Scarface – The Film Vault Range 003

So as some of you are well aware, The Film Vault is a new, premium home entertainment range celebrating cinema’s greatest films. Now in real terms this could mean one of three possibilitys. One, a great collection of films, given the loving and deep pocket treatment by studios eager to cash in. Two, it could mean a vile cash in, with new boxes and items to draw in those eager little physical media types or three, it could mean, like here, a chance to release a limited number edition set, for that restoration or upscale that took a film to the UHD or 4K market (or both). Everyone knows the story. Tony Montana (Al Pacino) now of Cuba rather that Calabria, is a Cuban immigrant with the moniker, “Scarface”, which he did not get from ‘picking pinaeapples’. He has landed in America and wants wealth, power and all that capitalism has to offer. For a small to medium style hood, that offer is crime and the richest pickings are in drugs. Along comes the drug kingpin Frank Lopez (Robert Loggia) to offer him work. Frank has a palace and his stunning moll, Elvira (Michelle Pfeiffer). Things start to get nasty though, when Tony takes steps to wrestle control out of the hands of those, he feels are past their use. killing is the only option and blood needs to be spilled to do this. Lots of it.

Brian De Palma, director of UNTOUCHABLES, CARLITOS WAY, BLOW OUT and much more, helmed this after he replaced Sidney Lumet. Both very different film makers, both would have made something extraoridinary. De Palma was kept on and succeds in pulling off a masterpiece, that has never looked better, nor honestly, will in my lifetime. Finally UHD delivers in droves for once. It often does mind but leaving some areas unloved. Here, with remastered picture, taken from a 35mm master I believe, it has the right colour saturation, so that the 80s neons are dense. It also has allowed for De Palma trade mark deep and shallow field lens shots, to be clear (not since I saw a cinema version, was this done!). The fact its on a single disc helps, with few extras to clutter it. Though the extras here on the Blu Ray have been out and around before quite a bit. I loved the DVD extras, with the missing TV to film compariosn on censorship a real highlight for me!  I still enjoy the deleted scenes, which are obvious in there rather unnessecary inclusion for a few reasons. The 35th anniversary meeting reunion is an interesting version of rememberance.  I havent seen this before but am told it was around and I think it is great. Prinicpal players talk but miss a few bits about style, scope and subtext. They do discuss the art of menace, how a modern Greek tradegy manifests itself and a joyous journey into the darkest parts of society. But I think its the UHD for the many (and the blu that I have seen before on a general screeing in a film commentary class.  The collection features exclusive artwork from Vice Press, which is quite nice and would suit being framed. The Montana driving licence / Green card thing, is a real hoot.

LIMITED EDITION of 3,000

Featured In Pack

• NEW KEY ART by Matt Ferguson & Florey from Vice Press (4/5)
• ACETATE O-RING, removes for type-free display of your key art (3.5/5)
• Unique, individually numbered CRYSTAL DISPLAY PLAQUE (2/5)
• Rigid clamshell box with MAGNETIC CLOSURE (5/5)
• 4 collectible ART CARDS, with film facts (4/5)
• Reproduction of Tony Montana’s GREEN CARD (5/5)
• Feature film on both 4K UHD and BLU-RAY, plus Special Features (4K UHD 5/5 / Blu 3/5)

On Disc Special Features

• Scarface 35th Anniversary Reunion (4/5)
• The Scarface Phenomenon (3/5)
• The World of Tony Montana (3/5)
• The Rebirth (2.5/5)
• The Acting (2.5/5)
• The Creating (2.5/5)
• Deleted Scenes (4/5)