A beautiful, at times poetic exercise in excess from Brian De Palma. Based on the classic 1932 gangster film of the same name, the screenplay (written by Oliver Stone) follows the plot of its source almost to the letter.
Two-bit Cuban hood Tony Montana (Pacino) lies his way into the US, where he and his friend Manny (Stephen Bauer) soon enter the world of crime. They murder a political figure for drug dealer Frank Lopez (Robert Loggia) to get their green cards and are soon on his payroll. Tony's elimination of rival Colombian drug dealers gives him a more prominent role in the organization. His duties include serving as chauffeur to Lopez's beautiful but cocaine-addicted wife, Elvira (Michelle Pfeiffer). Tony's other female obsession is his sister Gina (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio). Tony's feelings for his sister are a bit on the incestuous side, and he dominates the girl, refusing to let her date. After a bad business deal and an argument over Elvira, Lopez attempts to have Tony killed. After killing the assassins, Tony murders Lopez, marries Elvira, and becomes the most powerful drug lord in Florida. The problems really begin to multiply then: Manny secretly dates Gina (though warned not to), Elvira has become increasingly zombie-like, and Tony's money is not earning the interest it should be. Moreover, he also has become a selfish, paranoid drug addict.

Jammed with action sequences and unbearably tense moments, the film depicts the seediest aspects of the American underworld. Stone's screenplay twists gangster movie conventions, and De Palma demonstrates an unusual understanding of the genre.

Excerpt from TV Guide located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: December 9, 1983 - USA

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DVD Comparison:

Universal - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Universal Anniversary Edition Gift Set - Region 1 - NTSC

Big thanks to Ole Kofoed of DVD-Basen for all the Screen Captures!

(Universal - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Universal Anniversary Edition Gift Set - Region 1 - NTSC - RIGHT)

DVD Box Covers
Distribution	Universal Region 1  - NTSC	Universal Region 1 - NTSC
Runtime	2:49:53	2:49:47
Video	2.31:1 Aspect Ratio Bitrate: 4.48 mb/s NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s	2.35:1 Original Aspect Ratio Bitrate: 6.14 mb/s 16X9 enhanced NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s
Bitrate: Old
Bitrate: Anniversary Edition
Audio	English Dolby Digital 2.0 (192 Kbps)	English Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 Kbps), DTS 5.1 (768 Kbps), Spanish and French DD 2.0 mono.
Subtitles	English, Spanish, French, English Closed Captions or none.	English (Closed Captions), French, Spanish or none.
Features	Release Information: Studio: Universal Aspect Ratio: Widescreen Letterboxed - 2.31:1 Edition Details: The Making of Scarface (52:26). Outtakes (17:03). Production notes (14 pages of text). Biografies & filmografies of cast and director. 2 Trailers. DVD Release Date: March 31, 1998 Keep Case Chapters 35	Release Information: Studio: Universal Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 2.35:1 Edition Details: Scarface - The Rebirth (Total 10:09). Scarface - Acting (15:04). Scarface - Creating (29:34). The TV version (2:48). Deleted scenes (22:29). Def Jam Presents: Origins of a Hip-Hop Classic (20:32). Biografies & filmografies of cast and filmmakers. Scarface 1932 original version (Only in the Gift Set). 8 Lobbycards (Only in the Gift Set). Money clip (Only in the Gift Set). DVD Release Date: Septemper 30, 2003 Keep Case in Collector's Box Chapters 35

 

Comments:

Well, none knows what Universal were thinking of with their first release of Scarface. For DVD fans, it was more than a disappointing joke.  With the release of their recent ostentatious Anniversary Boxset - we see how truly bad the old version was.... The big plus for many was the inclusion of the Howard Hawks original from 1932 (reviewed below). Okay the old 83' version is washed out, hazy, dull and any number of other strong adjectives to describe an incredibly sloppy DVD transfer. This was at the level of a Madacy or Front Row Entertainment. But probably having sold 50,00 or more of the initial version, they decided to make even more loot from their new Boxset. It is stacked with the most over-the-top packaging I've ever seen. Silly really. But we now have the Pacino film as well as the original, but better get out your pocketbooks. Universal is really quite shameful. There is no competition on which is the superior version  here.  - Gary Tooze.

 

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DVD Menus

(Universal - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Universal Anniversary Edition Gift Set - Region 1 - NTSC - RIGHT)

 

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Screen Captures

(Universal - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Universal - Region 1 Anniversary Edition Gift Set - NTSC - BOTTOM)

 

 

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(Universal - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Universal - Region 1 Anniversary Edition Gift Set - NTSC - BOTTOM)

 

 

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(Universal - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Universal Anniversary Edition Gift Set - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

 

 

 

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(Universal - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Universal Anniversary Edition Gift Set - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

 

 

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(Universal - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Universal Anniversary Edition Gift Set - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

 

 

 

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(Universal - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Universal Anniversary Edition Gift Set - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

 

Report Card:

 

Image:	Anniversary Edition
Sound:	Anniversary Edition
Extras:	Anniversary Edition
Menu:	Anniversary Edition

SEE OUR COMPARISON HERE

 

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