Great gambling movies

I thought the "big win scene" in the cooler was stupid but I loved Shelly.

Quote: MrV

I found four different movies called "The Gambler," but none have a plot such as you describe.
Please provide a link to its trailer.

Sorry for the delay. I just found this post.

My confusion was with various titles for the novel, the script and the actual movie releases in different jurisdictions... and as usual alcohol played a role too.

See Wild Card in this country

Filmed in New Orleans mainly with some standard shots of driving the strip in Vegas.

Quote: MrV

I found four different movies called "The Gambler," but none have a plot such as you describe.
Please provide a link to its trailer.

Sorry for the delay. I just found this post.

My confusion was with various titles for the novel, the script and the actual movie releases in different jurisdictions... and as usual alcohol played a role too.

See Wild Card in this country

Filmed in New Orleans mainly with some standard shots of driving the strip in Vegas.

Box office flop: reviewers thought it was an action film. Made six million; cost thirty million.
Goldman considered it a drama of character driven dialogue and actions, briefly interspersed with a few fights.

You chasing Axel now? I'm not sure double posts count double.

Quote: TwoFeathersATL

You chasing Axel now? I'm not sure double posts count double.

Each time stamped at the same time, so its probably my computer that hiccuped. Feel free to delete.

Have you guys seen "Lay the favorite" ?

It is loosely based on Dink the sport handicapper ( who was on Gambling with an Edge" podcast recently, pretty good episode. )

It not a great movie but fun enough if you feel like watching a gambling movie.

I liked The Cooler, I accepted it for what it was , there was this weird surreal vibe about how it was shot and the characters, fit well with the surreal effect he had on luck.

I think the more interesting story is the life of the author of Lay The Favorite: She grew up with a father whose "office" was the high stakes BJ table aboard the Fort Myers Beach Gambling Boat and she was playing BJ with her father at age nine in some Bahamian casino getting a high five and a sip of his beer everytime she got a blackjack.

after reading the thread I missed the "House of Games" by David Mamet
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Games

IMO opinion one of the best teaching movie how important it is to open ears > eyes and brain :)

I am sure someone could do a remake of this movie with all new stuff that is possible today to lure most of the suckers

Very interesting to watch. I like the theme of the movie it show how human life really is. And since this movie is about gambling that makes the movie more interesting.

Who all went to see The House with Will Farrell?

It was basically what I expected. Don't go see it expecting to see a non silly movie. I did enjoy it and laughed numerous times. There was a craps scene at the very beginning that I laughed my ass off.

The Gambler has been on Cable recently...
Young College Professor who is compulsive gambler and owes large to the wrong people.
College Junior who plays basketball but has a secret knee problem
John Goodman as philosophizing gambler who kills deadbeats and their families.

At the end one gambler wants the ball player to do whatever he wants... win or lose but don't win by more than seven points. It seems the line is 8.

What does the professor gain by betting a whole lot of money in Vegas on a spread of 8?

I couldn't watch The Gambler, it was too terrible.

Quote: onenickelmiracle

I couldn't watch The Gambler, it was too terrible.

Realistic or unrealistic is the question. I think the college girl was not hot enough and there was insufficient nudity but all I really care about in a gambling movie is whether its realistic or not.

Earlier in the thread Boz referred to the film "Fever Pitch" with Ryan O'Neal and Catherine Hicks. I would not call it a great gambling movie but there are some interesting cameos by Vegas personalities.

One of my favorites : In a scene set in a café Bob Stupak is sitting at the counter. When the customer next to him leaves Stupak swipes the tip and feeds it into a slot machine near the exit. He comes up dry and walks out with a woebegone look on his face.

The ending of the movie is pure loser wish fulfillment. Leaving Vegas broke, brutalized, and hopeless, O'Neal finds a coin on the ground. He feeds a slot and hits a win. He takes the win, buys a Keno ticket, and wins again. Moving to the craps table he goes on a win streak that would leave Nick Papagiorgio slack-jawed with amazement. He is able to recoup his lifetime losses and set up a trust fund for his daughter.

Oh, well, it's a movie. Gotta suspend that disbelief!

Quote: docsjs

Someone should check out "California Split"

Thanks to Billryan in another thread I found this movie and bought the DVD. I read somewhere it was cut slightly because of copyrights but unsure about that. What I can tell you after just watching it this early morning is that it was spot on. I read some reviews that it doesn't hold the test of time but being in this lifestyle since I was 8 years old (34 yrs total), I can honestly say that I have either been in every situation of the movie or around it. My long time friend of 20 years actually had a run like that in Dice where I was playing across the street checking on him every so often for his 12 hour session. The session started with us playing poker and playing some machines. I don't enjoy dice unless the fix is in but he has always been a junkie for it. He ended up with slightly over a 400k win which is roughly the same amount they won (82k) when you run an inflation calculator comparison. I guess the only difference is that he first started the dice game with 3k and ran it up to 75k and blew it. Took a taxi to the house and got his case 10k and ran that up to slightly over 400k in a drunken haze... gave me 100k to hold for him in the hotel room across the street and carried 300k+ inside his jacket to the taxi and proceeded to stumble home. I gave him the dough early the next morning. Of course a couple months later he got completely flat.

I also read reviews how the story line isn't cohesive but that is obviously from viewers who don't get this way of life. Living like this is very erratic. You never know when your going to find the next play or next exploit. Heck one minute we are reaching under the hopper deflecting coins. When that was over we are onto the next thing which might be teaming up in a poker game or hammering out some 5x progressive. Over to the massage parlor, steak dinner and who knows whats next. My point is that this movie is really good and it has a spot in the front row that I watch over and over. Other movies in that stack include... The Gambler with James Caan, The Thief with James Caan, Let it Ride, Factotum, Groundhog Day, To Live and Die in LA, The Hustler, Casino, Heat with Burt Reynolds, The Cooler, The Croupier, The Grifters, Vegas Vacation, Rounders, Happy Gilmore... and some others.

I love how this movie ended. No BS scenario just something true to life and how life really is. I always want to spin a wheel that isn't in use or protected like that. It is hard to say that it is a happy ending or a sad one... I just feel that it was very realistic. The Croupier kinda ends like that... I suppose other movies as well.

It was a surprise to see Jeff Goldblum and Amarillo Slim in the movie.

Quote: onenickelmiracle

I couldn't watch The Gambler, it was too terrible.

Try The Gambler with James Caan. Much better movie but this movie isn't exactly about what is going on in the movie... it is more about what goes on inside of gamblers minds or compulsive gambling and how it effects everyone involved. It is also about saying a big F You to society and the rules or consequences. It shows how selfish gambling really is. It's a pretty deep complicated movie IMO. The Wahlberg version is watered down but I think they are trying to make the same point.

The best gambling movie; there's too many to come up with a single answer.

My favorite scene: De Niro in Casino with cheaters justice. "Now you're going to have to learn with your left hand."

Yesterday, I happened to be watching a little TV as I had my lunch, and I noticed that the movie The Gambler was just showing the opening credits. (I'm talking about the 2014 movie not the 1974 version.) Great! Now I can see a movie about gambling that I've never seen before. I watched about 10 minutes of the movie and couldn't stand it. It would've been inane torture to have continued watching it--it was that bad. Maybe it would have gotten better, but I don't think so. Too much attitude, too much BS.

Oh look, (as I switch the channel) I can watch the women playing the first round of Wimbledon tennis. I would rather listen to them cry out on each stroke as though they've been impailed by a spike to the heart. We have Monica Seles to thank for that. And she almost really did get a spike to the heart.

I like being familiar with films about gambling. It's nice to be acquainted with the different offerings in this world that I enjoy. At least they didn't call this movie The Gamer.

It started out a bit slow, but got much better. I think Karen Yue Ritchie was a bit inadequate as a gambling consultant.

To live and die in LA is generally classified as a gambling movie though it is really just a crime caper movie, but the cinematographer whose style is most often associated with it died recently in the Netherlands.

I have never seen the original. What is the consensus? Is it way better than the remake or no?

If you're talking about the 1974 version with James Caan, that was a pretty good movie. And the movie To Live And Die in L. A. is a great movie.

Quote: VCUSkyhawk

I have never seen the original. What is the consensus? Is it way better than the remake or no?

The remake adheres pretty closely to the original. The only main difference is the last ten minutes

*possible spoilers*

The original had a very downbeat ending in which the main character "finds himself" his journey is complete but at a certain expense

Its also has a very large racist component involving black pimps hookers and harlem (thats the ending btw)

Whereas the original eliminates that racist element and delivers a more upbeat "love conquers all" ending

Quote: darkoz

Its also has a very large racist component involving black pimps hookers and harlem (thats the ending btw)
Whereas the original eliminates that racist element and delivers a more upbeat "love conquers all" ending

Its not really racist at all. Not one bit.

The Only Game In Town

Yonkers Joe

The Cooler

are some of my favorites. Still need to see Owning Mahoney. I am sure there are many more, but those listed are some of my favorites, for various reasons.

Owning Mahoney was a great study in compulsive gambling. Philip Hoffman was amazing in this role. Almost hard to watch him go through it.

There was a movie set in the 1930's starring Sean Penn and Ryan Gosling about a Mafia run Casino where they still beat people up in the backroom. I forgot the name of the movie. Sean Penn played the Antagonist Gangster named Mickey and was dating Emma Stone's character. On an interesting side note, Mickey was like 30 years older than Emma's character. This movie was a good look into how dirty Casinos were in the 1930's. I don't mean dirty as in trash and roaches crawling around, I mean dirty as in a low down, seedy, crime filled place.

Quote: Nathan

There was a movie set in the 1930's starring Sean Penn and Ryan Gosling about a Mafia run Casino where they still beat people up in the backroom. I forgot the name of the movie. Sean Penn played the Antagonist Gangster named Mickey and was dating Emma Stone's character. On an interesting side note, Mickey was like 30 years older than Emma's character. This movie was a good look into how dirty Casinos were in the 1930's. I don't mean dirty as in trash and roaches crawling around, I mean dirty as in a low down, seedy, crime filled place.

Gangster Squad

Quote: bushman

The Only Game In Town

Yonkers Joe

I can't seem to remember seeing either one. I'll probably skip the only game in town after watching the trailer unless the trailer did it a great injustice.

Quote: PokerGrinder

Gangster Squad

Thank you for the answer! :D

Watched a pretty cool Tales From The Crypt about 2 gamblers engaged in a series of contests. It's on YouTube.

https://youtu.be/49dV71bC07w

Quote: AxelWolf

I can't seem to remember seeing either one. I'll probably skip the only game in town after watching the trailer unless the trailer did it a great injustice.

I will give you that "The Only Game In Town" is not great. It is Liz Taylor, it has a couple of good scenes outside of Caesar's. I was young when I first saw it, and became intrigued with gambling.

Quote: Rigondeaux

Watched a pretty cool Tales From The Crypt about 2 gamblers engaged in a series of contests. It's on YouTube.

https://youtu.be/49dV71bC07w

This reminds me of two great Twilight Zone episodes.

"A Nice Place to Visit" from the original run:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77ueTRaYTwg

"Rewind" from the 2000's reboot run:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4QiwLNCG9c

Not sure why To Live and Die in LA is considered a gambling movie, but it was a great film. I owned the Wang Chung soundtrack and listened to it many times. "City of the Angels" was an awesome track. It is the perfect example of a typical 1980's instrumental movie background song.

Fast forward to about 1 minute into the song...

I have mentioned it before on the site, but Let It Ride is still fun to watch.
Am I having a good day, or what?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fever_Pitch_(1985_film)

Still a classic, Ryan O’Neal in Fever Pitch

Quote: Boz

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fever_Pitch_(1985_film)

Still a classic, Ryan O’Neal in Fever Pitch

The Sandler/Berrymore movie of the same name gets better ratings. The trailer looks ok though:

Yonkers Joe is pretty obscure but we'll worth tracking down.

Quote: billryan

Yonkers Joe is pretty obscure but we'll worth tracking down.

It doesn't look to be as good as The Empire Strikes Back. :)
But the dice cheat hand action stuff in the trailer certainly looks cool:

Quote: Rigondeaux

Watched a pretty cool Tales From The Crypt about 2 gamblers engaged in a series of contests. It's on YouTube.

https://youtu.be/49dV71bC07w

Thank you for posting this link. I enjoyed watching it. I was shocked and happy to see that James Horner composed the music for the episode. Random awesome sauce!

Quote: Keeneone

The Sandler/Berrymore movie of the same name gets better ratings. The trailer looks ok though:

That’s Jimmy Fallon and Barrymore in Feverpitch.

Quote: Rigondeaux

Watched a pretty cool Tales From The Crypt about 2 gamblers engaged in a series of contests. It's on YouTube.

https://youtu.be/49dV71bC07w

Man I haven't thought about tales from the crypt in a long time. If I recall correctly I would watch that every Friday night. The. Twilight zone was on after it.

gambler with Caan is awesome, recommend it !