I know this is fiction, but the atheist portrayed in this film is nothing like the average atheists you meet in the real world. Atheists are regular people respecting the right to let others believe what they choose (and our often the group fighting for that first amendment right in the U.S.). To make this movie compelling, they made this atheist act like an extremist; just like all categorized groups have. I have not met a single person like this yet. The arguments made for both sides are old and not portrayed the way they are presented in modern day discussions. I was not pleased with this film or its content. The acting was what you would expect from a made for TV film in the 80's. So if that kind of drama is you're into, than this might be for you.
Reviews
7 Reviews
Not bad, but left us flat!
15 July 2009
Warning: Spoilers
I am not a book purist, but I do feel the movie should at least try and keep the story on track.
The opening scene had our audience stifled. It felt like everyone was sitting there asking what the heck is this. I personally feel that adding this stuff to a good story cheapens the feel of the story by making Dumbledore sound like he cares about the cheap love life of Harry in a negative way, even if that was not the case. It made Harry look like he was going down a spiral path that was not indicated in the books. This was a poor addition and waste of film time in my opinion. I'm not sure who talked JK into this part, (and I am really wanting to love this film and not be rude) but shame on you.
The Weasley characters and locations like the shop and home were good and the funny parts of the love stories were great. The love potion part of the film was the only portion of the film I really enjoyed and remembered the most at the end. It had great humor and showed some development between Hermione and Ron. But how the love stories ended up and how the Weasley twins end up in the story was a really flat and it felt very empty. If the love stories were your main focus, (as it seemed it was) why would you not build them up and leave the relationships barely surviving at the end of the film. I understand the idea of leading the relationships somewhat subtle and hoping the audience is begging for more. However, I don't think that ever came close. It was more like an exclamation of, "That's it?!?!?" BIG SPOILER HERE: Not having the battle scene by filling so much more with the extra "unnecessary" fluff that was added was the biggest let down of any of the films so far. This was what everyone in the audience seemed to be hanging on for. We all wanted to see our heroes become brave and strong. We expected to see some development in their characters like Luna and Longbottom did in 'Order of the Phoenix.' That was such a let down in this film that This is the first time I have not rated a Harry Potter movie as a 10 since the series began. I sadly hit this one as a 7.
I loved the scene with the Inferi. The "Golum" like creatures were fantastic and the adventure of this portion of the movie was great. I missed the smart dialog that came in the book where Harry kept convincing Dumbledore to drink. This seemed important at showing how smart Harry really can be. I am not sure why that was left out since that scene went on long enough to add it without length change to the film. There are times where it seems that when making this movie, there is no care for keeping such great writing dialog that already exists in the books. This sometimes seems a bit disrespectful from a viewer's point of view. Again, I am not a book purist, but if there is some good writing, why not use some of it.
The end was as dull and flat as any movie that had almost no budget at all. Talk about leaving you feeling unfulfilled. I truly hope that since this director and writer are doing the last film, that they take some time to listen to how people felt about this one. I would hate to see the end of this series end this flat.
The last thing I need to mention, even if you disagree with everything I have said, this is proof that the movie was less than all the others. We have gone to the opening night of each movie. This was the lightest and almost non-existent applause by the entire audience we have ever heard. AND instead of waiting for all the credits to roll, people left as soon as the director's name appeared.
The opening scene had our audience stifled. It felt like everyone was sitting there asking what the heck is this. I personally feel that adding this stuff to a good story cheapens the feel of the story by making Dumbledore sound like he cares about the cheap love life of Harry in a negative way, even if that was not the case. It made Harry look like he was going down a spiral path that was not indicated in the books. This was a poor addition and waste of film time in my opinion. I'm not sure who talked JK into this part, (and I am really wanting to love this film and not be rude) but shame on you.
The Weasley characters and locations like the shop and home were good and the funny parts of the love stories were great. The love potion part of the film was the only portion of the film I really enjoyed and remembered the most at the end. It had great humor and showed some development between Hermione and Ron. But how the love stories ended up and how the Weasley twins end up in the story was a really flat and it felt very empty. If the love stories were your main focus, (as it seemed it was) why would you not build them up and leave the relationships barely surviving at the end of the film. I understand the idea of leading the relationships somewhat subtle and hoping the audience is begging for more. However, I don't think that ever came close. It was more like an exclamation of, "That's it?!?!?" BIG SPOILER HERE: Not having the battle scene by filling so much more with the extra "unnecessary" fluff that was added was the biggest let down of any of the films so far. This was what everyone in the audience seemed to be hanging on for. We all wanted to see our heroes become brave and strong. We expected to see some development in their characters like Luna and Longbottom did in 'Order of the Phoenix.' That was such a let down in this film that This is the first time I have not rated a Harry Potter movie as a 10 since the series began. I sadly hit this one as a 7.
I loved the scene with the Inferi. The "Golum" like creatures were fantastic and the adventure of this portion of the movie was great. I missed the smart dialog that came in the book where Harry kept convincing Dumbledore to drink. This seemed important at showing how smart Harry really can be. I am not sure why that was left out since that scene went on long enough to add it without length change to the film. There are times where it seems that when making this movie, there is no care for keeping such great writing dialog that already exists in the books. This sometimes seems a bit disrespectful from a viewer's point of view. Again, I am not a book purist, but if there is some good writing, why not use some of it.
The end was as dull and flat as any movie that had almost no budget at all. Talk about leaving you feeling unfulfilled. I truly hope that since this director and writer are doing the last film, that they take some time to listen to how people felt about this one. I would hate to see the end of this series end this flat.
The last thing I need to mention, even if you disagree with everything I have said, this is proof that the movie was less than all the others. We have gone to the opening night of each movie. This was the lightest and almost non-existent applause by the entire audience we have ever heard. AND instead of waiting for all the credits to roll, people left as soon as the director's name appeared.
Hard Knuckle
(1988 TV Movie)
This is a Mad Max meets Minnesota Fats pool movie.
27 October 2006
It's true that this is no masterpiece, however, for a pool movie it is really something different and a good time. A post-apocalyptic Australian wasteland is the setting for the future in billiards. Who new pool would make it through the next stage of humanity? *just kidding* I enjoyed this movie enough to watch it twice. There are parts of this film that will make you realize just how bad they want to gamble. You got to love it when they play on the Knuckle Table. It has a small monolith style block in the middle of the table. If you knock over the block, you lose a knuckle off you hand. Yes, folks, billiards has "evolved" to risking life and, OK maybe just limb! We have a hero, Harry, who is a hustler striving to prove he is the best around. I'm not sure how a true hustler would want to be known as the best, but hey, it's the movies! His sidekick is his tiny (and I must say very cute) Chihuahua dog and he picks up a kid as his betting manager. It the future it seems you have to have a manager or agent, in order to gamble pool with the big boys! The plot is Harry's desire to play this guy called Top-Dog. Although he is not allowed to just play him. He must play up through the ranks (kind of like boxing) and he has to have enough cash to even compete. Through all the hustles, bar fights, and (yes) even a little (and I do mean "a little") romantic drama, Harry finds himself deciding on whether or not to take on a risk that he was never willing to take on before.
Bad Boy
(1935)
A hustler's love story of the 30's.
10 December 2005
This black and white classic from the 30's, can only be described as touching. It has the flavor of "It's A Wonderful Life" and the tempo of slapstick humor from days gone by. When a hustler finds love, to what extent is he willing to give up, or to what extent is he willing to go, to hang on to the woman he loves. The hustler's life becomes a family affair. While pool was seen as a gentlemen's sport during these times, the hustler's lifestyle was still considered shady by many. This was nothing short of fun and sweet. It is an hour-long movie that you can appreciate. On a side note, the pool playing, although brief, was completely artistic and hilarious.
Behind the Nine
(2003)
It scratched on the break.
27 November 2005
I love billiard movies. But when reviewing them, I don't feel it is fair to any film to compare them to the flicks of the past. With that said...
Behind The Nine is film about an underground 9-Ball tournament that pays $500,000 to the winner. This drama/suspense/comedy story is slow. It feels like the movie was 2 hours when it is only 1:18 long. The plot twists are sporadic at best and try to be ironic. It really never achieves the true goal of surprising you. The acting is bad. The one-liners are not delivered well. The dialog is choppy and doesn't flow well from one character to the next. The pool table and shot scenes are as bad as it can get. There are many continuity screw-ups during the games, like shooting balls numbers out of order, the sound of the last ball hitting other balls during a miss, or even showing the exact same shot or break more than once. All of this really can disrupt the flow of the film.
However, the scene/screen interruptions/notations are entertaining. The camera angles and the shooting seemed well done. If you are a pool player, I suppose you will have to see this, just to say you have. Otherwise, as much as I wanted to like this flick, I can't really feel OK about recommending it to anyone.
Behind The Nine is film about an underground 9-Ball tournament that pays $500,000 to the winner. This drama/suspense/comedy story is slow. It feels like the movie was 2 hours when it is only 1:18 long. The plot twists are sporadic at best and try to be ironic. It really never achieves the true goal of surprising you. The acting is bad. The one-liners are not delivered well. The dialog is choppy and doesn't flow well from one character to the next. The pool table and shot scenes are as bad as it can get. There are many continuity screw-ups during the games, like shooting balls numbers out of order, the sound of the last ball hitting other balls during a miss, or even showing the exact same shot or break more than once. All of this really can disrupt the flow of the film.
However, the scene/screen interruptions/notations are entertaining. The camera angles and the shooting seemed well done. If you are a pool player, I suppose you will have to see this, just to say you have. Otherwise, as much as I wanted to like this flick, I can't really feel OK about recommending it to anyone.
Stickmen
(2001)
Can low budget mean seedy, sexy and smart...You Bet!
24 March 2004
I don't like to repeat what has been said before, but it is true. This is very much like Tarantino meets Ritchie. With that said, here is the lowdown. The first scene (set) has such a great slap to it, if you do not find it funny; there is no sense in going any further.
Three mates (best friends) get put into an underground pool tournament. The real catch is it consists of only one game per match and locations of the matches keep changing. Keep in mind; the `shock' content is part of this grand journey. The dialogue is quite humorous. Although you may not get all of the humor, as this is a New Zealand (Kiwi) brand of humor, it is great just the same.
The three words to best describe this film would be seedy, sexy, and smart. The many directions the characters go in this film is exactly what happens to real people when put under strange conditions. This is totally devoted to the characters rather than pool, but it is sure to be a pool theme classic film. Low budget? You bet, but totally worth it. So I do recommend it for the Babes, Booze, Bars, Bros., and yes of course - the pool!
PEACE!
Three mates (best friends) get put into an underground pool tournament. The real catch is it consists of only one game per match and locations of the matches keep changing. Keep in mind; the `shock' content is part of this grand journey. The dialogue is quite humorous. Although you may not get all of the humor, as this is a New Zealand (Kiwi) brand of humor, it is great just the same.
The three words to best describe this film would be seedy, sexy, and smart. The many directions the characters go in this film is exactly what happens to real people when put under strange conditions. This is totally devoted to the characters rather than pool, but it is sure to be a pool theme classic film. Low budget? You bet, but totally worth it. So I do recommend it for the Babes, Booze, Bars, Bros., and yes of course - the pool!
PEACE!
Poolhall Junkies
(2002)
Taking the junk out of pool movies.
21 January 2004
Fast paced, strong words, great dialogues, and a cast that really shows some chemistry. Now some of the other movies about pool show smoking, alcohol, and drug use as kind of a glorified thing. This film does all the gambling, hustling, and confrontations, without using those things as a tool. The main character even mentions not to smoke twice. That is unusual. Player VS Player, Backer VS Backer, Student VS Teacher, is all in this one. They confront the `N' word and its uses in a very funny but tastefully manner. The people actually shoot all their own shots and that is refreshing. The conversations that the main guys have are without a doubt a window into the male psyche. And don't forget to watch past the credits and listen to the last line of dialogue at the very end. This totally belongs next to The Hustler, The Color Of Money, Stickmen, The Baron and The Kid, Chalk, and The Baltimore Bullet on your pool movie shelf. Good luck in finding those last three if you don't have them. I personally think it is the best pool movie so far! Of course this was done in modern times with modern dialogue.
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