There is an article in today's L.A. Times "Calendar" section all about the re-release of SCARFACE. In it, De Palma confirms that the studio execs/producer/even Pacino himself were all pressuring De Palma to substitute a new rap score for Moroder's original score to the flick. Luckily, he had final cut on the film and wouldn't bend on the issue.

Hard to believe that 20 years later, some of these people still don't get that we all love SCARFACE exactly the way it is!

BTW, here's a link for the article (scroll down the front page a bit), but you have to register to read it (sign-up is free):

www.calendarlive.com

so? It didn't happen...

Now we know why every rapper has a copy of Scarface going when MTV Cribbs comes to visit. They were all getting ready to audition for the job.

you have to register to read the darn article.

whoa.

Why not just have a second audio track?

Hell, why stop there...why not just reshoot the damn thing with rappers instead of actors..?

As long as the guns aren't props..

What's harder to believe is that even with all our complaining when they even omit ONE LINE OF DIALOG, studio execs still seem to think that it's OK to make radical changes in the DVDs they issue.

How in the world would rap music recorded more than 20 years after the movie takes place make ANY sense in the scheme of the movie???

-jason

I can't picture watching this movie with anything but the original score.

I hate marketing.

How could they pressure the director into doing what he doesn't want to do.

Depends.

Very few directors have 'final cut' on their films. With most films, Universal could go in and slap whatever damn soundtrack they wanted.

Apparently with this one, DePalma has the final say.

Omigosh, that would have been a disaster. Thanks, Mr. De Palma, for not allowing this to happen.

Off topic...i'd love to go see it this weekend...but haven't seen any listings for times here. Apparently they haven't been put up yet.

Thank goodness for some sanity.

Just two more weeks.

That would have been a bad mistake. I'm just happy with the fact that we are getting a new transfer and access to the Hawks version. I'm very underwhelmed with the extras for this set. Gold moneyclip? Whatever.

the idiocy of people these days just amazes me. yeah lets remaster a soundtrack of a movie from the 80s with rap music WOW! what a concept and there releasing a soundtrack of songs inspired by scarface and there all rap songs. can anyone explain to me the fasination rappers have with scarface? I have never been able to figure it out

I'd be pissed. screw that crap rap. what a nightmare it would be.

Rappers identify with the character of Scarface because he is everything they want to be. He lives in a huge mansion, made millions off the sale of drugs, kills people in cold blood(and gets away with it), the law can't touch him, and has a beautiful woman. Thats the stuff rappers today dream of doing.

Stereotype much?

Can you think of a better reason?

OK, maybe not Blackalicious, Jurassic 5, Outkast, etc..., but the rest of them, yeah, that's a pretty good description.

Congrats for making me feel like an old fart. One thought is running through my head... "who?!?"

I think the stereotype is that all rappers identify with Scarface. Not all do, but those who do, do so for the reasons mentioned by Robert. These are the reasons this character is interesting, and the reasons why anyone is attracted to the film, whether or not they are rap stars. Fans may or may not wish to be like Scarface, but the fascinating aspect of the film lies in the hyperbolity of the main character. The only other reason to enjoy the film is for the craft, and even then probably only a very small percentage of Scarface fans enjoy the film just for how well it was made; on some level they must be intrigued by the character and his story.

I was looking forward to the new track.