Pierside Surfcity presents this magnificently vile, over-the-top, 1983 gangster picture, starring a magnificently vile, over-the-top, 1983 Al Pacino as Tony “the world is yours” Montana: thug, cokehead, sister-luster and one of cinema's great anti-heroic shitheels. Montana's odyssey from Cuban refugee to Miami cocaine kingpin may have been intended as a cautionary tale, but Brian De Palma's punchy directing and Oliver Stone's punch-drunk script (he was struggling with his own cocaine addiction at the time) combine to give the film an undeniable, ghastly glamor. Several generations of bling-chasing buttholes have taken Tony as a kind of role model, from various hip-hoppers (there's even some dope out there who actually calls himself Tony Montana on his records) all the way to Saddam Hussein, who called the international corporation he set up for money-laundering operations Montana Management. Scarface is stunningly lurid, violent, nasty stuff with, by some counts, 207 F-bombs dropped in the film's 170-minute runtime. (You have to sympathize with Tony's blousy bride Elvira when she groans, “Can't you stop saying fuck all the time?“) Still, see this thing once, and you'll walk around for the rest of your life growling, “Say hello to my leetle frien'!” Somehow, that never gets old, mang. Pierside Surfcity, 300 Pacific Coast Hwy., Huntington Beach, (714) 969-3151. Wed., 7 p.m. $5.
Also Showing:
A Man for All Seasons. Fred Zinnemann's much-acclaimed 1966 drama about the struggle between Sir Thomas More (Paul Scofield) and King Henry VIII (Robert Shaw) when the King rejected the Roman Catholic Church in order to divorce and remarry. Bay Theatre, 340 Main St., Seal Beach, (562) 431-9988. Sun., 6 p.m.; Mon., 8 p.m.; Wed., 8 p.m. $5-$8.
Barbary Coast. Miriam Hopkins, Joel McCrea and Edward G. Robinson (see? M'yeah!) star in this 1935 Howard Hawks adventure about a winsome young lady (Hopkins) working in a rough 'n' tumble gambling house in the San Francisco of the 1850s. Short subjects, cartoons and other goodies are also on the bill. Long Beach School for Adults Auditorium, 3701 E. Willow St., Long Beach, (562) 997-8000, ext. 7198. Fri., 7 p.m. $1 materials fee.
Harold and Maude. Harold (Bud Cort) is a hapless rich boy who concocts elaborate suicide rituals in hopes of getting some attention from his parents. Enter Maude (Ruth Gordon), a septuagenarian free spirit. The pair strike up a bizarre but touching friendship that eventually blossoms into something . . . gross. Even if, as a preacher in the film put is, the thought of Cort's young body commingling with Gordon's withered flesh, sagging breasts and flabby buttocks makes you want to vomit, you could still find yourself charmed by this odd gem. DiPiazza's, 5205 E. Pacific Coast Hwy., Long Beach, (562) 498-2461. Wed., “10-ish.” Free.
Home on the Range. Did anybody seriously think that a Disneyfied version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame was a good idea? Who the hell approved The Emperor's New Groove? And then there's this thing: singing cows! And Roseanne! Was somebody at Disney trying to kill off feature-length, hand-drawn animation? Because, seriously, that's the only way to explain this stuff. This is an outdoor, evening screening, so be sure to dress warm and bring some chairs. Newport Dunes Resort, 1131 Back Bay Dr., Newport Beach, (949) 729-DUNE. Fri., dusk. Free; parking, $10.
March of the Penguins. Morgan Freeman narrates this mega-hit documentary that offers the usual whitewash of these unutterably foul waterfowl. I'm still waiting for the docudrama that reveals penguins in all their rapacious, cannibalistic, fascist awfulness. Oh, sure, they look cute. But give 'em half a chance, and they'll march all over you! It's the kick-off to the Third Annual Senior Series. Krikorian Buena Park Metroplex 18, 8920 La Palma Ave., Buena Park, (714) 826-7469. Wed., 9:30 a.m.; 12:30 p.m. Free.
A Nightmare on Elm Street(Special Edition). A limited two-night “Sneak Preview” of the upcoming special-edition DVD of the Wes Craven slasher oldie, featuring “Freddy's Best Kills” for all you fans of watching C-list actors (and Johnny Depp!) getting calf guts pulled out of their fake, rubber torsos. Regal Garden Grove 16, 9741 Chapman Ave., Garden Grove, (714) 530-9864; Edwards Irvine Spectrum 21 N IMAX, 65 Fortune Dr., Irvine, (949) 450-4920; Edwards Aliso Viejo 20, 26701 Aliso Creek Rd., Aliso Viejo, (949) 425-3861. Wed.-Thurs., Sept. 21, 8 p.m. $10.
Pirates of the Caribbean. Wow, the ladies, they sure do love Johnny Depp. A surly, fortysomething guy who apparently cuts his own hair without using a mirror, and the ladies, they love him to death. Here they got the former 21 Jump Street star in a pirate shirt and eyeliner, and they're happy as pigs in poop. Hey, guys, it could be worse. Remember the dark days of “Ben Affleck: Sexiest Man Alive”? This is an outdoor, beachside screening, so bring some chairs and blankets if you know what's good for you. Newport Dunes Resort, 1131 Back Bay Dr., Newport Beach, (949) 729-DUNE. Sat., dusk. Free; parking, $10.
Unveiling, I Paint a Woman's Life in My Culture.Local artist/poet Mahvash Mossaed presents the bio-documentary she wrote, directed and narrated about herself. Born in Iran, she gives a candid account of her life and experiences. Laemmle's Fairfax, 7907 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 655-4010. Sat., 4 p.m. Call (866) 468-7619 for ticket prices.
Mail your press releases (and a videotape, if available) to Special Screenings,OC Weekly, 1666 N. Main St., Ste. 500, Santa Ana, CA 92701-7417. Or send e-mail to
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. All materials must be received at least two weeks before the screening.
