Media's role in billiards popularity

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SlewFootLag

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It seems like rekindling the cultural impact of movies like The Hustler and The Color of Money is the main goal of any new billiard media venture…

That being said, I wonder why no one has attempted the KingPin/ Big Lewbowski comedic angle for pool. They both seemed to spike interest for bowling after both movies gained cult followings…
A deft pool comedy could do two things:

The base movie going population could watch the movie purely as entertainment and maybe inspire them to hit up their local hall.

It could also appeal to the reigning pool Nazis by allowing them to let their critical guards down and enjoy the movie for what it is. Win win…

Just a thought…
 
Seen it, it doesn't have what Kingpin and The Big Lebowski has... Underwhelming from a pool and comedy standpoint. Give me a choice between Lebowski, or Poolhall Junkies. Lebowski everytime, and Kingpin for that matter.
 
The Baltimore Bullet was a comedic pool movie and it flopped if I remember correctly. It had a few relatively big name actors for that time period: James Coburn, Omar Sharif, and Bruce Boxleitner. It also had a lot of pool players cameos.
 
Personal Appeal

Pool is one of those things that has personal appeal and it needs a person behind it to promote it.

If someone out of the blue asked you to bring your group in for some free pool and they had drinks and snacks available to buy and they spent just a few minutes helping organize the activity so it was fun. I would bet you would come back.

Until Room Owners or Group Leaders become pro active I doubt pool will ever flip around with the General Public.

The only promotion going on is with League Systems and it appears that is the way its going to stay. Why? Alcohol.

SlewFootLag said:
It seems like rekindling the cultural impact of movies like The Hustler and The Color of Money is the main goal of any new billiard media venture…

That being said, I wonder why no one has attempted the KingPin/ Big Lewbowski comedic angle for pool. They both seemed to spike interest for bowling after both movies gained cult followings…
A deft pool comedy could do two things:

The base movie going population could watch the movie purely as entertainment and maybe inspire them to hit up their local hall.

It could also appeal to the reigning pool Nazis by allowing them to let their critical guards down and enjoy the movie for what it is. Win win…

Just a thought…
Click to expand...
 
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SlewFootLag said:
Seen it, it doesn't have what Kingpin and The Big Lebowski has... Underwhelming from a pool and comedy standpoint.
Click to expand...

efirkey said:
The Baltimore Bullet was a comedic pool movie and it flopped if I remember correctly. It had a few relatively big name actors for that time period: James Coburn, Omar Sharif, and Bruce Boxleitner. It also had a lot of pool players cameos.
Click to expand...

You've got to understand that movie production is a crapshoot. Even with big name actors, directors, etc., movies flop all the time. Oftentimes "big name" movies don't even get released because the studio thinks the movie stinks (after spending $75 million on it :eek:) Straight to video.

The only thing I can guarantee is the more we like the pool in the movie, the less successful the movie will be. It ain't about the pool.
 
SlewFootLag said:
It seems like rekindling the cultural impact of movies like The Hustler and The Color of Money is the main goal of any new billiard media venture…

That being said, I wonder why no one has attempted the KingPin/ Big Lewbowski comedic angle for pool. They both seemed to spike interest for bowling after both movies gained cult followings…
A deft pool comedy could do two things:

The base movie going population could watch the movie purely as entertainment and maybe inspire them to hit up their local hall.

It could also appeal to the reigning pool Nazis by allowing them to let their critical guards down and enjoy the movie for what it is. Win win…

Just a thought…
Click to expand...

Good perspective. Good thought process.
However, Hustlers is what we have now.
It has comedic value for the masses and pure pool shooting for the "Nazis."
I don't think we should ever try to duplicate something just to attract others to something.

Playing pool like any pastime is cyclical. The U.S. has seen it's pool-playing prime (at least for now). There's nothing wrong with the numbers. Millions are playing all over the world. There's little we can do to attract U.S. players in a time of electronic games.

I've written this before: Pool is doing fine, just because it's not hot in the U.S. doesn't mean the state of pool is bad.
 
The Big Lewbowski has comedic bowling scenes, but none of the rollers had any talent whatsoever in bowling (comedy is another story).

I don't see how a comedic version of 9-ball with also-ran pool players* would garner the attention pool desperately needs.

(*) players who, on average, take 5 innings to complete a 9-ball rack.
 
Hustler: Paul Newman in one of the best performances of his career.

TCOM: Young superstar Cruise and now legend Newman directed by Scorsese.

Big Lebowski: Cohen brothers.

Kingpin: Bill Murray and the Farrelly brothers.

The common theme I see on all of these is ridiculous movie making talent in front of and behind the camera. The people who made these movies could make something amazing with horseshoes as the background. So while I see the OP's point about a comedy and think it could be great, it all comes down to the talent of who is going to make it.

It would be amazing to see the Cohen brothers take on a pool room setting.
 
I have what I believe to be a great idea for a movie about pool.

And someday I need to get around to fleshing it out and then figure out how to sell it. It's been in the back of me mind for a long, long time and feel it'd be pretty good.

Not trying to tease, just saying that all it would take is good screenplay.

Lou Figueroa
 
Media has a huge part in it. The problem is that pool still has a stigma and it is a pedestrian game compared to other sports. There is no excitement and the only excitement part of the game is gambling.

A show like The Hustler doesn't work because in real life, when playing for money, we don't normally act like the way they do. A lot of embellishing which is good for casual fans but for me it is hard to watch.
 
It is pretty amazing how many times pool is seen on tv, as a visual side note.

All the colors, trapped inside a perfect box. Pretty colors...Good stuff, for a camera.

(Monday night is acid night at my house)
 
SlewFootLag said:
It seems like rekindling the cultural impact of movies like The Hustler and The Color of Money is the main goal of any new billiard media venture…

That being said, I wonder why no one has attempted the KingPin/ Big Lewbowski comedic angle for pool. They both seemed to spike interest for bowling after both movies gained cult followings…
A deft pool comedy could do two things:

The base movie going population could watch the movie purely as entertainment and maybe inspire them to hit up their local hall.

It could also appeal to the reigning pool Nazis by allowing them to let their critical guards down and enjoy the movie for what it is. Win win…

Just a thought…
Click to expand...

No way! The pool Nazis will get their "fun" by picking it apart telling us how fake it is as if folks watching a TV show or a movie can not pick up on that.
 
who here has ties to Tom Cruise for TCOM #2?
cause they just announced production of Top Gun #2.

as for TV - every night from 1AM-4AM, on ABC, NBC, CBS, & FOX - i have to endure 4 solid hours of "paid programming" for a $5 POTHOLDER! why? because the stations don't want to pay for reruns. you can now see daily 1 hour of SEWING, NEEDLEPOINT, or PAINTING; or 6 hours of COOKING; on PBS alone. commercials cost $7/60second spot.

if the above can market themselves @ $210-$420/show, so can pool.
 
Seriously!

Really TV Time is that cheap! Are you serious?
PINKLADY said:
who here has ties to Tom Cruise for TCOM #2?
cause they just announced production of Top Gun #2.

as for TV - every night from 1AM-4AM, on ABC, NBC, CBS, & FOX - i have to endure 4 solid hours of "paid programming" for a $5 POTHOLDER! why? because the stations don't want to pay for reruns. you can now see daily 1 hour of SEWING, NEEDLEPOINT, or PAINTING; or 6 hours of COOKING; on PBS alone. commercials cost $7/60second spot.

if the above can market themselves @ $210-$420/show, so can pool.
Click to expand...
 
336Robin said:
Really TV Time is that cheap! Are you serious?
Click to expand...

i don't know about cable stations. i'm quoting ABC, NBC, ABC, & FOX - local. if you'd have woken up earlier, i'd tell you to check your channels & confirm what you're seeing on WXII. (and then bring me a country ham biscuit ;))

i'm just saying - with the abundance of info-mercials, each time that KK9 & i flip through them hourly, we say: and yet pool can't get on TV??!! :rolleyes:

i think the stations/networks are so hard-up, that they are making more money on those who PAY to be viewed, as opposed to those who EXPECT PAYMENT.

back on topic - a movie would be fantastic. many homemade/low budget films have won Cannes Awards, and then been picked up by mainstream. it's who you know in the Business - like Lionsgate, TBS, HGTV, actors, producers, etc.
 
No representation

PINKLADY said:
i don't know about cable stations. i'm quoting ABC, NBC, ABC, & FOX - local. if you'd have woken up earlier, i'd tell you to check your channels & confirm what you're seeing on WXII. (and then bring me a country ham biscuit ;)) I will admit that a Country Ham Biscuit with tomato, egg, cheese and mayo and hot cup of coffee would probably set me into orbit. I don't remember the last time Ive done that.

i'm just saying - with the abundance of info-mercials, each time that KK9 & i flip through them hourly, we say: and yet pool can't get on TV??!! :rolleyes:

i think the stations/networks are so hard-up, that they are making more money on those who PAY to be viewed, as opposed to those who EXPECT PAYMENT.

Outside of what CSI is doing pool has no representation. Even if someone founded an organization for the advancement of Pool there would likely be so much infighting as to what to do that nothing would get done but that's a negative view because something would be done but a lot of people would withhold their support because it wasn't what they wanted done. Pool is one hell of a conundrum.

back on topic - a movie would be fantastic. many homemade/low budget films have won Cannes Awards, and then been picked up by mainstream. it's who you know in the Business - like Lionsgate, TBS, HGTV, actors, producers, etc.
Click to expand...

I just saw a post by Lou that said that he had a good movie idea. I think that if people had the time to put to pen an paper some good ideas and form a collaborative that the good ideas would never run out and it could even be made to work that some overall good morale story was achieved besides....they got the money....hustling just doesn't need to be the main cause for living. Even the Color of Money had a tournament, greatness component sort of like the Karate Kid. Its the greatness, the excellence that are the beauty of the game and that appeals to the public.
 
336Robin said:
I just saw a post by Lou that said that he had a good movie idea. I think that if people had the time to put to pen an paper some good ideas and form a collaborative that the good ideas would never run out and it could even be made to work that some overall good morale story was achieved besides....they got the money....hustling just doesn't need to be the main cause for living. Even the Color of Money had a tournament, greatness component sort of like the Karate Kid. Its the greatness, the excellence that are the beauty of the game and that appeals to the public.
Click to expand...

hmmm....you mean like ROCKY?
kind of like MOSCONI CUP?
USA v EUR????
 
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