Poolhall Junkies

Plot synopsis:
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 than Johnny. And he's got his eye on Johnny's brother.
The two play a high-stakes game of pool which ends in a huge debt owed to Joe, and soon Johnny finds that his brother is in jail for trying to steal the money he owes. The only way out for Johnny is to play Brad, which results in a "race to nine" showdown that pits two of the greatest players against each other for large sums of money, and Johnny and Danny's lives.
The game comes down to a very difficult shot for Brad. While calculating how to take the shot, Johnny provokes Brad by telling him how easy the shot is and how he would pay him to take it for him. Johnny takes the shot but doesn't sink the final ball. As Brad prepares to take the winning shot, Johnny stops him. Since he had taken Brad's shot for him, it is now Johnny's turn. Johnny easily sinks the last ball and wins the game, using hustling techniques he learned from Joe to do so. In the last scene, Johnny is playing on the pro tour.

Tags: revenge

Review:
Poolhall Junkies is one of those little sweet pieces of film that can hold your attention throughout, get you to grin even when a joke isn't that funny, and let the viewer know debut filmmakers, such as Gregory "Mars" Martin, can still serve a purpose in a widening scumish movie season.Martin plays Johnny Doyle, a poolroom hustler who after being controlled by a gangster (Palminterri) for fifteen years, breaks away in a sudden movie to go for bigger money.
Unfortunately, his movie isn't helped by his cocky little brother (Rosenbaum) and friends who try to hustle the money for themselves only to get in deeper trouble with a semi-pro player.The story and twists may have been seen in similar poolhall movies, yet the quick wit and even quicker style is on the mark.
It leaves nothing out - Jump shots, masse shots and superbly illustrated draw and bank shots.First and foremost, it is a sports film, though fundamentally incorporates certain genres like romance and action so as to not alienate the movie going audience.
However, unlike the hustler - which many perceived was a love story with a Pool backdrop, and the Color of Money - which put more emphasis on money and gambling than on the sport of pool itself, Poolhall Junkies displays Pool in all its unadulterated beauty.It failed to be a smash hit, I dare say, as there were no huge names in the film unlike the above mentioned two which had Tom Cruise and Paul Newman.
Furthermore Christopher Walken adds tremendous spice to the film as Johnny's stakehorse, with an exultant presence, inspirational philosophies and a few wickedly innovative pool shots to boot.Some bits seem derivative from the Hustler and/or the Color of Money, especially the clichéd hustle dialogue, but they work well, it's part of what makes a hustling film, and adds to its comedic value!
Christopher Walken happens to be one of my favourites, and it was a nice surprise to see him in this film - but even without his charismatic acting, it would surely have been worth the time.
Excellent showing of the game at it's brilliant best, it is also pretty funny, mostly believable (even tho a couple of times the hustling was made a bit too easy) and has more depth than Color of Money or the old one which had Minnesota Fats in it..
The film Poolhall Junkies centers on pool shark Johnny (Mars Callahan), who breaks free from Joe (Chazz Palminteri), his mentor and one of the dirtiest hustlers around.
Joe uses pool shark Brad (Rick Schroder) to bring Johnny's younger brother Danny (Michael Rosenbaum) into the picture, as he hustles Danny and proceeds to beat him up and to threaten his life for the money he owes him.
It is then up to Johnny to play Brad for the cash to get his brother out of jail.Director Mars Callahan successfully made this a film about achieving greatness.
In doing this, he meets and befriends her Uncle Mike (Christopher Walken), who backs him and gives him the money he needs to possibly win his final game.The pivotal choice in music for this film is very original.
Being someone who enjoys the game of pool I loved knowing the hustler moves ahead of time.
(The kid falling for the 4 balls of the table trick was great, but he had to learn right.) Either way pool is a great game, and it's nice to see a movie that took the sport and turned it into a great visual experience through the lives of the actors.
Michael Rosenbaum (Lex from Smallville) and their set of friends added great humor to the screen.I just love that the movie reaches my generation and was fun to watch.
The writer/director/star of this movie couldn't act or write or direct.Case in point, this ridiculous mini-scene at an RV lot: "I'll bet you (something ridiculous) I can tell you where you got your shoes." "Yeah, where?" "You got your left shoe on your left foot and your right shoe on your right foot." (Cut to next scene, with the con accomplished.) What a load of crap!
The pool played in Poolhall Junkies is absurd, the way the plot develops is so slow and preictable and the ending is just dull.
A little harsh, I know, but it's really that bad.I wasn't expecting much, and it does have Chris Walken and Chazz Palminteri in it, so I figured it'd be worth 99 minutes of my life to just sit on my ass and check it out.
It's not much better from the rest of the cast either, except for Walken and Palminteri, which I am beginning to seriously question their goals in life by having the goods to be in big films, but instead choose utter crap like this.
Watching Poolhall Junkies, as I see it, is like finding out you have a terminal disease and doing your best to find new habits that may save your life for a little while.I couldn't sit through the film.
In another stupid piece of writing Johnny had to win at pool to get the money to bail his brother out of jail so to get the money to bet he got Christopher Walken too back him.
And the fact that Rod Stieger, Christopher Walken, Chaz Palminteri, Rick Schroder, and Alison Eastwood are in this movie is utterly amazing.My personal favorite scene is when Johnny(Mars) was talking to Saint Louis Louis(Massey).
He plays Johnny Doyle the lead character , who "was a kid that the cue was part of his arm."  This is a very entertaining movie and all the performers have a lot of fun.
Callahan must love pool and my husband and I had a good time at the movies.
You wouldn't be wrong for mistaking Poolhall Junkies as a cocky vanity project for writer/director/star Gregory 'Mars' Callahan (who looks like Jason Lee and Casey Affleck had an affably obnoxious man-baby).
The pool hall scenes are flawlessly shot (pun!) with vivacious, crackling energy, and plentiful enough to keep the film breezy and bumping.The writing on the whole is about as high school calibre as you'd expect, from the hip smack talk posturing which reaches eye-rolling heights at times, to each and every poor female characters, risibly written as 'Male Love Interest Validation Device 101' (Alison Eastwood - yes, Clint's daughter - gamely shoulders the worst of this).
Finally, Rod Steiger is delightfully gruff as the pool hall owner with a heart of gold in his final film appearance here.There are few surprises here as the plot doles out, but the hustling extends beyond the narrative: Poolhall Junkies is too jaunty and enjoyable not to take to.
All Johnny Doyle his younger brother Danny (Michael Rosenbaum) who it (Mars Callahan) ever wanted is to play pool against the best.
A female pool player at least would have been a new idea for the movies.The Michael Rosenbaum, Chaz Palminteri and Christopher Walken characters are underwritten, but maybe that's a reflection of the times in which we live.
I've read that director Mars Martin is a pool player himself, but you could never tell from the way these games are filmed.
Only in the movies do pool players like bank shots.
OK, I realize I'm nitpicking this part of the movie a bit and that most people probably want to see a story instead of a pool documentary, but still...About 20% of this screenplay hits the mark with its depiction of the life of real poolhall junkies.
Bit of guilty pleasure this film.All of sudden Hollywood was quite as a﻿ church for Mars Callahan after this stinkbomb.For a movie about hustling, you'd think they would have made the hustles good.
Poohall Junkies blows this movie away...and just laughs at it effortlessly.If you like the cast, pool, Christopher Walken and a well made, solid pool movie by Mars Callahan who is also superb in this movie, watch this.
The acting leans towards wooden (except for the typically excellent Christopher Walken) and the script thinks it's more clever than it really is (example, the gag "hustle" about the RV salesman's shoes).As a pool player, it's fun to see pool on film.
However, once I was able to look past its inconsistencies and get to the essence of the story and the characters, I found it to be an energetic and inspired work with some great (however small) performances by Rick Schroder, Chazz Palimenteri, Christopher Walken, and the late, great, Rod Steiger.There is no doubt that die hard pool aficionados will find the game sequences to be outlandish and exaggerated.
Its another movie with some good scenes, some decent acting by decent actors (although Ricky S would not have been my first pick for the protégé) and its considered a CLASSIC among some pro billiard players who don't pick it apart for its faults but rather enjoy it for its entertainment value.
Granted, the scenes of them playing pool was cool, and they had great trick shots, but most of the acting was sub par.
It comes down to a final game where winner takes all....literally.Mars IS an amazing pool player from childhood and all the playing and tricks done in this movie are by him.Chris Walken, Chazz Palminteri and Rod Steiger all believe in Mars Callahan's vision or they never would have done this movie.
Regardless of the previous comments regarding this movie, it certainly is worth watching, whether you're a pool player or not.Johnny Doyle (Played by Mars Callahan, real life pool-hustler and co-writer/director of the film) plays a pool prodigy discovered at an early age by a gangster wannabe Joe (Chazz Palminteri) Only to be held back by him.The movie features some great acting, by some as yet nearly unknown actors, absolutely stunning pool playing (Though granted, some of the shots are easier than given credit for...) A good solid storyline, very linear but nonetheless enjoyable, and some very creative dialog (even when on the odd occasion it does seem a little forced.).
However, there is something that drove me nuts during the entire movie, is it just me or does Mars Callahan look like what would happen if Christopher Walken and Chazz Palminteri had a baby?
But it's still a fun movie and has better pool shooting than The Hustler or The Color of Money.
In Mars Callahan's film "Poolhall Junkies" Johnny (Mars Callahan) wants to become the best pool player around, but after fifteen years with his greedy manager Joe (Chazz Palminteri), all he ever became was the best hustler.
In the end, Johnny takes the cue in an effort to save his brother, his money, and possibly his life."Poolhall Junkies" does a great job sending a message of hope and inspiration out through a great pool player's cue.
With only hope on his side, an injured and distraught hustler picks up the stick that seems to have brought him to his present turmoil, and tries to find a way out of his troubles, and maybe even become a pro.Altogether the film is appealing, its storyline is filled with big laughs and miracle shots, yet certain parts of the movie are repellent.
I enjoyed Mr Massey's appearance, and I think Chazz Palmintieri and Christopher Walken is an excellent finish to a movie that actually is predictable , unbelievable and yet surprises in the end.
The people making the film obviously love pool.If you have no affinity or ability at the great game of pool, you'll still get something from this movie from the super-cool lead performances.
Especially when you get some big players like Christopher Walken.Overall I enjoyed this movie, there are some really great quotes, some really funny scenes, and when all was said and done, I still liked the movie.
My roommate rented "Poolhall Junkies" one night hearing good things and I watched it, seeing as how I love pool.
There is a perfect blend of comedy as well and the way some of these guys hustle others will make you want to try it out on your friends.If you enjoy pool you will love this movie.
The director, writer, and star Mars Callahan is in real life a good pool player so he wanted to make a movie true to the sport.
The story, acting, and dialogue are all perfectly cast and I cant wait for Mars Callahans next movie.5/5 stars   *****/*****    EXCELLENT.
Even though the poolhall scenes late in the movie get a bit tired, it's still fun to watch the love/hate between Walken and Palminteri, Callahan and Shroder.
Sometimes you just want a fun movie, and if you play pool, it's immensely fun to watch the trick shots.
It won't win an oscar but that is a fine pool playing movie and, of the three I own, it's the one I enjoy the most watching.
i think this was a great movie, had some cheezy dialogue, its interesting how it rides a fine line with rounders, but it has a nice twist on it, i thought christopher walken did great and was very subtle and upfront in his character, i think that mars callahan also runs a close line to ben affleck, hahaha, but all in all a good movie.
They say that the mark of a good performance is that after the movie is over, you want to dress like the main character.
Such as Walken's few, albeit very enjoyable scenes that are aided even more by his very well written dialogue, such as the speech he give's Johnny in the poolhall restroom before the final game in the movie.
Not since the Hustler & Color of Money have I really seen a good film about pool that gets you into the atmosphere of a big money game.I loved those two films as they captured the essence of pool hustling and the tension and excitement of playing a big game.Each game I watched gave me the same feel as when I play in comp's or on the side bets!Being a pool/snooker nut I would have liked to have seen a bit more action with maybe Mike Massey who made a brief appearance, they could have hustled together for another great scene of action.I've nailed the timed banked shot, but a few other shots played in this movie will take some more practice!I wish the movie industry would release some more pool films instead of one good one every decade or so!The story line was a bit predictable with the flow of great talent but wasted then tries to be something he isn't followed by boy makes good at the end.
But with the characters played by Christopher Walken who was perfect in this movie and gave a very funny spin on things, it moves along nicely and you are always willing the guy's on.Overall I found the movie very good to watch, but I'm a pool freak so my opinion may appear biased to some people!.
Mars Callahan, the writer-director-actor behind Poolhall Junkies, misses no opportunity in creating a vast network of friendships (with extremely well-defined characters) and in exploring the pool hall sub-culture that dominates the central story of this film.
It's the sort of honest movie, much like Dazed and Confused, which viewers will begin to associate with a certain culture for a long time to come.Poolhall Junkies follows the story of a pool player named Johnny (portrayed in a sort of John Cusack/ Quentin Tarantino style by Mars Callahan), who's been coached and mentored since age fourteen by a fellow named Joe (Chazz Palminteri).
He made all the right choices with Poolhall Junkies (especially in casting Christopher Walken, who gives us more memorable quotes than we could ever wish for), and when (not if) this movie gains a following and makes some money, his name will be mentioned around Hollywood as much as `Hey Beer Man!' at a hot September football game.
I saw a screening of Poolhall Junkies and hope it hits the theaters soon because it is definitely a hip film that would appeal to all audiences (young, old, male, female and anyone who has ever enjoyed a game of pool).
I didn't really know much about Poolhall Junkies before I saw it except that it had Christopher Walken, and obviously, it was about pool.
The script is riddled with unconvincing characters, weak motivation, bad dialogue and clichés; with the exception of Christopher Walken, the acting is poor, and when you see thespians like Rod Steiger and Chazz Palminteri act badly, you know the director is inept; and Martin, in the lead role, probably does the worst job of the entire cast.
Although I will say there was some great shots being performed and if I was still 13 I'd probably enjoy this film, but if you wanna see great movies about pool watch Color of Money or The Hustler.
If you want to watch a real movie about pool, stick to The Hustler..
There were a few scenes where the line delivery was a little corny, but over all it was a great movie.It's not a rip off of Rounders, it just happens that the pool hustler life is very similar to the card players.
I'm not a big pool fan, but after watching this movie it made me want to learn how to play.
Playing Callahan's Nemesis and once-father figure Joe is The Italian bad-ass himself, Chazz Palminteri, who takes Johnny in when he's young and turns his talent the way of the Pool Hustler rather than pro.
Christopher Walken is also excellent (in the three scenes that he features), and is a good balance to Palminteri's character further on in the film.
Gregory 'Mars' Martin's Poolhall Junkies, is one of the best movies of 2002.
Christopher Walken co-stars with Martin in this very well done directed "pool" movie about what to do with a talent, and Hustling!!!