After the family goes to bed for the evening (everyone but me is an early riser), I usually have about three to four hours of "free time" before I begin to nod off. I normally use this time for various things such as catching up on my comic pile, 'net browsing, a quick session of Guild Wars Factions, or movie watching.
Last night, I was planning to watch one of the used movies I bought at Hollywood Video, but I was a bit too tired (ok lazy) to get off the couch, walk ten feet over to the DVD shelf, and put a movie into the player. Instead, I picked up the remote and did some channel surfing for a movie. After several clicks of the remote, I found The Hustler playing. Oooh!
What's great about last night's broadcast was that it was playing on Turner Classic Movies (TCM, my favorite basic cable channel), where they broadcast their movies in its Original Aspect Ratio (OAR), and there are no damn commercials breaks to interrupt the movie!
Anyways, back to the movie. The Hustler is so damn good, it's a movie I can't get away from. If it's on the tube, I have to stop what I'm doing just to watch it. The character interaction just sucks you into the movie, it's mesmerizing. It's not surprising it was nominated for nine(!) Oscars.
The movie is also jam packed with top notch actors; Paul Newman, Piper Laurie, George C. Scott and Jackie Gleason. Each played their role so well, they all were nominated for an Oscar (although Scott personally refused to be nominated). Unfortunately, none of them won (which sucks big time).
Many people claim this is the best pool or sports movie ever made. I actually don't see it as a either type of movie, but more of a character study of a man with a great talent who can't seem to use that talent to its greatest potential because of his self destructive nature. It's not until he meets and experiences life with his soul mate (who has similar shortcomings) that he can move beyond his deficiencies to become the best at what he does. Of course, to become the best, he has to make sacrifices, some that he may later regret.
If you haven't seen this movie, go see it. Now. Rent, borrow, or buy it. There aren't many movies like this anymore, and it'd be a shame to miss a great piece of cinema.
UPDATE: Nelson?!? I'm a frickin' idiot!
8^B
Movie DVD Turner Classic Movies Hustler Paul Newman Piper Laurie George C. Scott Jackie Gleason Pool
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