Poolhall Junkies

Poolhall Junkies

Year: 2002

Starring: Mars Callahan, Christopher Walken, Chazz Palminteri

Directed By: Mars Callahan

Rating: R

Run Time: 99 Minutes

     A friend of mine asked me to review this over a year ago.  After my delay in posting, which I can give you a ton of reasons and excuses why I haven't, I am going to get back in the game.  Even though my followers are few, that doesn't mean I can't take the 15-20 minutes to write a review for a movie, given I watch probably close to 500 in a single year.  So Ken, here you go man, the review you have been waiting for!

     I am just going to come right out and say that I really enjoyed this movie.  It was a different twist on a sports/gangster movie about pool.  I really like the fact when someone takes bowling, pool, or cards and puts it into a serious drama, it makes the sport more attractive to people who generally think it is a bar game.  If you don't want to at least try and play some pool after watching this movie, I would be shocked.

     The movie opens on a teenage kid, Johnny who can roll at pool.  He is talking about being a pro and going far, but Chazz's character, Joe, a protective father figure who is out for his own gain, doesn't want to lose this kid because he sees the money this kid could make hustling pool and throws away Johnny's invitation to play professionally.  Flash forward to a pool hall full of players (hence the name Poolhall Junkies), where the now grown up Johnny is playing for money, and is clearly better than anyone he plays.  At the end of this scene, he find out what Joe did, and leaves him high and dry in a bad situation. This movie continues from here about how Johnny gives up pool, gets back on it, gives it up again, and has to play at the end to get his brother out of trouble.  I, again, don't want to give it all away, but the introduction scene is enough to keep you interested in what will happen in the movie.  There are a lot of supporting talent as well from Michael Rosenbaum (most notably Lex Luther from Smallville), Christopher Walken, and even an Eastwood (Clint's daughter Alison).  A movie is only as good as your supporting cast, and this one had a great one.

     However, there is a downside to this film.  This movie had a very similar plot, one that I had seen before, almost had the exact same plot twists, climaxes, etc.made only 4 years earlier.  Rounders (a movie about poker starring Matt Damon and Edward Norton) was so similar to this movie, you could almost call this movie Rounder 2: Poolhall Junkies.  It was so similar, I had to see if it was by the same director (it wasn't) so it was not original, and very, very predictable, with no real surprise.  Another thing I didn't like was the ending sequence which was corny, and I think it was probably one of the first things filmed because it didn't seem very fluid.  The pool game play was incredible though, but a little confusing, but they all can't be perfect right?

     Regardless, I still give this movie 3.5 out of 5 pool ques.  I will definitely watch it again, after I research some rules on how they are playing and some of the more technical stuff (because I'm a nerd) but still this movie is a great one to see and is going in my Top 10 Sports movies list.  Watch it, its a good one, you'll enjoy it.

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Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Year: 2011

Starring: James Franco, John Lithgow, Frieda Pinto

Directed By: Rupert Wyatt

Rating: PG-13

Run Time: 105 Minutes

     When I first saw the preview for this movie, I thought, what a brilliant idea for a movie.  Take a classic movie and create a prequel to explain how apes took over the planet.  I thought it was brilliant, and really loved what they did with the teasers and trailers.  Each time I saw the preview, I really wanted to see this movie more and more.  I really hyped myself up for this movie, and by the time it came out, I was really worried that it was just going to be terrible.  WOW, I was pleasantly surprised when I see James Franco continue his great acting, and the story was incredible.  Following a day in the life of a genius ape just made this movie so much better.

     The movie begins with the capture of some chimpanzees in Africa.  I will warn all you, if you are not a fan of seeing animals being tested on or injured or even killed, just be aware that it happens in this movie, BUT there are all digital animals so its not real.  The same company who did the digital imaging for Avatar did the effects for this movie, so the apes look very, very realistic.  From there it follows James Franco, and scientist creating a cure for brain disorders.  He is ultimately trying to find a cure for Alzheimer's since his father, John Lithgow, suffers from it.  When he finds a successful strain in a subject chimp, he plans to present it to the board, when the chimp goes wild, and is killed.  They discover it was protecting a baby chimp, who becomes the main focus of the movie.

     When James Franco decides to keep the infant chimp instead of put it down, he discovers it is smarter than any other chimp.  It seems the strain they used in the mother, was passed to the baby in the womb, but changed him differently.  Throughout the movie you are following Caesar and James Franco, alternating between Caesar's new discovers, and downfalls, and James Franco continued push to cure brain diseases.  Caesar goes to protect John Lithgow when a neighbor is trying to fight him, and thus causes animal control to put him in an ape habitat.  This is where you follow Caesar and the "rise."

     I truly thought this movie was great.  Such a simple idea, such a great story, and such a good ending.  I will give this movie 4.5 our of 5 ALZ 113's.  Call me biased, but I thought this movie was really well done.  There were some corny parts, but a lot of parts in which make you think about how this could happen and that it is the cause of the famous 1968 movie Planet of the Apes.  I highly recommend, and have an open mind!  Remember, it is a movie, not a real scientific story.

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