Pool movies?

My thanks to RunEm and all of the contributors to this thread. I had "The Hustler" loved it. "Color of Money" like it better having read some interesting anecdotes about it in Jay Helferts book. "Poolhall Junkies" of course and I even bought "9 Ball" and Jennifer Baretta was kind enough to autograph it for me at the Turning Stone event in January.

My DVD wholesaler is sending me Shooting Gallery (I know I should listen to those who have seen it but what the heck I like pool movies) and The Baron and The Kid (Starring Johnny Cash......bonus).

I will keep trying to find the rest although I am not optimistic about getting "Neckid Rack Girls" lol!
 
Wish Hollywood could boost the state of pool like they did with " The Hustler" and "The Color of Money". Not only were these very good movies, they both contributed to a pool boom. " Pool Hall Junkies" was decent, the best part of the movie was the South West cue Mars was shooting with though.
 
The Hustler and MAYBE the Color of Money...the rest were really weak. Pool Hall Junkies was okay, but really just an ego trip for Mars. Rounders set in a pool environment would have been awesome, but it's too late for that. If they'd made TCOM to follow the book it would have been a good movie, but a little dark, I think. Turn the River just didn't have a deep enough story to make a movie...plus, the lead being a woman just didn't seem realistic for the story. 9 Ball the Movie was a good idea, but the execution wasn't there. I think the best movie idea would be a bio pic of Greenleaf or some other period piece from the 20s/30s around the straight pool trail...or just a road story ala "Hard Times" (the Bronson movie about Catch as Catch Can wrestling/fighting) set to pool would work, too. Kind of like Boardwalk Empire, but about high stakes pool. Casey Afleck would make an awesome Ralph Greenleaf...
 
Movies

The Hustler, Color of Money, Pool Hall Junkies. Baltimore Bullet is entertaining but almost impossible to find. I have a copy on VHS. I am pretty sure it does not exist on DVD.
 
I'll catch hell for saying it, but: TCOM is a turd.

The Hustler is a fantastic movie in every way, from story to acting.

TCOM fails in every way. Aside from Newman the acting sucks. Cruise is horrid, mastrantonio is bad, and those are the other two thirds of the leads. And the story is a turkey also. And the ending....good god that ending.


As great as The Hustler was, TCOM is equally great at being a bad sequel. If it wasn't trying to be a sequel to The Huster it wouldn't be as bad. Pool hall junkies is brainless entertainment, and that's ok for what it is, but TCOM is worse in most ways and tries to be a sequel to the Hustler to boot.


Just my humble opinion
 
Agreed, but even the hustler would have been better if they had stayed closer to the book. In the case of TCOM, they took the title and threw the book out the window.

Dave Nelson
 
Nine ... corner said:
Has anyone seen "Turn the River" (I think is the name) with Famke Jansen?

Any good? I notice it is the only other pool movie that I can think of that wasn't mentioned.
Click to expand...

I saw it, weird ending but it's pool seedy life style.

Shooting Gallery, Stick men come to mind...
 
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