant/> Kim said "I was so excited, and I had no doubt that we would pack every theater and it would be a blockbuster."<ref name=Sullivanroped1/> Instead, ''Miami Connection'' had a poor critical reception and its run in theaters ended after three weeks. The ''Orlando Sentinel'' called it the worst film of 1988.<ref name=Sullivanroped1/> The film had a cost of about $1 million<ref name=Ayers/> and almost bankrupted Kim.<ref name=Sullivanroped1/>
Rob Humanick of ''Slant Magazine'' commented that the film should have been featured on an episode of ''Mystery Science Theater 3000'', and that it "would have likely been seen as a prize specimen and went [sic] for the jugular".<ref name=HumanickSlant/>
===Re-release=== As time passed, ''Miami Connection'' became an underground cult film. Y.K. Kim said that in a period of several years before 2012 several magazines and television talk shows requested interviews about ''Miami Connection'', and that Kim ignored most of the requests.<ref name=Sullivanroped1/>
In 2009, Zack Carlson, a programmer at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Austin, Texas, found the film on eBay and made a winning blind bid of $50.<ref name="Ayers" /> Carlson screened the film in the theater in Austin, Texas and found a positive reception, so he gave the film to the creative director of Drafthouse Films, the distribution division of the Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas. The director, Evan Husney, called Kim, and asked to get permission to re-release the film. Originally Kim believed that his requests were jokes, so he terminated the calls multiple times.<ref name=Ayers/> Kim said "I was wondering why they wanted to distribute this movie that the public had rejected and Hollywood treated like trash 25 years ago."<ref name=Sullivanroped1/> Husney and Kim negotiated for several months before reaching a deal to re-release the film.<ref name=Ayers/> In the summer of 2010 it was screened as part of the Alamo Drafthouse Weird Wednesdays. Rob Humanick of ''Slant Magazine'' said "The response was immense, almost transcendent, leading to encore presentations and ultimately a limited re-release."<ref name=HumanickSlant/>
The film received screenings in the New York Asian Film Festival and the Everything Is Festival, where it met with a positive reception.<ref name=Ayers/> Erin Sullivan of the ''Orlando Weekly'' said "Drafthouse has helped connect this film to its audience with a series of midnight showings at film festivals and theaters in New York, Miami, Atlanta, Seattle and this week, Orlando."<ref name=Sullivanroped1/>
==Reception and legacy== ===Initial release=== During its original release, the film was ignored by the public.<ref name=Ayers/> The ''Orlando Sentinel'' called it the worst film of 1988.<ref name="boyar"/> Roger Hurlburt of the ''South Florida Sun Sentinel'' wrote, "for lack of a better synopsis, ''Miami Connection'' is a cocaine-war-rock-ninja-motorcycle-gang film, with aspirations of being an action-adventure musical," and that Y.K. Kim "simply cannot talk".<ref name=Hurlburtreview>{{cite news | url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1988-09-19-8802230853-story.html | first=Hurlburt | last=Roger | title=Dumb Ninja Saga Will Help You Kick the Habit | work=South Florida Sun Sentinel | date=September 19, 1988 | accessdate=February 12, 2013 | archive-date=September 23, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923132319/https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1988-09-19-8802230853-story.html | url-status=live }}</ref> The title of the review by Jay Boyar of the ''Orlando Sentinel'' was "If You Can't Say Something Nice".<ref name="boyar" />
===Reassessments=== The reception has been more favorable post-2009.<ref name="Ayers"/> The film's re-release was met with mostly positive reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 65%, based on reviews from 20 critics.<ref>{{cite web |title=Miami Connection (1988) |url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/miami_connection_2011/ |website=Rotten Tomatoes |accessdate=4 January 2022 |archive-date=November 1, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151101165414/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/miami_connection_2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> On Metacritic, it has a score of 56 out of 100, based on reviews from 4 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".<ref>{{cite web |title=Miami Connection (1987) |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/miami-connection-1987 |website=Metacritic |access-date=July 19, 2020 |archive-date=November 12, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112020402/https://www.metacritic.com/movie/miami-connection-1987 |url-status=live }}</ref>
Erin Sullivan of the ''Orlando Weekly'' wrote that "the movie has been surprisingly well-received since its rerelease – or at least, received for what it is and not held up to unrealistic standards."<ref name=Sullivanroped2/> Rob Humanick of ''Slant Magazine'' gave the film three and one-half stars out of four stars and wrote that "love it or hate it, it's doubtful you'll ever forget it, and it may just force you to redefine your definition of what constitutes 'good' cinema."<!--Humanick is being used as an example--><ref name=HumanickSlant/><ref name=Sullivanroped2/> Rich Juzwiak of ''Gawker'' wrote that the film was "So Bad It’s Essential."<!--Orlando Weekly uses a Gawker review as an example--><ref name=Sullivanroped2/><ref>Juswiak, Rich. "[http://gawker.com/5959146/miami-connection-so-bad-its-essential ''Miami Connection'': So Bad It’s Essential] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130218233947/http://gawker.com/5959146/miami-connection-so-bad-its-essential |date=2013-02-18 }}." ''Gawker''. November 9, 2012. Retrieved on February 12, 2013.</ref> David Schmader of ''The Stranger'' wrote that "to say that ''Miami Connection'' is bad is a crushing understatement. ''Miami Connection'' is so bad it makes Tommy Wiseau's ''The Room'' look like ''Wild Strawberries''{{-"}} and that "but out of this tragic mess of failure and incompetence, a distinctly sweet spirit emerges. Its source is the cumulative gameness and good sportsmanship of everyone involved in ''Miami Connection'', which is drenched in a goofy joy that is contagious."<ref>Schmader, David. "[http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/holy-crap/Content?oid=15753970 Holy Crap] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140712190642/http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/holy-crap/Content?oid=15753970 |date=July 12, 2014 }}". ''The Stranger''. January 16, 2013. Retrieved on February 12, 2013.</ref> Jacquie Allen of ''Tucson Weekly'' said "''Miami Connection'' is quite possibly the most hilariously terrible film made in the ’80s, which is no small feat...the film has gained a cult following over the years and with good reason: it is one of the best bad movies ever made."<ref>{{cite web |last=Allen |first=Jacquie |url=http://www.tucsonweekly.com/tucson/miami-connection/Film?oid=3575959 |title=Miami Connection |publisher=Tucson Weekly |date=January 1988 |accessdate=2014-05-04 |archive-date=January 27, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160127182301/http://www.tucsonweekly.com/tucson/miami-connection/Film?oid=3575959 |url-status=live }}</ref>
''Miami Connection'' was featured during an October 2015 Rifftrax Live event.<ref>{{Citation|last=RiffTrax|title=RiffTrax Live: MIAMI CONNECTION Official Trailer|date=2015-09-02|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEJnKXk8BIY|accessdate=2016-10-12|archive-date=March 11, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190311183156/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEJnKXk8BIY&gl=US&hl=en|url-status=live}}</ref> Y.K. Kim, speaking with ''Paste'', appreciated that the Rifftrax event brought the film to movie screens again, even if they would make fun of it, and planned to watch the event himself.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/10/miami-connections-yk-kim-on-terrible-movies-rifftr.html | title = Miami Connection's Y.K. Kim on Terrible Movies, RiffTrax and the Power of Friendship | work = Paste | first = Jim | last = Vorel | date = 2015-10-01 | access-date = 2015-10-02 | archive-date = November 4, 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151104121442/http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/10/miami-connections-yk-kim-on-terrible-movies-rifftr.html | url-status = live }}</ref>
In 2017 the film was the subject of a live episode of the comedy podcast ''How Did This Get Made?'' that was later published on their website on September 15, 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.earwolf.com/episode/miami-connection-live/ |title=Miami Connection: LIVE!, episode #171 of How Did This Get Made? on Earwolf |access-date=September 28, 2017 |archive-date=September 29, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170929091138/http://www.earwolf.com/episode/miami-connection-live/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
During the first season of Red Letter Media's web series ''Best of the Worst'', ''Miami Connection'' was featured as one of three films viewed by the panel. By a 3-1 vote, the film was chosen as "Best of the Worst", beating out David A. Prior's ''Deadly Prey'' and Andy Sidaris' ''Hard Ticket to Hawaii''. The episode concludes with Jack Packard opining, "Y.K. Kim had a vision, and his vision is a horrible glory."<ref>{{cite episode |date=April 12, 2013 |title=Best of the Worst: Deadly Prey, Hard Ticket to Hawaii, and Miami Connection |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbWTthXfdBc |series=Best of the Worst |number=4 |publisher=Red Letter Media |via=YouTube |time=28m, 25s |access-date=April 14, 2026}}</ref>
==In other media== ''Miami Connection'' is referenced in the music video to Pharrell Williams's No. 1 hit song "Happy" (2014), where the first dancer is seen sporting a ''Dragon Sound'' cutoff tee.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbZSe6N_BXs#t=0m24s |title=Pharrell Williams - Happy (Video) - YouTube |website=YouTube |date=January 8, 2014 |access-date=January 17, 2018 |archive-date=June 27, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180627020704/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbZSe6N_BXs#t=0m24s |url-status=live }}</ref>
''Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon'', a 2013 video game, uses the film's song "Friends" during its end credits. Its cover art also appears to be inspired by ''Miami Connection''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.incgamers.com/2013/04/far-cry-3-blood-dragon-review |title=Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon Review |work=IncGamers |publisher=IncGamers.com |date=2013-04-30 |accessdate=2014-05-04 |archive-date=December 13, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213013252/http://www.incgamers.com/2013/04/far-cry-3-blood-dragon-review |url-status=live }}</ref>
"Against the Ninja" is briefly heard in the ''Ten Year Old Tom'' episode "Tae Kwon Do", causing the titular character to remark, "There's no such thing as Tae Kwon Do music."
==See also==
* ''Samurai Cop'' - Rediscovered 1991 film similar in content
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Official website|http://drafthousefilms.com/film/miami-connection}} - Drafthouse Films * {{IMDb title|id=0092549|title=Miami Connection}} * "[http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=96404 Interview: Grandmaster Y.K. Kim Makes the Miami Connection]." ([https://web.archive.org/web/20121101231421/http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=96404 Archive]) * Topel, Richard. "[http://www.craveonline.com/film/interviews/198925-tae-kwon-do-spirit-yk-kim-on-miami-connection Tae Kwon Do Spirit: Y.K. Kim on Miami Connection]" (interview) ([https://web.archive.org/web/20121103034840/http://www.craveonline.com/film/interviews/198925-tae-kwon-do-spirit-yk-kim-on-miami-connection Archive]). Crave Online. October 30, 2012. * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1UmZ4WWspo TaeKwonDo Rockers vs. Cocaine-Dealing Ninjas: The True Story of 'Miami Connection'], Vice Media * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpZu69OB2KM ''Miami Connection'' Trailer]
Category:1987 films Category:1987 independent films Category:1987 martial arts films Category:American independent films Category:American musical drama films Category:Films about Korean Americans Category:Ninja films Category:Taekwondo films Category:Films set in Miami Category:Films set in Orlando, Florida Category:Films about friendship Category:University of Central Florida mass media Category:American martial arts films Category:American vigilante films Category:American films about revenge Category:American exploitation films Category:1980s exploitation films Category:Japan in non-Japanese culture Category:1980s rediscovered films Category:Rediscovered American films Category:1987 English-language films Category:1987 American films Category:Films about musical groups Category:Films about orphans Category:Films about father–son relationships Category:Films about the illegal drug trade in the United States Category:English-language independent films Category:English-language action films