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:

Mars Callahan, Chazz Palminteri, 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 got ...

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Plot Keywords:

money | hustler | jail | beating | revenge | 

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Taglines:

Being hooked on the game could cost you your life.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Sport | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some sexual content

Did You Know?

Trivia

There were no camera tricks or special film editing used for any of the billiards shots in the film, although many of the special "trick shots" (other than the one above) were performed by billiards legend 'Robert LeBlanc', who appears as professional "Bobby LeBlanc" in the film.

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Goofs

As Danny explains why Chris is losing Brad takes aim at the 6 instead of the cue ball, and the sound effects suggest he hit it.

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Quotes

Max: [in the diner] Man that chick has got body karate.
Tang: Hay do you think her tits are real? I hate chicks with fake tits.
Max: Are you kidding me? Fake tits are the greatest invention of the 20th century. Plus they're safe.
Chris: Whoa, whoa, whoa, safer?
Max: Yeah. But do you know that 78% of all chicks that have fake tits involved in boating accidents do not drown.
Chris: Where do you get this shit?
Max: It's common knowledge

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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 Trees Lounge (1996)

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Soundtracks

You Do
Written and Performed by Jeff Gross
© 2001 (ASCAP)

User Reviews

Throughly entertaining movie

In a market that has been repeatedly saturated with compartmentalized film making, taking moments from other films and cut and pasting them into others. This was an unexpected success and a fun movie to watch. Well made, solid in its delivery, photographed beautifully, the shots are constantly moving not distracting or misleading they engage the viewer, you don't get bored watching several games of pool which is most defiantly not a spectator sport. Character development is another success. You know the characters throughout the film, you see the progress, it makes senses and there are no unexpected character jumps. There are some cheesy moments, but they lighten the movie. Not taking themselves so serious, is nice to see in what is a serious movie. With so much mainstream crap being flooded in the market; it was nice to go see a movie that kept me entertained without shoving as much preprogrammed junk in front of my face. I left happy and entertained!

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 February 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Poolhall Junkies

Filming Locations:

Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$4,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$301,856, 2 March 2003

Gross USA:

$563,711

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$563,711

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