So I will admit that I have seen both of these movies....TWICE. Once years ago and last week a watched them BACK to BACK!! I was sick and likely a little doped up from the meds. So here is a quick synopsis for those who have yet to see them. ***possible Spoiler Alert***
Virgin Pockets:
Semi washed up blonde pool player has quit the pro tour due to sponsors "using" her up. She knows the real money is in hustling the bars and pool halls. She meets up a younger, hotter version of herself and agrees to teach her the ropes of hustling. They are successful and win various amounts of cash with their backer/manager. Sponsor comes along and woos the young,hot hustler with promises of money and fame playing on the pro tour, much to the chagrin of the washed up, blonde hustler. they have a falling out, which leads to the inevitable climax at...you guessed it, a pro tour tourney...you gotta put the time in and watch it to learn how it ends...
9 Ball:
Young blonde pool hustler has dreams of competing as a pool pro, instead of hustling in bars and pool halls for her backer/loser uncle. . She ends up falling for one of her "marks" and decides to leave her backer/uncle. He throws her a beating after which she discovers Jeanette Lee, Allison Fischer, and the APA. She starts competing APA and believes she has found her pathway to becoming a pro. Her former backer/uncle doesn't like this one bit, which leads to the inevitable climax at...you guessed it...an APA tourney. Again, I'll save the special ending for those who venture to watch it.
Overall:
9Ball had the better pool playing, and it actually took the time to build a backstory about how the hot blonde hustler came to be a hot blonde hustler. The second half of the movie devolved into an infomercial for the APA...but hey at least its a movie about pool. 1.5/5 stars
Virgin Pockets actually had a pretty good sound track, I thought. The hot, young hustler was easy on the eyes and it actually had a few hustling tricks such as: sharking the opponent by wearing a low cut shirt and bending over right in front of him, removing 4 balls from the table during 8 ball, etc. Acting was not even remotely good, but hey its a movie about pool! 1.75/5 stars.
For reference: TCOM- 4.5/5 stars
Hustler-4.25/5 stars
Turn the River-3.0/5 stars
Poolhall Junkies-3.0/5 stars
Virgin Pockets:
Semi washed up blonde pool player has quit the pro tour due to sponsors "using" her up. She knows the real money is in hustling the bars and pool halls. She meets up a younger, hotter version of herself and agrees to teach her the ropes of hustling. They are successful and win various amounts of cash with their backer/manager. Sponsor comes along and woos the young,hot hustler with promises of money and fame playing on the pro tour, much to the chagrin of the washed up, blonde hustler. they have a falling out, which leads to the inevitable climax at...you guessed it, a pro tour tourney...you gotta put the time in and watch it to learn how it ends...
9 Ball:
Young blonde pool hustler has dreams of competing as a pool pro, instead of hustling in bars and pool halls for her backer/loser uncle. . She ends up falling for one of her "marks" and decides to leave her backer/uncle. He throws her a beating after which she discovers Jeanette Lee, Allison Fischer, and the APA. She starts competing APA and believes she has found her pathway to becoming a pro. Her former backer/uncle doesn't like this one bit, which leads to the inevitable climax at...you guessed it...an APA tourney. Again, I'll save the special ending for those who venture to watch it.
Overall:
9Ball had the better pool playing, and it actually took the time to build a backstory about how the hot blonde hustler came to be a hot blonde hustler. The second half of the movie devolved into an infomercial for the APA...but hey at least its a movie about pool. 1.5/5 stars
Virgin Pockets actually had a pretty good sound track, I thought. The hot, young hustler was easy on the eyes and it actually had a few hustling tricks such as: sharking the opponent by wearing a low cut shirt and bending over right in front of him, removing 4 balls from the table during 8 ball, etc. Acting was not even remotely good, but hey its a movie about pool! 1.75/5 stars.
For reference: TCOM- 4.5/5 stars
Hustler-4.25/5 stars
Turn the River-3.0/5 stars
Poolhall Junkies-3.0/5 stars