Scarface new

Most movies try their best to disguise they era in which they were created. But Brian DePalma’s Scarface embraces the decadence and self-destruction of the 80’s as the backdrop for a re-imagining of the gangster classic with Al Pacino as the dangerously ambitious Cuban immigrant Tony Montana. At the time of its release, Pacino’s over-the-top performance was about the only thing that attracted positive reviews. Oliver Stone’s brutal, profanity laced script hit the screen after fighting its way past an X-rating, only to do moderate business at the box office. But from these humble beginnings a cult film was born. Embraced by the modern gangster culture, almost every rapper’s crib has a shrine dedicated to Tony Montana and his extravagant lifestyle (apparently they missed the none-too-subtle roadsigns of a quick, violent death). DePalma (The Untouchables, Mission: Impossible) reigns in his trademark visuals, but makes the most of the violent set-pieces he has to work with. Tony’s final blaze of glory is a bullet-riddled mockery of the American dream and is a more effective piece of filmmaking now than that it was in the Reagan era. The last DVD special edition Univesal put out came in a leather case with an engraved money clip. Instead of packaging perks, now we get a remastered Blu-ray and a separate DVD of the 1932 original Scarface. One of the first “talkies” to recapture the skill and fluidity of the best silent films that came just a few years earlier, Howard Hawks’ version is a marvel to behold – dark, dangerous and as brutal as the production code would allow. The extras are the same as the last time around. But for a good laugh, check out the excerpts from Scarface’s network TV debut, where the censors attempt to make sense of Stone’s vulgar dialogue (i.e. “This town is like a big chicken, just waiting to be plucked.”).