Highway Hijackers Video Extra
Aug 22, 2008 11:25 pm US/Eastern
Miami Celebrates 25th Anniversary Of Scarface
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
It became an iconic film of Miami's cocaine cowboy past, and believe it or not Scarface celebrated its 25th anniversary with a special screening in Downtown Miami.
Many of those in attendance were hardcore fans of the film featuring the fictional story of the rise and fall of Tony Montana, a Cuban immigrant who comes in the Mariel boatlift and becomes the king of Miami's cocaine cowboys. Miami boy made good Steven Bauer played his sidekick and was on hand at the special screening at the Gusman Center.
Fans interviewed by
CBS4's Natalia Zea were as quick to shoot as Tony Montana with their favorite one-liners from the movie. And of course, many screamed, "Say hello to my little friend!"
One of the goriest scenes of the movie—the chainsaw scene—was filmed in the condo that is just above what is Johnny Rockets today in South Beach's Ocean Drive.
Other memorable lines that fans recited were, "What do we look like, baggage handlers?" and, "I told you a long time not to, bleep, bleep, bleep you little monkey."
Other location shoots in Miami were a Star Island mansion that served as the scene of Tony Montana's home, and the tent city that housed immigrants throughout the boatlift, shot underneath I-95.
"It really is a rise and fall story, and people identify with the movie," said Steven Bauer.
But in 1983 some Miami leaders were at odds with the film's producers. They worried the movie would make Cuban-Americans look bad. The filmmakers moved most of the shooting to Los Angeles.
But things have changed since the 80's. Miami City Commissioner Joe Sanchez came to see it on the big screen Friday night.
"It was a dark cloud for the City of Miami in those days; it's a movie that truly describes what Miami was all about in the 80's," said Sanchez.
Whether you can stomach the violent scenes and the lines that will be quoted for years to come, Scarface is without a doubt what many Americans think of, when they think of Miami.
Lucky us.
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