The Best Gambling Movie Ever Made

[SPREADWINNA]

THE GAMBLER, AS FAR AS I CAN REMEMBER WAS CANN'S NEXT MOVIE AFTER THE GODFATHER II..IT WAS INTENSE AND CANN PLAYED IT WELL, BUT AS FAR AS STORY LINES IT WAS ...BORING AS HELL....I HATED HIS MOTHER IN THE MOVIE AS WELL, THAT RICH BITCH ASSWIPE WITH THE HARVARD ACCENT.
BY TODAYS STANDARDS IT IS VERY DATED...AND ONE QUESTION LINGERS IN MY MIND..WHEN HE GOT HIS FACE SLASHED AT THE END.. BY SOMEONE WHO HAD ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH THE GAMBLING PLOT.A COMPLETE STRANGER, A HOOKER I BELIEVE IT WAS..
WAS THAT SOME SORT OF SYMBOLISM REVOLVING ABOUT HIS DEGENERATE PSHCHE.AS HE FELT IN THE END WE ALL GET WHAT WE DESERVE.....????

I GIVE THIS MOVE A "C" RATING AT BEST !

[SPREADWINNA]

IN THE MODERN ERA OF GAMBLING MOVIES.."21" WAS VERY DECENT..AND "2 FOR THE MONEY", AS MUCH AS I WANTED TO LOVE IT AS I DO MOST AL PACINO MOVIES...WAS TOTAL GARBAGE...

[vinnyvegas]

The Gambler is a brilliantly acted,written and directed film perhaps too dark and intellectual in its approach for most people.

[SPREADWINNA]

The Gambler is a brilliantly acted,written and directed film perhaps too dark and intellectual in its approach for most people.

Vinny, what do you think about the slashing in the final scene as far as what it represented?

[SPREADWINNA]

oh yeah, one great dark and totally fucked up, but great degenerate as well as gambling movie was..."The Bad Lieutenant". now that was one hell of a sick, dark adventure into the world of degeneracy.Harvey Keitel was unbelievable...and in the end he definately got what he deserved !

[vinnyvegas]

Vinny, what do you think about the slashing in the final scene as far as what it represented?

Sorry for giving away details but:

Axel enters a ghetto neighborhood and allows himself to be cornered by a knife wielding pimp (Antonio Fargas) whom he tries to provoke into killing him. He again is taking risk to the limit - another act that has further damaged his battered self esteem and his way out is to take a serious risk - this time with his life as the stake - simply because he is never more alive than when he has 'proven' his idiotic & false theory that he is the Kaptain of his fate.

Recount the event early in the film where Axel plays basketball one on one with some Black neighborhood youths and is willing to bet $20 to a dime/10cents when his bet of $20 cannot be matched; then remember that just before he went for his 'death bet' he tried to get the non betting Sorvino to bet him $2,000 against making a very difficult basketball shot first time.

Deep messages for some...LOL

[vondie]

I guess we all agree that rounders was great, but my fav's are
"the stu ungar story", "the cooler" - i love the lucky in love story line.....and one you probably never heard of but shows the bad side is "Owning Mahony" - based on a true story, has Phillip Seymour Hoffman in it....it's a must see for degenerates.

[roccodean]

Rounders is my fave. Also like The Color of Money, although not entirely about gambling. One of the funniest gambling movies is Let It Ride with Richard Dreyfuss...I have to watch it everytime it's on.

[SPREADWINNA]

yeah.. forgot about Rounders..that was great and the color of monay as well...and get ready for the ..Latest and Greatest Gambling "REALITY"movie of ALL TIME...
"JJ STOMPS THE NFL THS SUNDAY" !!
TADA!!!!

[CoverBoy]

All the films you guys mentioned are great . The Hustler , Rounders , etc.

I posted the thread because "The Gambler " ( being 30 some odd years old ) has probably been overlooked and is definitely worth your time.


I think it's even darker than " Owning Mohoney "



Another great James Caan film was " Thief " ... (not a gambling movie ) and this one is a must as well.

[GOLDENGREEK]

Rounders, The Cooler, and Owning Mahony are great gambling movies.

The Bad Lieutenant was weird and strange but awesome at the same time with a great acting performance by Harvey Kietel