What's the Difference Between this and THE COLOR OF MONEY - Poolhall Junkies (2003) Discussion

[–] 22 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Ender-29 22 years ago

Indeed it is. Christopher Walken is awesome.
"Because I'm a millionaire"

reply

[–] anthony_palumbi 22 years ago

You guys are crazy!

How can you say that this movie is better than the color of money? The color of money is a masterpiece of cinema.

reply

[–] 22 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Genetic_Ecclectic 22 years ago

Oscar awards devalue over time as the expectations of preformance change. When motion pictures first appeared a movie was very much like a theatre play that was simply filmed. Actors always faced the camera, spoke loudly, made greatly exagerated movements etc. Since then time has matured the art of movie making and acting, and film has become a completely different entity than theatre or Television. It is a very specific art.

I find 60's movies to be made of mostly stereotypical actors, ham-acting and over-stating even simple lines. The 80's brought a more realistic potrayal of characters, and the old ham-acting was thrown out the window. Definately an evolution in the art of acting for film. However, in the 80's the characters were primarily shallow, and 2 dimensional. The complexity of Tom Cruise's character in Color of money could be summed up in about 2 lines. Newman's might have required 4 lines, making it impressive when compared to other blockbusters of the day - like First Blood and Commando. ;)

Today we hold actors to a higher standard. They must potray depth of character, and show a realistic approach to the human condition. The Color of Money may have gleaned an oscar or two in the 80's, but in today's industry it would have been a mere footnote in a long list of movies.

I liked Color of Money. But really, it was a pretty stereotypical plot with stereotypical characters.

reply

[–] 22 years ago

[deleted]

[–] 22 years ago

[deleted]

[–] 22 years ago

[deleted]

[–] mikomiki 22 years ago

haven't seen it. but the diff is,,,COM had cruise, newman, and scorsese behind it. PHJ is for walken fans. $9,000 in the third week says it all.

reply

[–] GekkotheGreat 22 years ago

I have seen Poolhall Junkies twice in the past couple of days. I am probably a little biased towards the movie because I'd been waiting for it's release for so long.

If you are a fan of pool, this is a better film by far than Color of Money. Color of Money as much as I love the film, is stereotypical Hollywood tripe.

Poolhall Junkies is not a great film by any means; however, it has become one of my favourite films. Now, the reason Poolhall Junkies made 9,000 in the third week is because it wasn't widely released and had no press. Color of Money was hyped up and opened nation-wide. Sadly, Poolhall Junkies did not.

Mars Callahan has grown-up around pool and knows how to stroke a stick, that right there I respect.

reply

[–] Ladoons 22 years ago

The thing about The Color of Money, is that it only shows the conflict between Paul Newman (Eddie) and Tom Cruise (Vinnie). I think Mars Callahan's, "Pool Hall Junkies", shows more of a pool player's development and struggles in and out of the Poolhall. It shows more of a realistic angle to being a hustler, instead of the whole, being recruted by chance by some super good pool player. Things like that tend to happen less often ;).

Regardless both movies are great movies. Nothing, though, compares to what C.O.M. was sequaling, "The Hustler".

reply

[–] pimperoni 22 years ago

ya well i havent seen the color of money and i was thinking of renting it. i wanted to ask which movie has better pool moves. and also i was wondering if in COM does the main character learn to be a good pool played or is he already good like in PhJ??

thanx for wutever u guys can tell me!

reply

[–] 22 years ago

[deleted]

[–] ridges54 22 years ago

TGC680, I think you're crazy. Tom Cruise is by far, the most over rated actor in history. I mean honestly, can he play a character that isn't an arrogant, angry white male ? With maybe Born on the 4th of July being an exception. The only real thing that made COM worth seeing is that it's a sequal to the greatest pool movie ever, The Hustler. If you've never seen The Hustler, you walk away saying the movie was like Rocky in a poolhall.

And BTW, I used to play Ewa Mataya Laurence (then just Ewa Mataya) games of 9 ball at a place called Preachers in Chicago (c 1990). She was a tech consultant for COM, and she told me it took Cruise an average of 30 takes to make most of the shots that she set up for him. He is a terrible pool player, and it shows in the movie as well. Makes me lose respect for him :)

I'd rent COM, but unless you see it on a clearence shelf for $5-9, don't bother buying it. That is, unless you own The Hustler, then you HAVE to have this one.

Ridges54

reply

[–] 22 years ago

[deleted]

[–] dave-bruneau 22 years ago

ridges54

If you knew anything about COM you'd know that Ewa was not the technical advisor but Mike Segal was. You should stick to speaking of things you know about which sounds like nothing and stop criticizing one of the greatest pool movies ever made. COM helped bring pool back as a sport and not a dingy past time played in back rooms. The movie launched the come back of the sport and what it is today. There, nuf said. Now sit back and watch and you might just learn somthing.

reply

[–] msgarcia0215 22 years ago

I just checked the details of Color of Money. Yes, Michael Segal is credited as the technical advisor of the movie, but as shown in this link from IMDB located at http://us.imdb.com/Credits?0090863, Ewa Mataya Lawrence is also a technical advisor. The fact that she is uncredited for that in the actual movie doesn't mean she isn't a technical advisor.

reply

[–] ridges54 21 years ago

Well, looks like someone learned something. Wasn't me though. Is that your thing, you insult people before you check out facts ? And if you were really a fan of " one of the greatest pool movies ever made" you'd know that not only was Ewa one of the tech advisors of the film, she was in the scene of the big tournment. A brief clip of her playing, but in the movie none the less. COM is about as accurate to big time pool as "Days of Thunder" was an accurate depiction of Nascar. BS. Walk into a pool hall sometime, if you don't get the living daylights stomped out of you (smart money is on that one) watch, shut up, and learn. Then watch "The Hustler". That's the best hands down.

reply

[–] rudetou22-1 18 years ago

I remember reading when the movie came out that Cruise ran two racks of 9ball at the audition. I also remeber it being one of the reasons he got the part because he had an above average ability in pool. Numerous times in the movie Cruise shoots left handed and then right handed which is difficult to do for a person who does not play pool.

reply

[–] automan7136 21 years ago

Color of Money makes you want to see another tom cruise or Newman movie. Poolhall Junkies makes you want to buy and run a pool hall! fine, good, permba.

reply

[–] GekkotheGreat 21 years ago

ridges, Yes, The Hustler is a great film but it is not in any way a film about pool. Pool plays a very small part in the film. The film was based on the novel written by Walter S. Tevis and Tevis along with Robert Rossen(Director/Producer and Screenplay writer) both state the novel and the film are not about Pool, but are about the change in character that Eddie Felson goes through as a result of his relationships and his experiences. Very little of the movie takes place on a pool table and the reason for that is because Rossen didn't want people thinking the movie was about pool.

In your defense most people consider it a "pool movie" but that is simply not the case.

reply

[–] 21 years ago

[deleted]

[–] leftjab 18 years ago

and you're a product of inbred hillbilly a**holes. pretentious tosser. go watch a david lynch movie or something.

reply

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] robertmotto 18 years ago

see i haven't seen the color of money...but i can assure you of one thing...it cost at least a few million to make, and that's what is so great about pool hall junkies it's what making movies is all about..a great story..great acting..and a few twists and turns...it's an indie movie...and because of that..it's better.

reply

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Kroyall1962 14 years ago

I would say anyone wondering about one film or the other should gamble a couple of dollars and see them. If you like one, you should like the other. One is big budget with 2 big time actors going head to head, the other somewhat lowball but still great in its own way.

reply