Poolhall Junkies (2002)

A talented pool hustler who has stayed out of the game for years, must go back to his old ways when his little brother gets involved with his enemy, the very man who held him back from greatness.

Director:

Mars Callahan

Writers:

Mars Callahan, Chris Corso

Stars:

Chazz Palminteri, Ricky Schroder, Michael Rosenbaum

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Chazz Palminteri	...	Joe
Ricky Schroder	...	Brad (as Rick Schroder)
Rod Steiger	...	Nick
Michael Rosenbaum	...	Danny
Mars Callahan	...	Johnny
Alison Eastwood	...	Tara
Phillip Glasser	...	Max
Anson Mount	...	Chris
Glenn Plummer	...	Chico
Richard Portnow	...	Toupee Jay
Ernie Reyes Jr.	...	Tang
Peter Mark Richman	...	Phillip
Christopher Walken	...	Mike
Mike Massey	...	Louis
Orien Richman	...	Brett

Storyline

Obsessed by the world of pool, Johnny (Mars Callahan) could be one of the best. But his mentor and "trainer" Joe (Chazz Palminteri), a shady hustler who decides how and who Johnny plays, is holding him back from his dream. When the day finally comes, Johnny breaks from Joe, which leads to only one thing -- violence. Joe is beaten up by some of Johnny's buddies as a sign to leave him alone, and with this final act of freedom, Johnny leaves the world of pool-sharking. After an ultimatum from his girlfriend Tara ('Alison Eastwood' ), Johnny finally commits to a "real" job in the construction business, but is soon miserable there. He finds himself spending most of his time with his younger brother Danny (Michael Rosenbaum) who it seems is following in his footsteps on the road to a life Johnny left when he broke from Joe. As for Joe, he is bent on revenge for the beating he took, and soon he has a new protégé Brad ('Rick Schroder' ) who is just as good if not better then Johnny. And he's ...

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Plot Keywords:

hustler | money | jail | debt | revenge | 

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Taglines:

It's your shot. Take it.

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some sexual content

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 March 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Biliárd életre-halálra

Filming Locations:

Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$4,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$301,856 (USA) (28 February 2003)

Gross:

$562,059 (USA) (21 March 2003)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gold Circle Films, Cutting Edge Entertainment, Newman/Tooley Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Christopher Walken made the difficult trick shot to win the match against Tara's (Eastwood) boss on the first take. He was supposed to make a "trial run" for the scene, but he asked that the cameras go ahead and roll, in case he happened to make it on his first try, and he did.

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Goofs

When Mike O'Malley is introducing John and Danny to the other professionals, he refers to Danny as Mike's "big brother Danny", when in fact Danny is the younger brother.

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Quotes

Johnny Doyle: How about I tell you where you got your shoes. If I win, you give me a job. If I lose you can have my ring.
Merv: Deal. But you're never going to get that job, Johnny, and here's why. I bought these shoes on a cruise in international waters, so no matter what you say, you're wrong.
Johnny Doyle: But Merv, I didn't say I would tell you where you'd bought 'em, I said I'd tell you where you got 'em, and right now you got 'em on your feet.

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Crazy Credits

During the end credits, a brief scene is played where Danny and Max bet Chris and Tang that Scarlet's breasts are fake.

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Connections

References Reservoir Dogs (1992)

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Soundtracks

"Savoy Stomp"
Written by Ronald A. Mendelsohn and John Carlo Dwyer
Published by JRM Music (ASCAP)
Courtesy of Megatrax Production Music, Inc.

User Reviews

Swingers meets The Hustler.

There isn't really much to say about this film. It has the basic formula, average script, average acting and yet I can't help but enjoy it. Considering it's style and snappy dialogue, it is quite obviously a Swingers inspired project and although not as successful, it still makes for some great viewing.

The cast is excellent. Walken is a standout. He brings so much to this movie, quite frankly I can't see it working without him. And Mars Callahan... A solid actor; and I get this guy, I get what he's doing and I can only hope to see him growing creatively through more of his work in future. But I am not holding my breath, writing and direction and quite clearly not his strengths and I fear that he will never top this film.

This is one of those movies that will no doubt spawn a cult following, especially among the pool hustlers out there. Look out for the great Trees Lounge reference too, a nice touch.

I don't know what is going on with the release of this film, but I bought it on (region 0) DVD at K-mart in Australia, despite the fact it hasn't hit cinemas yet. Essential viewing for any pool fanatic. 8/10.