Cheap Poolhall Junkies (DVD) (Mars Callahan, Chazz Palminteri, Michael Rosenbaum) (Mars Callahan) Price

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Customer Reviews of Poolhall Junkies

Surprisingly good
A street-wise talented pool player missed his opportunity to play in the big time as his mentor decided that he's better off husting money from the downtrodden. So, the movie fast-forwarded to 15 years later when he's no better off despite that he's got a well-to-do paralegal beautiful girlfriend, a poolhall owner who treated him like his own son in the shape of the late Rod Steiger, a loving brother with a bunch of friends who aspired to be like him. By chance, he discovered that all these years, his mentor betrayed him by witholding the truth from him. The relationships soured & they went separate ways. As fate had it, his brother got tangled up with his ex-mentor & he had to play pool for the one last time to save his brother & his honour. The movie happily chugged along & Christopher Walken played the mysterious chap who backed the talented player & helped him to believe in his own self. The message that this movie tried to say is simply: life is what you made it to be. If you keep thinking that you are a loser, you are bound to end up with losers like yourself whilst if you believe that you are a winner, you can escape from the vicious cycle & be someone truly great. Definitely a feel good movie with no pretension. Highly recommended.

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Good rental
The reason I picked up this movie was for one actor and one actor only....Christopher Walken. Now he wasn't in much, but he does get the chance to steal the film with one of his classic monologes.

"Poolhall Junkies" is one of those movies that even though its predictable you still continue to watch. Films moves and you don't get bored watching. Rick Schroder as the Pool Pro/Poolhall Hustler was very good. He didn't say much, but his facials and his bodylanguage proved to me this guy is one not to reckon with.

Gregory "Mars" Martin who directed, wrote and starred in this movie was the only thing I really didn't like. He should stay behind the camera. Just didn't buy him as a lead man.

Like I said, this movie is a fun rental. I wouldn't waste your money though.

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Poor effort
I am a pool junkie myself, and this film, while somewhat entertaining just by the fact it deals with pool, falls well short of the mark. The story itself is very underdeveloped, and leaves alot of loose ends. There are a few clever exchanges of bravado and quips, but any pool player with a few years of experience will tell you that this stuff just doesn't happen. No one loses a few hundred, or few thousand bucks on a drinking or pool game that hinges on symantics like "your" shot or "my" shot, and pays up with a "hey ya got me" grin.

The pool is bad. The main character says he can tell Walken has been playing pool from a crease in his pants and some blue chalk marks. First I'd be leary of a guy looking at my pants, second they return to a table with red felt. Who uses blue chalk on red felt? These "pro" level hustlers end up going three to five rails on almost every shot, playing for upwards of $80,000 in a 9 ball race to 5. While the shots are impressive, I ask you this ... What decent poolplayer has to shoot every shot as a bank or three rail shot? If you can't leave yorself even one straight in shot in 5 games, should you really be playing for thousands a game?

The story is ridiculous. The shots are dazzling, but so ridiculously over complicated for a a poolhall money game. Walken is wasted here. The story is weak. If you can look past the lack of plot development, and the technical deficiencies and just want to watch anything about pool, it is OK. There are a few quotes you will find yourself trying to remember for the poolhall, and an 8 ball shot that you will have to try yourself, but have probably tried already before seeing the movie.

This movie is strictly for the non critcal "Poolhall Junkie".