Scarface: Platinum Edition

If it’s at all possible, De Palma and screenwriter Oliver Stone’s bombastic, 1983 cult-classic American dream allegory is bigger and brasher than ever with its second two-disc treatment. I don’t think I’ve actually watched this film in about 15 years and it shows its age, even if its legion of fans are many, particularly in hip-hop culture. At nearly three hours, it’s too long and everything about it is over the top, from the violence to the use of "fuck” to Al Pacino’s performance. Subtle it is not but the film, unlike Pacino’s Cuban exile turned drug lord Tony Montana, is bulletproof. So, the real question is: is this set worth buying given that it’s the third DVD release (including the original)? Well, that obviously depends on how much you love the film and if you don’t you’re not going to buy it anyway. Offering an enhanced soundtrack and digital transfer, Scarface is crisper, louder and, naturally, just as bloody. But it’s a double-edged sword. In enhancing the transfer, the movie, as previously mentioned, really starts to show its age, as De Palma’s use of primary colours and bright red blood that looks like it came from Dawn of the Dead give the film a cartoon-like appearance, at times. The soundtrack is impressive, with everything cranked up, enhanced and re-mastered in 5.1 surround sound. The bonus features are culled from the 20th Anniversary Edition with the exception of a new ten-minute documentary that features interviews with DEA agents who vouch for the film’s authentic treatment of the drug world and a "making of” the videogame feature. And now it makes sense that a new version is out three years after the Anniversary Edition. The coolest new feature, however, is the f-bomb and gunshot counter functions that confirm the movie’s status as the most foul-mouthed and bullet riddled ever. It’s still not a great movie but for fans, this edition is a must.