Miami Vice

[MacGuffin]

Direct Quicktime Trailer link

[squints]

jesus do i hate linkin park

[modage]

jesus do i hate linkin park

yes, yes you do.

[Anonymous Joe]

I dont know, the trailer just reminds me of Cops.

[MacGuffin]

Foxx Confirms Vice Rumors
Plus, new posters now online.

In an interview with The New York Times, Oscar winner Jamie Foxx talks about his upcoming film Miami Vice, and conceded that not all of the rumor-mongering about the film's long, troubled shoot was unfounded.

"I begged Michael Mann to make Miami Vice," Foxx said, claiming he broached the subject while they were making Collateral. "I'd sing the theme song and tell him how to cut the trailer."

As for Vice, Foxx admits, "It was a tough shoot, and most of the rumors are true: Colin is a great guy, and we were out a lot. But that's what you're supposed to do when you're young and single and a movie star. That's part of the territory. When you have the ability to go out with beautiful women, why shouldn't you go?"

[MacGuffin]

Time for a new 'Vice'
He patented a look and style with the hit TV show in the '80s, but Michael Mann wanted to revisit "Miami Vice" as if it never existed.
Source: Los Angeles Times



"Look, I'm speaking not as a director, but I think I know what most directors want out of life," says Jamie Foxx when asked about the work of his latest film boss. "They want to be recognized for their style. The minute you see the first frame of a movie that he directs, you go, 'Wow, that is a Michael Mann flick.' That is what he has captured on the biggest stage, and that's what [actors] want to be part of."

But ask Mann whether his films have a Michael Mann style and he bristles: "Not for me there isn't. I make films the way I like. I would imagine that, like with any other working filmmakers, when viewed from the outside, you could say, 'This looks like a Rob Zemeckis film or a Steven Spielberg film. But I don't go, 'This is my style.' It's not about style."

What is it about? "Strong stories and strong conflicts," he says, noting that the ingredients that inspire him have taken forms as varied as the close bond that develops between "60 Minutes" producer Lowell Bergman and tobacco industry whistle-blower Dr. Jeffrey Wigand in Mann's 1999 Oscar-nominated suspense drama "The Insider," or the possibilities that emerge when a sexy Daniel Day-Lewis takes the role of Hawkeye in James Fenimore Cooper's classic "The Last of the Mohicans" (Mann's adaptation came out in 1992).

Another Mann staple is evident in film after film: his knack for eliciting powerful performances from A-list stars like Russell Crowe and Al Pacino in "The Insider," Robert De Niro and Pacino in "Heat," Will Smith in "Ali," Tom Cruise and Foxx in "Collateral" or Foxx and Colin Farrell in "Miami Vice," which Universal Pictures opens July 28.

"I just like working with people who are good at what they do," Mann says. "People who have a strong point of view. Healthy egos. I like that."

Getting the scene right is important, sure, he explains, but it's "how you get to that expression that to me is the most rewarding." He calls it "spontaneous occurrence." And it's resulted in coveted recognition for his actors.

"You know his films are going to be nominated for Oscars," says Foxx, who received an Academy Award nomination for supporting actor in "Collateral" (the same year he won for best actor for Taylor Hackford's biographical drama "Ray"). "It's sort of the Michael Mann School. Some people want to graduate from that university and become better actors."

Foxx should know. He has attended the Michael Mann School three times: first in "Ali," then "Collateral" and now "Miami Vice."

When asked if Mann is a perfectionist, the actor thinks a moment, then replies: "He is definitely meticulous. He wants things perfect. He works toward perfection."

That bent can be quite hands-on. Mann says he often likes to operate the camera himself because "sometimes there are things that you want to capture in a certain way." Knowing what is coming "two lines of dialogue from now," he says he can make "micro adjustments" with the camera.

"On high definition, I never turn the camera off so I can get into a rhythm. I usually do extremely long takes. Instead of breaking up a four-page scene, I'll do the whole four pages and then we'll do takes."

His approach has produced films that have generally managed to interest both critics and mass audiences, and "Collateral," with Cruise playing against stereotype as a steely-eyed assassin, took in $100 million domestically to become his highest-grossing film.

"The Insider" was one of his only box office disappointments, but it received seven Oscar nominations, including recognition for Mann for director and adapted screenplay (with Eric Roth).

Mann's latest film is based on the "MTV-style" cops series "Miami Vice" that he executive produced in the 1980s. But he stresses that his new film won't be a rehash of the Crockett-and-Tubbs buddy series that captivated TV viewers two decades ago. Don't expect pastel cityscapes and undercover cops dressed in Armani jackets over T-shirts. "We wanted to do 'Miami Vice' as if it never existed before, do it for real," he says.

"The way Michael Mann wanted to do it, he made it heavier, darker," Foxx says. "You don't really pay attention to the clothes. Actually, a lot of the movie was shot at night."

When he produced the TV series, Mann recalled, he didn't set out to create a contemporary look for Miami. That look already existed in the American capital of Latin culture. "Before I went there, I thought 'Scarface' was overstated," he said. "Then I realized that 'Scarface' was a marvel of restraint. Miami was a pretty wild place."

This time around, it was even wilder. During shooting last year in Florida, production on "Miami Vice" was halted for six days because of hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma.

"I mean, it was really an adventure. We had very dramatic weather, to say the least," Mann says, adding that the cameras took it all in. "We had a lot of shots of great clouds and thunderstorms and lightning flashes."

The production lost another couple of days down in the Dominican Republic when an off-duty police officer, who was said to be inebriated, pulled a gun and fired his weapon. "A soldier shot him," Mann recalls, noting that the gunman never actually got onto the set.

At 63, the Chicago-born Mann shows no signs of slowing. "I think it's easy for directors to stay fresh more than actors, especially once an actor becomes a star. It's hard for Russell Crowe to walk down a street or take a subway," he says. "I can fly coach."

Mann, who often writes his own scripts, once told the Directors Guild of America's magazine: "Could I have worked under a system where there were Draconian controls on my creativity, meaning budget, time, script choices, etc.? Definitely not. I would have fared poorly under the old studio system that guys like Howard Hawks did so well in. I cannot just make a film and walk away from it. I need that creative intimacy, and quite frankly, the control to execute my visions, on all my projects."

Spoken like a true auteur.

[MacGuffin]

New Trailer here.

[MacGuffin]

[Pwaybloe]

Sweet.  I love New Order.

[MacGuffin]

Our Mann in Miami
Helmer finds Vice "fabulously alluring."

The June issue of Premiere Magazine features interviews with writer-director Michael Mann and the cast of his big-screen version of Miami Vice. Mann advised Premiere that he has wanted to make a movie of Miami Vice ever since he first became involved with the TV series as its executive producer back in the mid-1980s.

"My first reaction was, 'Man, I want to make this a feature film,'" Mann said, adding, "The prose, the vibe, the sense of place – it's fabulously alluring to me."

For the film, starring Jamie Foxx and Colin Farrell, Mann has ditched the series' pastel and Art Deco look for gritty realism. "I wanted to break down the walls and do it without limitations, in terms of true life, true violence, true language, and real relationships."

An infamous perfectionist who meticulously crafts and researches his films, Mann had Farrell and Foxx study with "heavy, heavy-duty undercover guys" from the ATF and DEA in order to properly portray detectives Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs, respectively.

"Crockett and Tubbs are the guys who have to float in between the lines," Foxx told Premiere, "because they know the drugs are never going to go away. Bad guys are never going to go away."

Gong Li, who plays Crockett's love interest Isabella, a key member of the drug organization Crockett and Tubbs are infiltrating, praised her co-star Farrell. "He uses his heart and soul to play his role," she said. "It's not acting anymore – it's real. Viewers will be moved."

[MacGuffin]

'Miami Vice' Film To Flop?

The film version of 1980s TV series Miami Vice is in serious trouble after experiencing budget problems and less-than-stellar reviews, according to press reports in the US. The movie stars Oscar winner Jamie Foxx and Colin Farrell and is set for its American release on July 28. The remake cost $125 million to make. A source at Universal Pictures tells Fox News correspondent Roger Friedman, "And that's just what we're admitting to. It's probably more like $150 million." Director Michael Mann has reportedly been furiously editing the film, which apparently fails to capture the spirit of the original hit series. A source adds, "Michael still has time to fix it, but not much. But he would have to pull off a miracle to make it work."

[Sunrise]

Impossible...the trailer is great!!

Seriously though, I don't buy that a Michael Mann film will "flop". The unnamed source was probably expecting Mann to try and capture the "spirit" of the series and is thus disappointed. Let the man do his thing.

[cron]

from pitchfork

Mogwai on Miami Vice Soundtrack
Jamie Foxx to Colin Farrell: "This band will change your life."

Usually, when music is described as "cinematic," we imagine it as the soundtrack to some sort of epic film about love during wartime or interstellar space travel or the discovery of some lost civilization. We're certainly not thinking about Miami Vice, the kind of film that itself can barely be called cinematic. Then again, maybe we underestimate the Foxx/Farrell vehicle, because Mogwai have seen something in it. Or at least they're contributing to the soundtrack.

As unbelievable (and kind of awesome) as it seems, Mogwai are indeed contributing two Mr. Beast tracks, "We're No Here" and "Auto Rock", to the Miami Vice soundtrack, where they'll sit next to the likes of Goldfrapp, Moby, and India.Arie. Ah, India.Arie and Mogwai, together at last.

The soundtrack will be released July 25, and also features contributions from Emilio Estefan and John Murphy, who sums up the Mogwai philosophy with the title "Mercado Nuevo".

No rules. No law. No order. Just Mogwai:

01 Nonpoint- "In the Air Tonight"
02 Moby feat. Patti LaBelle - "One of These Mornings"
03 Mogwai - "We're No Here"
04 Nina Simone - "Sinnerman (Felix Da Housecat's Heavenly Remix)"
05 Mogwai - "Auto Rock"
06 Manzanita - "Arranca"
07 India.Arie - "Ready for Love"
08 Goldfrapp - "Strict Machine"
09 Emilio Estefan - "Pennies in My Pocket"
10 King Britt - "New World In My View"
11 Blue Foundation - "Sweep"
12 Moby - "Anthem"
13 Freaky Chakra - "Blacklight Fantasy"
14 John Murphy - "Mercado Nuevo"
15 John Murphy - "Who Are You"
16 King Britt - "Ramblas"
17 Klaus Badelt & Mark Batson - "A-500"

[Gamblour.]

Man, that's awesome. But it would've been cooler if it had been what I thought it said: Emilio Estevez.

[MacGuffin]

'Vice' and virtues of HD
High-definition video exerts its taxing appeal on a film's makers.
By Susan King, Los Angeles Times

"MIAMI VICE" director Michael Mann and his director of photography, Dion Beebe, knew the challenges they'd be facing when they decided to shoot the feature version of the classic 1980s TV series on high-definition video.

Two years ago, Mann and Beebe used high def to shoot "Collateral," which gave the action-thriller set in nighttime Los Angeles a distinctly visceral look. Beebe and co-cinematographer Paul Cameron received an Oscar nomination for their work on that film.

Before the HD cameras rolled in Miami last year, Mann, Beebe and the technical staff spent months in pre-production.

"There's been a lot of debate about high def replacing film and being an easier choice for filmmakers," said the Australian-born cinematographer, who won the Oscar this year for "Memoirs of a Geisha." "But it's definitely not the easy choice."

The high def cameras used in the film weren't made for action-thrillers. "They were designed to be in air-conditioned TV studios mounted on these pedestal tripods run through some sort of control panels," Beebe explained. "The cameras all run off these two recording decks, and you are running cable to recording decks and dealing with heat and moisture. You need a lot of battery power not just to run your cameras, but to run your decks."

Film cameras, he said, are much more robust and can be specifically modified for scenes in speedboats or fast cars. "But these cameras aren't. You have to be determined to see it through. There were often times when we thought it would be easier for us to shoot on film, but we had come down this path and we had done a lot of testing."

So why bother? Several reasons. One is that high-definition cameras allow the image to be manipulated right on the set.

"It's like your television set," Mann said. "You can alter contrast, alter brightness." To be able to adjust those artistic variables while you are shooting "makes it into a much more painterly medium than simply recording on film," he said. "We alter things all the time."

"It's a whole new ballgame for filmmakers to have that ability [to adjust] right in front of you," Beebe agreed.

The high-definition cameras also offer an incredible depth of field, especially at night. One can almost sense the humidity and the highly charged atmosphere of nighttime Miami because the cameras capture the billowy clouds, lightning and the lights of the city.

"You wouldn't be seeing any of those lights beyond [the actors] with a normal focal length lens," Mann said. "It would all be out-of-focus dots."

Lighting with HD can be tricky. "When you light with HD, it's sort of like playing a new instrument for us cinematographers," Beebe said. "You have got to get in tune with it and really work its strengths and weaknesses."

They'd already had experience with the technology on "Collateral," but even so, Mann and Beebe spent 4 1/2 months testing the cameras in Miami in conditions similar to what they expected during production of "Miami Vice."

"We shot tests at night, out at sea with helicopters and big boats and freighters," Beebe said. "They were bigger shoot days than I ever had on a feature in Australia — and it was just a test shoot. But the reason was to put ourselves in these situations and ensure we were going to get the results we wanted — securing cameras, [determining] how we were going to power them and cable them and [experimenting with] the settings we were going to choose for them."



AFTER the test footage was shot, Mann and Beebe took it to digital colorist Stefan Sonnenfeld to help devise a formula "for how we were going to use the high definition — how we are going to light it and shoot it," Mann said.

"Miami Vice" was lighted differently than "Collateral." The latter had a "non-directional light" for a softer look, Beebe said. With "Vice," they wanted more of a chiaroscuro-type lighting. "With the shootout at the end, we used these big, hard lights and set out to create a single hard sidelight for the sequence," the cinematographer said. "The problem is maintaining [the lighting] through the sequence because people are moving around and you are changing directions."

Also daunting to film was a scene in which Miami undercover police detective Sonny Crockett (Colin Farrell) takes the beautiful, mysterious Isabella (Gong Li) for a high-speed cruise in a motorboat. The vehicle had to be custom-built. "We needed to run cables through the boat to the cameras," Beebe said. And casings for the recording decks were created so that they could be strapped in the hull of the boat and withstand the impact of the waves.

"Once you take the recording deck off the camera, you can break the camera down to a very small camera," Beebe said, "and we were able to fit the camera with an operator, myself and Michael as well as Gong and Colin and head off at 70 mph across the ocean. It was quite a spectacle to see everyone crammed in the boat."

Although he has now made his last two pictures in high definition, Mann says he hasn't abandoned film. "I could very well do a movie I prefer to shoot on film," he said. "Shooting on film is simpler."