Tag Archives: Al Pacino

Entertainment Express: Al Pacino, Star Wars, Picasso, Bridget Jones, Prince

al pacino

* The trailer for HBO’s movie about Phil Spector shows a fiery Al Pacino channelling the prolific producer, who’s currently serving a life sentence for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson. Pacino also dons the necessary wigs to portray  Spector’s hair-style choices too, while starring alongside Oscar-winner Helen Mirren. Roll on March 24.

* In an interview with CNBC, Disney head honcho Bob Iger confirmed there will be 3 more films coming out of the company’s acquisition of Lucasfilm in October last year, on top of the 3 Star Wars sequels already in the works (the first, JJ Abrams was just recently confirmed to direct). Iger says they’ll be stand-alone movies based on characters from the beloved franchise.

* A giant Picasso portrait of his mistress sold for around $45 million at a Sotheby’s auction of impressionist, modern and surrealist art in London – highlighting the strength of the high-art world in the face of broader recession troubles.

* A new Bridget Jones’ Diary novel should be hitting shelves in November. Author Helen Fielding, who paved the way for the “chic-lit” genre, is reportedly having a ball writing the book. The same can’t be said, it seems, of those trying to get the third installment of the movie series, starring Renee Zellweger, off the ground.

* Despite not being a fan of the Internet for many years,  Prince has released yet another new track online, via his web-store. Breakfast Can Wait feels like the kind of thing the artist would say after hooking up in Rock ‘n Roll Love Affair, the track he released in November last year. More music is expected soon, and the Purple One will be honoured at a charity tribute concert in NYC next month too.

[Pic: HBO]

Say Hello to my Little Friend – Scarface Reunion

Al Pacino

Al Pacino has played a number of iconic characters in iconic movies over the course of his 5-decade career. Some have earned him Oscar nominations (8 in total so far), one an actual Oscar (Scent of A Woman), and other countless honours, yet the film that he himself says is his most popular has not won him the most acclaim. In fact, when Scarface first came out in 1983, it wasn’t received well and found itself berated by critics and the public for its violence and lurid drug scenes.

Nonetheless, almost 30 years later, this film has become a classic among classics. With lines like, “I always tell the truth, even when I lie” and “All I have in this world is my balls and my word, and I don’t break them for no one,” Tony Montana has carved his way into film history, and the hearts of fans across the globe. Along, of course, with the man that played him.

A few days ago in LA, at the famed and beautifully re-stored Belasco Theater, Pacino re-united with his co-stars in the movie, to toast to the film’s endurance all these years later. In a lavish setting, which included Cuban snacks (like cocaine lines of icing sugar) and a giant cake with the words “The World is Yours” written on it, the event also featured a Q-and-A with Pacino, Steven Bauer, F.Murray Abraham, Robert Loggia and Martin Bregman.

Pacino, in fantastically high spirits, told behind-the-scenes stories and it was great to hear him pay tribute to the role rappers and hip-hop has played in giving the film a bit of a re-birth.

“The rappers got together and they made a video (Scarface: Origins of a Hip-Hop Classic) and they talked about the movie. I don’t think anybody’s ever talked about it as articulately and clearly. I understood it better having heard them talk about it…I mean, they really get it and they understand it, and that’s a great thing. They’ve been very supportive all these years. I think they’ve helped us tremendously.”

Al Pacino, F Murray Abraham, Steven Bauer

Al Pacino with co-stars F Murray Abraham and Steven Bauer

Al Pacino

Pics: Universal Home Ent

Ludacris, who performed afterwards, returned the favour, saying how influential Scarface has been as the movie that re-defined the gangster film.

Ah, the beginnings of a different kind of bromance!

Scarface

Now that all these years have passed, the limited edition Blu-ray is out, with added features, including the chance to watch Pacino do that infamous line over and over: say hello to my leetle fren!

There’s something comforting about knowing that even Pacino didn’t get it right on the first take!

Scarface – the Limited Edition Blu-ray is out now.