Copycats...

Holy Crap!!! This is a hideous mess.

I bet the words "Remember how they did it in 'SWINGERS'" was repeatedly thrown around on the set of this movie. There are too many overt similarities to mention... quite frankly it's ridiculous! But unfortunately, 'POOLHALL JUNKIES' can't remotely approach the greatness of that 1996 cult classic.

NOTE: When you start trying really hard to be cool, you cease to be cool.

I think that all involved in the making of this movie had a 'SWINGERS' and 'ROUNDERS' marathon viewing session before embarking on the project.

Here is a list of things that are blatantly ripped off from 'Swingers' --

- The Swing Music
- The Quirky Group of Guys
- The tall cool one
- The shy one
- The wise cracking one
- The token minority
- The freeze frame cuts
- The order of scenes
- The mannerisms of the 'Trent' character
- The 'Trent' character's hair
- The cool and slick verbiage
- The coffee shop comedic chats

Here is a list of things that are blatantly ripped off from 'Rounders' --

- The small time hustler going for the big one
- The girlfriend who doesn't want him to play
- The law school angle
- The Russian bad guy with silly accent
- The mentor

I am sure there are more things that I am forgetting.

Now, I loved those two films, so you would think that would be a good thing... it isn't. This film plays like a low-rent combination of the two with bad acting, fake cool, bad writing, amateurish copycat directing and clichéd scenes.

Everything was set up perfectly, like a great break in a game of 9-ball, for me to enjoy this film. I love the two films it's obviously trying to imitate and I'm a really good pool player. But I just rolled my eyes in disgust at this film. Aside from all the bad things I've mentioned... the pool scenes are poorly shot. I think a quarter of the movie's running length is filled with overtly obvious trick shots that magically seem to crop up in regular games. (Trick Shots that we've all seen before!!!)

And then we have the clichéd plot, with it's "small town hustler, who never gave the BIG TIME a real shot, coming back for one last shot at glory" bullcrap. Give me a break (Pun Intended)!

They even have the 'Gretchen Mol' role from Rounders as the girlfriend who doesn't want him playing the game anymore.

HELL -- EVEN THE LEAD ACTOR HAS AN UNCANNY RESEMBLANCE TO T-MONEY, THE VINCE VAUGHN CHARACTER FROM SWINGERS. UGH.

The only thing worth seeing in this film is Christopher Walken spouting off his lines with that now legendary style that has made him a fixture in almost all independent movies from the past decade.

This film reeks of low budget rip off.

© Written by TC Candler

How We Rated This Film TC Candler - D- Richard Propes - B- Jacob Hall -

Richard Propes' Comment

If you're going to rip off films, then you'd might as well rip off the good ones. "Poolhall Junkies" is definitely a "been there, seen that" film, but it's an entertaining one featuring solid performances from Christopher Walken, Rod Steiger, and Chaz Palminteri as, well, poolhall junkies obviously! The action is predictable, yet Walken and Steiger infuse such life into their characters that I found myself unable to do my usual routine of watching a flick while working online. After just a few minutes, I found myself abandoning the keyboard with my eyes glued to the screen. Perhaps it was the chemistry of the cast that I most appreciated about "Poolhall Junkies." While there was nothing new under the sun here, the cast had an energy and enthusiasm that kept me watching, kept me entertained, and kept me from even thinking "Wow, I've seen that before."

Jacob Hall's Comment

n/a