“Scarface – “The World is Yours” Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD” is a five star release. Highly recommended and for cineaste, this is a must-buy!
TITLE: Scarface – “The World is Yours” Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD
DATE OF FILM RELEASE: 1983 /1932
DURATION: (1983) 264 Minutes / (1932) 93 minutes
BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 2160p 4K Ultra High Definition, 2:35:1 aspect ratio, English DTS:X, English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, English, French and Spanish DTS Mono SUBTITLES: English SDH, French and Spanish
COMPANY: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
RATED: R
RELEASE DATE: October 15, 2019
Directed by Brian De Palma
Screenplay by Oliver Stone
Based on the 1932 screenplay by Howard Hawks, Ben Hecht
Producer: Martin Bregman
Executive Producer: Louis A. Stroller
Co-Producer: Peter Saphier
Music by Giorgio Moroder
Cinematography by John A. Alonzo
Edited by Gerald B. Greenberg, David Ray
Casting by Alixe Gordin
Art Direction by Edward Richardson
Set Decoration by Bruce Weintraub
Costume Design by Patricia Norris
(1932 Version)
Directed by Howard Hawks, Richard Rosson
Based on the Novel by Armitage Trail
Screen Story by Ben Hecht
Cinematography by Lee Garmes and L. William O’Connell
Edited by Edward Curtiss
Starring:
Al Pacino as Tony Montana
Steven Bauer as Manny Ribera
Michelle Pfeiffer as Elvira
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as Gina
Robert Loggia as Frank Lopez
(1932 version)
Paul Muni as Tony Camonte
Ann Dvorak as Cesca Camonte
Karen Morley as Poppy
Osgood Perkins as Johnny Lovo
C. Henry Gordon as Police Inspector Guarino
George Raft as Guino Rinaldo
Vince Barnett as Angelo
In the spring of 1980, the port at Mariel Harbor was opened, and thousands set sail for the United States. They came in search of the American Dream. One of them found it on the sun-washed avenues of Miami… wealth, power and passion beyond his wildest dreams. He was Tony Montana. The world will remember him by another name… Scarface. Starring Al Pacino as Tony Montana along with Michelle Pfeiffer, Steven Bauer, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Robert Loggia, Scarface has become a cultural phenomenon brilliantly directed by Brian De Palma and written by Oliver Stone.
If there was a film that received so much notoriety before release due to its excessive violence and profanity, it would be Brian De Palma’s “Scarface”.
“Scarface” is a loose remake of the 1932 film of the same title, directed by De Palma and written by Oliver Stone. And now, the film will be set in Miami about a Cuban refugee who would rise to become a powerful drug lord.
The film which stars Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Steven Bauer, Robert Loggia, F. Murray Abraham and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio grossed $65.9 million in the box office and for the most part, critical reception was negative but not long after, would receive critical acclaim and is considered one of the greatest remakes ever and is considered a cult film.
In 2019, the film is celebrating it’s 35th anniversary and a special “Scarface – The World is Yours Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD” was released. And the release features both the 1983 and 1932 film plus a “The World is Yours” statuette.
The film revolves around Cuban refugee and ex-convict Antonio “Tony” Montana (portrayed by Al Pacino), where he is sent to a refugee camp in Miami along with his buddies, Manny Ribera (portrayed by Seven Bauer), Angel (portrayed by Pepe Serna) and Chi-Chi (portrayed by Angel Salazar).
The four are given a chance to get green cards by Miami drug dealer Frank Lopez (portrayed by Robert Loggia), if they murder a former Cuban general named Emilio Rebenga.
The group accomplish the jobs and are given green cards, but for Tony, he doesn’t wan to be a dishwasher a diner and feels that he is mean to do bigger things.
Frank’s right-hand man Omar (portrayed by F. Murray Abraham) sends the four to purchase cocaine form Colombian dealers, but things go bad and Angel is murdered with a chainsaw, while Manny and Chi-Chi come in the nick of time to rescue Tony and kill the Colombians. Both Tony and Manny believe Omar set them up.
Meanwhile, during the meeting with Frank, Tony is attracted to Frank’s wife, Elvira Hancock (portrayed by Michelle Pfeiffer) and Frank ends up hiring the two.
Making money, Tony is reunited with his mom Georgina and his young sister Gina (portrayed by Mary Elizabveth Mastrantonio). Tony is very strict with his sister, not wanting her to be around any guys and gives her money, which his mother is upset that Tony is making money illegally and doesn’t want him to come by their home anymore.
But Tony believes he has bigger things in his life and that is to start his own cocaine distribution operation and become one of the most powerful drugdealers in Miami.
VIDEO:
“Scarface” is presented in 4K Ultra High Definition ala 2160p 4K Ultra High Definition (2:35:1 aspect ratio).
Picture quality is excellent. This is probably the best I have seen of this film to date in 4K Ultra HD and typically 1983 films tend to look like 1983 films, but the clarity and how things look in HD is incredible. This is no doubt the definitive version to get. Good amount of grain and wonderful picture quality!
IMPORTANT TO KNOW: To watch 4K Ultra HD, you will need a 4K UHD TV with HDR and an Ultra HD Blu-ray Player + a high-speed HDMI (Category 2) Cable.
AUDIO & SUBTITLES:
“Scarface” is presented in DTS: X Master Audio and the film sounds absolutely amazing. Crisp and crystal clear dialogue, music and also the action sequences with guns ablazing is immerse and fantastic.
Subtitles are in English, English SDH, French and Spanish.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
“Scarface†comes with the following special features (on the Blu-ray Disc):
- The World of Tony Montana – (11:39) Entertainers discussing the popularity of “Scarface”.
- The Rebirth – (10:09) How the 1983 film was inspired by the 1939 film.
- The Acting – (15:05) A featurette about the actors from the film and how they got cast for “Scarface”.
- The Creating – (29:36) A featurette about the locations of where the film was shot and why the film was unable to shoot in Miami. And how “Scarface” came to be.
- Deleted Scenes – (22:30) Over 20 minutes of deleted scenes.
- Scarface: The TV Version – (2:48) How the TV version was created for “Scarface”.
- The Making of Scarface: The Video Game – (12:05) A featurette of the making of Scarface and Robert Loggia, Steven Bauer, Ice T, Michael Rappaport, Michael York working on the video game version.
EXTRAS:
“Scarface – The World is Yours Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD” comes with a box that comes with a “The World is Yours” statue and the 4K Ultra HD version with “Scarface”, plus the Blu-ray and the original 1932 film plus the Movies Anywhere Digital Code (for the 1983 film).
“Scarface” is no doubt a magnificent film that was way ahead of its time.
Trying to bring that raw, real, violent atmosphere as one man who works his way to become a druglord and defying those who oppose him, “Scarface” is amazing. Surprisingly, audiences and even film critics didn’t feel that way in 1983 because it was violent, profane and it was something that people were not used to seeing in cinema.
Fortunately, “Scarface” has been re-evaluated, even by film critics who were very critical back then, about how great of a film it truly was and holds up even today.
The film excels in performances, storyline and “Scarface” is no doubt a Brian De Palma masterpiece.
“Scarface” is a remake of the Howard Hawks/Richard Rosson 1932 film.
Back in 1932, during the gang wars that terrified America, the original “Scarface” is regarded as one of the most significant gangster films which influenced the genre.
Loosely inspired by the 1929 novel by Armitage Trail, the character revolved around Antonio “Tony” Carmonte, an Italian immigrant who is ordered by Italian crime boss Johnny Lovo to kill, Chicago Southe Side’s “Big” Louis Costillo.
Tony was successful and becomes Tony’s key lieutenant, but is warned not to mess with the Irish gangs led by O’Hara of the North Side. But Tony feeling he wants to grow and wants to be on top of the chain, stirs trouble in the North Side. Even going so far to pursue Johnny’s girlfriend Poppy.
The original film was no doubt violent for its time, but captured the ferocity of gangs in the city.
While the film was released before the introduction of the Production Code Administration of 1934, it still had to go through the Hays Code and there were alterations, such as an intro condemning gangsters, to have an alternate ending and an alternative title. Censors felt the original film glorified crime and glorified violence.
So, the film was delayed a year with the changes but in today’s Blu-ray and DVD release, one can watch the original ending but the unedited original version of the film is not known to exist.
Still, the original film was powerful enough to make Al Pacino wanting to do a remake and a young writer named Oliver Stone would craft a film with such realism and Brian De Palma, directing the film and creating one of the greatest films of all time.
The film would change to a Cuban setting, of course, upsetting Cubans not familiar with the film and thinking it was a pro-Castro film, vehemently did all they can to prevent “Scarface” from shooting in Miami.
The violence would not be obscured, the film for the most part is to be realistic and that means the word “fuck” being used over a 150 times, murders from chainsaw, point blank gunshots to the head, you name it, this film has it all.
And they manage to improve from the original film especially when it comes to Tony’s relationship to his sister, Gina and also to show the relationship between Tony and Elvira to not be so extravagant and lovey dovey, we see the breaking down of a character due to drugs (Michelle Pfeiffer lost a lot of weight in the eight months of filming to show her character descending to an addict).
Oliver Stone’s story made this film come alive, made this film real and the talented performances of Al Pacino, Steven Bauer, Michelle Pfeiifer, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Robert Loggia and many more, it makes this film memorable and in my opinion a masterpiece.
As for the 4K Ultra HD “The World is Yours” release, not only do you get the 4K Ultra HD release (with both the 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and Digital Code) but you also get the Blu-ray release of the original 1932 film as well. And it comes with the “The World is Yours” collectible statue.
Overall, “Scarface – “The World is Yours” Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD” is a five star release. Highly recommended and for cineaste, this is a must-buy!