Scarface

Rating:
Summary: Awesome movie!!!
Review: I loved this movie! For like 2/3 days I couldn't get it outta my mind. It showed the rise and fall of a Cuban gangster turned drug dealer. I wanted to see it because I am a Rap/Hip-Hop fan, and for some strange reason, this movie had a huge effect on the Rap/Hip-Hop community. As for the DVD, this can't get any better. It has almost anything & everything to do w/ Scarface (only things missing are the audio CD's). Also, I heard that the original DVD was just hastily made due to the demand. It was just taken from a laserdisc and put on to DVD. It wasn't re-mastered or anything. After 20 years, this is what they came out with, and Scarface fans will not be dissapointed. It is completley re-mastered w/ Widescreen format (or fullscreen) and Dolby Digital/DTS 5.1 Surround Sound. If you have a home theatre, this movie will be just as good, if not better than watching it at the theatres. If your a Scarface fan, I vow that you will not be dissapointed. Take the day off on Tuesday, Scarface is here. SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FRIEND :)

Rating:
Summary: DePalma's masterpiece of violence
Review: I should hate Scarface. It's about a character who kills people to become king of the Miami drug world. And yet Scarface is one of the most entertaining, audacious and satisfying movies of the last 20 years.

Why? For one thing, it is directed by Brian DePalma, who gives the film a kinetic energy that only he can give. Secondly, it has a great cast including Al Pacino as the lead character, Steven Bauer in a charismatic supporting role, and Michelle Pfeiffer and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio giving fine, early career performances as the women in Pacino's life. Finally, it has stunning cinematography by John Alonzo and a fine music score by Giorgio Moroder which perfectly captures the seductive world of Miami night life.

Scarface is a fascinating look at crime life. It is a crime film/film noir, but Alonzo's cinematography is bright and colourful, not the typical dark and elusive cinematography of traditional film noir, which makes the violence in the film (and there is plenty) more shocking.

It also features unapologetic filmmaking from its director. DePalma never compromises - he makes the characters unlikable, there is lots of violence, and he does not shy away from showing the uglier side of drug life. He does not make Al Pacino's Tony Montana a character who we should admire, or even like, but Pacino does bring some charm and humour to the role, which helps, since the film is almost three hours long.

There are also some great little joys in Scarface:
-the tragic love story between Bauer and Mastrantonio's characters
-Bauer trying to show Pacino how to pick girls up (and doing it badly)
-Pacino trying to impress Pfeiffer in his car by wearing her hat
-the stunning art direction (Tony's mansion, his bathtub, the Babylon club)
-Debbie Harry's "Rush Rush" single which can be heard in the first Babylon sequence; one of the better 80s movie songs.

The DVD extras are good, including documentaries, deleted scenes (which are actually outtakes never used or edited). Best of all is an interesting documentary about the influence Scarface has had on hip-hop performers. It's too bad it's too short because it would have been nice to have DePalma, Pacino, Oliver Stone (the writer) and Martin Bregman (the producer) to comment on this subject as well.

But this DVD is worth buying.

Rating:
Summary: one of the best pacino's movies ever !
Review: This movie is a masterpiece. I've seen it hundreds of times, and each time it gets better. I would say that this film ranks with Godfather 1 e 2 and Carlito's way , as the best al pacino's movies ever made.

Rating:
Summary: Pacino is a feast to watch
Review: This over-the-top, stylized, 80s-fashioned crime movie is a classic. It is very intense, with a young Michelle Pfeiffer and with Pacino giving not his best performance -he has too many best performances-, but his most wild one. Yeah, he is one bad-ass mother. If you haven't already watched this film, and if you enjoy crime epics, please do yourself a favor and watch this onr, already a classic.

Rating:
Summary: WHAT DO RAPPERS HAVE TO DO WITH SCARFACE?
Review: ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.AL PACINO HATES RAP. LAME DVD FEATURE. AL PACINO WISHES RAPPERS WOULD STOP JOCKIN HIM

Rating:
Summary: MY ONLY COMPLAINT...
Review: Why did they have to include this ridiculous "Def Jam: Origins Of A Gangsta" featurette with this set and tarnish this classic gift collection? What is the relevance between cheesy commercial rap artists and a classic installment of modern cinema and furthermore, how do these overpaid fools really consider themselves in association with the likes of Pacino's character in this film - since when are corny pop artists and international organized crime lords in the same boat?? In my personal opinion, it is almost blasphemous! This is the sort of thing I would expect to find on a bad VH1 special, but why should the Def Jam label even be in association with this film, in which they had no direct involvement in? Whoever decided the inclusion of such a horrible feature would be a good idea is a moron! It angers me to see how such exploited pop-culture trends are invading and raping every single medium of creative art. If commercial pop rappers think Scarface is a cool movie, good for them... have someone ghostwrite a cliche chart-topper about it. I dont want to see these idiots on my dvd!!! Couldnt they have gotten someone of significance, perhaps Pacino or someone relative to the man whom the production of this film was based on, to speak about "the origins of a gangsta"... no lets get Ja Rule - he likes this movie!

Rating:
Summary: It's intense, too intense.
Review: Love it or hate it, "Scarface" will stay with you long after your done watching it. Al Pacino gives a very wildly intense out of control maniac preformance. He likes to shout a lot, and he has those shifty eyes that never sit still. He plays Tony Montana, a refugy from Castro's Cuba recently transplanted to Miami. He quickly rises in the cocaine world, but becomes cocky, over-confident, and completly hooked on drugs. "Don't get high on your own supply," his new girl-friend tells him; but he ignores the advice. The movie is about a darker side of the American Dream. He starts out with nothing, works hard, and makes millions, but it in a dirty buissness, and the final stake he has to lose is his spirit and humanity, and he gives it away witha smile for his money, cars, drugs, and girls. That his fall is inevidible is not the point, watching it happen is what we're suppose to pay attention to. And there lies the problem, it's so absolute and pain stakingly documented that it's depressing and leaves you feeling down when it over. There was no one to root for; even usual nice guy Al is pretty slimy. It's a powerful movie, of that there is no dipute, but it's it the reveling in it's hollowness and excess that is just too much.

Rating:
Summary: Bloated, excessive, but still entertaining
Review: There's nothing quite like excess for excess' sake. Director Brian De Palma's 1983 crime epic "Scarface" is the classic embodiment of that phrase. "Scarface" has to be, without a doubt, one of the most over-violent, over-drugged, over-acted films ever created. An interpretive remake of a 1932 crime film by the same name (albeit about twice as long), "Scarface" follows the life of Cuban refugee Tony Montana as he makes his way to Miami from Cuba and firmly ensconces himself in the city's criminal cocaine underworld.

While still one of Al Pacino's more memorable performances, his role as Tony Montana is still one of his most grating ones. His hammy Cuban accent and the sleaze that seems to emanate from every pore makes the viewer feel unclean after watching this movie. I, for one, could not watch any movie with Pacino in it for at least a month after watching "Scarface". This role, unfortunately, may have signaled the beginning of Pacino's devolution from a subtle, nuanced actor who could call on passionate rage when the scene called for it to the actor we see now who seems to feel the need to yell and overact in every scene of every movie he is in.

"Scarface" does have its moments, however, and that is why this film does get a positive review. The early scenes depicting Tony's rise to supreme power in Miami's drug scene and the final, famous gun battle at the end are well-realized and filmed sequences. There are also some great quotes, like Montana's famous "Say hello to my little friend". However, the rest of the film is bloated, festering mess. Once Tony ascends to the top of his criminal empire, the audience is just treated to repeated scenes of him sitting in one of his clubs or his mansion in cocaine-induced stupor while pissing off and driving away everyone close to him. While De Palma is trying to drive home the point dangers and moral corruption of such a lifestyle, he feels the need to drive that point home again- and again- and again- and again. You get my point. There is nothing subtle. It feels more like a sledgehammer between the eyes.

The performances of the other characters must be addressed. Steven Bauer performs well as Tony's trusted, if somewhat morally conflicted, sidekick. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio is also refreshing as Tony's innocent younger sister who is intrigued and intoxicated by Tony's lifestyle (much to their mother's chagrin, and Tony's rage). Even Robert Loggia adds something good the proceedings as the crime boss who gives Tony his big break in the 'industry'. There is an utter disaster among the actors, though. It is Michelle Pfeiffer's performances as Tony's strung-out, powder-sniffing mistress. All she seems to do is roll her eyes at Tony's latest behavior or scream at him about what a bastard he is. That is the full extent of her performance. There's nothing about her, other than obvious physical charms, that would make one see why Tony would be attracted to her (though, the same argument could be made that there's nothing to make her attracted to Tony other than the power). Pfeiffer's performance here is a complete and utter waste of celluloid.

Therein lay the conflicts this reviewer feels about "Scarface". It's not a bad film, but at nearly three hours in length, it goes on for far, far too long. That should come as no surprise given that Brian De Palma is the director. De Palma, aside from his one lucky break with the Oscar-winning "Untouchables", has a career marked by one bloated, overlong film after another. He has been responsible for such incomprehensible dreck as "Bonfire of the Vanities", "Snake Eyes", "Mission: Impossible", and the dreadful "Mission to Mars". A good editor would have helped him make "Scarface" a better film than it turned out to be and probably wouldn't leave the viewer feeling as nearly as dirty. Still, "Scarface" does have its moments and is worth seeing if only to experience what a gloriously wonderful train wreck it is.

Rating:
Summary: Great movie & Awesome DVD!!
Review: In this remake of the 1932 film of the same name, we witness the rise of a small time Cuban refugee hoodlum, as he guns his way to the top of Miami's cocaine empire. Tony Montana's chase after the American Dream gave him wealth, power, and passion beyond his wildest dreams. But we are also witness to the man's downfall, as he becomes more and more addicted to drugs, and ruled by paranoia and jealousy. However, Tony Montana would go down as one of the most ruthless gangsters that ever lived, and be known to the world only as Scarface.

Al Pacino has made a lot of memorable films, but he has never acted with such intensity or ruthlessness as he did with Tony "Scarface" Montana. His performance alone is worth the price of the DVD. "Say hello to my little friend!" Michelle Pfeiffer looks great no matter what role she plays. She assumes the role of Pacino's love interest Elvira Hancock. The performance she gives is so great, because she was the first female lead in an film like Scarface, to ever talk back and not take anything from anyone. Her strong will actually challenges Tony, which brings out the best in the character. Steven Bauer was excellent as Tony's best friend and partner Manny. The friendship between him and Pacino is extremely well done, and it is great to watch them get to the top together. Bauer is also down right hillarious with his views on women. The funniest scene in the film is when he attempts to pick up a woman by wiggling his tongue at her, and then he gets slapped. "Lesbian!" Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Robert Loggia, and F Murray Abraham are all sensational in their roles as well.

But the film is not only great for the overall story and acting, but for the screenplay as well. The intense screenplay was written by Oliver Stone, and gives superb insights into Miami's latin lifestyle, as well as great dialogue to the characters, and tons of unforgettable firepower. The costume and set designs are spectacular. The musical score is haunting and drives the film. It is used especially well when you see Pacino's face. The score helps to intensify Pacino's character as a whole. Finally, the cinematography is outstanding in this film as well as the camera work. Each shot is used to perfection to capture every character reaction, and every aspect of violence.

The DVD is truly the only way to see the film for two reasons. For one thing the VHS version is 2 casettes, and nothing is worse than having to get up and change tapes when you are caught up in the story. The second is that the extras are outstanding. The original DVD release of Scarface was out of print for a long time, and now it is finally being re-released under the "Anniversary Edition". You get 85 minutes of behind the scenes footage, as well as 22 minutes worth of deleted scenes. The DVD is worth the money just for the film itself, but now you have an extra incentive to buy. Not many movies are a must own in my opinion, but this one definately is.

Rating:
Summary: the anti-fairy tale
Review: Over the top acting, fake accents, the fairy tale of the American dream. The dream is to get rich, starting out poor and then ending up with buckets of cash.

In this case, Tony M achieves this dream by selling cocaine and killing those who share the same dream he does, making it possible for him to end up on top of the Miami drug heap of the early 1980's.

The movie does not make much sense and follows a made-for-tv- network style of fantasy, only with bullets that find their targets and words that slice and dice as well.

This old flick is ridiculous but the location of the Mansion in Key Biscayne is quite colorful.

The film works best as a parable for the US dream gone bad, on steroids....er cocaine.