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I was digging through papers and came across a Jan Hammer interview I had printed out years ago. It hasn't been posted on our forum and I could not find any trace of it on the Internet. I searched for the interviewer and was fortunate to find him on a guitar forum. He kindly re-posted the interview with updated links: Hammer Time: Talking ‘Miami Vice’ with Legendary Keyboardist Jan Hammer Ed Driscoll https://pjmedia.com/ed-driscoll/2024/04/02/hammer-time-talking-miami-vice-with-the-legendary-composer-jan-hammer-n4927822 He confirms that he left MV partly because the Dick Wolf regime de-emphasized him.

Abel Ferrara (with hat) directing Home Invaders

Today we want to wish a very Happy Birthday to .................. daytona365! Enjoy this very Special Day!

Recently in the “Can You Name the Film From This Screenshot” thread, the British-American hit BLOW-UP (1966) was mentioned. Oddly, I had not heard of this one before. But, going by some info & recommendations given by @RedDragon86 & @Ferrariman I decided to get the Criterion Collection Special Edition Blu-ray…which by the way, is superb!! (Note: possible spoiler alert): Anyway, this is definitely one of the most weird, out-there…yet fascinating & captivating films I’ve seen! It’s right smack-dab in the middle of the 60s in London…with wild, psychedelic colors (which I love ), swinging 60s music (including a bizarre but awesome cameo appearance by the “Yardbirds”), drugs, and sex. So you definitely have your visuals. But, the most fascinating thing (in my opinion) about the movie was…the plot. Well, what was the plot…what was the purpose or point? This movie was definitely a true example of ambiguity…other articles & reviews have used the terms ‘transcience’ & ‘elusiveness’. This is because…you’re not sure what the true purpose or point is?? David Hemmings stars as a somewhat egotistical fashion photographer…who, while taking pictures in an isolated park, encounters a strange woman (Vanessa Redgrave) and an older man. He snaps pictures of them on a whim, and she gets upset…demanding the film. However, he refuses. Later, the woman somehow mysteriously shows up at his pad, and still tries to get the film or photos from Hemmings. He gives her another/fake role of film, she gives him a fake phone number…then leaves. Later he blows up (hence the name of the movie) the park-pics…and suddenly thinks he sees another figure hiding in the trees with a gun, looking at the woman & what obviously is her lover. Then in another blow up, he thinks he sees the outline of a body, lying in the park! He now thinks he has proof of a murder. Then, he actually finds the body still in the park…yet doesn’t contact police, but goes to his pot-head friend & tries to explain. Then…later the body disappears & is gone! So, this is the plot, right? Well…sort of. The entire rest of the movie is Hemmings’ character trying to track down this mysterious woman & find out more. But, yet there are many other characters and situations that are woven into the film. Lots of importance seems to be put on many scenes & the events that take place in those scenes…yet, they don’t seem to tie in with the possible murder! Hemmings’ character seems to be easily distracted & swayed by anyone & anything he encounters along the way. He seems to suddenly lose interest in his quest, and just goes with the flow of whoever & whatever he encounters in that moment…only to suddenly be brought back to the murder situation out of nowhere. Then he thinks he sees the mystery woman…only to basically see her disappear! He finally returns to another part of the park & decides to watch these people doing a mime act of a tennis game (which the mime act was unbelievably good—my own throw-in out of nowhere )…ending with Hemmings having to pick up an imaginary tennis ball for one of the mime players…only for him to then actually start hearing the tennis ball and hits of the rackets. He then stands for a few more minutes, watching (and hearing) an imaginary/mime tennis game…only to disappear himself! So, you’re like…what?? Did he find out if there was a murder…what happened to the body…where is the mystery woman? Perhaps Hemmings took a few moment-encounters with a woman, a few fuzzy background things in his photo blowups, and jumped to insanely exaggerated conclusions? But, what about the body? But, maybe you should ask…was there ever a man & mystery woman in the park at all? Was there ever a body? Maybe they were all just figments of his imagination…maybe they didn’t exist and he was just crazy/insane? Maybe…he didn’t even exist? The movie definitely leaves it up to the viewer. As bizarre and wild as it sounds…this film is definitely worth seeing, and rarely does a movie like this captivate me…but this one’s elusiveness & uncertainty makes it that much more entertaining! You watch…and you decide what, how & why. My take (others may fully disagree): It was all a dream. Hemmings’ psychedelic, beautiful but bizarre, detailed but “choppy” dream! Dreams are very much like this film…your mind starts out with one thing, but makes sudden jumps all over the place—with other strange events, people, and things that don’t really tie into the original part of your dream. Yet, your mind puts importance on all of it…only to not have anything be what you thought! I greatly enjoyed this movie, and at the time it was made it was very popular…it won some awards! Very British-60s, very colorful (literally & figuratively), amazing locations & cinematography, very wild & twisted…but very fascinating & captivating at the same time. Not everyone is a collector like me…but, even if you don’t ever actually acquire this movie, it’s definitely worth seeing it somehow at least once!

Today we wish a Happy Birthday to .................... Eddie Trumbull! Enjoy your Special Day!

Paul Hammer posted this video yesterday. Jan used two Memorymoogs during the Miami Vice days. You can see one of them here. Pretty cool that it's still being used—and in the family! https://youtube.com/shorts/-EfGPE8UH5s?feature=share