Scarface 1983 - 35th Anniversary [Blu-ray] [2019] [Region Free]

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Limited to just 3000 copies, this new 4K version also comes with the blu-ray included and has a rigid clamshell box with a magnectic closure. Considering Scarface’s 1983 origins, it’s a pessimistic view of drugs, even predictive as to how ingrained cocaine would embed itself through the decade. A key scene involves Montana soaking in a bathtub, watching the news as the anchor pushes against an idea to legalize and tax the trade. The resulting ferocity comes as a result of clumsy, near-sighted policy. Montana brings this out from society’s shadows. Shooting people in the street isn’t an elevation of drug-related violence, rather a turn that makes lawlessness visible to a public willingly ignoring it otherwise. Opening frames, via news footage, follows a boat of Cubans headed to Florida. There’s an unidentified man on board with his son; that man points, and an edit cuts to the American flag. Everyone smiles. It’s serene. Then comes Tony Montana (Al Pacino). Like Montana himself, Scarface is vicious, violent, and brutal. It’s famous for a liberal use of blood squibs. Famously, the bathroom chainsaw too, although that grotesque killing is implied rather than shown.

Scarface (1983) 4K UHD Review - with UltraHD screen shots Scarface (1983) 4K UHD Review - with UltraHD screen shots

The restoration goes a bit heavy on the grain at times, though, pushing it beyond the point where it feels like a completely natural by-product of the 35mm source. Yet at other times scenes look as if they’ve had the grain smoothed away.

While Universal has managed to inject quite a bit of extra dynamic range into the synth score, there’s seldom much bass to speak of. Except for when Tony gets out his little friend, anyway...

Scarface’ 4K Blu-ray Review: Say Hello To My Detailed Friend - Forbes ‘Scarface’ 4K Blu-ray Review: Say Hello To My Detailed Friend -

Are you into collecting limited edition 4K releases of your favourite movies? If so you may be interested in Scarface The Film Vault Range 4K UHD which released on Monday in the UK.Wrapping things up are 22 minutes worth of excellent deleted scenes, a short but sweet clip giving you a taste of how the film was recut and dubbed for its TV debut, and a rather long-winded look at the making of the Scarface video game. Which, um, came out in 2006. SCARFACE 35TH ANNIVERSARY REUNION / THE SCARFACE PHENOMENON / THE WORLD OF TONY MONTANA / THE REBIRTH / THE ACTING / THE CREATING The Rebirth discusses how the film brought to life a lost sub-genre, The Acting continuing although on a more self-explanatory path, and The Creating is the core making-of. Together, those three near the hour mark. A making-of for the video game version is clearly dated, but at least they brought it over. A funny look at the TV edits are here too. For added fun, U-Control offers a body and F-bomb counter, alongside picture-in-picture featurettes culled from the pieces above.

Scarface 40th Anniversary Zavvi Exclusive 4K Ultra HD Steelbook (Only Scarface 40th Anniversary Zavvi Exclusive 4K Ultra HD Steelbook

Other documentaries after that comprise: a good 12-minute look at the real world that gave birth to Tony Montana; an interesting 10-minute featurette considering this Scarface alongside the Howard Hawks original; a fascinating 15-minute featurette on the film’s unforgettable cast; and anunmissable half hour feature on the making of the film, taking in everything from the locations to the direction, script, stunt work and cinematography. The use of HDR is fairly limited - according to the metadata reader on my Panasonic UB820 4K Blu-ray player, the maximum frame average brightness level is just 155 nits (though somewhere in there is a peak light level of 1000 nits).It’s a shame - especially in light of the sometimes odd looking color work - that Universal hasn’t provided a Dolby Vision or HDR10+ master of the film. It’s HDR10 only.