Confession: I despise the (Pacino) "Scarface" remake

[DerekG]

Everyone in my generation is enamored with the 80's remake, but, like the insipid "Matrix" trilogy, I'm left with the impression they can't discern mediocrity from the sublime.

The original (Howard Hawks version) was visceral, haunting, sardonic, even exuberant; DePalma's version is graceless and, oddly enough, boring. And it offered one of Pacino's worst performances.

Give me the original any day of the week.

[joeybee12]

1. I can't sit through this version--too damn bloody for my tastes

[Tom Kitten]

2. I don't like it either....

in no way a remake of the Paul Muni (now THERE was an actor!) film of the same title....Al Pacino looks terrible (really bad haircut by the way) and what reason do I have to feel sympathy for anyone in this excuse for an operatic celebration of stupid violence? So what if a bunch of drug cartel characters off each other in explicit detail, it's like porno substituting violence for sex..."who cares" or "what a waste" was my initial reaction upon seeing it...

However I can see why it's the holy grail for people who really dig a celebration of evil...

[DerekG]

5. Agreed

"However I can see why it's the holy grail for people who really dig a celebration of evil..."

You're quite right, countfloyd. A documentary which chronicled the film's success in popular culture revealed that "Scarface" is popular with elements within the Mafia and the so-called "gangstas". No surprise: I doubt those thugs could grapple with an (infinitely) more nuanced piece of art--say, Milton's "Paradise Lost"--that actually does explore depravity and evil with tremendous success.

Pathetic.

[Kenneth ken]

3. gosh - none of us like it

I didn't see the original, but the Depalma version is far too violent for my taste. I've only seen it once, and that was more than enough for me.

[frylock]

4. overrated piece of crap..

just wanted to weigh in.

[Kat45]

6. I LOVE the original Scarface.

I've seen it a number of times, and I have a copy of it on tape. The remake took the title and perhaps a theme or two (such as the weird 'relationship' with his sister) and wrote an entirely different story.

[mitchum]

7. It is a very powerful film, but not a good film

It works on a very visceral level. The narrative is primitive and simplistic. I have probably seen it a dozen times, but I have never said "I'm gonna sit down and watch Scarface" I will come into a room, it will be playing, and before I know it I have watched it again.

[enigmatic]

8. Al Pacino is no Paul Muni, that's for sure.. n/m

[scottcsmith]

9. Well, I liked it

I just saw it for the first time a few weeks ago, and I thought it was pretty good. Probably not Oliver Stone's best screenplay, but a good effort. BTW, Stone also co-wrote the screenplay to "Conan the Barbarian." There's some trivia for y'all.

[DerekG]

10. I heard about that

Imagine: a collaboration between a leftist (Stone) and a right-winger (John Milius, the director) on a project involving an Aryan fantasy?

Stranger things have happened.