Scarface (Special Edition) (UK)

A remake of the 1932 version and an inspiration for Grand Theft Auto: Vice City if anyone played GTA first before watching Scarface. The movie starts with a Cuban thug named Tony Montana who comes to the US in a disgusting Hawaiian shirt, copied in Vice City starts of as a grunt working in a kitchen and then resorting to crime just to get money .

Brian De Palma`s Scarface sparked quite a controversy for its violent content. The BBFC cut about 25s of footage before giving it an 18. Now, Scarface is in it`s uncut form(annoyingly with the same rating. It could pass with a 15). Will this 2 disc DVD do justice?

Video- In 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. There are some signs of minor print damage and film grain occurs throughout but it won`t detract too much. It`s also soft and has a little edge enhancement. An acceptable transfer. The aspect ratio fits perfectly into Scarface as I see it as an epic from the rise of Tony Montana and his inevitable fall.

Audio- DD 5.1 or DTS. There is not much use of the rear speakers except for background noise and music since it`s a dialogue driven film except for the odd gun firing. That`s about it. Dialogue is a bit difficult to hear and you may need to increase the volume at certain points. I see no point including a DTS if the DD 5.1 doesn`t get a proper treatment. Disappointing, like the video quality.

Extras- Nothing on the first disc which is a shame really. I wish if there was contributions from Stone and De Palma. My guess is that De Palma doesn`t like commentaries, he doen`t like interviews either.

Moving on to the 2nd disc is the same documentary from the last disc split into 3 segments. They are self explanatory and covers each aspect of the film. It`s shame that they are rather short. The whole documentary clocks in at 50 mins.

Next we have 4 deleted scenes all merged together. They add some depth into Scarface and I can see why they have been dropped from the final film. They are 2.35:1 non-anamorphic and are of acceptable quality.

There is a featurette called "Scarface: The TV version" which shows a comparison between this uncut version and the tv version. Hilarious, if only you get a bonus disc showing the cut version of Scarface and that would complete the package.

One the most unusual(and worst) extra in DVD history is Def Jam presents `The Origins of a Gangsta` featurette. This features some rappers saying why Scarface influenced them(BORING!!) and adds little value to the DVD. A detailed 2hr documentary would be much better.

Overall- "Say hello to my little FRIEND!!!" -Tony Montana

An excellent film! Stunning performances from Pacino and co. Shame about the extras since everything could`ve been put into one disc and a commentary from Stone or De Palma should be included. If you played GTA:VC then this is a must watch.

Now [disctitle]Scarface[/disctitle] has to be my best Gangster movie by far. I just loved Pacino as cuban Tony Montana.
He is one of many Cuban Criminals sent to America by Cuban leader Castro.
From here he wants to work his way up to being one of the biggest druglords in America.
This movie shows his rise to the top and also shows how quickly he threw it all away.
This is for me Pacino`s best acting and Tony Montana will always be one of the biggest characters from a movie.
A great screenplay from Oliver Stone and great directing from Brian De Palma.
A film that will keep it`s mark in history.