Say Hello to the Bad Guy...Again

by Anthony Zachariadis

catafamo28.com

One would think that the lines at Manhattan movie theaters were stretching around the block in anticipation for what was sure to be the new must-see movie of the year. However, don't tell that to the diehard fans online. "I've loved Scarface since I was five years old," says Gabe Echeveria of New Hyde Park. "I knew all the lines then, and I still know them today."

Time has no negative impact whatsoever on Brian DePalma's classic 1982 drama Scarface. If anything, it has only become more popular with time, accepted by fans of different interests and backgrounds. Scarface originally came out in the winter of 1982, and since then has brought back the genre of the gangster movie in American Cinema.

"American society has long held a fascination with mobster films," says Terrance Ross, media professor at Adelphi. "They represent a respected fringe group of American capitalists, a corporation of killers, made palatable through their membership in a family."

Al Pacino stars in this Brian DePalma film, which glorifies the life of a Cuban refugee coming to Miami to escape the hardships of communist Cuba under Fidel Castro. While in Miami, he finds work with a cocaine drug lord, and eventually works his way to the top of the game. By the turning point of the film, Pacino's character becomes a self-made millionaire.

"It's the American dream," says Chris Estrella of Albertson, NY, who also is a huge Scarface fan. "He starts from nothing, and he gets everything he wants - most importantly, he stays true to himself."

It is very interesting to compare the "American dream" to a gangster Cuban immigrant, hustling his way on the streets of Miami, to become a kingpin in the drug game; however, that is what Scarface does. For those reasons, the movie has been an inspiration, in that it instills hope to those who feel hopeless. The movie is also a huge influence in hip-hop culture; it has inspired lyrics in hip-hop songs, and even scenery in hip-hop videos.

"Almost every video you see has some reference to the movie, and every time you see a rapper's house on (MTV) Cribs, they show a poster or DVD of the movie," says Estrella.

The Gemini Lounge on 2nd Avenue (between 13th and 14th Streets) was one of the theaters in Manhattan showing the movie. The crowd was a mix of young men and women of all races. The waiting line to get into the theater was a show itself, as fans were already reciting the lines that made the movie popular. While inside, there were frequent uproars, as fans would cheer when the villains would be shot by "Tony Montana" and whenever one of their favorite catch phrases would be slurred, like the infamous, "Say hello to my little friend," which drew the loudest reaction from the crowd. The gangster aroma could also be smelled in the air as these modern-day Tony Montanas overlooked the "no smoking" signs and practically lit up the theater. Just like their hero, they had no problem breaking the law. The crowd left the theater applauding and in awe, as if they had just seen the movie for the first time.

Combine all these factors and maybe you'll understand why the movie was digitally re-mastered. The film's re-release comes in advance of a new DVD version, and follows a recent trend in Hollywood of re-releasing movies to help promote DVD sales. After three weeks, Scarface is still number one on the Billboard charts for DVD sales. Currently the only theater playing the movie in New York is the AMC Theater's Empire 25 on West 42nd Street.