SYNOPSIS
Pool hustling isn't everything it used to be, but Joe
(Chazz Palminteri) a shady pool hustler well-past his prime,
is obsessed with the game and is willing to use anyone to get what
he wants - especially his young protégé Johnny (Mars Callahan). In
the tradition of The Hustler, Gold Circle Films presents a Mars
Callahan film, the story of a young pool shark who wants to shoot
straight and become the best professional pool player.
Joe is convinced that Johnny could be one of the best hustlers ever,
but Johnny dreams of a better life and knows that Joe is holding
him back After fifteen years playing Joe's angles, Johnny's sick
of the con and wants to leave the hustle behind. After discovering
Joe's underhanded and self-serving manipulations Johnny finally
has the guts to leave Joe. But "payback's a bitch" and Joe won't
be taken so easily.
On his own, Johnny quickly discovers the tedium of the "real"
world and a life without pool. After trudging to work at a series
of loser day jobs, Johnny is miserable and bored, and itches to
have his cue in hand again. Through his law student girlfriend,
Tara (Alison Eastwood), who loves Johnny but not the games he
plays, he meets wealthy lawyer Mike (Christopher Walken) who
becomes a fan of Johnny's game. Without Joe in his life,
Johnny's "family" consists of the guys he knows from his
favorite pool hall. Lonely for action, he finds himself
spending most of his time there. Central to the pool hall is
his younger brother Danny (Michael Rosenbaum) who, along with
an entourage of good-for-laughs-die-for-you best friends, is
attempting to follow in Johnny's footsteps.
Meanwhile Joe is bent on revenge for Johnny's defiance and now he
has a new protégé Brad (Rick Schroder), who is just as good, if not
better than Johnny. Joe's got his eye on hustling Danny and his
friends. Soon, Brad and Danny are playing a high-stakes game of
pool ending with Danny owing Joe a huge sum of money, with no way
to pay him. Desperate for cash, Danny enacts a heist to pay off Joe,
but everything goes wrong and soon Johnny finds his brother in jail.
With options and time running out, Johnny must make a final stand
against his former mentor, Joe and the result is a "race to nine"
showdown with Brad "the pro". The stakes are high - with Johnny's
future, Mike's bankroll, Danny's bail money, and of course, the
"love of a good woman" all on the table!
CAST
CHAZZ PALMINTERI (Joe)
Chazz Palminteri is one of the stalwart actors of American film
having begun his prestigious career in 1984 with the small film
Home Free All. From that small feature film role, he grew
to become one of the legends of the film industry, working in such
major films as A Bronx Tale, The Perez Family, The Usual Suspects,
Mulholland Falls, Hurlyburly, Analyze This and of course the
voice of Smokey the Alley Cat, in the animated film Stuart
Little. His creative talents were further explored, as he
branched into screenwriting with A Bronx Tale and directing
with the television series Oz.
RICK SCHRODER (Brad)
Rick Schroder broke into the motion picture industry in the smash
film The Champ in 1979 and hasn't stopped since. Two feature
films immediately followed, The Last Flight of Noah's Ark
and The Earthling. Since then Rick has made the transition
from child star to full-fledge movie and television star appearing
in the acclaimed mini-series Lonesome Dove and most recently
starring in the acclaimed television series NYPD Blue
as "Detective Danny Sorenson". Poolhall Junkies marks a
return to feature films for Mr. Schroder.
ROD STEIGER (Nick)
He was offered the title role in the movie Patton but
refused it saying, "I'm not going to glorify war". The role passed
to George C Scott, who received the academy award. Steiger called
it the "dumbest career move" he ever made. Rod Steiger became an
acting legend on both stage and screen. He earned his first Oscar
nomination in 1954 for On the Waterfront and a second
nomination for The Pawnbroker in 1965. He won the coveted
award playing the gum chewing, redneck Southern sheriff opposite
Sidney Poitier in The Heat of the Night. Other films include
Dr. Zhivago, No Way to Treat a Lady, W.C. Fields and Me, The
Chosen, The Player and many others.
MICHAEL ROSENBAUM (Danny)
Michael Rosenbaum made his motion picture debut in the acclaimed
film Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil as George
Tucker. Since then, he has made his mark as one of the hottest
young television stars on the WB Network's Smallville
playing Lex Luther. Other feature films include Sweet November,
Eddie Eyeball and Urban Legend.
MARS CALLAHAN (Johnny)
Mars Callahan originally wrote Poolhall Junkies as a
vehicle for himself to star as "Danny, the younger brother. After
ten years of hard work and perseverance to get the film made, Mars
stars as "Johnny the older brother, a fact he laughs about as he
describes the odyssey of writing, starring and directing a film.
He is best known as an accomplished actor in such films as That
Thing You Do!, a comedy written and directed by Academy
Award Winner Tom Hanks and starring Live Tyler and Charlize Theron;
Kalifornia, starring Brad Pitt, Juliette Lewis and David
Duchovny; and Clifford. Mars Callahan has made numerous
guest appearances on such hit television shows as ER, The Wonder
Years, Growing Pains and starred in television features I
Know My First Name is Steven and Children of Times Square.
ALISON EASTWOOD (Tara)
Alison Eastwood made her debut appearance as an orphan in the
film Bronco Billy starring her father, actor/director
Clint Eastwood. The experience served to whet her appetite and in
her early teens she appeared in the film Tightrope. In 1997
Alison took on her first adult role in the thriller Absolute
Power and broke into the public consciousness in Midnight
in the Garden of Good and Evil starring Kevin Spacey. Her love
of edgy, innovative roles has cast her in such independent films
as Just a Little Harmless Sex, Breakfast of Champions and
How to Go Out On a Date in Queens.
CHRISTOPHER WALKEN (Mike)
Many of Christopher Walken's most compelling screen turns have
been as evil characters, or tragic victims haunted by unnamable
terrors. His shocking role in The Deer Hunter in 1978 won
him a Supporting Actor Oscar. His chilling performances in films
such as The Dead Zone and the James Bond thriller A View
to a Kill have left audiences with the indelible view of
Christopher Walken as an evil character. But his creative range
also includes such compassionate performances in the telex
feature Sarah, Plain and Tall opposite Glenn Close and the
comedic eccentric drill sergeant in Biloxi Blues. He has
starred in such memorable films as Pulp Fiction, Batman Returns,
King of New York, Annie Hall, Greenwich Village, The Milagro
Beanfield War, Roseland, Wayne's World 2 and True Romance.
CREW
MARS CALLAHAN (Director and Writer)
In real life Mars Callahan is an accomplished pool player who
met co-writer Chris Corso in a pool hall where each was trying to,
hustle the other. After a bitterly contested game (neither will
tell who actually won) the two became best friends. Swapping war
stories about their mutual experiences playing pool, the two decided
to write a script based on their observations. Two weeks after the
script was completed it was optioned by Lou Diamond Phillips'
production company. But in Hollywood, nothing comes easy. The script
sat on the shelf, was re-optioned by another production company,
but still could not find all the elements to get from script to
screen. It would take ten years to bring Poolhall Junkies
to the big screen. Finally tired of the various failed attempts at
finding a cast and director, Mars took the proverbial bull by
the horns and decided to direct the film himself. He sent the
script to Christopher Walken who, after reading the script,
immediately called Mars to tell him he wanted to be a part of the
project. Having Christopher on board gave Mars the clout to
approach other established actors such as Chazz Palminteri who
instantly agreed to join the cast after reading the script. In
Poolhall Junkies Mars co-wrote, directed and stars, an
anomaly in type-casting prone Hollywood. Other writing credits
include Double Down.
CHRIS CORSO (Writer)
Poolhall Junkies marks Chris' first feature film screen
credit, though he is credited with writing several television
pilots including Simply Sterling and Sour Moose
Crossing. He is an accomplished actor starring in such films
as Roller Blade Warriors: Taken by Force starting Jack
Damon, Chris Roth and Kathleen Kimont and directed by
Donald G. Jackson. He also appeared in the hilarious comedy
First Nudie Musical starring Cynthia Williams and Bruce
Kimmel.
TUCKER TOOLEY (Producer)
Tucker Tooley has produced several motion pictures along with
producer/partner Vincent Newman through his company Newman/Dooley
Films. Prior to founding Newman/Tooley films, Mr. Tooley had
extensive involvement in the development, production and
distribution of ten feature films. He began his career with
the InterTalent Agency of Beverly Hills and later joined
Interlight Pictures as head of development. In 1996, Mr.
Tooley went out on his own and Executive Produced his first
feature film, Andre Sekula's Fait Accompli starring
Rosanna Arquette and Michael Madsen. His credits through
Newman/Tooley Films include Diablo for New Line Cinema
starring Van Diesel and Timothy Oliphant; In the Shadows
starring James Caan, Matthew Modine, Joey Lauren Adams and
Cuba Gooding, Jr.; Sol Goode starring Balthazar Getty,
Tori Spelling and Jonathan Schaech; A Better Way to Die, The
Last Marshall and Sound Man.
VINCENT NEWMAN (Producer)
Prior to co-founding Newman/Tooley Film, Mr. Newman served as a
private consultant in communications, government relations and
capital development, representing various non-profit sector
organizations. In this capacity, Mr. Newman raised in excess of
$40 million from the private sector and wrote and produced
two documentary films Eye of a Woman's Soul and Walking
in Two Worlds. Newman/Tooley was formed in the spring of 1997
and has produced several motion pictures including A Better Way
to Die starring Andre Braugher, Joey Pantoliano and Lou
Diamond Phillips; The Last Marshall starring Scott Glenn
and William Forsythe; Soundman starring Nick Stahl and
William Forsythe as well as Diablo, In the Shadows and
Sol Goode.
KAREN BENINATI (Producer)
Karen Beninati started her entertainment career in front of
the camera. Working as a fashion model for seven years from 1991
to 1998, Karen left modeling in 1998 and moved to Los Angeles to
pursue her dream of producing feature films.
Starting at the bottom she began as an intern for the Michelle
Company, and learned the art of selling finished films. In 1999,
Karen started working for the Hirsch Company, a leading
representative of international distribution companies. Here she
worked as a liaison between the major Hollywood studios and
international distribution companies. Karen's first project is
the feature film Poolhall Junkies.
After finishing Poolhall Junkies, Karen formed High
Maintenance Films, Inc. with well-respected commercial producer,
David Moore. In the short time the have been operating, they
have managed to complete a short for Fox Searchlight called
Behind, written by Gordy Hoffman (winner 2002 Sundance
Screenwriting Award) and directed by David Brooks.
NORM WAITT (Executive Producer)
One of the co-founders of Gateway Computers, Norm Waitt founded
Gold Circle Films in March 2000 and has quickly built a reputation
as one of the most aggressive independent film companies in the
business. Mr. Waitt's feature film credits include Executive
Producing the upcoming motion picture Sonny marking
Nicolas Cage's directorial debut and starring James Franco,
Brenda Blethyn, Harry Dean Stanton and Nicolas Cage; The
Badge starring Billy Bob Thornton and Patricia Arquette;
The Man From Elysian Fields starring Andy Garcia, Mick
Jagger, Julianna Marguiles, Olivia Williams and James Coburn;
Double Whammy starring Denis Leary, Elizabeth Hurley and
Steve Buscemi; Tempted starting Burt Reynolds, Saffron Burrows
and Peter Facinelli; Strange Hearts starring Robert Forster,
Rose McGowan, Kip Pardue and Harry Hamlin as well as the
television documentary Stand and Be Counted.
ROBERT MORRIS (Director of Photography)
Mr. Morris cut his teeth as a Director of Photography in the
motion picture Hate starring David Schneider and Paul
Hungerford and directed by Drew Daywalt and David Schneider.
Poolhall Junkies marks his second feature film as the
proverbial bottom of the ladder as electrician and gaffer
learning and honing his skills to reach the position he has today.
Information provided courtesy of Rogers & Cowan
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