DVD review of 'Scarface' (From Barry And District News)

DVD review of 'Scarface'

WITH NEW releases a bit thin on the ground this week, it might be a good time to start replacing old videotapes with DVDs for your collection.

And slashing his way straight into the charts is Al Pacino, starring in the gritty and gory violence of Scarface.

Many people will already have seen this classic flick. A remake of a 1932 movie, the up-dated version follows the rise of Tony Montana, a Cuban refugee hoodlum who fled Castro's regime. Together with his best friend Manny Ray, he builds a strong drug-based criminal empire in early 1980's Miami.

Montana deals with the competition in the trafficking business but as his power begins to grow so does his ego - and eventually his paranoia.

A powerful killer who grew up on the streets, Montana's rise to the top is quick. He gets rid of the opposition and marries the girl of his dreams. But he ignores the rules and gets hooked on his own supply of cocaine.

With the deleted scenes and extra bonus material, the DVD is worth every penny. Director Brian DePalma and produced by Martin Bregman, the intense screenplay by Oliver Stone lays bare the sordid power and corruption of the drug scene in early '80s America.