Audio Video News

DVD: Scarface Two-Disc Anniversary Edition—Universal
Video: 3
Audio: 2
Extras: 2
Don't be fooled by the silver packaging. Scarface is still five years shy of its quarter-century anniversary, but it remains one of the most unsettling crime dramas ever—the rise and fall of iconic tough guy Tony Montana, played with mucho gusto by Al Pacino.

The old DVD release was an uninspired port of Universal's Signature Collection laserdisc, but the picture and sound have now been remastered for anamorphic 2.35:1 and Dolby Digital 5.1/DTS. The best that can be said of the video is that it is an improvement, with strong colors that capture the bright look of Miami in the '80s, but it has a generally soft, grainy, busy quality—a consequence of compressing almost three hours of film—with murky blacks that at times threaten to swallow the actors. The original audio sounds largely re-recorded, sometimes crudely so, and the surrounds only offer action during the at-times-too-Flashdance-y musical score by Giorgio Moroder. Even the elaborate gunplay seems tame, suffering as the entire movie does from a lack of dynamic range: no visceral booms, no transparent trebles, and instances of clipping, as well.

The extras are largely recycled here, too: interviews, a look at the edited-for-TV version, and a few minutes of outtakes. The one notable exception is a study of the movie's impact on today's biggest hip-hop stars, irrelevant though this may be.—Chris Chiarella

DVD: Bend It Like Beckham—20th Century Fox
Video: 5
Audio: 5
Extras: 4
Living on the outskirts of London, young Jess is pressured by her old-school Indian parents to become a proper woman, meaning marriage to a nice Indian man and skill in the kitchen. But Jess is a talented football (soccer) player who dreams of playing professionally like her idol, David Beckham. This, of course, alarms her family.

Bend It Like Beckham was the sleeper hit of the past year and is as touching and charming (although not as hilarious) as its culture-clash precursor. While some critics dubbed this My Big Fat Hindu Wedding, Beckham never mocks the culture it presents. Instead, it pokes fun at individuals in Jess' family and circle of friends, who think that all there is to life is cooking Aloo Gobi and planning colorful weddings. As Jess pursues her goals of the field and the heart, it's they who must come around.

This was a low-budget film and looks like it. While the 1.77:1 anamorphic presentation displays vibrant colors, the image looks soft, like a 1970s film transferred to DVD straight from the vault. Audio is another story, with an immersive, music-driven Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack that gives shrift to all of the channels.

Supplements include a by-the-numbers documentary in which we're told how different this film is from all others, deleted scenes, and director commentary that plays like "Let's Spot the Family Members." In a highly dubious filler, the director teaches you to cook Aloo Gobi, in case the film's messages just didn't sink in.—Gary Frisch