And I thought Pool Hall Junkies was bad

Opie

Opie

Stronger than shortstop?
Silver Member
Shooting Gallery is worse. Aside from being the worst POOL movie I've ever seen, it rates up there with one of the worst movies I've ever seen period. I really got a kick out of "Tenderloin Tony". The meth-head road player with the "smooth" stroke. I thought it was awesome when they showed the montage of some runouts and they included the slop shots. I know there has been other threads about Shooting Gallery, but that movie pissed me off so bad that I had to just vent a little. Sorry.
 
I saw it too. Wish you hadn't reminded me...lol. What I really don't get is this stereotype that good poolplayers need to be these tough, wise guys who get all the hotties.

Had the directors known about Efren, Varner, Archer, etc. they'd realize great poolplayers look more like nerdy janitors! :)

"The Color of Money" still had an existential theme, although not as developed as "Hustler." Oh well, Hollywood hasn't made a good movie for a good couple of decades anyway. Why should a pool movie be any better than the rest of the dung-heap?
 
You guys really did not like that movie? I thought that and Stickmen were masterpieces! :p
 
lewdo26 said:
I saw it too. Wish you hadn't reminded me...lol. What I really don't get is this stereotype that good poolplayers need to be these tough, wise guys who get all the hotties.

Had the directors known about Efren, Varner, Archer, etc. they'd realize great poolplayers look more like nerdy janitors! :)

"The Color of Money" still had an existential theme, although not as developed as "Hustler." Oh well, Hollywood hasn't made a good movie for a good couple of decades anyway. Why should a pool movie be any better than the rest of the dung-heap?
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How bout getting Cruise and Scorsese together for 'Color of money II' This time Cruise plays the old has been pool playin, money grubing, booze peddler willing to drop it all to go on the road with a guy he only saw shooting one set.....aaaahhh; okay take a deep breath. Don't get me wrong I love "Color of money" and I love almost every Scorsese movie. It is at the top of my top 5 movies, but come on who hasn't been able to shoot the lights out on one night then go back to there old self the next day. wouldn't it be something if Eddie took him on the road and he sucked LOL. I know I have had my nights of shooting so good, then all of a sudden miss a hanger. then I get accused of hustling. I do own Hustler, Color of money, Poolhall junkies and was going to buy Shooting gallery, only because it does involve pool playing. Maybe I won't now. And another thing I love realism in a flick . Ricky Shroeder's pool playing and the young Johny's were not convincing unlike ALL of the charactors in Color of money

did I mention I love Color of money and it's story...their, I had to get that out their, don't want to make any enemies.
 
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lol some of you guys need to chill out when it comes to pool movies. Personally when I see a run out that involves pocketing only balls over pockets I think it is kinda funny but I don't find that it ruins the movie.

Many people seem to forget that in the Hustler Eddie runs 10 racks of 9 ball by making early combos EVERY time! Or what about the way he can seemingly make the 9 ball on the break at will, even when his opponent racks. Or the part in Colour of Money, during Vincents stop shot run out, where they move the 5 ball (when they cut the camera away) from a tough cut to a straight in shot. I laughed at this one when I saw it, what were they thinking?

I personally believe that Pool is the most difficult sport to film in a movie and make players look legitimately good. The problem is that everything happens in a small area and it is next to impossible to fake the outcome. With Golf you can work with an actor for a month to make their swing look good, and then pretend the ball went a 300 yards. You can choreograph basketball, football, soccer etc. But you can't choreograph the balls. That is why you generally see slop shots and balls over pockets, its the only way to film a runout for most people.
 
I'd like to see a good pool movie with a woman as the hustler. I can see in my head all kinds of good scenes with that. We all know how hard it is for guys to admit that a woman can beat them at any sport. But not me of course. :D :D
 
Cameron Smith said:
lol some of you guys need to chill out when it comes to pool movies. Personally when I see a run out that involves pocketing only balls over pockets I think it is kinda funny but I don't find that it ruins the movie.

Many people seem to forget that in the Hustler Eddie runs 10 racks of 9 ball by making early combos EVERY time! Or what about the way he can seemingly make the 9 ball on the break at will, even when his opponent racks. Or the part in Colour of Money, during Vincents stop shot run out, where they move the 5 ball (when they cut the camera away) from a tough cut to a straight in shot. I laughed at this one when I saw it, what were they thinking?

I personally believe that Pool is the most difficult sport to film in a movie and make players look legitimately good. The problem is that everything happens in a small area and it is next to impossible to fake the outcome. With Golf you can work with an actor for a month to make their swing look good, and then pretend the ball went a 300 yards. You can choreograph basketball, football, soccer etc. But you can't choreograph the balls. That is why you generally see slop shots and balls over pockets, its the only way to film a runout for most people.
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Ok, but what I, at least, was referring to was the quality of the movie per se, not just the pool shots. That, despite the fact that COM *is* much more realistic because Scorcese went through the trouble of getting pro players to aid in the making of the movie. Still, you're right, you can only fake so much in pool.
 
this movie probably didnt have the budget that C.O.M had if i recall correctly it took them 7 years or so just to get enough to do the movie, and making pool look good on a budget that doesnt allow you to go out and get player like they had in C.O.M makes it even harder. personally i kinda liked the movie. as far as this one being the worst pool movie ever i take it you havent seen kiss shot.
 
Jeff said:
I'd like to see a good pool movie with a woman as the hustler. I can see in my head all kinds of good scenes with that. We all know how hard it is for guys to admit that a woman can beat them at any sport. But not me of course. :D :D
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You will...SOON! Jennifer Barretta was signed to play the lead in "Nineball", a movie about a female hustler, who makes it to the pros! I believe the movie is being shot now, and is supposed to come out next fall, or next spring.

Scott Lee
 
If there was to be a third movie to the Tevis story line, it should actually follow the book The Color of Money.
Cruise could be the has been as Vincent, he gets a call from a tv producer to find Fast Eddie and go on the road doing exhibitions. Somewhere on trip Eddie dies in his hotel room (not with a ho ho this time though) and Vincent goes about regaining his abilities as a player till he runs across a smartass kid played by Mars Callahan.......(Keith McCready can still play Grady Seasons as the second shill in the 2 brothers and a stranger hustle).
In the end Vincent gets his game back and wins the King of the Hill from Mike Sigel, played by Corey Duel.
Chuck
 
GOOD movie with a woman as the hustler

Jeff said:
I'd like to see a good pool movie with a woman as the hustler. I can see in my head all kinds of good scenes with that. We all know how hard it is for guys to admit that a woman can beat them at any sport. But not me of course. :D :D
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Well that leaves out Kiss Shot. (Good movie criteria not met)

By the way for those who haven't noticed, the Johnny Cash Movie "The Baron and the Kid" has been re-released on DVD. You can find it all over the place on ebay.

The Baltimore Bullet at least had some actual Johnston City players doing cameos which made it fun to watch.

However, hands down, the one and only original Hustler is still king of the pool movies.

My vote for second place would be the Jack Klugman episode of the Twilight Zone called "A game of pool"

And since I have a 10 year old daughter, 3d place goes to Donald Duck in Mathmagic Land.:)

Danny
 
I't was really funny watching that episode of the twilight becuase at the end the voice over tells him to go to harold's billiards in Sandusky Oh.My name is harold and I'm from Sandusky
 
Scott Lee said:
You will...SOON! Jennifer Barretta ,,,,,,,,,,,I believe the movie is being shot now, and is supposed to come out next fall, or next spring.

Scott Lee
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wrong. that movie will never be "released". straight to dvd,,,,but only if someone is willing to cough up the dough to produced the dvd's.
 
OH, I'd love to see that movie "Nineball", I wish it's come out on dvd, at least.

I've seen The hustler, that's a great movie. Color of money is real good too. I haven't seen Kiss shot, i don't really expect it to be good, i might see it though, i'm curious. Poolhall Junkies, with Mars Callahan is a great pool movie too. I thought the story wasn't that good, but we were seeing great pool shots and games. I love the fact that Mars Callahan actually plays pool, i'd like to meet him once, and have some games of pool with him.. :) that'd be so cool.. hehe... I've seen shooting gallery too. I didn,t hate that movie, but i said to myself it wasn't that much a pool movie. More a gangsters movie, with a bit of pool in it. And i'd like to watch Stickmen too.
 
I'd like to see a low budget reality movie about 2 road dogs and how the road REALLY is. With all the stories on AZ you could make a series of movies. 2 guys in their car hitting the road, and all the hustles/troubles they could get into. As long as it doesn't get cheezy, it'd be cool if done right.

Gerry
 
Shooting Gallery wasnt much of a Pool movie, but it was OK IMO. PHJ was Better, COM will still reign as my favorite with The Hustler in a close second.

Stickmen was down right repulsive. I'll never watch that again.
 
Scott Lee said:
You will...SOON! Jennifer Barretta was signed to play the lead in "Nineball", a movie about a female hustler, who makes it to the pros! I believe the movie is being shot now, and is supposed to come out next fall, or next spring.

Scott Lee
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Oh great a pro. pool player trying to act..lol !
 
Make a movie about Keith McCready's REAL life. Don't candy coat anything. Don't leave anyting out. Good production by a top film company. Good actors. I promise it would be more interesting than any movie in recent times.

I read somewhere that they had approached Tom Hanks to play the role of Danny Basavich in the "Kid Delicious" movie. Hanks should hold out till a script on Keith's life is done.

Just my opinion.
Mike
 
Yeah...Shooting Gallery was bad, but if you want to see a pool movie that is 100 times worse than that.....watch Up Against The 8. This movie makes Caddyshack II look like a masterpiece!!

Southpaw
 
Southpaw said:
Yeah...Shooting Gallery was bad, but if you want to see a pool movie that is 100 times worse than that.....watch Up Against The 8. This movie makes Caddyshack II look like a masterpiece!!

Southpaw
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Oh c'mon! Caddyshack II had its moments!
 
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