Scarface - new DVD Edition

pedro (☼Travelguide writer) says on Nov 29, 2006, 15:42:

Robert Jorge says on Nov 29, 2006, 16:04:

I bought the new Scarface game for my PS2. It is ok, but I was disappointed for spending $50 and getting a mediocre game. The narration / voices and characters are dead on accurate as far as comparing it to the movie actors.
I can understand why people might be sensitive about how the movie makes Colombians look. But then, Gringos could be upset because the slimy cop makes North Americans look bad. And Cubans could be upset, because Tony and his buddy were portayed as killers, thus making the Cuban community look bad. I would hope most people wouldn't be so hyper-sensitive that they take a 15 year old movie that seriously. Great flick in my opinion.

He who farts in church, sits in his own pew.

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lozza says on Nov 29, 2006, 19:06:

Scarface is a quality movie. But to say it portrays Colombians in a bad light for geneations to come is a bit over the top. The only çlearly defined Colombians in the film are the guys in the motel at the beginning and Omar Suarez and his right hand man. Tony Montana, Mani and others are Cuban, Sosa and his henchmen are Bolivian and the mercenaries, well, could be from anywhere(mercenaries generally are!!). Maybe I haven't paid enough attention during the numerous times i've watched it, but it seems you're assuming the nationality of half the characters (which says something in itself). To be honest, considering the film is based around the cocaine industry through Miami during the early 80's it's pretty surprising how LITTLE Colombia is actually mentioned!!

"Whose the bad guy now,eh?"

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PanosL1 says on Nov 30, 2006, 02:34:

scarface movie and PS2 game Robert_Jorge , I think the game is worth the 50 bucks just so you can hear the guy that does Tony's voice taunt people and call them cockroaches.. Dont buy the sopranos..now that is a crap game..

i do not understand why people are upset.. I understand colombians are sensitive over the subject but they produce and export loads of coke.. i am sure Pablo and all the other drug lords in Colombia have done worse that what's on the movie..Also , dont forget that the movie is over 20 years old..

I am am 100% with lozza in his comment about Greg's assumption over the nationality of the characters.

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Greg444 says on Nov 30, 2006, 07:18:

I do not recall any reference to Bolivia, whether it is or not, 99% of the people who watch that movie will assume most are Colombians.

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Miguel says on Nov 30, 2006, 09:35:

Yeah, WTF already? Bolivianos were for sure a part of the movie.

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Simon says on Nov 30, 2006, 10:08:

"Maybe I haven't paid enough attention during the numerous times i've watched it, but it seems you're assuming the nationality of half the characters (which says something in itself)."

You hit the nail on the head. The guy who opened this thread, GReg444, is obviously prejudiced towards colombians.

"It is a bit hypocritical
for any Colombian to be upset. They do produce the worlds cocaine. They sure love to point out all the time how the US is full of drug users so toobad in my opinion if they don't like it. Tough!"


Don Gringo,

Why would it be hypocritical for DECENT and HONEST colombians to be upset? Your statement seems to imply that the innocent should pay for the sins of the guilty.

Most colombians only imply that the "US is full of drug users" after some bigoted prick from the US makes some maliciuos comment about colombians first. Just look at the way Colombia is mentioned in 99% of US media. Is the US portrayed as a junkie haven in 99% of colombian media? That should shut you up.

BTW, Sosa and his henchmen were all clearly Bolivian, it said so in a subtitle at the beginning of the scene with the andean music playing and the shot of the mountains.

"DON'T FOK WITH COLOMBIA!!"-----Simon

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Simon says on Nov 30, 2006, 11:54:

Going up.
Going up.

"DON'T FOK WITH COLOMBIA!!"-----Simon

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andresumana says on Nov 30, 2006, 14:12:

if i buy all the shit in the movies I will never want to go to US specialy to New York or LA, the crime, the drugs, every black or Latin american person is armed!

there is only a little parts of the reality show up in hollywood movies. From time to time there is a decent research made of foreigns countrys, mostly the images you have seen in movies of Colombia are filmed in mexico with mexican style, with mexican pronunciation and even with mexican mustache,

For a latin american a typical american movie that talks about they country mostly is a deception and a distortion of the reality

Maybe for a lot of americans an american movie that talks about a forieng country can be delightfull, educational and Fun because the american always win.

Thats a big diference between our 2 societys. I know the history of US but im sure they dont know even they own, i know that most of the headlines are made for rating prupouses, thats why we always hear about drugs. i think for many when they find shakira was colombian they thought she whas from Columbia US in the first place maybe cuz she seem to white or to stylish and that image doesnt fit in your colombian profile.

Of course there is drugs production and narcotrafic, but is not even close of what you see in movies. Scarface talks about the bussines of drugs in US so i dont feel anything about that scene or about a comment made from an actor in a movie, cuz i realize is fiction and the fiction of hollywood is some times depressing and unbelivable.

If you want a good movie that makes you thing about narcotrafic
rent one that the name is "Traffic" theres another with jhony deep but i dont remember the name it think the name is "blow"

And for the one who says we are proud of make cocaine, try to undestaand this, those dollars you spend in your nose are comming here and buy bullets and explosives for terrorists. kill people and makes our entire nacionality a matter of disgrace when you go to an international airport.
thanks all due to the reason americans love shoking headlines in the news, in movies they loves guns, loves cowboys (in this case cocaine cowboys), loves to see blood and killing and love to beleave all this shit is true.

http://www.colombia4you.com

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Colombiche says on Nov 30, 2006, 14:20:

BTW, Sosa and his henchmen BTW, Sosa and his henchmen were all clearly Bolivian, it said so in a subtitle at the beginning of the scene with the andean music playing and the shot of the mountains.

98% of the knuckle heads at my office can't tell the difference between Colombia and Bolivia. Come to think of it, I don't think they know what Bolivia is, they know Colombia because of movies like Scarface and because they work with me - the first real life colombian they have ever met.

No me den trago extranjero, que es caro y no sabe a bueno.... (Rafael Godoy)

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lozza says on Nov 30, 2006, 16:15:

SCARFACE IS NOT ABOUT COLOMBIA OR COLOMBIANS. It is about a Cuban refugee becoming successful in the Cocaine business in Miami by not giving a f*#k about anything or anyone (except for the kids of course - "no focking kids"!!!). In doing this he comes across ONE gang of Colombians at the beginning and that's it, there are NO other clear portrayals of Colombians. The film is fiction, though i reckon it probably gives a pretty good representation of the shit that was going on in Miami at the time (apart from the fact there were probably more Colombians involved in real life - ironic that eh!). I've also heard that the Sosa character was loosely based on a Cocaine baron in Bolivia in the 70's/80's who basically controlled the Bolivian Government at the time - this is also illustrated in the film when the military and political bigwigs are all in Sosa's house worried about an attack on their cocaine business/national economy.
It seems to me some people have started watching the film, realized it was about cocaine so decided everyone involved is Colombian. This is YOUR assumption, which is your right, but not the intention of the film. But it is quite funny that on attacking a movie for its negative portrayal of Colombians you're actually exposing your own negative stereotyping of the same.

"I always tell the truth, even when I lie"

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Greg444 says on Dec 1, 2006, 12:11:

"YOU expect ME to believe they are Bolivians, JUST BECAUSE SOSA SAYS SO?!!!"

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andresumana says on Dec 2, 2006, 14:49:

Bolvians started to produce Cocaine Thats a history fact
is you want i can enlight you with that

http://www.colombia4you.com

http://www.colombia4you.com

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juancegomez says on Dec 18, 2006, 19:16:

I don't really recall much of this particular movie... Other than seeing bits of it either on Cable or on Colombian TV at some random point in my life. So its classic status escapes me.

But it looks like, plotwise, it at least borrows from just another of those almost B-movie trends that were popular a couple of decades ago in Hollywood:

Portray Latin American drug lords, no matter their nationality or actual geographical and cultural conditions they're always roughly Mexican/Tropical, as the evil bad guys of the season who will be shot and/or ridiculed by the One (or Two) Man A-(merican) Team and his/her token sidekick and/or love interest. Repeat.

Maybe the execution (pun not necessarily intended) and style of it is better here...I have no idea. :P

Btw...a couple of decades ago Colombian drug lords were already infamous, but most drug growing was still done outside of Colombia in Bolivia and Peru. Processing and distribution was moving to Colombia, but the Bolivians and Peruvians were still pretty much involved in most of the other parts of the business. That only really began to change in the 1990's (and even now there are still drug operations elsewhere in the neighborhood).

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Simon says on Dec 18, 2006, 21:22:

"And: Maria Full of Grace?
Made in Colombia by Colombians, featuring Colombian cocaine, Colombian mules and then Colombians in NYC getting the drop and murdering one of their fellow Colombians to get the drugs out of her belly before her bodily functions shut down (after unintentionally over-dosing from a ruptured pellet) - and Colombians don't bitch about this movie. It met critical acclaim.'


Mario,

Maria Full of Grace was written and directed by an american and was shot in Ecuador and New York. And yes, some colombians also bitch about this movie.

"DON'T FOK WITH COLOMBIA!!"-----Simon

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robi666 (Trustee board) says on Dec 18, 2006, 22:19:

Come on Simon, you're right about the stupid and superficial Greg's post, but Maria Full of Grace is a Colombian story. Nothing wrong to admit that it represents something of Colombia... by the way... have you seen "Training day" ? Another example of the corruption of Colombian police and Colombian people.
Or, talking about Al Pacino... il Padrino... jesus, those Colombian people are scaring!
Better to burn out than to fade away.

"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present."

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sweetg30 says on Dec 20, 2006, 07:29:

I love scarface, Colombian and drugs, I get offended when I tell people I'm colombian and first thing that comes out of their dirty mouth is " yeah a lot of cocaine" si pendejo por que tu te la andas metiendo por la nariz. And it's not only gringos, latinos too, which of course I get offended because not everybody in Colombia deals with drugs, there are a lot of people that deal with drugs, and of course Colombia is known for the drug trafficking, but what about the other countries? Colombia it's not the only one.

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aztec says on Dec 20, 2006, 07:57:

esanch36 & sweetg30, it doesn't happen to us very much... ...but when it does we either attempt to educate them or treat them as if they are crazy.

In the first place the comment will only come from those people who are not very smart and are not your friends. Usually someone attempting to be cute at your expense.

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aztec says on Dec 20, 2006, 08:00:

Agree with you sweetg30...
...Mexico is a much greater drug problem for the States.

"but what about the other countries? Colombia it's not the only one.
By sweetg30"

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kalder says on Dec 20, 2006, 08:59:

The Halfwits of Merry Old England If I had a bright and shiny pound sterling for every time some fool does some dreadful mime of sucking something up into their nose, whenever I mention that Señora Kalder is a Colombiana...

"kalder- have you ever had a woman?"--Sam Salmon

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