The Hustler Review

Alright folks, what you're about to hear is Movie

Week in Review episode 126, The Hustler, which

was recorded about a year ago. I am TFG1 Mike

and joining me is movie role Dan. Hello. Hey,

how's it going? So we recorded this about a year

ago, back in 2015. I think it was January or

February of 2015 and... We were so much younger

then. Yeah, I know, right? It's like, oh god,

just... And by the time the episode actually

goes up, it'll probably be after my 36th birthday,

so yeah, I am so much older. Oh my god. but yeah

so this was recorded a year ago since then uh

some good and bad things have happened you had

the birth of your first child yeah yeah i'll

mark that in the good good category yeah and

sadly my mom passed away last year so that's

obviously in the bad category but yeah i i meant

to get this out and meant to get this out and

we couldn't find uh at the time i think mwire

was still on episode 119 or 120 or something

like i don't even know it might have even been

on 118 back then i don't even know we just couldn't

i just couldn't find the time to get the numbers

up to where we had this and where we had last

week's berkeley hills cop franchise episode so

here it is you're finally going to get to hear

it you know this happened a year ago but here's

our review of the hustler This is Mwire, movie

we can review. Mwire is brought to you by audible

.com. Sign up today to get a free audiobook download

at www .audibletrial .com slash GeekCastRadio.

Start today with a free 30 day trial with over

100 ,000 titles to choose from for your iPhone,

Android, Kindle or MP3 player. Don't forget to

follow Audible on Twitter at audible underscore

com And now the latest and greatest in movies

with M wire Just step out into the alley, is

that it? Big John? Do you think this boy is a

hustler? Hello and welcome to MWIRE Movie Week

in Review. This is TF2 and Mike, one of your

hosts. Joining me is Movie Revolt Dan. Hello,

sir. Hello. It's been a while since you've been

on the show, since we did our rating pending

with this film is not yet rated. This is episode

126 of Movie Week in Review. We would have had

the Beverly Hills Cop franchise, Good Will Hunting,

and then some Back to the Future commentaries

before this. And today, I thought this was going

to be the 55th anniversary of this film, but

apparently it isn't, because my DVR lied to me.

No, dude, seriously, when I looked at the information

on the film, on my set top box for Time Warner

Cable, it listed the Hustler 1960. And according

to Wikipedia, it came out in 61. Yeah, well,

it depends. I mean, it was probably released.

in a film festival in 1960 but then was actually

released in theaters in 61. Okay, well that just

makes no damn sense and it kind of ruins my whole

thing of hey it's the 55th anniversary which

that if that's the case it doesn't happen till

next year. No. So it's the 54th anniversary.

I guess that's the podcast we'll just wait till

next year is that what you're saying? We're already

doing it now. Might as well continue. So the

Hustler is a American drama film directed by

Robert Rosen It stars Paul Newman and Jackie

Gleason Wow, mr. Honeymooner himself I It's very

rare for me personally that I think of Jackie

Gleason outside of Ralph Camden Yeah, I mean

that's probably the first thing people remember

him by but he was a he was a a well -respected

actor all around, really. I mean, he was a stage

actor and dramatic actor as well, so yeah. Absolutely.

When was the first time you saw this movie? I

was probably a kid because my dad really enjoys

this film and I probably rewatched it again a

few years ago and then again for this podcast.

So yeah, it's actually one of my Paul Newman's

my all -time favorite actor, so I pretty much

watch anything he's in and usually do it with

repeated time So yeah, I've seen seen this a

few times so but my dad loves the movie so I

saw when I was a kid For me I saw it about three

months ago or so I Mean, I've heard of it. I

know what it is, but it's one of those things

where it's just never been on my radar and As

I said in the rating pending episode, you know,

my goal with MWIRE is to kind of branch out and

do things that we haven't done before, cover

films we haven't covered before, and, you know,

get to films that we want to eventually cover.

And I surprisingly, it has nothing to do with

the film content, it has to do with the lack

of color. I did not know this was a black -and

-white film, people. I honestly had no friggin'

clue. Like, you know, back in episode 117 of

MWIRE, we talked about an affair to remember.

And that was made in, what, 40... 57, 47? Damn

it. It was made a few years before this. 1957.

1957. That's in color. And I'm thinking 1960,

1961. Yes, there was color television around.

And I understand, you know, it's a director choice

if you want color or black and white and whatever

else. But I really had no idea that this was

a black and white film until I watched it. All

right. Yeah. It doesn't dissuade me from the

enjoyment I got out of watching the movie. It

just it was kind of shocking. I'm like, wait,

where's the color? You know, OK. Yeah, I mean,

I don't know like yeah during that we think about

it this way like during that time in the late

50s early 60s Color was in the way in same way

as those maybe you would say 3d is today in a

sense where not everything was in color not everything

was in that you had a combination of both and

in fact that the Oscars for a while I had like

awards that were given to movies in color movies

that awards given to movies in black and white

there was like a same cinematography award for

each category that eventually went away but you

know 61 was probably 62 is when you still had

a maybe a decent split but once you hit the late

60s black and white was almost you know was becoming

more of a novelty not nearly not as much but

it really depended on the type of movie you're

making and looking at the hustler In you know,

it's it's content and the people it was portraying

I think black and white probably the best choice

for it because does it bodes well for like the

griminess of the pool halls and it makes that

you know, the smoking of the cigarettes a little

bit more potent with the black and white cinematography

because To me it I don't know like I didn't I

knew that going in so maybe if I didn't it'd

be a little bit more shocking, but Yeah, I mean,

like I said, don't get me wrong. It doesn't take

away the fact that I enjoyed the film or, you

know, almost all the aspects of the film, but

it just, it wasn't what I was expecting. And,

you know, once I sat there and watched it, I

think it only took me about maybe the first 20

minutes of the film to get used to the fact that

it was black and white. Overall, I really dug

it. You know, I mentioned Paul Newman, Jackie

Gleason. We also have Piper Laurie as Sarah and

George C. Scott as Burt in this film. It's basically,

you want to outline the plot for everybody? Yeah,

sure. If anyone hasn't seen the movie? Yeah,

sure. Well, I mean, the basic premise of it is

you have Fast Eddie Felson, which is played by

Paul Newman, and he is, as a title, States he's

a pool hustler, but he's a huffler that's kind

of looking for more and his main goal is to be

notorious pool hall in you know billiards champion

Fats Fats Malone or sorry Minnesota Fats played

by Jackie Gleason so his desire is to beat him

and then the movie begins with Him going facing

off against Minnesota Fats and a 24 36 hour marathon

match And after he loses, it leads to him basically

kind of reconciling with that loss and finding

a way to play him again, getting the money and

then go through that process of him trying to

prove himself. But during this as well, he ends

up becoming in a relationship with the character

played by Piper Laurie Sarah. And they're both

these two figures that are. Morally questionable

in some ways basically they're trying to find

their way in life You know, Sarah is also known

for she tends to drink all day. She doesn't necessarily

have a job and they're both kind of finding trying

to find their way in life and that kind of find

a kind of spirit in that end but and The character

played by Dorsey Scott comes along Burt Gordon

providing Paul Newman an opportunity again to

finally face off against that Malone but kind

of gives them an ultimatum in some ways where

He has to work for Dorothy Scott and give up

the what he can grow into love and Sarah and

the kind of the it gets to that process basically

of of Paul Newman chasing that also intoxicating

aspect of greatness and trying to find it so

it's it's really a character study on that character

and just his desire to Find some sort of place

among the pool hall elite really and like he

mentions in the film with necessarily even about

Being great at Paul just being great in general

and something happens to be really good at yeah,

you know the relationship between Fast Eddie

and Sarah really surprised me and The first thing

I thought of and I don't know why I thought of

this but like a very Imagine Nick and Nora Charles

if they were that dysfunctional I mean Nick Charles

is not that dysfunctional neither is Nora but

like when I first saw that and I first saw that

in the film with the two of them it's like oh

they have this in common they like to drink and

I'm like hmm interesting and I know that it might

be a weird comparison but I don't watch a lot

of movies past 78 people I just don't you know

what I mean it's like there's a I can count on

both my hands how many movies I've seen that

Are older than 1978 And this is just one of those

ones where I'm like Hmm interesting relationship

there and it's very toxic for the both of them,

but it seems to work Yeah, I mean if you look

at this film you have like new Paul Newman's

character fast Eddie who like each character

has a certain I would say sin that they're addicted

to you know, Sarah seems to be acceptance He's

just like the has this desire to be accepted

or wanted by someone which leads her to you know

Kind of be a lot of self -hate you have Paul

Newman's character fast Eddie whose sin is basically

trying to it's out of I mean not so not narcissistic

but just this desire to be great and then George

C Scott who plays the character of Berg Gordon

his sin is control he needs to be in control

of everything and you see like the how all these

people are really just wrong for one another

and Tend to just bring each other down in some

ways Well in until like that that thing, a pool

is taken away. When Paul Newman or fast study

has, doesn't have the pool to kind of rely on,

he ends up really kind of discovering who he

is. And I think that's where, like you mentioned,

that Sarah and him find a kind of a compassionate

relationship. It's the first time we see who

he is beyond the fact that he's a pool hall hustler.

He actually has to reflect on what he actually

is doing in life. So it's interesting in that

aspect. when we you know as the film goes along

Eddie hustles a local pool shark whose friend

breaks Eddie's thumbs so that was because this

is after his his big games with this after the

marathon with Minnesota Fats and all that and

it's like you know he's just looking to get back

he's just looking to do all this stuff and Was

really surprised that I mean I wasn't like shocked

at that scene, but I was like hmm. That's That's

an interesting way and as the movie goes on I

Again, cuz I've never seen this before it's weird

seeing the city I live in in black and white

at the Kentucky Derby It really really is I mean

I've seen horse races in black and white before

but it's kind of weird to see Louisville, Kentucky

Yeah black and white I've lived in this place

for about 22, 23 years now. And that scene that

you refer to, the one where he's trying to basically

get money, you see the repercussion of pride

there because he's very much, he knows he can

beat that guy. Not only is he going to beat him,

but he's going to humiliate him because he felt

insulted by him. So he just destroys him. Which

you know, it leads to the the broking of the

thumbs and it's that pride that tends to get

in his way I mean that what's it's pride that

made him lose the fats alone or I keep killing

fast alone, but Minnesota fats He had him dead

and buried but he had he had to beat him. He

had to hear Minnesota Fats say it he couldn't

he couldn't do it like he needed it didn't matter

that he was up or he was winning He you know,

he needed that recognition. So it yeah That's

a good scene to go to because it just seems you

just see the price that he has to pay because

of his own arrogance Yeah, and we get to So there

at the Kentucky Derby we get to that and Apparently,

um, Eddie, uh, so, wait. Oh. During this scene,

Eddie gets to a game which turns out to be Karum,

Billiards .pool. Excuse me, shit. And he loses

pretty bad, pretty much, and Bert refuses to

keep staking him. This is the scene where I just

kind of fell off the map on this movie because

And Because this is the scene where Sarah off

-screen There's a basically a humiliating sexual

encounter Which again was not expecting? Especially

what happens after that when she scrolls the

things and lipstick I was like, whoa, this movie

took a dark turn. Well, I think it was leading

to that moment. Like, I think, you know, you

saw her, I mean, she when she when she comes

on screen when we came to introduce, she's very,

you know, a very wrecked person. And before we

even get into Kentucky, you know, we get to see

like, you know, moment of happiness between them

where Where they actually seem to actually be

getting into you know a normal life in some ways

but it's that opportunity for greatness that

gets in the way and Getting up to that scene

what they're mentioning where? fact that he's

given a choice, you know, like he can go with

Sarah like he has that opportunity can go with

her or you know, he chooses to ignore her in

a way and kind of push her aside in order to

and prove how great he is and I think that scene

I think Sarah so the one thing Sarah had you

know for the first time in her life probably

possibly she had she had a moment of um respect

for herself she felt like she actually had some

sort of life that she could actually live and

feel good about and then she realized that it

was all for naught and I think that in a way

broke her And then you get to the moment where

at insult to injury where you you know that encounter

that occurs where You know, she feels cheapened

and this this she's like, this is what the world

sees of me Which leads her describe those words

on the on the board, which I think it's like,

you know perverts I forget the exact slot perverted

twisted and crippled. Yeah, which was Pretty

much describes her character which leads leads

to that. So, you know, I think that I don't know

you said it lost you there. So I'm curious. What

about that? Well Like I know that these two characters

are very dark and they're they're very dysfunctional

and Sarah is very dysfunctional herself, but

it just after After the game where he pretty

much says, you know, oh, you know I want to play

this game instead of going with Sarah when he

makes his choice and then we see her reaction

to his choice and I'm like Okay that It's just

I wasn't expecting that dark of a turn for this

movie. I know this movie is dark and gritty and

all that I know it's not an upbeat movie at all

But I don't know. I just wasn't expect. I don't

expect some things This era to go that dark Well,

you should watch more movies between before the

70s you'll see they get they can get pretty dark

But I guess we kind of respond to that like that

that moment in her reaction wasn't just about

that moment But it was a realization that everything

she had is now gone because now that fast said

he has pullback That's what matters and she doesn't

so it wasn't just her reaction to the way I saw

it wasn't just a reacting to the fact that he's

giving up Going to back to the hotel with her

uh to play pool was that he was giving up her

all in general To you know chase this dream or

chase this desire that he had so I mean That's

kind of what you had to do back in the 60s. Are

you everything? It'll you know, it explained

things I mean, I won't you know watch some hit,

you know Hitchcock films to that They're often

filled with suicide or suicide attempts that

it wasn't it wasn't that uncommon I would say

for this time in this period to see you know

characters that were dark and twisted in this

way or broken in this manner, so I Mean it it

is a little shocking. I don't disagree it it

does go from like You know zero to a hundred

rather quickly, but I I felt like considering

what was at stake there that it made sense for

the character to Make that choice because we

like I said she was broken to begin with and

that was more of a the final You know the final

nail in the coffin as I would say And as the

movie ends obviously Eddie returns to challenge

fats again and pretty much beats him so badly.

He's got to quit which I think What's interesting

about that scene too is how anti -climactic it

is like this is the moment he was been chasing

And it's just it kind of just happens. It's like,

you know, it's just it's not it's not a big thing

but uh, it's it's you know, it's Everything he

was hoping for and it didn't really have the

impact He was hoping for or he was desiring and

then that's where you get that, you know that

showdown between you know, newman and Georgie

Scott over bit, you know payment and what it

means and it's the you know, those two characters

full pride going off against one another so Absolutely.

I mean overall I enjoyed the movie. It's not

something I could watch again I enjoy it, but

it's it just I don't know what it is about it.

It's just It's too depressing for me to watch

again. Yeah, I mean it's on a movie. You're like,

I want to have a good night Uh, yeah, I mean

it is pretty you know, it's you're not gonna

feel great about life afterwards, but I don't

I guess the way I look at movies it's you know,

if if sometimes that's a good thing though, right?

I mean when it's like a movie can have that sort

of impact and More of an emotional way than more

of an entertaining way. That means to me that

it's effective I mean look at something like

Schindler's List, right? Like I don't I like

that movie, but it's not a movie We're gonna

rewatch over and over again because just would

hate life after that But uh, I think for fit

like I think it's every so often Like I said,

like I watched it maybe last time a few years

ago But it's I think it still holds up because

you kind of pick up things here and there that

you may have not have noticed firsthand And the

cast in this is it again. It's so interesting

seeing Gleason outside of the honeymooners. It

really is He's fantastic. And that's like he

he doesn't say much he just has like kind of

presence to him and and interesting enough like

him and Newman do a lot of the own the pool themselves

like that's they do have Stand -ins here and

there for some of the trickier shots, but a lot

of the pools done by them. So Absolutely I guess

have you seen the sequel to the hustler the color

of money that was made by square sazy like in

the 80s That one's in color. So you might funny

nice That's the Tom Cruise movie, right? Yes.

Okay, cuz I was I was either thinking it was

either that or risky business No, that's one

we'll have to get to it. I mean Story wise it

doesn't have much in common, but it's just the

fact that fast Eddie is in that it was you know

Newman and Which is interesting because I think

that was a that was the movie that Newman won

his first Oscar for if I'm not mistaken which

was which was kind of crazy, but um, it's there

there are some other you mentioned the cast there

are some other interesting casts like I don't

know if you saw the movie raging pole, but the

the guy that that's after jake lamotta is actually

in this movie he plays a bartender and in the

Early on in the film and you know, it's interesting

enough There's a movie then made by made of him

not to after this So this was I think coming

out when he was still in the world of boxing

But uh, yeah He plays one of the early bartenders

and what's also kind of cool is that I know way

back when we did the james bond films each of

those films had a pre Pre -credit sequence and

this is another film that has a pre -credit sequence

and which was really new for the time So it's

a really good one, too I think it gives you it's

it can almost work as a short film all by itself

and it's really well done Yeah, I almost wish

we would have done The Hustler and The Color

of Money as a back -to -back double feature now

because You're right. It pretty much is a sequel

sort of I mean at least in the beginning because

it brings up fast Eddie again with Newman and

and it Yeah, we'll have to cover that at some

point Yeah, I don't think it's nearly as strong

a movie. No, it's uh, I mean It's interesting

just seeing the dynamic between Newman and Cruz

and you know, they it's kind of gives them a

lot of ways like Cruz was around the same age

as Newman at when this movie was coming out.

So it's It's good in that aspect. It means course

easy does direct it really well but I would say

that the hustler is a little bit superior because

it has a little bit more weight to it, but if

you want a more I'd say Yeah, it's a little bit

lighter of a fare than this film, but it's worth

watching. Absolutely. All right, folks, unless

you got anything else, I think we're going to

get out of here this time. Uh, no, I think that's

pretty much it like guys. There's nothing really

else. That's all that interesting Oh that I mean

what's kind of cool is that in this george c

scott was nominated for an oscar for this film

But he ended up not showing up because he he

hated the idea of oscars and competing But but

then when he ended up not winning it he kind

of there's like a really negative reaction. So

He has the kind of an issue with the oscars then

in 1970 when he won for pat and he ended up not

Accepting the award. So this kind of started

his issue with the Oscars early on and we mentioned

Sarah who was played by Piper Laurie. This was

like her last role for like 15 or 20 years or

so And then she kind of left to work with her

family and then came back So it's I think she's

decent in this film. I do think if she she is

a little over You know, it's kind of all the

time her acting. It's very uh, you know stage

acting it's you know, till 11 at times so when

she especially when she's getting really Emotional

to the extreme, but I think in the in the when

she's a little bit the quieter moment, especially

Her final scene, I think is probably her best

But is it interesting knowing that she kind of

gave up acting for quite a while after this?

Yeah Yeah, but did you want to give ratings or

anything like that? Um, yeah, we can go and give

ratings What would you do at zero to five stars?

I like to me. This is one of the you know, Paul

Newman's best movies, which is saying a lot It's

one of the best sports films of all time It's

you know, it's you have to be ready for a movie.

That's kind of A little bit depressing, but I

think the pool hall scenes are fantastic Overall,

I think it's you know, 4 .5 out of 5 for me.

So I'm gonna give it a three and a half. I'm

gonna give it a 3 .5. I enjoy it. I think it's

an interesting look at, you know, pool hustling.

I don't know if I'd call it a sports movie, honestly.

I mean... A pool's a sport. It is, it is. I don't

know, I just... If they're counting video games

as sports, I'm gonna call it a pool. Okay, well...

They didn't do that in 1961, but okay. All right.

I'll concede that point. I give it a three and

a half because it just... I know it's a dark

movie, but it's too dark for me. It just really

is. And there are times in Sarah's quiet or like

when her and Eddie are together after the 25

hour... pool marathon when they're drinking and

I guess it's either her apartment or his room

or wherever they are, I forget where it is off

the top of my head. It just seems like she is

the acting by Piper Laurie. It just seems that

she, like you said, she needs to cling to something.

She needs to hold on to something to make herself

feel better. It's just I felt it a little jarring

for me. I don't know why I mean I would say like

you mentioned that you don't watch a lot of films

of this era and Sometimes especially the pacing

is a lot slower than it is in today, but a lot

of times When it comes to like big performances

That it can get really big like that. I mean

there sometimes it's in a lot like a lot of the

Trademarks you would see for the stage Are also

in film so you get performance like like that

which could be jarring Like doing that today

would be like wow, you know, let's simmer down

here a little bit But so I mean I don't disagree

that at times she could kind of maybe bring it

back a little bit. But uh, yeah So I couldn't

like I said if you're looking for a good time

This is not the movie you're gonna watch and

it kind of makes it seem like you think it would

be like that because I think a lot of people

think of like the color money other pool movies,

but In a lot of ways pool is the least important

part of this entire film. It's a lot more than

that. So If you want to if you want to like a

more feel -good basic pool hall film I would

say either color money or there's this other

movie called pool hall junkies, which is just

straight really about pool So it's not nearly

as good, but it's a little bit more, you know

Fast -paced and easier to watch All right, folks

that's gonna do it for us Coming up next. We're

actually going to be doing an episode 127 We're

talking about the three musketeers the 1993 Disney

film the quote -unquote good one Not the not

the the one made in like, you know 2009 No, all

right. It's good. That one's awful. Don't watch

that Which is kind of funny because back in episode

118, we did the manly iron mask. So that's somewhat

three musketeer ish. Yeah So we've got two three

musketeers movies on the slate here for Mwire

After that, it's gonna be a surprise folks. You

never know what's gonna happen here on Mwire.

I do have plans for Myself and whomever would

like to join me on it. We're gonna do two episodes

covering the Fast and the Furious franchise,

part one. We're going to do these in story order,

not film release order, because I want to be

able to watch these in story order to see if

they make any more sense. Because, no, no, no,

no, no. Well, see, for me, one, two, four, five,

and six make sense. Three makes zero sense with

the rest of the characters. Is that the one that's

in Tokyo Drift? Yeah, Tokyo Drift. Yeah. so we've

got that we're also going now i know this is

correct because it's the same anniversary is

back to the future we're also going to have a

30th anniversary uh celebration episode for the

breakfast club so that's also going to be coming

up here in myr and who knows um i don't right

now i only have a more scheduled up to episode

one thirty five as far as choices for movies

and it could change uh... beach you know between

now and then but uh... like i said you know before

and another other episodes of the show so far

the goal is to get to episode one seventy five

by december thirty first twenty fifteen so we'll

see if i can get there uh... the film reels might

melt by then uh... political that's what was

there You know, well, yeah, but I've used that

that that closeout phrase since the beginning

of the show keep those film reels rolling because

I'm so used to seeing old timey projectors. Oh,

yeah. That's what tells you how old MWIRE is.

It's back when, you know, film actually existed

and not just digital. 2009. Yeah, that's right.

Yeah. All right, folks. We're going to get out

of here. We will catch you next time. You've

just listened to Movie Week in Review on KeycastRadio

.com. If you would like to leave feedback on

the show, there are many ways to do so. First,

you can visit the website, KeycastRadio .com,

where you can comment on the episode and all

of our different podcasts. Be sure to rate our

show on iTunes and leave us feedback. You can

follow us on Twitter at GCRNMWire. Become a fan

of us on Facebook by searching Geekcast Radio

Network. You can email us at feedback at geekcastradio

.com. Call the voicemail line 502 -526 -5821.

Please remember to tell us the show you're leaving

the message for, and your name. So until next

time, unleash the geek in you. In a world where

I said it, happy.