Problems With the Blu-Ray Release!


Ferrariman

Recommended Posts

Thanks very much. While we're here, thinking about the DVDs and the 5.1 remixes - this is technically the wrong thread, but it's linked, I hope nobody will mind;

On the Vice Wiki it says;

Quote

The opening credit sequence is different during the Rodriguez episodes than with the Castillo episodes. The version of the "Miami Vice Theme" used in these episodes is also incorrectly mixed and is missing the distinctive synthesised guitar hook. Curiously, this was not corrected on recent DVD releases of the show, despite being acknowledged as an error by producers.

I've always wondered if this is accurate, and if it is, bringing us back to Blu-ray, that's pretty much all the evidence you need, besides the colours and levels being the same, that the Blu-rays are from the same source as the DVDs, as this was an issue that came in 2005 with the DVD remixes and is still there on Blu-ray.

Edited by bodie
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I always thought the guitar-like lead sound didn't make the opening theme until "Cool Runnin'", and the first hint of it was in the closing credits of "Heart of Darkness".

@Ferrariman , @ivoryjones , can anybody confirm? I forget who all has original broadcasts. 

Edited by Dadrian
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Dadrian said:

I always though the guitar-like lead sound didn't make the opening theme until "Cool Runnin'", and the first hint of it was in the closing credits of "Heart of Darkness".

@Ferrariman , @ivoryjones , can anybody confirm? I forget who all has original broadcasts. 

I can't remember which episode it was but I know the melody lead was not in the first few episodes.........I was just watching them a few weeks ago & noticed when it was added. I'll try to watch them again & make a note of the addition.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, I think it's actually Calderone's Demise (Calderone's Return pt 2) on all releases (including original broadcasts). Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

26 minutes ago, Dadrian said:

Yeah, I think it's actually Calderone's Demise (Calderone's Return pt 2) on all releases (including original broadcasts). Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. 

Hi Dadrian.........I just watched the intros & endings and you are correct.............the guitar-like lead is introduced in the beginning of Calderone's Return Part II ....and I am glad Hammer did, not only because I play guitar but it really sounded empty before, with just the background chords. :thumbsup: :radio:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 hours ago, bodie said:

Thanks, would love to get that one cleared up - has bugged me for years :radio:

Would really like to know this as well. The MV theme without the guitar-like hook I like also as it is on the DVD in the "Pilot" up to "Calderone's Return pt 1" and in the car and boat chase scene. 

Edited by summer84
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 hours ago, bodie said:

Just to confirm Tony D. - you were looking at original broadcast copies not commercial tape or disc releases right? :)

Oh,Oh..........I watched my original DVD set.  I have episodes from the original broadcasts on VHS tape....but it will be a while until I find those & watch them.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have the "Cool Running" On beta. I taped it during the summer rerun period. It didn't have the guitar part added. I then taped the Calderone two parter off of USA Network in 1989.  On that version at least the guitar started with the 2nd part. My 2 cents there. 

Out of curiosity, are there blu ray holder things that you can buy to insert into the case to spread the discs out?  I hate them being on top of each other. 

Edited by Noggie
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks both.

Tony D. if you could check some time that would be brilliant. Though I note with interest Noggie saying this convention predates the DVD restorations, that certainly conflicts with the info on the Vice Wiki, so the mystery deepens as they say :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I started taping shows during the rerun period of 85. There were still a few new episodes yet to air. They didn't really rerun them in order I don't think.  They reran the Calderone two parter as a 2 hour movie I remember. I didn't record that and don't remember what intro was used.  I didn't see "Brother's Keeper" until it was rerun over the summer. According to the Vice wiki, it aired in July of 85. I remember being blown away by the longer version of the theme without the guitar. I mean I played that over & over.  When "Cool Running" aired for a 2nd time, it had an edited version of that theme. 

I didn't see the Calderone two parter again until 1989 when it was in syndication. That was when I caught up on a lot of season 1 I'd missed. At least in syndication, it had the no guitar version on part 1 & the guitar version on part 2. I always looked at part 2 as being a restart for the show with the new theme & with Castillo coming on the next episode.  

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cool, as I say, looks like the Wiki is wrong then and it may have started with repeats - but the key thing, is what happened first time out? :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
On 7/18/2017 at 10:59 PM, Dadrian said:

I always thought the guitar-like lead sound didn't make the opening theme until "Cool Runnin'", and the first hint of it was in the closing credits of "Heart of Darkness".

@Ferrariman , @ivoryjones , can anybody confirm? I forget who all has original broadcasts. 

The guitar-like lead sound appeared as opening theme for the first time on "Calderone's Demise" (aka "Calderone's Return part II"), so it came together with the pink glow, but still missing "Edward James Olmos" credit originally (I've seen somewhere a version of "Calderone's Return part II" with EJO name on it, but that is wrong).

I was never convinced about that information found on Vice Wiki that states that it was a mixing problem that made the guitar absent on the first episodes. To me it was just Jan's overdub working process that we're somewhat familiar with (Dadrian being way above just "familiar with", of course!). By adding musical lines, "Brenda" theme would become "Theresa" theme, "Little Prince" would become "Payback" etc. If you hear "Brenda" after "Theresa", you'll also get the feeling there's something missing, there's something wrong, but in fact it's just an earlier creative stage (and I can't decide which one I like best!).

I just can't believe Jan Hammer (or such a perfectionist like Michael Mann) would let such a grotesque mixing error like that keep going, on a musically driven TV show, for 4 episodes! And without late correction on reruns or home video??? Would production edit the pilot opening in order to fit 1 minute on "Heart of Darkness" and keep that "wrong" mixing? Also, I don't think we've ever heard anything like such a wrong mixing of his music elsewhere on Miami Vice, maybe because Jan's mixing would be carefully left "as is". So it would be tragic to have a terrible karaokean mistake like that exactly on the opening!

To me, the pre-version with the guitar line on "Heart of Darkness" end credits is evidence that the "guitar version" was still in (very early) stage as late as in post-production of "Heart of Darkness".

I do love the theme version on the first 4 episodes: the absence of lead guitar gives it an extra 80'ish synth power (arpeggio synth is just in front of you!), together with some sort of "raw" quality.

Edited by ivoryjones
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

All well said, @ivoryjones !

Also, there was the time he subtracted a guitar-like lead part in a later version (Buddies/Forgive Us). I understand how it worked better for the latter without the lead sound, but I like it so much better with it. He did, however, add the choir sounds, and maybe he thought the distortion guitar with the choir would sound too much like Pink Floyd. :) (like on my "Do You Hear What I Hear" Christmas song)

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Dadrian said:

All well said, @ivoryjones !

Also, there was the time he subtracted a guitar-like lead part in a later version (Buddies/Forgive Us). I understand how it worked better for the latter without the lead sound, but I like it so much better with it. He did, however, add the choir sounds, and maybe he thought the distortion guitar with the choir would sound too much like Pink Floyd. :) (like on my "Do You Hear What I Hear" Christmas song)

I've never noticed it before until you've mentioned it, but it's a fact!  

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just a note, if any of you are getting replacement discs for the UK Blu-ray set from Fabulous films, the copy of One Eyed Jack now has the cock fight censored as per BBFC regulations on footage of animal cruelty. Universal's UK DVDs were censored too for the same reason.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm still really on the fence about buying the Blu Ray, it's real expensive over here in the UK  £89.99 ( $118 ) And with all the problems it's been having with audio and stuff I'm very unsure.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Administrators
14 hours ago, bodie said:

Just a note, if any of you are getting replacement discs for the UK Blu-ray set from Fabulous films, the copy of One Eyed Jack now has the cock fight censored as per BBFC regulations on footage of animal cruelty. Universal's UK DVDs were censored too for the same reason.

Really? Wow that's messed up. Good thing I got mine when I did then. 

The Brits and their censorship... Harden up, buttercup. :( 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Administrators
2 hours ago, Detective_Crockett said:

I'm still really on the fence about buying the Blu Ray, it's real expensive over here in the UK  £89.99 ( $118 ) And with all the problems it's been having with audio and stuff I'm very unsure.

Only one episode has a major audio problem, The Great McCarthy is the only other with any issue at all which is one little piece of 3-word dialogue the editor forgot to include. The rest is absolutely fine, well I didn't pick up on anything.

You probably missed your chance anyway, because they might give you the new discs with the cock fight censored. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, James said:

Only one episode has a major audio problem, The Great McCarthy is the only other with any issue at all which is one little piece of 3-word dialogue the editor forgot to include. The rest is absolutely fine, well I didn't pick up on anything.

You probably missed your chance anyway, because they might give you the new discs with the cock fight censored. 

Why would I care about chickens fighting? :)

What I find funny is Golden Triangle P1 is the episode that makes the whole series an 18 in the UK because of the fight between Castillo and that dude was considered very violent back then. 

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Administrators
Just now, Detective_Crockett said:

Why would I care about chickens fighting? :)

What I find funny is Golden Triangle P1 is the episode that makes the whole series an 18 in the UK because of the fight between Castillo and that dude was considered very violent back then. 

If it doesn't bother you, that's fine. I just though as a fan, that you'd want every frame to be included. :p:) 

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.