Miami Vice Documentary | The Inspiration Behind Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Hotline Miami & Outrun
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- čas přidán 16. 06. 2024
- What do Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Ferraris, designer stubble, outrun, synthwave, retrowave, and the '80s renaissance have in common? Two words: Miami Vice. So in-between watching GTA 6 trailer breakdowns, why not learn how this stylish police procedural spread its vast influence echoes across our culture, entertainment and civilization for decades? From Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Vice City Stories, Hotline Miami, Drive (2011), Burn Notice, the Outrun movement, mallsoft music, and countless other works.
And while most only know it for white suits and funny haircuts, the show is much more than it initially lets on. And unlike most TV series, this work of fiction helped transform the Miami-Dade area from a crime-addled slum to a booming party town, famous for its music and tourism scene.
Rockstar Games also showcases the stunning Vice City in their highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI!
Let's delve into the cultural, societal and media influence of Miami Vice.
0:00 - Intro
4:33 - Making Miami Vice
18:27 - Popularity / Innovation
43:35 - Story Critique (SPOILERS)
1:09:22 - Saving Miami
1:16:45 - Downfall / Cancellation
1:25:13 - Copycats & Actors' Later Careers
1:40:18 - Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
1:53:08 - Later Games & Movie
2:12:02 - The 80s Renaissance
2:20:57 - In Summary
Voiceover by Erik Peabody (@vikingguitar):
www.vikingguitar.com/
Thumbnail artwork illustrated by Ransom (@ransom1984)
/ ransomlives
www.artstation.com/ransom/
Lower thirds for games, movies and shows by Zaroni Rezgui:
rezguizaroni.myportfolio.com/
Stock photos and video from: elements.envato.com/
Additional stock photos from: www.pexels.com/
Notice on use of AI voice technology:
Don Johnson, Philip Michael Thomas and Michael Mann quotes impersonated through the use of AI technology for verbatim quotation purposes only. All other quote voiceovers were created using randomly generated voices, and do not represent real people.
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MUSIC CREDITS
Original music composed by Kit Ryder is available to purchase on Bandcamp:
kitryder.bandcamp.com/album/m...
"C min scarface synth" by Jason Donnelly
www.storyblocks.com/audio/sto...
Just Breathing (Instrumental) by NEFFEX
• Just Breathing (Instru...
OverClocked ReMix: OutRun "Sweet Summer Breeze" by MkVaff
ocremix.org/remix/OCR04337
Music via Epidemic Sound: www.epidemicsound.com/
-Miami Vice '84-
Autobahn of Love - Andreas Dahlback
The Abduction - Craft Case
A Pinpoint of Light - Craft Case
Bethany - Craft Case
Area R - Craft Case
Eupheme - Ben Elson
Humbot - Wave Saver
Let Me Be Somebody Else (Instrumental) - Nikki Gee
Octadrone VI - ELFL
Breaktime - Future Joust
Sunset Drive - Future Joust
Call Waiting - Future Joust
City Lights, City Dreams - Forever Sunset
-Vice City-
Binary Motion - ELFL
Olympus Mons - Def Lev
-80's Renaissance-
Zero Gravity - ELFL
-Outro-
Last Odyssey - ELFL: • ELFL - Last Odyssey (R...
Music via Envato Elements - elements.envato.com/
Streets of Miami - DBlank
VHS - MARiAN
Miami Beach - ScoreWizards
...and Pond5 - www.pond5.com/
80S City Cruising - Mellowstu
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WHERE TO WATCH MIAMI VICE
Tubi: tubitv.com/tv-shows/717032/s0...
Amazon Prime: www.amazon.com/Miami-Vice-Sea...
Google Play (HD): play.google.com/store/tv/show...
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SOURCES AND FOOTAGE CREDITS:
docs.google.com/document/d/1r...
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PATREON ► / indigogaming
SUBSCRIBESTAR ► www.subscribestar.com/indigog...
KO-FI ► ko-fi.com/indigogaming
TWITTER ► / theindigogaming
DISCORD ► / discord
#MiamiVice #grandtheftauto #gtavicecity - Hry
As you likely noticed, I hired Erik Peabody to do the voiceover for this one, as I was traveling then caught bronchitis for a couple months, and this helped me get the video out this year! Please support my work:
PATREON ► www.patreon.com/IndigoGaming | SUBSCRIBESTAR ► www.subscribestar.com/indigogaming
Kit Ryder's original music is available on Bandcamp: kitryder.bandcamp.com/album/miami-vice-defining-a-decade-ost
Thank you for asking me to help out! You've made another killer documentary here, bud. 🙂
I think he's a good fit, and y'all sound slightly similar
Yesss an Indigo upload. Finally!
I was wondering lol.
Wuz thrown off 4 a sec, but still gr8 wrk as always...
Wild to think that the time since Vice City, 21 years, is longer than the time between Vice City's release and its setting, 16 years.
Yup! I posted about that just a day or two ago on Twitter. Time flies! 👴
That is wild. I still remember receiving two copies of the game despite only ordering one on release... and having a lot more hair at the time.
@Indigo_Gaming it makes me realise how, for some reasons, the 1980s were and still are a ubiquitous period of cultural icons. Well probably still have 80s throwbacks by the 2080s
I actually went to Miami the same year that Vice City takes place. I was 15 at the time
Thought the same lately
Miami vice is one of the most important tv shows ever. It elevated tv into a artform.
Very influential! You can see the blueprint of HBO serials and such here. Way ahead of its time.
You know it's good when the vibe alone makes you miss the 80s even though you are a millenial or a zoomer
Everybody is late I've been obsessed with this aesthetic and lifestyle forever I'm only 25
I was born in 1983 and looking back at this stuff I was too young to really witness makes me kind of long for it.
What’s a zoomer? First time I’ve heard that term.
@@ashleybanks-wm4cgI’ve been into it for a long while, I just turned 20. Miami Vice was one of the first things I got into when it came to the 80s vibe
@@E3T7 bro if you really want the vibes pick up a 80s interior design book or look up something about the styles of back then they were ahead of their times the 90s ruined everything
The timing with GTA VI going back to Vice City is perfect. Great documentary
Thanks very much! I was months into this before the announcement that GTA 6 was actually getting a trailer this year, but that helped motivate me to get it out before December.
Absolutely, you can see some references like the flamingos in the trailer.
Yeah, I noticed that too! Some similar "vibe" shots to the Miami Vice opening credits.
only gta vice city captures the spirit of 80's and the heat as well as scarface
and gta 6 is a literal joke in contrast to what the series always was
gta has died and braindead morons are cheering for memes form internet
I’m only a half hour in and so far this has been amazing. I was born in 1986 but was introduced to Miami Vice by my uncles in the early 90’s and fell in love with the show ever since. Hell, I at least watch one episode or a clip from Miami Vice daily.
It speaks volumes that I never watched this show but it's elements are all recognizable, everyone that made current culture was heavily impacted by it.
It's extremely influential, and much of it (the first two seasons anyways) holds up well in the HD releases.
@@Indigo_Gaming it goes off the rails in season 4 but season 5 is a great precursor to the Miami Vice movie.
Culture isn't made, it just happens
Where can you even watch it
Facts, I see it everywhere as an avid lover of the show and I’m 20. It’s crazy how few people younger than gen X know of it (everyone around in that time would remember it clearly)
I love the aesthetic of Miami Vice. To me it IS the 80s.
Inimitable! Not all of the fashion was tasteful (especially with the intentionally tacky drug dealers and limits), but some of the Armani and Versace stuff still looks great IMO. To say nothing of the incredible sports cars, neon nights and atmosphere. 🤌
@@Indigo_Gaming Keep up the great work! Loved the Cyberpunk documentaries as well!
I watched a react video of zoomers to When Harry Met Sally (1989) and was shocked by how much I miss the fashion and look of that era. I was born 1983 so I remember when people dressed like that unironically, it was trendy and COOL. The slender chick in the pants suit with a simple gold chain and big hair was HOT.
@@RobertMorganYeah, my mom was born in 1942 (a bit older than most other moms) but she was always up with the new fashions. I was born in 1977, so I thought the women you described also were hot🙂.
I'm a Gen Xer and am in shock. I've seen documentaries of Miami Vice before, but nothing as comprehensive and downright cool as this one. Kudos across the board!
That's awesome to hear! Glad I was able to do the series justice.
@@Indigo_Gaming definitely subscribing. Keep up the great work!
As a huge fan of Miami Vice and someone who is working on their own documentary on the series for radio, you have just raised the bar astronomically. This isn't a CZcams video, this is a work of Pop Art.
Very flattering! Best of luck on your documentary, there's lots of ground and angles to cover. As long as this video is, you can't cover five seasons and 40 years of influence in two hours.
@@Indigo_Gaming it's very difficult to do indeed! Being based in the UK and being on radio I'm looking at the UK impact and the sound of Vice and have been lucky enough to interview producers, writers, casting agents, stunt men and actors who all worked on the show so there's a lot to work with. Condensing that all down into 2 hours is insane so genuine hats off to you, especially with the visuals, this looks gorgeous!
@@gilescosgrove3933this sounds really interesting! I’m curious to hear how it was received in the UK.
@@Turbo_Waitress In the UK in the 80s there were few TV channels, the main ones being BBC 1 which was publicly funded and ITV which was commercial. ITV was THE channel for glossy American imports, Magnum PI, The A Team, Knight Rider. So when the BBC got the rights to screen Miami Vice it was quite something. They scheduled it Friday nights as in the US and it was a massive hit. Crockett's Theme went to number one (which is how I found the show years later going through my parents record collection when I started collecting vinyl) and people would copy the fashions in the UK as in the US though the weather wasn't agreeable to it so you were freezing and looked like a prune. There's some great BBC Vice related stuff on CZcams including trailers for the series 1 and series 2 pilots plus a big discussion around censorship of episodes here.
I hope you will have your script proofread by someone who knows English grammar.
Finally, a documentary that recognizes the emotional and dramatic aspect of Miami Vice (the tv show of the 1980's). Yes, there's the fashion aspect, the pastel colors, but above all, this series has a very present, captivating, touching, felt aspect (almost every episode ends badly, or bitterly), showing that life isn't always rosy, it's realistic: 54:50
I'm happy to see more people who believe so! Most just remember the series for its superficial qualities (which are enjoyable for sure), but the show delivered far more narrative gut-punches than I was expecting.
I mean the video itself (which I can't change after the fact) has "Miami Vice: Defining a Decade" in the opening credits. I adjusted the CZcams title to represent what the story is about better, the legacy of the show. In retrospect, I kind of like "Enduring Legacy" better, but it's almost always a bad idea to have an apostrophe in the title ("Miami Vice's").
Yep, I love the bad endings. They can keep you thinking for quite a while after the episode ends.
@@Indigo_GamingThat's what I think is great about the show: it can be enjoyed on a surface level with the clothes, cars, music, and vibe, but if one delves deeper, they have even more to enjoy (I mean, the show has an episode where Nietzsche is discussed, and season 1's "No Exit" is a title borrowed from the work of Jean-Paul Sarte. This show was often an exercise in existentialism and/or forensic/abnormal psychology).
GTA Vice City introduced me to the genius of Jan Hammer and his wonderful music
Still so listenable! Crockett's Theme is obviously legendary, but I'm really into Lombard Trial, Cool Runnin', Payback and One Way Out, especially!
@@Indigo_Gaming yes I listened to all of his albums there are lots of gems.
@@Indigo_GamingThose are great, and I also like "Candy" and "Out for Tai", along with the polo scene instrumental in "Little Prince".
40:00 that's a fact, Michael Mann is obsessed with filming the living night. Heat and Collateral are prime examples where Los Angeles is a major supporting character in it's own right.
Very good way of putting it. I love the way he captures nighttime. Absolutely spoils a movie when you see that blue day for night filter.
no media has such a profound impact on me as GTA VICE CITY did. since i first played it as a kid back in 2002 i was never the same, 80s became my lifestyle, clothes, gym culture, movies and especially music. i am a better person for it ,and it was all thanks to Miami Vice. shows how much a single show can do for millions around the globe.
I have several friends who got into 80s music and culture directly because of Vice City! It's had a profound effect on on our lives.
It made me go into the punk /metal and hardcore scene … even the music was a bliss when you just drove with regular music from te radio …. It was a time we took no shit and didn’t listen to what sjw’s told us to do … I would return in a heartbeat , and the women were all beautifull , I’ve married one and i am glad I did
And the rise of Japanese Animation in are lexicon, culture and language, Cars got faster again, and meaner on the road, Computers got bolder, and the future got darker with the introduction and development of Cyberpunk, the 80s had arrived in earnest
There is no Miami Vice franchise. There can’t be because the 1980s were its biggest star. That’s why any attempt to bring it back always fails. This is the very best documentary on Miami Vice. The compendium. Thank you.
As a young adult in the mid 80's it was the best time to be alive! I never missed a Friday night NBC episode of "Miami Vice", the last great TV show! Living in LA during that time was magical & affordable great times!
I was very young in the 80s, but even as a kid, I absolutely adored the media that came out in that decade. From the classic movies, the incredible music, and the unmistakable energy!
@Indigo_Gaming You did a outstanding job profiling the 80's pop culture, very enjoyable from someone who lived it!
Yes. L.A. was Poppin. Hit the club Friday night, Lakers games Sunday afternoon. 84 Olympics etc. good times.
This video itself is a love letter to Miami Vice. It’s documentary quality. Thank you
You also gotta mention 2 Fast 2 Furious with Paul Walker and Tyrese Gibson - it's inspired by Miami Vice. Bryan O' Corner (Paul Walker) is an ex-cop from LA, working for the FBI to nail a South American drug lord.
The 80s vibes made a comeback in 2018 with Cobra Kai, a sequel to Karate Kid. In Season 2, Robbie, Johnny Lawrence's son, rocks a Crockett look at a Hollywood-themed party. Season 3 ends with Phil Collins' 'In the Air Tonight,' and in Season 4, Robbie goes full Crockett in a red Testarossa at a dance party with his girlfriend Torrie.
Cobra Kai nails everything '80s - from style to music. If you wanna relive those days, Cobra Kai is the way to go. And speaking of GTA, Vice City is making a comeback in GTA 6.
Recently watched the entire series (im 23) and cant tell you how incredible this show was/is
Right on, brother! 🤜🤛
It's really something, right? I was a kid when the show originally aired and had some idea that it was great, but I REALLY watched it when I was 34 and was absolutely memorized!
Imma try watchin again haha
You had to be there.
Don Johnson said Miami Vice was before the technological revolution of the 90s... As a 80s small child, I almost long for that time again. At least the time before the smartphone. Haha here in my middle-age I'm becoming a luddite. But man was the time before smartphones and social media fantastic.
Nice video by the way. Will put Miami Vice on my watchlist.
The Daytona Spyder destruction continuity error was NBC's doing. The episode where the car was destroyed was moved up so it could happen during the season premier.
I was in my late teens when Miami Vice hit our TV screens, and life wouldn´t be the same.
My best friend and I would get so into it that we purchased cheap H&M suits in mint green and turquoise respectively, added some (very old) gold necklaces, bracelets and fake Rolexes, no sox and of course got almost toasted at the local tanning salon (or self-tanner) to look the part. Then, these two skinny, white Miami Vice clones hit the local disco.
Once while entering the club, someone yelled: "Which one of you is Crockett and which one is Tubbs?".
We saw it as an absolute badge of honor. In our minds we´d 100% nailed the look and were now at the cutting edge of fashion and cool.
We couldn´t quite make that fit with the fact that we had zero luck with the ladies. Thankfully, it took quite a while before we understood that our love for Miami Vice wasn´t really helping our social life :D
It's a style that's immediately recognizable but extremely difficult to pull off, hence the many parodies and skits imitating that style. Must have been a wild time! Thanks for sharing this story.
@@Indigo_Gaming Anytime. Not sure how wild those times were. They felt more free than today, but that might have been due to our youth and innocence. What I miss the most is the fact that the world was mostly analogue so we had to have real interactions with each other, and speaking of analogue: There was just something way more interesting about having to wait for a show to come on TV, or popping a VHS in a VCR than today´s digital, glass screen interactions - despite today´s way better TV/movie quality. It was an event renting and then watching a VHS or gathering for a TV show.
My buddy and I hit our local nice Mexican restaurant wearing our Crockett and Tubbs suits until some guy at a table started whistling ‘You Belong To The City’. 😂😂
@@ChrisBennettGameDesign You could have shut them up with. "We own the night!" 😂
I watched the 4 minute intro and I already know this is gonna be a banger documentary, adding it to my "watch later" for tonight.
Right on! I hope you enjoy.
As a 35 year old and having watched Miami Vice as a kid, I'm baffled how I never connected GTA: VC, Archer: Vice or vaporwave to this serie. This was hands down one of the best youtube productions I've ever watched. It is a full-fledged, professional documentary. Thank you.
The production quality on this video is amazing - way better than documentaries you'd pay to see on streaming platforms. Super impressive.
This is the comment I was going to make, one of the most polished, best edited, best sound design on a CZcams video I have ever seen, and the content is great too. I think they really did all the Miami Vice people proud.
No way 1984 is (almost) 40 years ago. It was YESTERDAY goddammit!
I want to believe!
Watchin this after dark while having a few drinks was probably the best experience I had binge watching any show.
I admired the show because they had the guts to poke into politics. The Iran-Contra affair was a dirty affair on so many levels and Miami Vice were not afraid to put it on the screen. In a way, yeah, it perfectly fit their narrative.
Looking at how safe and sanitized most TV was back in '84-89, they poked the bear on more than one occasion.
Just last week I showed a friend of mine the pilot on Blue-ray because she didn't believe me that it not only was a great show but that it still holds up to todays standards. She was much surprised, but it does. Funny to see this great documentary just one week later. 🙂
Great timing! Brother's Keeper still holds up as a solid movie, and there are a few episodes in S1 and S2 in particular that are incredibly powerful, even to those (like me) who didn't experience the show when it aired.
I showed the pilot to my nephew last year (he was 20 then) and he was just complaining it was too long. He also said he didn't understand it. Still to this day whenever I mention Miami Vice, he calls it a "movie" because of the pilot episode's length. He did not like it.
Man, you weren't kidding about that bronchitis. You sound totally different!
I got an entire new throat, voice box and everything! 😂
You left out the fact that it's Sam Houser (along with Dan) who is the genius behind GTA Vice City, when he brought the idea to their Rockstar peers they all thought it was a terrible idea and were against it, but Sam being the absolute Miami Vice superfan convinced them and thus making their dream a reality. Ever since Vice City, every GTA game that followed (except for Liberty City Stories and Chinatown Wars), featured a couple of songs per game which were used in Miami Vice, as sort of a homage to the series. Like, I'm a huge "Vicer" myself and if I developed a game, of course I'm using music from the series lol.
"But the thing that was more of a direct influence was Miami Vice, because it’s a little bit later. Scarface is earlier, like ’83, and it kind of looks it, but Miami Vice was ’84 to ’89, about five seasons, 110 or so episodes, and I’ve seen them all many times. Before you could get them on DVD I bought them off eBay - the crappiest quality VHS copies you’ve ever seen, and I have them all. What blew me away about that series - and Michael Mann is, I think, a visionary film maker - is that each episode was 50 minutes long, and they sort of hit on all the bases in every episode. It was very adult - I remember at the time watching it and thinking that it was very risqué. But it was an incredibly slick show, and when we were first talking about it, everyone was kind of laughing, like: “What are you on about?” And I was like, “No, no, no - it’s so slick”. Just in terms of music alone, when you look at the tracks that Miami Vice used, it’s an amazing list, and Michael Mann would create these miniature pop videos in every show which would be montages. So his use of music in the show was remarkable. A dream of mine and Dan [Houser]’s is to have a montage in a game, actually. We’re on our way; we’ll get it one day - a montage of your experiences set to music. Come on, that’s going to be amazing, right?
Also, Michael Mann’s use of colour and light is wonderful. Miami is such a beautiful place anyway, so the light is gorgeous, but his use of night lighting made it so glossy and sexy. He’s also an expert in the use of weapons, and we met all of the weapons experts who worked on Miami Vice. We got into the details in a hardcore way.
Then the other thing I loved - and we all loved, actually, although initially there was a lot of arm twisting that had to go on in order to make people watch it - was that each show was kind of like a mission. It may have had a few cool little action sequences in it which were novel, but the overarching story was like a mission, so there was so much cool stuff to take in, whether it was the vehicles they used - incredible cars, incredible helicopters, incredible boats - or whatever. While we were finishing GTAIII I would even go home at lunchtimes and watch episodes, and I did that for about a year - it was all I watched. You could sit there and watch it and get stills of so many moments in the show from just one episode and I’d think: “If we can just get that or this or that…” I remember Aaron [Garbut, GTA series art director] working so hard just to get the neon the way he wanted it. He’d been to Miami and he’d seen it in the show, and he knew exactly what he was looking for but it was so difficult [to achieve]. But when he got it right, you were just like [snaps fingers]: “That’s it!”
So there were plenty of other things that influenced us but I would have to say the strongest influence of all became Miami Vice ” - Sam Houser speaking with Edge Magazine 2012
I thought you'd definitely bring up that article in a documentary about Miami Vice's influence on Vice City.
That's a great article! But to be fair, I cover Mann, Scarface and Miami Vice's influence in pretty comprehensive detail. Would have been nice to have a snippet from Houser about his inspirations, but oh well. I think the doc works fine as is.
What interested me is that they even conceived Vice City in the first game, even before Houser was even involved in the project (back in the DMA Design days). Kind of a match made in heaven, I guess.
Man, I didn't even know Sam Houser gave an interview like this! Thank you very much for writing about this, and I hope the new GTA6 will contain references to Miami Vice.
@@dame3996 There were references to both the TV show and the movie in the trailer so I'm sure Sam's touch will be in this one too. There will definitely be music from the soundtrack too as with every GTA game.
Yeah, i like that Rockstar added Los Santos Rock Radio in GTA5. There a lot music from 80's and Miami Vice. In trailer i saw Ferrari Testarossa. Hope, we will see more references in the game.@@Streetw1s3r
I'm starting to wonder if my young absorption of Miami Vice is the reason teal and neon purple are my favorite colors.
It's a lovely aesthetic, and I'm eternally confused by why they work together so well, since it goes against all the color wheels I've ever studied as a graphic designer. Blue and orange are complementary, and light red (aka pink) SHOULD be complimentary to green.
I'm halfway through the video and I must say, this is probably one of the best youtube documentaries I have ever seen! I love everything about it
That's so great to hear after many months of work, Matty! Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Happy holidays!
Happy holidays to you too!!
Obviously gave you a sub for the hard work and can't wait to see your future projects. :)
@@Indigo_Gaming
I can't be the only one I chuckle every time the name "Dick Wolf" comes up, can I?! lol
Only slightly better than Richard Suckle:
www.imdb.com/name/nm0837112/
I never watched Miami Vice, but you sure sell it well and now I want to watch it.
This is what I wished Cyberpunk 2077 would be like. And some parts aren't far, like the River Ward questline, or even Judy's quest line with Evelyn. Cops working in a corrupt environment, dark prostitution rings, human trafficking, drugs, etc.
One of the early ideas for the CP77 story, well before they added Johnny, was that you'd be working on several gigs alongside a detective, gradually unravelling clues that tied the mayor to criminals. I'm sure it would have had all that stuff. Those ideas were dropped and some of it rolled into the River storyline.
Sometimes storylines that are more down-to-earth and small-scale can be more compelling. The end of the world doesn't always have to be at stake.
@@Yusuke_Denton Really ? I didn't know that, sounds cool.
I started watching this series over a decade ago and for a long time it felt as if the series just was forgotten despite the cultural impact it had. Seeing this documentary and the comments it warms my heart to see MV is getting the recognition it had and deserves to keep having
I had heard about it for decades, but never sat down and actually watched it until recently. A lot of it holds up really well (even for someone who doesn't have nostalgia for it), and the more dated stuff comes off as cheesy in a charming way, and helps sell the atmosphere of the decade.
Something I think many people often forget is that Miami Vice not only worked for its style but also its harsh subject matter and especially the acting which in my opinion is better than the acting in some movies today. Great documentary!
I agree! There were some duds here and there, but I was very surprised at how much of the drama worked for me. I always saw parodies and superficial nods to Vice, but that painted a different picture than the actual show did.
I think the acting is underrated, and I love how a lot of acting is done with a look or facial expressions; it makes me think, as well as appreciate a performer who can make me feel something without even saying a word (love the dialogue in the show though, very neo-noir).
As an 80's child, and I mean I was 5/6 when Miami Vice came out, this all resonates HARD! There is not a day I do not lament on the 80's, the times, the music, the neon, the cars, the aura and mystique. I love and miss it all. GTA Vice City is without a doubt my favorite game of all time! I play it often still. When it came out in 2002 I was 24/25 and it was a flashback in time when I fired that disc up. It literally haunts my life, lol. But I'd rather be haunted by the 80's, Miami Vice, and GTA Vice City than anything else I have come across in my life and travels. This genre will never go away and I am completely at peace knowing that fact!
This video was one of the best on the topic that I have ever viewed. Heck, this might be one of the best videos I have ever seen period! Amazing storyline, details, facts, explanation, editing, and of course, music and visuals! Serious applause for you and the team that made this iconic review poignant in 2024!
This means so much to me after working on this for many months. My aim was to make the most comprehensive documentary about the show out there, while also detailing its influence in the industry. Thanks for watching and sharing!
A show whose theme song permanently has residence in my brain. Even had the soundtrack cassette as a kid.
Awesome! Only discovered it in adulthood for me, although I was a big Collins fan. My favorite cassettes as a kid were MJ's Thriller and (embarrassingly) Milli Vanilli. 😂
Crockett's Theme alone is perfection.
One of my favorite documentaries I've ever seen. Thank you for this.
So happy you enjoyed it so much. Thanks for watching!
NBC should be paying you handsomely for this. Extremely well put together. The best doc on this legendary TV series out there.
Humbled by your high praise. Thanks for watching!
Mannnnn…I lived this ish! Me and my Air Force buddies every Friday night before going to the airman’s club. Some 40 years later, I’m still watching it. It was a snapshot in time that can’t be duplicated.
This is a well put together gem. Thank you for producing this and reminding fans old and new on how magnificent and unique Miami Vice as a show was and still is today.
☝🏼😳 That was a master piece! Damn!!
Damn, this is such a great documentary. Made me start to rewatch that show for the first time after roughly 30 years.
I’ve been waiting for this documentary since I first watched Miami Vice a year ago. Which is not very long admittedly but I’m glad to see the show getting the respect it deserves.
Nice! I only watched the show in its entirety last year as well. Saw the pilot years ago but never got very far past it. I'm glad I gave it another chance, it's clear why it was such a sensation back in the 80s.
The two cops tony meets in Scarface: The World is Yours are the guys from Miami Vice
Nice reference! I was considering mentioning the Scarface game, but I was already all over the place with the script so I decided to trim things down.
I've lived in Miami for over 20 years, I always have a playlist ready for taking a drive through South Beach through 195, and then going North on Collins.
It's a great drive.
Please tell me you have Phil Collins on that playlist while cruising up Collins.
@Indigo_Gaming You know it! In a 91' Formula Firebird. It's no Ferrari, but it's white and the V8 makes beautiful music.
Test drove a 2000 Firebird once, really wanted to buy it but I was poor at the time. Sounds like a blast!
@Indigo_Gaming If it was a V6, it would've been the 3.8L (GM 3800 Series 2) Only 200HP and around the same amount of torque. The car is
Zito was my favorite and I wish him and Switek got more screen time...
Can't wait to play GTA6 later on and cruise around Vice City while Running with the Night from Lionel Richie plays on the radio 🦩🎵🎶
Yeah I wish we got more great episodes with Switek and Zito. I believe John Diel asked to be written out of the show, due to not enough good material being written for his character.
@@Indigo_Gaming I know and I understand his decision. His character has had almost no screen time, but his death still made me really sad. Good thing about modern TV series is that basically every character gets enough screen time. Great example of this is Orange is the new Black. I randomly bought the first season once, watched it and then kept buying all the other seasons, because they gave enough spotlight to almost everyone. Most of the time I am more interested in side characters than into the main ones.
Hats off, Sir! I won't comment on all of your video but one aspect ins particular. Working under youtube's copyright restrictions and doing justice to Miami Vice of all shows with your own soundtrack and soundbites - that part of this video alone is a Masterpiece and I don't want to know how many hours and attempts it took. There is much to praise here, but I find that this part alone deserves to be highlighted.
Thanks so much for noticing! I can't tell you how many hours I spent carefully cutting, re-editing scenes and shots to pass the Fair Use test while documenting over 60 shows/movies/games together for this project, and Miami Vice alone has over 100 episodes. I even hired a friend to compose a few songs that evoke the style of Jan Hammer, Phil Collins and Hall & Oates, in order to emphasize the musical aspect of the documentary--a core component of what made the show special.
@@Indigo_Gaming His tracks are excellent! evoke exactly the right associations in a pleasant way.
Excellent subject, Indigo!
I thought about this since your Cyberpunk videos, because there are games and tv shows that mix elements from both sci-fi and Miami Vice.
Even when MV is not an overt inspiration, you can still feel it.
P.S Good job with the narration, Erik!
There's definitely a crossover in the synthwave/cyberpunk style. Although Miami Vice isn't sci-fi at all, the bright neons, vivid colors and seductive delve into sin is comparable.
yes yes and yes... not only the styling but i would say in the portrayal of characters as well... when you get into these worlds you expect to have a focus on exploring complex ambiguous characters... and a lot of introspection
@@LoneWolf-wp9dn
Indeed!
Miami vice is more flashy neo noir and quasi Cyberpunk with it's neon lights, its finely engineered fast cars and the synth soundtrack.
Crazy work, I'm a fan of Miami Vice and I still learned a lot of things from your documentary, thank you for these 2 and a half hours of pastels, sunsets, glamor, gun fight, synthesizer and mustaches ;)🌴
You bet, pal. Thanks for watching!
Great video ...really appreciated the in depth look at Vice and all the effective offshoots of my favorite show ever...great worl !
One of the best Miami Vice docs! Kudos! Also I enjoyed that Fastlane was included. One of my favorite shows because I recognized the "new take" on Miami Vice. Shame it ended only after one season. Anyway, enjoyed this watch. One of those vids where 2+ hours feel like 2 minutes. Awesome!
Fantastic! If something long feels short, it means it's well-paced. Glad you enjoyed! From what I heard, Fastlane had a decent following, but it was incredibly expensive to make, for some reason. And that was during the cancel-happy Fox days, where they axed Firefly before they could even finish the first season.
I’ve watched this documentary 3 times in its entirety. Absolutely Masterfully put together. Thank you for making this!
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed this adventure through the neon-lit 80s. 👍
This is the best documentary I've ever seen regarding this theme, from the clips used to the writing itself. Very good pacing. Overall, I think it does encapsulate a time I never lived, but I have a deep fascination for. Bravo. Greetings from Italy (and thanks for the English subtitles, those are always welcome).
Grazie! And thank you for watching. I make it a point to have subtitles for all my scripted videos.
Man I always enjoying these videos coming out. They're always well done and worth the wait.
Incredible work, well done. Miami Vice's lingering legacy is truly something special.
Can't wait to watch this! So glad you're still make art and not compromising your vision. A real talent!
your best work by far was your cyberpunkt doc, cant wait to watch this one
Thanks very much! Cyberpunk will return one day, but the last episode is going to be a BEAST to create.
Fantastic work as usual. Would have finished watching this sooner, but I've been busy and wanted to give it my full attention since your editing is so meticulous. Was a little sad to hear the lack of your narration at first, but Erik is a consummate professional. All I can say is that you're able to fully command my attention with a subject that I'd never seek out prior to watching. Hard to give a compliment higher than that.
Thanks for the high praise! Means a lot coming from you. I put a ton of time into researching and structuring this narrative, and though it repeats itself a few times, I hope you got something out of it. I know a 1984 show isn't exactly hot topic #1 after thirty nine years, but for some reason, the origins of the show and its influences seen in the media afterward, seemed like it needed a comprehensive primer on the topic. Thanks for watching!
Holy shit i love your videos
What a great topic for a documentary.
Glad you think so. Thanks for stopping by!
The quality of this documentary is too good for CZcams
I love the fact that by supporting your channel I regularly get to watch thought-provoking movies on shows and games I have never watched/played
That's my goal. To inspire thoughts, or to entice people to take another look at something they may have previously written off. Thanks for watching!
This was so good! Thank you for all the love and care you put into this, it really shows. I was born during the show’s run, and vaguely remember it as a kid, but have since watched it on my own and it really does just feel like a piece of “the 80s” in the best way possible. That and “Crockett’s Theme” is such a great piece of music. It was interesting to see its legacy and impact on Miami.
I too was born during the show's run. After season one, but before season two. I didn't watch it growing up, but was curious about it, as my mother is a big fan, and she shared the excitement of the series, and especially the famous 'In the Air Tonight' night drive.
Writing a comment straight away to get this gem to trending! What a jolt of happiness every feature-length upload of yours is, Indigo. My future self is already enjoying this very much :)
Thanks very much! I really hope you enjoy this one. Been in the works for a while...
Outstanding Video. Really appreciate the effort that went into it. Thank you very much!
30 mins in and i love this video. great job, buddy
Quick to the draw, you are! Thanks so much. I hope you enjoy the video!
You've outdone yourself again Indigo, absolutely fantastic documentary
Body poppin in a sailor suit. Only on Miami Vice.❤
This will definitely bring out my Miami Vice DVD box set again! Outstanding work!!
1984 was a touchstone for incredible entertainment coming out of the US. It was as if a dam burst and a deluge of creative minds came flooding. No part of the entertainment industry at large remained untouched as we in the States began shipping our culture across the world. From the streets of London all the way into the dark heart of the USSR, the world took notice of our ability to both entertain and captivate.
You speak of Miami Vice, MTV, and music...don't forget Hollywood. In 1984 we saw the release of Terminator, Nightmare on Elm Street, Beverly Hills Cop, Ghostbusters, Gremlins, Red Dawn, Twilight Zone, and Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom. It was an unstoppable year for every avenue of the entertainment industry save one, video games. That would all change in 1985....
I want my MTV.. 💃🏼🎶
Great timing for gta 6
It was actually kind of accidental. I started writing this last summer, while an editor helped me with the Quintet video early on, and I was going through weird health issues. Then, Quintet and Diablo III videos later, manage to finish it right before the GTA 6 trailer, haha. Hopefully it helps get some more eyes on this doc.
Awesome documentary. Thank you for this nostalgic trip
Drive literally made hype for synthwave.
The movie is absolutely carried by its mood and soundtrack, but that's nothing to be ashamed of.
@@Indigo_Gaming ofc you're right, maybe I should emphesize more on the positivity of that statement.
Tron 3D was very impactful on the crystallization of synth retro aestethics, (it's a really unique Disney tbh, it had beatiful DVD physical release), but I remember it being a cult classic among enthusiasts, and it was Drive that really gave spotlight for that aesthetics, it took the cinemas by storm. I remember everyone talking about it. I even saw someone sporting the satin jacket with on the street.
Hotline Miami is basically Drive game, but deeper, brutal and more abstract, just Only God Forgives, which is even weirder, more aesthetically pleasing and could be a honourable mention.
I almost mentioned Only God Forgives, Neon Demon, and NWR's later work, but I decided to stick with just Drive (it is most relevant to Michael Mann/Miami Vice/Hotline Miami, and is arguably his best work). His cinematography, style and lighting remained gorgeous, but I haven't enjoyed any of his TV/movie projects since Drive.
Absolutely incredible documentary. Thank you for this.
Bravo! This was fantastic! Renewed my love for all things Miami Vice! I was fortunate enough to watch these episodes as they aired in the '80s (I was 11 in 1984) and since it was a Friday night spectacle, I was able to stay up late with no school the following day!
Outstanding quality as always, Indigo. I've sent this to my Twitch friend, who runs a Miami Vice-themed channel and promotes a love of all these aesthetics and pop culture beauties. Time I figure out how to binge this show myself!
Nice! I hope they enjoy the video.
Who is your Twitch friend? I'll follow him.
Your work is always articulate, produced brilliantly, and entertaining.
Thank you
Thanks very much! Glad you enjoyed.
This aesthetic and lifestyle will neve die because IMHO it was the peak of American civilization and i wasnt even born yet
20 years ago in 2004 me and my brother started playing GTA Vice City on our brand new desktop computer which we brought a month ago. Loved the game i tell you.
Awesome vid, love Miami Vice and the 80's. Thanks for this Indigo!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks.
Outstanding work Indigo & well narrated Eric!
Well crafted & researched videos like this (for free!!!!) are way more entertaining than 99% of mass media nowadays.
Thanks for the high praise! Glad you enjoy my work, as eclectic as it is...
Agreed. Really well-done! Only the AI voiceovers make me go ‘hmmm.’ It’s possible that may become illegal in the near future. It’s a real grey area, even if the quotes are accurate.
What a great documentary. Must have taken a ton of time and effort to make. Miami Vice was hands down the coolest thing on TV for a few years. It became a target for ridicule in the 90's, as styles changed, but its inherent awesomeness has made it an enduring cultural touchstone. I love the whole 80's vibe and aesthetic, and synthwave is mostly what I listen to nowadays. Thing is, us 80's kids didn't really appreciate the decade when we were living through it, it was just life. But now, looking back, it seems like some kind of magical golden age compared to today.
It was a colossal project. I started writing it back in 2022, finished a couple videos, then resumed in 2023, and it took most of the year to wrap up. Glad you enjoyed! I think the series has gotten a lot of undue mockery over the years as well, ignoring the trailblazing style and cinematography it introduced to the medium.
Amazing video! Great work as always! Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Your documentary really is outstanding. You put so much information together and present it in a style which is most appropriate for this legendary TV-series. Your feature caught my attention from the beginning until the end - true class. Thank you, and kind regards from Germany. Christoph
Thanks very much Christoph! It means a lot that you appreciated all the hard work myself and the people I hired to help me with this project.
There will NEVER be another show like Miami Vice, it was like no other shows on t.v. and it was an icon that represented the 80s
I was fortunate to have lived in the time this first came on t.v. and couldn't wait for Fridays to watch another episode
The definition of "lightning in a bottle." There have been rumors of a reboot show for years, but considering all the other 80s revival shows (Lethal Weapon, Magnum P.I., Knight Rider, etc.), I'm more than skeptical that they could capture the energy of the first few seasons of the original show.
Another great documentary
I watched the Cyberpunk series like 5 times each part . Love your work man thank you for everything
Thanks so much for watching! Really appreciate the loyalty and willingness to check out the variety of weird topics I cover, haha.
Excellent documentary ,it brought me sooo many memories of long gone times !!thank you!Also the re endition of crockett`s theme alternate theme was nailing !!!
Thanks so much! Was a ton of effort to put this together, and yes, my I hired a friend to compose a few tracks, including "Crockett's Vice," a track similar to Crockett's Theme. Sounds evocative of the original, but different.
I don't think that western civilization will ever get to experience "the second 80's era". It was cultural renaissance, revolution and entertainment all in one. Not to mention a standard of life for a common man was way higher than it is today. And, freedom of speech was way higher than it is today too. And, sexual revolution still did not took for the worse. But most importantly...i think it was more "love in the air" in general.
There was a ton of excitement and innovation during the time, and entertainment was riding on a crazy high, but there were also some drawbacks like the rising crime and murder rates (rising from the sixties all the way to 1991 if I remember correctly). Still, a vivid moment in history.
Kick ass as usual, good work man.
Another sublime documentary. Thank you!
Always! Thanks for watching.
I see some of Don Johnson's quotes are from his 2014 Rolling Stone interview, one I've read often. What he said when asked how much of Don Johnson was in Sonny Crockett, that the lines were blurred, very good. It goes well with what someone wrote in the "Miami Vice" online community, that Sonny Crockett was the idealized version of Don Johnson (nothing wrong with that!).
This is amazingly well put together.
Thanks very much! Put a lot of time into this project and it was a long time coming. Glad you enjoyed the ride.
This video is amazing awesome job!!! you deserve more views. I'm a huge fan of Vice City and the Outrun aesthetic. I was pretty young when Miami Vice aired but now I have the urge to watch it. Again fantastic video!!!! loved it. ☀😎🌴🏖
Glad to see so many fans of the show! I'd been aware of it since I was a kid, but hadn't sat down to actually enjoy it until recently. Thanks guys watching and sharing your thoughts! Hopefully GTA 6 will nail some of the vibes, but I don't think you can beat Vice City's setting and era.
Miami Vice was a show i grew up on. Fantastic show. Beyond the visuals and sound, it was not always a happy ending and really made you think about who the REAL villains are when everyone and every institution is touched by greed and corruption.
Agreed. I was impressed at how much depth and moral ambiguity there was in a show mostly written off today as "haha, funny clothes."
This is the best video on the subject I've ever seen. Congratulations, pal
Don't mention it, slick.
Vice City is one of my favorite video games of all time. When I was first introduced to Scarface, I thought it was pretty much Vice City the movie. Been interested in checking out Miami Vice to get move of that beautiful 80s vibe. Plus I love cruising around to Crockett's theme.
Yeah I was surprised when digging into the game how much it shared with Scarface and Carlito's Way. Stylistically it owes a lot to Vice, but story wise, it borrowed a ton from De Palma films.
GTA VCS on the PS2 is even better than VC and has even a better soundtrack.
Been waiting for this video since it an option on a poll! 😊
Figured people forgot about that poll, haha! Almost 3 years ago!
@@Indigo_Gaming keep up the awesome work!
Truly thankful to IG for consistenly producing this type of quality work, without unnecessary and dated humor, but still with a little flair to keep you interested. God bless you, brother.
Thanks so much! There are a couple tiny bits of humor here and there, but nothing jarring, and I try to avoid using memes that will be cringe within months. Overall, I try to keep things fairly straight-laced. Thanks for watching!