Author: Anna Jones

Andrew Marvin

Contributing Writer

There’s an odd, undefinable allure to the idea of a movie being so bad that it’s good. Why do we enjoy some bad movies but not others? For that matter, why do we enjoy some bad movies at all? Why “The Room” and not “The Lone Ranger?” I think that I have the answer: heart. If a movie has heart, we can enjoy it. A horrible movie can become a cultural landmark if it is made with the best intentions, even if it is not well-made. Maybe that is why “Miami Connection” is such a good “bad” movie: it was made as a passion project, and that passion shows. If our appreciation of certain movies is a measure of the degree to which they affect us, then this might accidentally be the worst masterpiece in the history of cinema.

The title can be a bit misleading. Let’s ignore the lack of articles and go straight to the first word: “Miami.” This movie doesn’t take place in Miami—at least, I don’t think it does. It takes place in Orlando, which in the scheme of things is close, but still not Miami. “Connection” implies some sort of coherence, which this movie also lacks. I’m not sure that you need coherence when the synopsis contains the phrase “roundhouse wreck-wave of crime-crushing justice.” The official summary isn’t much help past that, so I’ll try to decode the plot for your convenience:

A gang of motorcycle ninjas are terrorizing Florida and peddling what one character calls the “stupid cocaine.” They are somehow connected to a gang of bikers who are recruited by a band of newly-unemployed rockers to take down Dragon Sound: a synth-rock band comprised of Taekwondo-practicing college students. When Dragon Sound is attacked by the biker gang, they find themselves wrapped up in the conspiracy and must unleash the aforementioned roundhouse wreck-wave of crime-crushing justice on the syndicate. Looking back on that paragraph, I think that the most astounding thing about it is that I didn’t make any of it up. Even better, it takes itself completely seriously despite the bizarre story.

The plot isn’t important, though. What is important is that when “Miami Connection” gets rolling, it rolls off the rails, past the moon, and into the stars. People fight not because it makes sense for them to fight, but because this is the kind of movie where people should fight for no reason. These fights are all gloriously cheesy. For instance, the scene where Dragon Sound’s token black guy pops out of a barrel and brains a thug with a piece of rebar in a move worthy of Scooby-Doo, or when a hillbilly dances around one band member only to have his jaw pulverized. Grandmaster Y.K. Kim (the star, co-director, co-writer, and producer) takes great pride in the fact that the fights are all live-action, as are the two songs that Dragon Sound performs. One is called “Against the Ninja,” and the other is called “Friends,” and both are worth the price of admission alone.

When everything is so low-quality, why is “Miami Connection” worth watching? I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s because of the infectious positivity pervading the movie. There’s no way to watch this and not appreciate the sheer amount of effort that Kim put into it as well as the message that he tries to convey without much success. As a helpful title card informs us at the end of the movie: “Only through the elimination of violence can we achieve world peace.” “Miami Connection” is fundamentally a feel-good movie even though it features a body count somewhere in the hundreds. There’s something stupidly endearing about it, something charmingly naïve, and against all odds, it is a truly enjoyable movie.

This movie was released in 1987 and recently re-released after 25 years of obscurity. Since I doubt that this will play at any local theater, you can either stream it on Netflix or order it from Drafthouse Films on DVD.

Anna Jones, Arts & Life Editor

“Awkward” may be the name of a popular MTV show, but it’s also the title of the hilarious play put on this weekend by Cap and Dagger Theatre Club.

The show was part of the 24-Hour Play Project, a program sponsored by the theatre club.

“The participants get together at the Galloway House on the first Friday night of the semester and work into the night writing the script themselves,” Madison Lane ’14 said.

The writers then perform the show they’ve created exactly 24 hours later. This year, the theme was “first impressions,” so after many hours of planning and writing, the team came up with “Awkward.”

The play began with three couples reminiscing about meeting on a dating show, followed by a flashback to the show. The rest of the play was a mash-up of flashbacks and current scenes between all three couples, with a blind character wandering aimlessly through almost every scene.

Since the show only had 24 hours to be written and practiced, it consisted of mostly short snapshot scenes from each writer.

The play was part of the Arts. Everywhere. weekend, a three-day festival in Lewisburg packed with exhibitions from almost every art outlet on campus, including theater organizations. Cap and Dagger is a theatre and networking club that draws together current students interested in theatre, as well as the University’s alumni who have gone on to pursue professional careers in theater or dance.

Though the whole club doesn’t have to participate, first-years are encouraged to contribute as a way to meet older Cap and Dagger students.

“It’s the first impression for many new Cap and Dagger members and it never disappoints,” Gabe Calleja ’16 said. “It was definitely worth the sleepless night.”

With six upperclassmen joining in on the project this year, the seven first-years were encouraged to forge bonds within the theatre community on campus.

“It’s really fun!” Lane said. “We play theater games, we get late night pizza, and our advisor comes over and helps us make breakfast in the morning.”

“The 24-Hour Play Project is wonderful because it does not focus on acting or directing or tech but … on community collaboration and … live theatre which is what the theatre department is all about,” Sam Gates ’16 said.

The 24-Hour Play Project happens every fall, and Cap and Dagger is active throughout the year. For more information about getting involved with Cap and Dagger, contact Anjalee Hutchinson, assistant professor of theatre and dance.