Scarface

As Scarface mercifully comes to an end in a holocaust of gunfire, director Brian De Palma makes the grand gesture of dedicating his 1983 remake to Howard Hawks and Ben Hecht, the director and writer of the superior, seminal 1932 gangster film, which clocked in at a potent 90 minutes. Nearly twice the length, De Palma's version--which he no doubt envisioned as being his The Godfather--is a love-it-or-hate-it proposition. Boasting a significant cult following, especially in the gangsta rap community (and this is a good thing?), Scarface sported dialogue such as "say hello to my little friend" that would go on to enter the pop culture lexicon, and the film clearly inspired many other TV and movie projects, including Miami Vice, which debuted a year later. But from Oliver Stone's ham-handed script to Al Pacino's unchecked performance as Cuban-immigrant-cum-American-drug-lord Tony Montana, Scarface is a catalog of wretched excess. Still, those who embrace the film will take to this double-disc 20th anniversary set--available in either a widescreen or full screen version--like Tony to that Everest of cocaine on his desk. Commentary by De Palma and Pacino is sorely missed, but extras include deleted scenes, a thorough 55-minute documentary chronicling the film's tumultuous production, and a featurette comparison between the theatrical film and the censored, hilariously re-dubbed television version. Presented here with a sharp digital transfer and solid DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 sound, Scarface is a strong optional purchase, considering its popularity. (K. Lee Benson) [DVD Review—Oct. 3, 2006—Universal, 2 discs, 170 min., R, $29.98—Making its third appearance on DVD, 1983's Scarface (Platinum Edition) sports another great transfer with Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 surround sound. DVD extras new to this version include the 12-minute 'The World of Tony Montana' featurette, a 12-minute 'making-of' featurette on the upcoming video game, and a 'Scarface Scorecard' which keeps track of the number of bullets fired and number of times the 'F' word is used in the film. Bottom line: if you already own the Scarface: Anniversary Edition released a couple of years ago, you don't need this unnecessary third helping of a cult classic that is not one of De Palma's best.] [Blu-ray Review—Sept. 13, 2011—Universal, 2 discs, 170 min., R, $34.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1983's Scarface features a nice transfer and DTS-HD 7.1 audio. Extras carried over from previous releases include a production featurette (30 min.), deleted scenes (22 min.), 'The Acting' featurette (15 min.), 'The World of Tony Montana' featurette (12 min.), a 'making-of' the videogame (12 min.), 'The Rebirth' featurette (10 min.), and 'Scarface: The TV Version' featuring edited dialogue (3 min.). Features new to this release include a bonus DVD with the original 1932 version of Scarface (93 min.), a picture-in-picture mode with cast and filmmaker interviews, 'The Scarface Phenomenon' featurette (39 min.), and a 'Scarface Scorecard' counting profanity and bullets, as well as a bonus digital copy of the film, the BD-Live function, and 10 collectable art cards. Bottom line: a fine Blu-ray debut for De Palma's contemporary cult classic.] [Blu-ray/DVD Review—Nov. 5, 2019—Universal, 170 min., R, DVD: $14.99, Blu-ray: $19.99—Making its latest appearance on DVD and Blu-ray, 1983’s Scarface features a fine transfer with DTS-HD 7.1 audio on the Blu-ray edition. Extras new to this release include a '35th Anniversary Reunion' featurette (27 min.). Extras carried over from previous releases include the 'making-of' featurettes 'The Scarface Phenomenon' (39 min.) and 'The Creating' (30 min.), deleted scenes (23 min.), behind-the-scenes segments on 'The Acting' (15 min.) and 'The World of Tony Montana' (12 min.), a 'making-of' the videogame (12 min.), 'The Rebirth' (10 min.), and 'The TV Version' (3 min.), along with a bonus digital copy of the film. Bottom line: while better-looking than Universal’s 2006 Blu-ray release, this is also minus the latter’s bonus DVD featuring the original Scarface.]