Why is Scarface so darn popular?

[Maledicte]

'cause really, I don't get it. It's no. 1 on the iMDB charts, and I've seen some of it, and really I wasn't impressed.

It's violent, and depressing, and has lots of swearing....and...?

Normally I don't find such things a turn-off for cinema, but there's a bunch of movies violent, depressing and with lots of language, with similar stories, that aren't as popular, and violent, depressing and language-filled movies with better stories that still aren't as popular.

A big defence I hear for Scarface is that it's "so true! That kind of stuff really happens!"...So?

...I really don't get it.

[Arnobius]

I've recently seen this and I tend to be in agreement with you. While the movie seemed to be starting out as a gritty crime drama, it quickly fell apart into pointless improbable scenes, badly written and badly acted, climaxing with a "let's wrap this up" shootout in the end. It seemed like violence was the end in itself as opposed to an element of the film as better quality films are... with the killings seeming random and pointless... not senseless as so much real life crime is, but pointless as in "What was the point of that scene?"

Not sure why it's rating all the hype now. I remember (I think I was in the 8th grade when it came out), that the reviews were almost entirely negative

[Tommy]

It's violent, and depressing, and has lots of swearing....and...?

Those are some positive points of movies these days to the mainstream view sadly.

[GrubbTheFragger]

The drugs is what i am thinking everyone is all "there are drugs in it it must be cool and plus i saw it on MTV cribs"

[Tommy]

I think the "older generation" liked it better.

[the_lizardqueen]

Well, at the very least it makes me appreciate the Godfather *shrugs*

[The Last Bard]

It's kind of like one of those things...I guess it would be like a fad.

Because when it came out it got very bad ratings and made a pathetic $656,161 in the box office.
Then a few years (Or months) later it became a hit.

I think that is how the story goes. If that's not how it went, let me know so I'll never tell anyone that again.

And yes, Lizardqueen, The Godfather is great. I'm about to watch Part II right now.

[Steeltemplar]

Well, there is some cool action. And I think people like the atmosphere.

However, I think it is all about the Tony Montana character when it comes down to it. Both the way that Pacino played him and the great quotes that have endured well beyond people who have even seen the film. Of course, most of them are things I can't post in CAA Although there is the classic: "You wanna play rough? Okay. Say hello to my little friend!"

It was a movie about a mobster in Miami running drugs. I can't make any claims about realism. However, that it is violent and depressing with a great deal of obscenity does fit with that motif. The whole point of it IS the way that Montana destroyed his own life and how the drugs and crime he was involved in led him to do it. This isn't supposed to be an uplifting film.

Whether it is good or not is another matter, I suppose. I liked watching it, but I would not watch it again I think. It is pretty dark. But I am glad that I did see it the one time.

[Maledicte]

From what I've heard though, the depiction of the whole drug business is overblown, bordering on cartoonish--the story itself is nothing new--the accents are horrendous--in any case I find it largely overrated.

[Stephen]

Have you actaully watched the film? You might have more ground to make judgements on it then. I am fairly neutral on the film itself. I liked it...I can see the negative points to it, but it was not the best film ever made. It was a decent movie though.

[Maledicte]

Like I've said earlier, I've seen some of it, and heard both negative and positive reviews from others...however the negative ones seem to back up their arguments to a far more convincing extent than the "THIS IS THE BEST MOVIE EVAR!!!!" ones.

And like you said, Ark, if anything it's decent. My main question is why the overbearing load of posters selling and why so many people think it's cinema's gift to mankind.

[Steeltemplar]

Like I've said earlier, I've seen some of it, and heard both negative and positive reviews from others...however the negative ones seem to back up their arguments to a far more convincing extent than the "THIS IS THE BEST MOVIE EVAR!!!!" ones.

And like you said, Ark, if anything it's decent. My main question is why the overbearing load of posters selling and why so many people think it's cinema's gift to mankind.

Well, as is evidenced by the popularity of the quotes, I think that people identify Scarface with a certain factor of coolness. This popularity has almost certainly been bolstered further by the game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, which was (intentionally or no) almost an homage to Scarface. In fact, GTA:VC (a game which is certainly rated M for good reason, so not for the younger folks here) was what inspired me to rent the movie. I should think I am not the only one.

[Arnobius]

Well, as is evidenced by the popularity of the quotes, I think that people identify Scarface with a certain factor of coolness. This popularity has almost certainly been bolstered further by the game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, which was (intentionally or no) almost an homage to Scarface. In fact, GTA:VC (a game which is certainly rated M for good reason, so not for the younger folks here) was what inspired me to rent the movie. I should think I am not the only one.

Well, maybe GTA could come up with a game based on "City of God" which was a Brazillian film and one of the best "life of crime" movies I've seen. Or maybe the John Woo Hong Kong cinema...

[Steeltemplar]

Well, maybe GTA could come up with a game based on "City of God" which was a Brazillian film and one of the best "life of crime" movies I've seen. Or maybe the John Woo Hong Kong cinema...

It would rock if they did. Honestly, I loved GTA III, Vice City, and San Andreas. They've done an 80's theme and a gangsta theme already, so who knows what the next will be? A John Woo HK style one would be fantastic.

[Heart of Sword]

I saw about 10 minutes of it on television (edited version). I thought the acting was pretty...bleh...

I dunno why it's popular. *shrugs*

Also, why's he called Scarface or whatever? All he has is a little mark on his eyebrow. O__o;;

[Arnobius]

[quote="Heart of Sword"]I saw about 10 minutes of it on television (edited version). I thought the acting was pretty...bleh...

I dunno why it's popular. *shrugs*

Also, why's he called Scarface or whatever? All he has is a little mark on his eyebrow. O__o]
Well it may have been a "modernized" version of an older gangster movie of the same name. It never really played a role in the movie though

[gungrave]

there is one famous line...*cant remember* and one BIG GUN*at the end...if remembers correctly*but every other word was the f-word.... umm I cant really tell....but... it was looooooooooooooooong