'SCARFACE' RANKS #96
Today, Rolling Stone posted its list of "The 100 Greatest Movies of the 1980s." Two Brian De Palma films made the list, at very far ends of the spectrum: at #20, it's Blow Out, with a paragraph about it by Scott Tobias:
Brian De Palma’s satirical thriller brought his entire arsenal of Hitchcockian effects to bear on a decade of American misadventures, referencing the conspiratorial mood surrounding Chappaquiddick and Watergate, and the feeling that country was held hostage by the elite. It’s also one of the great movies about the movies, casting John Travolta as the sound editor for Z-grade slashers who witnesses (and records) a car crash involving a major political figure and a prostitute (Nancy Allen). Like Blowup and The Conversation, the two films that inspired it, Blow Out posits the idea that the painstaking construction of a truth that could be deceptive, dangerous, or all of the above. But as the fireworks of Philadelphia’s Liberty Day celebration pop off and the screams of ordinary people go unheard. the scary part is that it might not matter at all.
Coming in at #96 is Scarface, with a paragraph from David Fear:
“Say hello to my little friend!” Brian De Palma’s controversial remake of Howard Hawks’ 1932 mobster movie hands Al Pacino a license to kill and chew abundant amounts of scenery, and not necessarily in that order. It’s been embraced by an entire generation of fans and a good portion of the hip-hop community for it’s over-the-top portrayal of the aspirational gangster life, from the copious amounts of commodified cocaine to its garish portrayal of Miami’s good life — the name “Tony Montana” is now synonymous with kingpin panache, yayo-fueled luxury, and bootleg bootstrap-capitalism. Even without the quotable lines every few minutes (“All I got in this world is my word and my balls, and I don’t break ’em for no one!”), it’s a memorable update of the old chestnut about crime paying off handsomely before the inevitable fall, ’80s style.
(Thanks to Brian!)
Posted by Geoff
at 12:01 AM CST
Updated: Thursday, March 3, 2022 12:11 AM CST
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Updated: Thursday, March 3, 2022 12:11 AM CST
Post Comment | View Comments (1) | Permalink | Share This Post