Image via Complex Original
Al Pacino's iconic turn as the Cuban immigrant turned crime lord in Brian De Palma's Scarface has been influential across all realms of pop culture. Since the Scarface's release in 1983, countless gangster film have emulated a Tony Montana mannerism in one way or another; crime writers have found inspiration in the film's narrative arc and themes; rappers from all regions seem to have the movie on constant loop in the studio (but you won't see any classic referential bars on this list, that's its own undertaking), and at least two action movies per year feature a character asking another to say hello to their little friend before they brandish a very large gun.
For a film that received mixed to negative reviews upon its initial release, Scarface has infiltrated pop culture to an astounding level, to the point of cliche. But we're not interested in the weak shit.
Complex has decided to comb through the myriad of allusions in film, TV, video games and more to rank the 25 Best Scarface References In Pop Culture.
Written by Frazier Tharpe (@The_SummerMan)
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25. Hitman: Codename 47 (2000)
Medium: Video game
Hitman villain Pablo Belisario Ochoa is clearly modeled after Tony Montana in appearance and mannerism, in addition to, duh, being a drug lord. And just in case you didn't get it, he rattles off a few introductions to his "little friend" for good measure.
24. Blink-182
Medium: Pop Punk
The rock band alleges that they got the number in their name from the amount of F-bombs dropped during Scarface. One hundred and eighty-two fucks were uttered, zero were given.
23. Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995)
Medium: Movie
A scene from the sequel finds the pet detective introducing a few poachers to his little friend, which in this instance isn't a giant gun, but instead a skunk with its scent glands on full blast.
22. Mind of Mencia
Medium: TV series
Carlos Mencia's Comedy Central sketch show featured a memorable bit wherein a man enters the video game realm, only to be repeatedly shanked by Carlos for points. At one point he comes across Tony Montana, who challenges him to a coke-sniffing contest. Guess who wins.
21. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, "Day Damn One" (1990)
Medium: TV series
Will's a stranger in a strange land during his first day at the (all-boys!) Bel-Air Academy, where wisecracks like his Tony Montana impression fall on stuffy, deaf airs.
20. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
Medium: Movie
Guy Ritchie's breakthrough heist film features Jason Statham's character, Bacon, confessing that he's learned all he knows about drug deals from watching, what else, Scarface. Haven't we all.
19. Grand Theft Auto III
Medium: Video game
Each Grand Theft Auto installment is filled with characters who are basically Tony Montana impresarios, but it was the epic reboot of the franchise, GTA III, that allowed characters to listen to the Scarface soundtrack. All your favorites, including Paul Engemann's "Push It to the Limit" and Amy Holland's "She's on Fire" were there.
18. Spring Breakers
In one of Spring Breakers many excellent scenes, James Franco steals the show to do his best Great Gatsby impression, throwing around his clothes and cologne and automatic weapons to impress Candy and Brit.
Because Franco's character Alien absolutely knows which pop culture icons to ape, he busts out his Scarface DVD, explaining that he keeps it on repeat.
17. The Lonely Island's "Jack Sparrow"
Medium: The "Weird Al" School of Music
Andy Samberg and co.'s hilarious single featured Michael Bolton going decidedly off-concept for the hook duties, instead re-enacting his favorite flicks, starting with Pirates of the Caribbean and ending with him in full Montana garb, including a face full of yayo.
16. The Sopranos, "Meadowlands" (1999)
Medium: TV series
The early series classic "Meadowlands" found Christopher, whose cinema obsession would later grow into its own bizarre sub-plot, comparing Tony's current standing with Junior to Tony Montana's climactic stand-off.
Of course though, Christopher is the only one among the crew with larger-than-life perceptions; Silvio swiftly ethers his allusion with a wry, "Always with the scenarios."
15. Entourage's "Medellin" Project (2007-2012)
Medium: TV series
Roughly half of Entourage sees Vince and E obsessing over one script that they deem to be their ultimate passion project: a Pablo Escobar biopic by the name of Medellin. They're convinced it could be the next Scarface.
When they finally make and release the film in the fourth season, the bonehead decision to give loose-cannon director Billy Walsh final cut over the project leads to critics and audience members all but throwing tomatoes at the screen during its debut in Cannes. This sounds crazy today, but Scarface received intensely negative reception upon its initial release, with Brian De Palma even earning a Razzie for Worst Director.
From what little viewers see of the actual film, Medellin features Vinny Chase trying to do a Colombian drug lord riff similar to what Pacino did as the Cuban Montana, only failing miserably and epically, with a fat suit that looks like it too was made in '83.
14. The Batman's The Ventriloquist (2004-2008)
Medium: TV series
Arnold Wesker, a second-tier villain in the Batman rogues' gallery, is notable for his advanced split personality disorder. Wesker himself is a meek, timid, middle-aged man but the ventriloquist dummy that he can't separate himself from embodies his alternate persona, Scarface, a crime lord so ruthless that tons of henchmen don't seem to mind that they're technically taking orders from a wooden doll.
Scarface's first few appearances were modeled after Al Capone, like the 1932 original film. After countless comic book appearances and several episodes on the popular Batman: The Animated Series, Scarface became Tony Montana on The Batman, the lesser middle aughts follow-up to one of the greatest cartoons ever. This Pacino flecked Scarface appeared on three episodes.
13. Razor Ramon
Medium: Professional wrestling
The former WWF wrestler created his character largely in the image of Tony Montana, combining the film's two most memorable quotes into his own catchphrase: "Say hello to the bad guy."
12. Kick-Ass (2010)
Medium: Movie
Kick-Ass's insane climactic battle features our titular dweeby hero swooping in to save the day on a freaking jet pack armed with mini-guns and he arrives just as the bad guys are about to introduce his accomplice Hit-Girl to their little friend: an M72 rocket launcher.
11. Demolition Man
Medium: Movie
Wesley Snipes goes all in with broad humor and mustache twirling as villain Simon Phoenix in the gloriously over the top Demolition Man, to the point where him brandishing a gigantic gun and calling it his little friend is only inevitable.
10. Malcolm in the Middle, "Stevie in the Hospital" (2006)
Medium: TV series
Ironically, before he would go on to star in a series at least partly inspired by Scarface, Bryan Cranston referenced the film on his first major TV role as Malcolm's zany dad Hal. This late series episode finds Hal engaged in an increasingly competitive remote control boat race with an antagonistic child at the park. Hal drops "say hello to my little friend" on him right before he takes things a step too far and blows the poor kid's boat to smithereens.
9. Awesome; I Fuckin' Shot That! (2006)
Medium: Movie
The Beastie Boys' 2006 concert film got its title from the unorthodox method in which it was filmed, with footage from fifty camcorders given to audience members who recorded the entire night. The opening, however, is an almost exact remake of Scarface.
8. New Jack City (1991)
Medium: Movie
Of course New Jack City, practically heralded as the Black Scarface, would feature a reference or two to its source of inspiration. As Nino Brown, Wesley Snipes utters "say hello to my little friend" a few times, most notably when he's showing off his crack vials to his crew.
7. Al Pacino's AFI Lifetime Achievement Awards Salute
Medium: TV Awards Ceremony (That You Slept Through)
During a special AFI salute to the man himself, George Lopez entertained a ballroom of his peers with a hilarious parody of Al's performance, addressing him, other actors in the audience, and other movies directly.
6. Animaniacs, "Variety Speak" (1995)
Medium: TV series
Steven Spielberg's witty '90s cartoon often featured skits that parodied Hollywood, like this musical number that decodes trade magazine Variety's Tinseltown-term loaded headlines. One of the cutaways imagines Oliver Stone directing a Home Alone sequel for the check. Of course, the scribe behind Scarface would stick a machine gun in Kevin McCallister's hands for his take.
5. The Boondocks, "The Garden Party" (2005)
Medium: TV series
From the moment we're introduced to Riley Freeman on The Boondocks, it's quite clear that he's a subscriber to the gangster worldview. So, when Riley, Huey and Granddad attend the Wuncler garden party, he's decked out in a suit that seems straight out of Tony Montana's wardrobe.
It's less cliche than it is completely in character that he tells Ed Wuncler III to say hello to his little friend right before accidentally blasting the guy out of a window with his own shotgun.
4. South Park, "Erection Day" (2005)
Medium: TV series
South Park Elementary's talent show features Cartman, in character as Tony, performing his infamous "say goodnight to the bad guy" rant. Do you really need to know more? Or do you just need to watch the clip?
3. The Simpsons, "Lisa's Rival" (1994)
Medium: TV series
The subplot of "Lisa's Rival" finds Homer discovering and stealing a giant mound of sugar after a truck accident, which he plans to sell on his own and get rich quick. As Homer grows obsessive about his sugar stash, the Tony Montana allusions start to flow, with references to several of the movie's infamous rants and character tics.
2. Breaking Bad (2008-present)
Medium: TV series
Series creator Vince Gilligan has long described his ground-breaking AMC hit as turning "Mr. Chips into Scarface."
Late in its run, the show's made several overt allusions to its inspiration, first casting Manny Ribera himself as Gustavo Fring's longtime nemesis Don Eladio, and in the most recent season Walter and Junior are seen enjoying the film's climax, where upon Walter remarks that "everyone dies." Finale foreshadowing?
1. South Park, "Medicinal Fried Chicken" (2010)
Medium: TV series
Cartman follows Tony's path from ascension to self-destruction when he takes charge of that profitable black market product... fried chicken. The Scarface parallels become overt when Cartman starts dressing like him, while also getting high on his own supply, much to the disappointment of Colonel Sanders, chicken trafficker. It's obvious and hilarious and awesome.