Poker Movie

[DoubleA]

Was doing some random searching and came across this:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0338216/

Didnt seem that strange at first, but then I started noticing the cast:
Doyle Brunson, John Juanda, Sam Farha, etc.

Set among the poker tables of Las Vegas, Huck Cheever (Bana), tries to beat the odds and his own demons in order to win a world championship.

This is another one of the off-shoots of Poker success, first the TV show, now a big-name movie with a relatively big-name cast, about the game.

 

[red+black]

Opens April 7 in the States. The official site will be luckyyoumovie.com, it redirects to Warner Bros at the moment. The imdb page.

The film explores the story of a professional poker player (Eric Bana) who gets a lesson in life from a struggling singer (Drew Barrymore) as he collides with his estranged father (Robert Duvall) in the world of high-stakes poker in Las Vegas. In addition to those big names, you’ll also find Johnny Chan, Jennifer Harman, Phil Hellmuth, Ted Forrest, Erick Lindgren, Barry Greenstein, and plenty of other top players playing themselves throughout the film [Sam Farha, Daniel Negreanu, John Juanda]. “One of the things that made it totally realistic,” notes Negreanu, “is the fact that it’s a lot of the real pros that actually play in [the big] game.”

Jason Lester, who finished fourth in the WSOP main event in 2003, served as a consultant while playing himself in the film. “This movie is getting it right,” said Lester. “I can’t recall any movie ever really showing high-stakes gambling in such an authentic manner.”

Some movie stills are here.

 

[red+black]

There's also a poker documentary coming out this year, called The Poker Movie (imdb page), with Phil Gordon, Jennifer Harman, Howard Lederer and Jennifer Tilly.

On the site, there's a rough cut trailer from the first 3 day's filming, and also some Day 1 footage.

 

[Borgsta]

Is it just me or does it look like Eric Bana has never played poker at a casino before?

 

[Supa Stylin Stevie]

I want to see "High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story."
For those who dont know who he is, Stu Unger is considered by many to be the greatest no-limit holdem player in history. Won the World Series Main Event in the first no-limit tournament he ever played and backed it up by defending his title a year later. Came back 10 years later to become the only player to win the WSOP Main Event three times. Drugs and compulsive gambling ruined his life and he died a year after winning his third WSOP title. Would gamble on anything and even lost $80k the very first time he played golf. In one World Series he had a drug overdose in the middle of the main event and couldnt continue playing but had such a massive chip lead he still finished 9th with the dealers taking the blinds out of his stack when required.

 

[Carefree-Rob]

Nothing beats Rounders.

 

[red+black]

I have received my R1 Colelctor's Edition of Rounders, have listened to bits and pieces with the pro commentary (Chan, PH, Money, Jesus).

Here's another poker film: Freeze Out

'Swingers' meets 'Rounders': A friendly poker game gets ugly when the host raises the stakes and everyone's dirty secrets are revealed.

Freeze Out is a comedy about one man's ridiculous and overzealous attempt to get revenge for the constant ribbing of his best friends at his weekly poker game. John's weekly poker game is a sanctuary from the horrors of living and working in Los Angeles: a ritual of jokes, beer drinking, talking movies, politics, and sex. In short, it's a good time and the max bet is 25 cents so no one is going to go broke. But something is bugging John. His friends don't respect him; any chance they get they cut him down, tell him he's boring, make him feel small. He's tired of being the butt of their jokes and he's not going to take it anymore. So he raises the stakes, trains in secret and engineers a winner-take-all Freeze Out, never realizing it might cost him his 7 best friends. What starts as an innocent night of low stakes poker becomes a ripping lampoon of friendship and a funny look at how we all lie to ourselves.

 

[red+black]

And another: Deal, allegedly starring Charles Durning, Shannon Elizabeth, Antonio Esfandiari, Phil Laak, Burt Reynolds, Vincent Van Patten.

As an ex-gambler teaches a hot-shot college kid some things about playing cards, he finds himself pulled into the world series of poker, where his protégé is his toughest competition.

Here's some more info.

 

[red+black]

And yet another one, a feature length documentary:

No Limit: A Search for the American Dream on the Poker Tournament Trail. The film includes interviews with Amir Vahedi, Annie Duke, Barry Greenstein, Bobby Baldwin, Chip Jett, Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, Chris Moneymaker, Clonie Gowen, Daniel Negreanu, David "Devilfish" Ulliot, David Sklansky, Doyle Brunson, Evelyn Ng, Hendon MOB, Howard Lederer, Jennifer Harman, Kathy Liebert, Kenna James, Larry Flynt, Layne Flack, Lou Krieger, Mark Seif, Mel Judah, Men the Master, Mike Sexton, Paul Phillips, Phil Gordon, Phil Hellmuth, Scotty Nguyen, T.J. Cloutier and Tom McEvoy.

And an article on pokernews.com.

I will try to make contact with the producers to see if they can bring it to Australia for our film festivals in July/August.

 

[red+black]

Hoyts Melbourne Central, Thursday 26th October @ 9:40pm
- Adult $15, Concession $12, Senior $8

http://www.aiff.com.au/index.php (Australian International Film Festival)

No Limit: A Search for the American Dream on the Poker Tournament Trail - USA, 01:27:28

Two moviemakers document 8 months on the poker tournament trail, the roller-coaster of emotions that is tournament play. Interviewing poker superstars around the globe, they come to see this high stakes world as a microcosm of America & the American Dream

 

[red+black]

I called Hoyts and it appears the film actually starts at 9:40pm, not 9:00pm as advertised on their website.

 

[Crosby87]

I have to remember not to forget this.

 

[red+black]

bump

Hoyts Melbourne Central, Thursday 26th October @ 9:40pm
- Adult $15, Concession $12, Senior $8

http://www.aiff.com.au/index.php (Australian International Film Festival)

No Limit: A Search for the American Dream on the Poker Tournament Trail - USA, 01:27:28

Two moviemakers document 8 months on the poker tournament trail, the roller-coaster of emotions that is tournament play. Interviewing poker superstars around the globe, they come to see this high stakes world as a microcosm of America & the American Dream

For those interested, don't forget.

 

[sainter]

Excellent.

I was going to play in the APL game at Telstra Dome tomorrow night. It's a 7:15pm start so that will leave me with plenty of time to make it to Melbourne Central unless I make it to the last couple of tables.

The odds of me seeing the movie are very high.

 

[red+black]

was released on Amazon 2 weeks ago

http://www.amazon.com/No-Limit-Search-American-Tournament/dp/B000J4P818/sr=1-1/qid=1161782414/

 

[sainter]

I bombed out of the APL early as planned and saw the movie.

I must say I really enjoyed it. You can see the enthusiasm that the professionals have for the game and how much it means to them. Although clearly no mug watching Susan play gave you someone to relate too and made you realise just how hard it is to play at that level. I liked the interaction between her and Tim.

Scotty Nguyen is great.

 

[red+black]

Susan is a MILF

That Omaha Hi-Lo WSOP event where she finished 2nd FT bubble, it was Todd Brunson that bubbled just a few seconds after she was eliminated. He got the same payout though.

http://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/event.php?a=r&n=6609

 

[red+black]

http://newsroom.eworldwire.com/view_release.php?id=15946

U.S. Poker Documentary Wins The Pot With International Film Award

LOS ANGELES/EWORLDWIRE/Nov. 15, 2006 --- No Limit, the feature length Poker Documentary won the award for "Best Director (ensemble)" at the Australian International Film Festival.

The movie has received strong reviews on the Festival circuit:
- The Las Vegas Sun said, " 'No Limit' is mother of poker docs."
- U.S.A. Today proclaimed, "These guys are like the last American cowboys - there are some great stories told."
- The Toronto Star claimed, “It’s a roller-coaster ride with an adrenaline high.”

Directed by Tim Rhys and Brian O'Hare, No Limit is a true story that follows two single parents who decide to chase the "American Dream." The film takes the audience on an eight-month journey down the poker tournament trail. It's a long and winding road that ends in Las Vegas at the biggest tournament of them all, The World Series of Poker. There are many highs, lows, and in-betweens along the way that could spell disaster for these two and their four-year old child, but all they need to do is win one tournament.

No Limit is an unprecedented look inside the world of high stakes poker, featuring interviews and words of wisdom from over 40 of the top players in the world. Poker and "The American Dream" have never been so exposed.

Trailer:

 

[sainter]

That's good to see. I really enjoyed it.

They were showing a preview of the Eric Bana/Drew Barrymore movie on the big screen outside Hoyts Highpoint last week.