When you first watch the trailer for the Miami Connection, you are amazed at how they captured the campiness of the 80s martial arts-genre (and the 80s itself) so well. If you’ve yet to click play, let me give you a little synopsis.

A tae kwon do themed synth rock band called Dragon Sound fight a cocaine smuggling ninja motorcycle crime syndicate in Florida.

Feel free to read that a few times. 

Even more amazing is the fact that it’s not a contemporary throwback film. Miami Connection was actually made in 1987. The lead star, Producer and Writer Y.K. Kim was a middle aged Korean immigrant that spoke almost no English. Mortgaging his house and sold his car to finance the movie. The film went unreleased, purchased on eBay for $50 recently by Alamo Drafhouse and has become a festival hit. 

While many are throwing this film in the “so bad it’s good” category, I see it as a testament to the power of “fuck it”.

Y.K. Kim never made a movie before and said fuck it, I’m making a movie.