Ninja-Fightin' '80s Rediscovery 'Miami Connection' Wants Your Oscar Consideration

It's weird that talking people into seeing a film about "a tae kwon do-themed synth-rock band called Dragon Sound and the group's 10-fisted battle against an evil Florida empire of cocaine-dealing motorcycle ninjas" can be difficult. Where did all these pro-ninja crazies come from?

Hopefully in the past 24 hours you've stumbled across the great piece from Alamo Drafthouse programmer Zack Carlson at Wired, where he takes on the idea of films that are "so bad they're good." Carlson's argument, in a nutshell, is that if a film provokes a genuine reaction, then it is entertaining, and therefore of value, full stop. No need for a qualifier. No matter if a film isn't The Incredibles or Schindler's List. If a film has an audience in its pocket at the end, the film is a success.

Miami Connection is amateurish. It isn't The Incredibles; it sure as hell isn't Schindler's List. But the film works; holy shit, it works. It was masterminded by motivational speaker and Tae Kwon Do teacher Y.K. Kim, who also stars, and who reportedly had only seen a handful of films before putting his money on the line to make this one. And he didn't mess around: the film features Kim as the leader of a synth-pop band called Dragon Sound, the members of which are all tae kwon do students. They run afoul of another band, also comprised of martial artists, and have a bit of trouble with a criminal gang, and with ninjas.

In the spirit of the fact that Miami Connection offers genuinely effective movie moments, not to mention a violently emotional climax of ninja-killing rage, we present a "for your consideration" ad featuring perhaps the film's most memorable amateur actor, Maurice Smith. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll say "OMG!" And if you're new to the film, check out the trailer below, as well.

The whole idea of a "for your consideration" push for the film is (mostly) a joke, but it's one with the best intentions, and a genuine affection for the movie.

Speaking to the fact of the film's amateurishness: there's really no argument there. Kim hadn't made a film before, and most of the cast were people he called up and (politely) press-ganged into their roles. But the movie has the same open-faced, earnest, and purposeful energy that makes a motivational speaker successful; Miami Connection is motivated by genuine belief in the power of positive force. Ironically, that's why it kicks ass.

Miami Connection opens in select theaters on 11/2.  For a full list of cities & dates visit http://drafthousefilms.com/film/miami-connection.  To request a screening in your city through Tugg, visit http://www.tugg.com/titles/miami-connection.

Here's the trailer.