Scarface (1983) from Tuna

Scarface (1983) is being released in a special 20th Anniversary edition. The special boxed set contains both the 1983 Al Pacino version, and the 1932 Paul Muni version, which has never been on DVD before. The 1983 version is remastered, and comes with a second DVD full of interviews, deleted scenes, etc. The set includes several lobby cards, and a special money clip with Pacino's logo from the film. The transfer was top notch. The deleted scenes had no new nudity, and deserved to have been deleted.

The story traces the rise and fall of Tony Montoya, a Cuban refugee who becomes an American gangster in the cocaine trade in Miami's Little Havana. He parlays brass balls, nerves of steel, and his lust for wealth and power into a place at the top of the heap in the Miami drug trade. Of course, he falls prey to excesses once he reaches the top and the good life.

NUDITY REPORT
  • Dawnell Bowers shows breasts and buns in a minor role.
  • Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, as Pacino's sister, has an open robe scene where we see her panties, and a brief flash of her left breast.
  •  Michelle Pfeiffer, as Pacino's love interest, shows cleavage in every one of her costumes.

DVD info from Amazon

  • The Rebirth of Scarface (10 mins.)

  • Acting Scarface (15 mins.)

  • Creating Scarface (30 mins.)

  • Scarface: The TV Version - a look at the two versions (3 mins)

  • Deleted scenes (22 mins.)

  • Def Jam presents The Origins of a Gangsta' (30 mins).

  • Widescreen anamorphic format

Michelle Pfeiffer plays against type as a total cokehead character out for kicks in her role as the girlfriend of Scarface's predecessor, who casually moved on to Scarface as part of the empire gained when Scarface killed the predecessor. Scarface has an image of his sister, Mastrantonio as pure and virginal, and makes it his business to try and keep her that way.

The film certainly had talent on its side, with a script by Oliver Stone, and Brian de Palma's direction. The performances were very good, and the film maintained an edgy tension through the entire 2 1/2 hour running time. On the other hand, these are not nice people to spend a day with, and the character arc is rather predictable.

The Critics Vote

  • It received several nominations, including three Golden Globes, and a Razzie for worst director.

The People Vote ...

  • It was budgeted at $35 million and grossed $44 million.

 
The meaning of the IMDb score: 7.5 usually indicates a level of excellence equivalent to about three and a half stars from the critics. 6.0 usually indicates lukewarm watchability, comparable to approximately two and a half stars from the critics. The fives are generally not worthwhile unless they are really your kind of material, equivalent to about a two star rating from the critics, or a C- from our system. Films rated below five are generally awful even if you like that kind of film - this score is roughly equivalent to one and a half stars from the critics or a D on our scale. (Possibly even less, depending on just how far below five the rating is.

My own guideline: A means the movie is so good it will appeal to you even if you hate the genre. B means the movie is not good enough to win you over if you hate the genre, but is good enough to do so if you have an open mind about this type of film. C means it will only appeal to genre addicts, and has no crossover appeal. (C+ means it has no crossover appeal, but will be considered excellent by genre fans, while C- indicates that it we found it to be a poor movie although genre addicts find it watchable). D means you'll hate it even if you like the genre. E means that you'll hate it even if you love the genre. F means that the film is not only unappealing across-the-board, but technically inept as well. Any film rated C- or better is recommended for fans of that type of film. Any film rated B- or better is recommended for just about anyone. We don't score films below C- that often, because we like movies and we think that most of them have at least a solid niche audience. Now that you know that, you should have serious reservations about any movie below C-.

Based on this description, this is a very high C+. If it is your kind of film, or you are a Pacino fan, it is a must see.

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