Rating: 
Summary: Not Even Slightly Relaxing
Review: "People always think they have so much time... to do all the things they'd like to do..." Years after seeing this film, that line is one of the main things that still sticks with me.This movie was an early effort by Anthony Edwards and Mare Winningham. The basic idea is of a young couple who has just started falling in love, and begun thinking of planning a life together -- only to find that World War Three has suddenly begun. Anthony Edwards is planning to meet Mare Winningham after work, which for her is about one o'clock in the morning. She works at one of those all-night coffee houses, in Los Angeles. He sets his alarm clock for midnight, and tries to catch a few hours of shut-eye before their date. The writer, or maybe the director (I'm not sure) did something really clever here. One of the film's characters absently throws away a lit cigarette butt, which, unbeknownst to the the character, gets picked up by a bird. The bird wishes to incorporate the butt into its nest, and does so. However, because the butt still has a slight spark left in it, the butt ends up setting the nest on fire. The small nest fire does not spread, but it does have the effect of burning through the insulation of the electrical wires upon which the nest sits. As luck would have it, these wires are the ones which supply Anthony Edwards' building with electricity. So when the power fails, so does his alarm clock, although he remains ignorant of the entire sequence of cause and effect behind this event... this little sequence makes us think of the many chains of events going on all the time, outside our own circle of awareness, which could eventually have some impact upon us. In the case of the bird with the cigarette butt, the result is that Anthony Edwards is three hours late to meet Mare Winningham, who of course has already gone home in a state of depression. However, the fact that he is late for their date has another chance result -- he happens to be standing near a payphone, right outside Mare Winningham's coffeehouse, when it rings. The caller is part of another, far more deadly unseen sequence of cause and effect, going on out in the world beyond L.A. We never find out the details of what has been going on in the place where the caller is calling from, (a missile silo), or the events in Washington and Moscow that led up to the random phone call. Unfortunately, the sequence in which the caller is playing a part seems to have come to a horrifying conclusion -- the caller claims that a nuclear war has been declared, completely unknown to U.S. citizens, in the middle of the night. Anthony Edwards isn't even sure if the phone call is real. Obviously it was a wrong number. Besides, perhaps someone is just playing a prank! Then again... perhaps someone is NOT playing a prank. A hyper-efficient, high-octane, female stockbroker, played by Denise Crosby, happens to be in the coffeehouse when Anthony Edwards staggers dazedly in. She assesses the situation, and decides to IMMEDIATELY hire a jet airplane to take her, and whoever can keep up with her, to the extreme southern hemisphere. (Radiation is expected to be a little less awful there, in most nuclear war scenarios). She behaves how people SHOULD behave in a situation like this -- efficiently, swiftly, decisively. But how many of her fellow mortals can live up to her excellent standards? The answer is, basically, none. Total panic engulfs the entire city in a matter of minutes, as news spreads about the phone call. Most terrifyingly, no one seems capable of doing the one thing that they must do, which is simply to drop everything and flee immediately. Everyone keeps thinking of that one more thing they "need" to do, before seeking shelter outside the city. Eventually... well, I'll let you see for yourself. This is a terrifying movie. For another film that is very similar, but even more graphic, I recommend that you look for the 1984 British TV-movie "Threads," witten by Barry Hines. "Threads" can be found on the British Amazon.com, or in online auction houses if you search for the two terms "threads" and "war" together, in the fields for VHS or DVDs. If you'd like some real, serious information about about nuclear war, (which hardly anyone seems to possess), try "The Cold and The Dark: The World after Nuclear War" by Paul Ehrlich and Carl Sagan, with a forword by Lewis Thomas. You could also read "Planet Earth in Jeopardy: Environmental Consequences of Nuclear War," by Lydia Dotto.
Rating: 
Summary: Finding True Love on Eve of Destruction
Review: An intriguing premise leads to a feature length film with very limited story line to go on. A young man learns of an imminant nuclear holocaust just as he is falling in love with a young waitress who shares his feelings. Witnessing incredible chaos, people committing suicide left and right, the couple ends up on the roof of a tall building. Eventually giving up on having a "quickie", the two heroes appear ready to face their doom. The final lines have a touching finality. In 1988 (the release year) a large number of people all over the world still had great fears of a nuclear war and the subsequent end of the world. Fearing such doom as a certainty has become less of a concern since the end of communism and the arms race. With the fears deminished, the message of this film may have weakened considerably. The material presented here would have made for better viewing if turned into a 20-30 minute short film. To stretch a story that can be summarized in 2 paragraphs into a feature film is, like the words suggest "stretching it". The congenial leads make the viewer empathise with their plight, yet it is understood that there will be no happy ending. It's like purchasing a one-way ticket to an unknown destination. All you know is that you will not return home. This is no "Day After", but ok viewing for fans of love stories.***
Rating: 
Summary: Be Warned: NOT WIDESCREEN! Very Disappointed with MGM
Review: I agree with all of the reviews praising this terrific film. Unfortunately, I can only give 2 STARS to the DVD of this 5 STAR FILM because MGM chose NOT to present it in widescreen format. I can't really comment of the transfer because I only watched about 10 minutes being both annoyed and disappointed. Wake up, MGM! This is one film that deserves to be seen the way it was shown in theaters - WIDESCREEN. Very, very shabby treatment of a knockout movie.
Rating:
Summary: Scary
Review: I am fascinated by this film. From the time of the phone call outside the diner you are riveted to the screen. It is exactly how I would see this happening if we were to get involved in a nuclear war, the panic and fear, etc. It is the best film I have ever seen regarding nuclear war.
Rating: 
Summary: Time is Ticking Away
Review: I came aross Mircle Mile a few year ago and I say that is one of my favorite "Its the end of the world" movies. The movie stars Anthony Edwards and Mare Winningham and they are both great. It shows that on misdial phone number and the news that ICBMs are heading for Los Angeles can go from one person to a whole city in the matter of hour. The one thing that I love about Miracle Mile is that shows with the news of impending doom, people will react differently....
A Great Film
Rating:
Summary: Haunting, Insightful movie
Review: I caught this movie one night on cable. I started watching about the time The phone rang in front of the Cafe, I could not turn the channel. This movie has something surreal that you can't explain.It may be the way the scenes were filmed or the soundtrack, But I was instantly drawn to the movie. In the scene where everything is hectic, you can feel the urgency and Hopelessness. For a film with such a dark message, It's a real jewel.
Rating:
Summary: However belatedly, this flick was awesome!!!
Review: I had seen this movie a decade or so ago on cable and I never seen it in the video stores or on cable since. I happen to catch it on the Love Stories Network. The movie had suspence, drama, and a certain urgency one rarely encounters in movies these days. The movie's special effects and stunts were very well staged. They conveyed a sense of the possible mayhem and anarchy that may result during the prelude to a nuclear attack. It makes one realize how fragile civilization can be in lieu of a catastrophic disaster. I was very disappointed that the movie was not in DVD. I would love to had bought it and been able to see it in a widescreen format. Oh well, maybe the future will be kind and give us this great film in DVD. A truly magnificient film that did not get the hype it deserved.
Rating:
Summary: Give Tangerine Dream an Oscar!
Review: I have seen this film so many times and each time i find a little something new. The thing that I like most about the film was the beautiful haunting score by Tangerine Dream. ANd the great acting by Mare Winning ham and Anthony Edwards.
What would you do if you found out the world would end in 45 minutes? that is the question edwards tries to figure out as he tries to get himself and his girlfriend to a safe place, knowing there is no safe place. The ending is heartbreaking and packs a punch. When i watched it with my friends one said "i hated that ending!" I said hey that's reality." not a happy ending. Thats probably why this underrated movie was not a big hit in theatres, but it should have been! This is a movie that will stay with you. Another good "end of world" picture is Testament."
Rating:
Summary: Little Gem
Review: I just caught this movie on FLIX tonight, and really enjoyed it's nittygritty portrayal of how Angelenos react to what may
or may not be an imminent nuclear war. The love story was
touchingly ironic, and I really enjoyed the movie-it's coming
out on DVD June 2, 2003, and I have preordered it. Excellent
soundtrack by Tangerine Dream. Ending is sad, the two lovers
are trying to escape via helicopter, and the nuclear exchange
sends their copter crashing ironically into the La Brea Tarpits,
right outside the LA Museum of Art. I liked this movie, the 4am nightcrawlers added a touch of color
and disbelief, and while for most of the film you don't know if
what he overheard in the wrong phone call was real or not, it
was an effective, sad movie, depicting a tragically thwarted love.
Rating:
Summary: Doesn't stand up to the test of time that well...
Review: I love end of the world/nuclear war type movies, and this one is ambitious, but focuses mostly on the relationship between Anthony Edwards and his new love, and then on peoples reactions to the news that a nuclear war is coming. There is no footage of what happens after the war, which is usually my favorite part in these types of movies.
Many parts seemed kind of cheesy 15 years after this was made, but it is not a low budget movie and is worth a view if you really enjoy this genre, but overall I would say it is worth a rental, and is not really a memorable movie, at least not in 2004.
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