9 Ball the movie vs. Virgin Pockets--Which one ya got?

jokrswylde

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
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
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
Really? Color of Money over The Hustler?

To each his own.

I love both but I do think The Hustler has some pacing issues while Eddie is healing.
I think The Hustler’s a seriously good film and Color of Money is pop entertainment. I like ‘em both, like every pool addict, but for way different reasons.

I’ve tried to watch other pool “movies” - too painful.

pj
chgo
 

Michael Andros

tiny balls, GIANT pockets
Silver Member
Really? Color of Money over The Hustler?

To each his own.

pj
chgo

Lemme preface this by saying I LOVE Martin Scorsese. My favorite director ( with Tarantino a close 2nd ). I HATED Color of Money. Absolutely hated it. The Hustler is one of my all-time favorite films. The reason I hated TCOM, for the most part, was the in-authenticity of it, vis-a-vis pool. The most ridiculous scene, to me, was where Tom Cruise busts the strange pool room and gets a standing ovation. Couldn't even one "tech advisor" player have said at that point, "Ummmmm... no. Shot? Maybe... Standing ovation? Not so much."
 

Swighey

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The Hustler 4.75/5 - a seriously great movie
The Color of Money 3.75/5 - a seriously good pool movie
Baltimore Bullet 3/5 - a seriously enjoyable pool romp
The rest - hmmmm
 

Cardigan Kid

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Lemme preface this by saying I LOVE Martin Scorsese. My favorite director ( with Tarantino a close 2nd ). I HATED Color of Money. Absolutely hated it. The Hustler is one of my all-time favorite films. The reason I hated TCOM, for the most part, was the in-authenticity of it, vis-a-vis pool. The most ridiculous scene, to me, was where Tom Cruise busts the strange pool room and gets a standing ovation. Couldn't even one "tech advisor" player have said at that point, "Ummmmm... no. Shot? Maybe... Standing ovation? Not so much."

But it was such a good scene in terms of entertainment and attraction to the game of pool.
Warren Zevon howling in the background...the steady cam footage circling the table with Tom running out. Smokey atmosphere, cash changing hands, a backdrop of old gold crowns, etc.

Yeah sure, it's out of control from a technical standpoint with the cue twirling, the stop shots pattern to the run out, Tom breaking every stance, bridge, fundamental rule there is....

And they had the best tech advisor at the time in Mike Siegel...

But that scene burned "cool" into the minds of many non pool players when they saw pool after that leading to a resurgence of pool halls across the globe.
I still get a kick out of it and enjoy watching it for a laugh and a nod to nostalgia. It was just another reason why the 80s were so b i tch in.
 
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Michael Andros

tiny balls, GIANT pockets
Silver Member
But it was such a good scene in terms of entertainment and attraction to the game of pool.
Warren Zevon howling in the background...the steady cam footage circling the table with Tom running out. Smokey atmosphere, cash changing hands, a backdrop of old gold crowns, etc.

Yeah sure, it's out of control from a technical standpoint with the cue twirling, the stop shots pattern to the run out, Tom breaking every stance, bridge, fundamental rule there is....

And they had the best tech advisor at the time in Mike Siegel...

But that scene burned "cool" into the minds of many non pool players when they saw pool after that leading to a resurgence of pool halls across the globe.
I still get a kick out of it and enjoy watching it for a laugh and a nod to nostalgia. It was just another reason why the 80s were so b i tch in.

Still hated it. :bash: :grin:
 

RiverCity

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
kisses-caroms-v2.jpg


You would think that a pool movie with Ginger Lynn would have been better, at least in some regard.... :thumbup:
 

jasonlaus

Rep for Smorg
Silver Member
Lemme preface this by saying I LOVE Martin Scorsese. My favorite director ( with Tarantino a close 2nd ). I HATED Color of Money. Absolutely hated it. The Hustler is one of my all-time favorite films. The reason I hated TCOM, for the most part, was the in-authenticity of it, vis-a-vis pool. The most ridiculous scene, to me, was where Tom Cruise busts the strange pool room and gets a standing ovation. Couldn't even one "tech advisor" player have said at that point, "Ummmmm... no. Shot? Maybe... Standing ovation? Not so much."

Busts the room???? He won like $150 - enough for one shoe. I hardly call that busting the room.

Maybe you should re-watch it, seems you might be confused lol
Jason
 

RiverCity

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Busts the room???? He won like $150 - enough for one shoe. I hardly call that busting the room.

Maybe you should re-watch it, seems you might be confused lol
Jason

And the ovation was for beating Moselle who no one else in the room could beat, 'cause hes the main stick around here'......:thumbup:
 

Cardigan Kid

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
kisses-caroms-v2.jpg


You would think that a pool movie with Ginger Lynn would have been better, at least in some regard.... :thumbup:

Oh wow, the puns and Three's Company double meaning humor that is available here are endless....

"How were her fundamentals?"
"Did Ginger have a good natural stroke?"
"Was there elbow drop?"

:D
 

jokrswylde

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Start a thread to discuss the brilliant films virgin pocket and 9 ball, and all everyone wants to talk about are TCOM and Hustler....sheesh :).

There are a few reasons I put TCOM slightly above the hustler:
1. I love the scene with Forrest Whittaker
2. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
3. "Eddie gave it to me, it's a Balabushka"
4. Keith Mcready "Hey Grady. Up your ass with the spot. Is that OK with you?"
5. Anf the scene where he gets beat up by the guy with a trach tube!
 

garczar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Tcom...........

Start a thread to discuss the brilliant films virgin pocket and 9 ball, and all everyone wants to talk about are TCOM and Hustler....sheesh :).

There are a few reasons I put TCOM slightly above the hustler:
1. I love the scene with Forrest Whittaker
2. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
3. "Eddie gave it to me, it's a Balabushka"
4. Keith Mcready "Hey Grady. Up your ass with the spot. Is that OK with you?"
5. Anf the scene where he gets beat up by the guy with a trach tube!
Love it or hate it TCOM kick-started the entire late 80's-early 90's pool boom. Every swinging d^*k under 30 wanted to be a poolplayer. Poolrooms opened, new cuemakers arrived and tournaments/action were everywhere. This was before cellphones, casinos, on-line gaming, etc. People actually got off their ass and played a real game.
 

Michael Andros

tiny balls, GIANT pockets
Silver Member
Busts the room???? He won like $150 - enough for one shoe. I hardly call that busting the room.

Maybe you should re-watch it, seems you might be confused lol
Jason

It was 1986. You could buy a new Lincoln for 150.00 in 86! :grin:
 
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Michael Andros

tiny balls, GIANT pockets
Silver Member
Start a thread to discuss the brilliant films virgin pocket and 9 ball, and all everyone wants to talk about are TCOM and Hustler....sheesh :).

There are a few reasons I put TCOM slightly above the hustler:
1. I love the scene with Forrest Whittaker
2. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
3. "Eddie gave it to me, it's a Balabushka"
4. Keith Mcready "Hey Grady. Up your ass with the spot. Is that OK with you?"
5. Anf the scene where he gets beat up by the guy with a trach tube!

I liked the part when the guy takes a swing at Vince and he starts shrieking and jumping up and down as he dances toward the door. I can just picture the script conference with the tech advisors ( I've read there were a few more involved than just Sigel )

Screen writers / Scorsese: "Ok, guys... here's the scene. Vince has just won a bunch of money and the locals feel like they've been hustled... guy takes a swing at Vince. Vince and Carmen and Eddie need to get out, quickly. What do they do, say they need to go to the bathroom? Apologize and offer to give the money back? Hungry, getting some dinner, be right back? How does this play out...?"

Technical advisors: "Well... we talked it over, compared notes about our own experiences and we think the most realistic thing would be for, ummmm... Vince to start screaming like a banshee, jumping up and down like he has fire-ants in his shoes, then dance to the door like Fred Astaire on a strong mix of mescaline and crack."

Screen writers / Scorsese: "Perfect... You guys are phenomenal."


:yeah:
 
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Michael Andros

tiny balls, GIANT pockets
Silver Member
Love it or hate it TCOM kick-started the entire late 80's-early 90's pool boom. Every swinging d^*k under 30 wanted to be a poolplayer. Poolrooms opened, new cuemakers arrived and tournaments/action were everywhere. This was before cellphones, casinos, on-line gaming, etc. People actually got off their ass and played a real game.

True dat, homey. And even though I hated the film, you're absolutely right. And that was the silver lining.

And you know... it's come full circle, or even worse, now. We've been getting a lot of players from Tampa in the room over the last year. It's @ a 15 mile, or more, drive to my city. It seems all the rooms in Tampa are closed now. And that's unreal to me. Tampa is @ 300,000 people and geographically it's huge. And no pool rooms? There used to be 5 or 6. Just unreal.
 
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