Miracle Mile (1988)

A musician (Anthony Edwards) randomly answers a ringing phone in a phone booth outside a diner. The frantic caller at the other end thinking he's called his father explains that a nuclear war is imminent. With only a few hours left, the musician seeks out the woman (Mare Winningham) he loves and attempts to escape via helicopter. Written and directed by Steve De Jarnatt, this apocalyptic romantic thriller is erratic if not in its execution, certainly in its screenplay. Edwards' character too often comes across as the dumbest guy in L.A. in his actions. His behavior is too far fetched to keep it rooted in reality. But hey, this isn't reality, it's borderline sci-fi and I suppose I shouldn't take it too seriously but the film wants to be taken seriously. On the plus side, De Jarnatt does a fabulous job of creating a paranoid chaotic atmosphere and there's a wonderful chemistry between Edwards and Winningham which makes the romance believable. I'm not a fan of synthesizer scores but this one by Tangerine Dream is very effective. With John Agar, Mykelti Williamson, Denise Crosby, Kurt Fuller, O-lan Jones, Jenette Goldstein and Robert DoQui.