Directed by John Ford
Produced by William Fox
Written by Robert N. Lee, Booth Tarkington (play), Harry Leon Wilson (play)
Starring John Gilbert, Gertrude Olmstead
Cinematography George Schneiderman
Distributed by Fox Film Corporation
Release date(s) October 21, 1923
Running time 70 minutes
Country United States
Language Silent
English intertitles

Cameo Kirby is a 1923 silent drama film directed by John Ford and featured Jean Arthur in her onscreen debut. It was Ford’s first film credited as John Ford instead of Jack Ford.^[1] It was based on a play by Booth Tarkington and Harry Leon Wilson. The story had been filmed as a silent before in 1915 with Dustin Farnum, who had originated the role on Broadway in 1909. The film was remade as an talking musical film in 1930.

Prints of the film exist in the UCLA Film and Television Archive and at the Cinemateca Portuguesa (Portuguese Film Archive), in Lisbon.

Cast

John Gilbert – Cameo Kirby
Gertrude Olmstead – Adele Randall
Alan Hale – Colonel Moreau
Eric Mayne – Colonel Randall
W. E. Lawrence – Tom Randall (as William E. Lawrence)
Richard Tucker – Cousin Aaron Randall
Phillips Smalley – Judge Playdell
Jack McDonald – Larkin Bunce
Jean Arthur – Ann Playdell
Eugenie Forde – Madame Davezac
Frank Baker (uncredited)
Ken Maynard (uncredited)
Ynez Seabury (uncredited)

References

Links

• Cameo Kirby at the Internet Movie Database
• Cameo Kirby (1930) Sound Version at the Internet Movie Database
• Cameo Kirby at AllRovi
• Cameo Kirby lantern slide

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

Directed by Ben Bolt, Harold Becker
Produced by Martin Ransohoff
Written by Clark Howard, Robert Roy Pool
Starring Matt Dillon, Diane Lane, Tommy Lee Jones, Bruce Dern, Lee Grant
Music by Michael Melvoin, Frank Fitzpatrick (Music Editor)
Cinematography Ralf D. Bode
Editing by Stuart H. Pappé
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Release date(s) September 25, 1987
Running time 109 min.
Country United States
Language English
Box office $1,733,000

The Big Town is a 1987 film drama about a young man who comes to the big city to work as a professional gambler, in the process becoming romantically involved with two women—one of whom is already married. The film was directed by Ben Bolt and Harold Becker and it stars Matt Dillon, Diane Lane, and Tommy Lee Jones.

Main cast

Plot

In 1957, J. C. Cullen is a small-town crapshooter who heads to Chicago, Illinois to seek his fortune. There he becomes the pawn of two high-rolling professional gamblers, Mr. and Mrs. Edwards. He later gets mixed-up in a revenge scheme cooked up by Lorry Dane, the embittered stripper wife of strip-joint owner George Cole. Before he knows what’s happened, Cullen is embroiled in two torrid romances, one with Dane and the other with nice girl Aggie Donaldson; he also nearly loses his life by ending up in the middle of a deadly feud between Edwards and Cole.

Links

• The Big Town at the Internet Movie Database
• The Big Town at AllRovi

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — IMAX Corporation (NYSE: IMAX; TSX: IMX) and Paramount Pictures today announced that Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol The IMAX Experience, earned approximately $14 million at the box office in IMAX® theatres worldwide during its opening weekend. Domestically, the film generated $10.5 million on 300 IMAX screens, for an IMAX per-screen average of $35,000. Internationally, it generated $3.4 million on 89 IMAX screens, for an IMAX per-screen average of $38,200. The film surpassed the previous December opening box office records set by Tron: Legacy. Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol The IMAX Experience is set to open on 112 additional IMAX® theatres in various territories, including China and the UK.

“Paramount leveraged an early release in IMAX as a key component of its marketing strategy for this film and based on this promising start we are enthusiastic that this approach will deliver,” said IMAX CEO Richard L. Gelfond. “Not only were the global IMAX grosses strong, but we were extremely effective in generating positive reviews, word-of-mouth and substantial social media buzz that we expect will continue to build strong demand for the film going into its wide release on Wednesday. We’re very grateful that we could repay Paramount’s confidence in IMAX by supporting the overall success of this incredible film and by playing a key strategic role in making this film an event that simply can’t be missed.”

“The one-two punch of The IMAX Experience coupled with the passionate filmmaking of Brad Bird, JJ Abrams and Tom Cruise is what differentiates this film from the rest of the pack,” said Greg Foster, Chairman and President, IMAX Filmed Entertainment. “The more than 30 percent uptick in box office from Friday to Saturday points to the growing momentum of the movie heading into its official opening. Given that this film set December records both domestically and globally for IMAX also shows that whether in 2D or 3D, audiences are drawn to a strong movie that features the IMAX DNA.”

The IMAX release of this fourth installment of Mission: Impossible features approximately 30 minutes of scenes filmed with IMAX cameras. Exclusively in IMAX, these sequences expand to fill the entire screen, and further immerse the audience in the explosive action and vast scope of the film. One featured sequence includes the unbelievable stunt performed by Tom Cruise as he scaled the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa Tower in Dubai, providing an up-close, you-are-there experience as only IMAX can.

The IMAX release of Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol has been digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images coupled with IMAX’s customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.

About Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
The IMF is shut down when it’s implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin, causing Ethan Hunt and his new team to go rogue to clear their organization’s name. No help, no contact, off the grid. Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol is directed by Brad Bird, in his live action film debut, and written by Josh Appelbaum & Andre Nemec and Christopher McQuarrie. Cruise, who produces the Mission: Impossible films, is joined by producers J.J. Abrams and Bryan Burk. The film will be co-financed by Skydance Productions. Jeffrey Chernov, David Ellison, Paul Schwake and Dana Goldberg are the executive producers.

About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (Nasdaq: VIA, VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. The company’s labels include Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Digital Entertainment, Paramount Famous Productions, Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., Paramount Studio Group and Paramount Television & Digital Distribution.

About IMAX Corporation

IMAX Corporation is one of the world’s leading entertainment and technology companies, specializing in the creation and delivery of premium, awe-inspiring entertainment experiences. With a growing suite of cutting-edge motion picture and sound technologies, and a globally recognized entertainment brand, IMAX is singularly situated at the convergence of the entertainment industry, innovation and the digital media world. The industry’s top filmmakers and studios are utilizing IMAX theatres to connect with audiences in extraordinary ways, and as such, the IMAX network is among the most important and successful theatrical distribution platforms for major event films around the globe. The Company’s new digital projection and sound systems – combined with a growing blockbuster film slate – are fueling the rapid expansion of the IMAX network in established markets such as North America, Western Europe, and Japan, as well as emerging markets such as China and Russia. IMAX theaters deliver the world’s best cinematic presentations using proprietary IMAX®, IMAX 3D®, and IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-Mastering) technologies. IMAX DMR enables virtually any motion picture to be transformed into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience®.

IMAX is headquartered in New York, Toronto and Los Angeles, with offices in London, Tokyo, Shanghai and Beijing. As of September 30, 2011, there were 583 IMAX theatres (441 commercial multiplex, 23 commercial destination and 119 institutional) operating in 48 countries.

IMAX®, IMAX® 3D, IMAX DMR®, Experience It In IMAX®, An IMAX 3D Experience® and The IMAX Experience® are trademarks of IMAX Corporation. More information about the Company can be found at www.imax.com. You may also connect with IMAX on Facebook (www.facebook.com/imax),  Twitter (www.twitter.com/imax)  and YouTube (www.youtube.com/imaxmovies).

This press release contains forward looking statements that are based on IMAX management’s assumptions and existing information and involve certain risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. Important factors that could affect these statements include, but are not limited to, general economic, market or business conditions, including the length and severity of the current economic downturn, the opportunities that may be presented to and pursued by IMAX, the performance of IMAX DMR films, conditions in the in-home and out-of home entertainment industries, the signing of theatre system agreements, changes and developments in the commercial exhibition industry, the failure to convert theatre system backlog into revenue, new business initiatives, investments and operations in foreign jurisdictions, foreign currency fluctuations and IMAX’s prior restatements and the related litigation. These factors and other risks and uncertainties are discussed in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and most recent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.

For additional information please contact:

Entertainment Media:
IMAX Corporation – Santa Monica
Rebecca Klein
310-255-5656
rklein@imax.com

Principal Communications Group, Los Angeles
Melissa Zukerman/Paul Pflug
323-658-1555
melissa@pcommgroup.com
paul@pcommgroup.com

Investors:
IMAX Corporation – New York
Heather Anthony
212-821-0121
hanthony@imax.com

Business Media:
IMAX Corporation – New York
Ann Sommerlath/Adam Davis
212-821-0155
212-821-0116
asommerlath@imax.com
adavis@imax.com

Sloane & Company – New York
Whit Clay
212-446-1864
wclay@sloanepr.com

Directed by Brewster MacWilliams
Produced by Robert Peters, Roy Winnick
Written by Brewster MacWilliams
Starring Frank Gorshin, Stanley DeSantis, Sam Anderson, Mike Genovese, Susan Traylor, Robert Dubac
Music by Colin Leese
Cinematography Arturo Smith
Release date(s) 1997
Running time 89 min.
Country US
Language English

After the Game is a 1997 film noir drama/mystery film starring Frank Gorshin, Stanley DeSantis, Sam Anderson, Mike Genovese, Susan Traylor, and Robert Dubac.

Directed by Brewster MacWilliams and produced by Robert Peters and Roy Winnick, the screenplay was written by Brewster MacWilliams.

The DVD, titled The Last Hand, was issued in 2004.

Synopsis

After the Game is a crime fiction murder mystery with a theme of “after the game of poker” and “after the game of life.” It deals with revenge, deceit, lust and greed, and explores karma and the afterlife.

Aging gambler Benny Walsh (played by Gorshin) dies in a suspicious car crash after the biggest poker win of his life. His son, Clyde (played by Dubac), comes to the Nevada town in search of answers. He discovers that each of his father’s gambling buddies had ample reason to see him dead.

Cast

Frank Gorshin as Benny Walsh
Stanley DeSantis as Frank Bertini
Sam Anderson as Jimmy Walsh
Mike Genovese as Sam Kowalski
Susan Traylor as Veronica Kowalski
Richard Lineback as Slim, the Bartender
Donna Eskra as Dolly
Robert Dubac as Clyde Walsh
Lou Rawls as Morgue Attendant
Daniel Zacapa as Detective Garcia
Hudson Leick as Grace

Links

• After the Game at the Internet Movie Database

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

Directed by Phil Karlson
Produced by Helen Ainsworth (associate producer), Stirling Sillphant, John Barnwell
Written by Stirling Sillphant, William Bowers, John Barnwell, Jack Finney (magazine story), Frank Tashlin (uncredited)
Starring Kim Novak, Brian Keith
Music by George Duning
Cinematography Lester White
Editing by Jerome Thoms
Distributed by Columbia Pictures Corporation
Release date(s) June 10, 1955
Running time 84 minutes
Country United States

5 Against the House is a 1955 American heist film starring Kim Novak, Guy Madison and Brian Keith, directed by Phil Karlson and based on a story by Jack Finney. It centers on a fictional robbery of what was a real Nevada casino, Harold’s Club.

Plot summary

During a weekend side-trip to Reno, Nevada, college friends Brick (Keith), Al (Madison), Ronnie (Kerwin Matthews) and Roy (Alvy Moore), visit the famous casino Harold’s Club.

After an hour spent gambling and socializing, the group prepares to leave. Ronnie, however, has lost money playing roulette, and must cash in a check at the cashier’s window. He is accompanied there by Roy, but, unbeknownst to either of them, the cashier is being threatened by a man with a gun. Using a concealed security alarm, the cashier alerts casino officials who then converge on the window believing that Roy and Ronnie are also involved in the attempted robbery. All three are apprehended. Outside the casino moments later, Al persuades the police to release Roy and Ronnie, but the inquisitive Ronnie has already become obsessed with the concept of a spectacular robbery, especially a robbery of a casino like Harold’s Club, and he begins forming his own plans to rob Harold’s Club after he overhears a bystander lament, “There’s no way it (a robbery) can be done.”

Once back at college, the incident is seemingly forgotten, though Ronnie immediately begins developing his plans in earnest whilst the others are preoccupied by the beginning of the new term. Al is also preoccupied by his desire to reestablish his relationship with his girlfriend, Kaye (Kim Novak), who has recently become a singer at a local nightclub. Determined to see her perform, Al takes Brick, Roy and Ronnie to see one of Kaye’s first shows. After the performance, Brick, a Korean War veteran, is provoked into fighting a fellow student over a former girlfriend, and, afterward, he suffers from the effects of a dissociative psychotic episode due to an ongoing battle with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Later in the night, Al encourages a distraught Brick to return to a veteran’s hospital for treatment, but he refuses, and, together, the two agree to move on.

Some time later, Ronnie finalizes an actual plan to rob Harold’s Club. Claiming that the robbery would be an adventurous “first” [experience] in their otherwise ordinary lives, Ronnie reveals the plan to Brick and Roy. Ronnie then maintains that if the robbery were a success, all the stolen money would be returned, thereby ensuring that no one involved would be guilty of a prosecutable crime. Though initially skeptical, Brick and Roy gradually abandon their misgivings. The wealthy Ronnie then uses his personal inheritance funds to purchase an untraceable trailer and car and fabricate a wooden cart that is identical to the cash carts used at Harold’s — the most important component of the heist.

Though his preparations are complete, Ronnie determines that the robbery can only go ahead if Al is present for it, since he maintains that at least four people will be needed for the dangerously complex operation. But Brick, Roy and Ronnie agree that Al will not go along with the robbery if he is made aware of it beforehand. Coincidentally, the day before the robbery, Al proposes to Kaye, and they decide to go to Reno with the others to celebrate their engagement.

On the way to Reno, Al recognizes the cart’s design while riding in the trailer and inadvertently triggers play of a sinister audio recording somehow connected to a button on the cart’s handle and played through a small reel-to-reel recorder hidden inside the cart itself. The message reveals Ronnie’s robbery plans to Kaye and Al. Shocked, they refuse to participate.

Brick then intervenes. Pulling a hidden revolver from his baggage, Brick seizes control of the robbery. Fearing a life of destitution and confinement, the increasingly disturbed Brick explains that the robbery will go ahead as intended, despite Al and Kaye’s objections, but with one significant exception: the money will not be returned to the casino. Additionally, Brick promises to kill Al if anyone attempts to sabotage the plan.

Once they arrive at the casino, the robbery is carried out efficiently as Reno’s casino district is filled with costumed partiers celebrating a distracting cowboy-themed fête, and, in the chaotic festivities, the disguised Brick, Ronnie and Al blend into the crowd, going unnoticed by casino security while convincing a cart operator (William Conrad) to retrieve cash from the casino’s money room through a clever ploy — using the prerecorded message on the tape recorder inside the counterfeit cart to frighten the man into playing along.

After the final moments of the robbery, Brick leaves the others behind and escapes with the money, but he is pursued, by Al, into a casino parking structure. Kaye, having alerted police, follows them, and a tense standoff takes place. Al manages to make Brick give himself up peacefully and the gathered police officers escort Brick from the scene while promising to treat him fairly. No one else is arrested, and, in the final shot, Al and Kaye embrace on a crowded street.

Cast

Kim Novak as Kaye Greylek
Brian Keith as Brick
Guy Madison as Al Mercer
Kerwin Matthews as Ronnie
Alvy Moore as Roy
William Conrad as Eric Berg
Jack Dimond as Francis Spiegelbauer
Jean Wills as Virginia

Reception

The film was praised upon its release by the New York Times, which cited, “brisk direction, crisp, idiomatic and truly comic dialogue” as being chief among its positive qualities, but held reservations about the film’s development of characters and back-story.^[1] Contemporary reviewer Richard Harland Smith has reported that Kim Novak received, “favorable, albeit condescending reviews” for her portrayal of “night-club chanteuse” Kaye Greylek, which improved her status at Columbia Pictures.^[2]

Significance

Released in 1955, 5 Against the House is an early example of a filmed heist, and an early film depiction of casino-robbery, to be later typified by, among others, Ocean’s 11, its remake and sequels. Martin Scorsese has thus specifically indicated that his 1995 film Casino was influenced by Karlson’s own production.^[3] And, though not her film debut, the film was one of future-star Kim Novak’s first screen appearances; Novak was one of the last film stars to be signed to a studio contract and to be recruited through the “old studio system” by producer Harry Cohn.^[4]

DVD Releases

On November 3, 2009, Sony Pictures released the film on standard-definition DVD as a part of their collection Film Noir Classics, Volume I with other early noir films The Big Heat, The Lineup, Murder by Contract, and The Sniper. The DVD includes film introductions and commentaries by notable filmmakers Martin Scorsese, Michael Mann, Christopher Nolan and authors Eddie Muller and James Ellroy.^[5]

References

Links

• 5 Against the House at the Internet Movie Database
• 5 Against the House at AllRovi
• 5 Against the House at the TCM Movie Database

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

Directed by Alexander Hall
Produced by Lewis E. Gensler
Written by Eve Greene, William R. Lipman (story), Philip MacDonald, Harlan Ware, William H. Wright (story)
Starring George Raft, Dolores Costello, Ida Lupino
Cinematography Theodor Sparkuhl
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date(s) 19 August 1936

Yours for the Asking is a 1936 film starring George Raft as a casino owner and Dolores Costello as the socialite he hires as hostess. The movie also features Ida Lupino and was directed by Alexander Hall.

Cast

George Raft as Johnny Lamb
Dolores Costello as Lucille Sutton
Ida Lupino as Gert Malloy
Reginald Owen as Dictionary McKinney
James Gleason as Saratoga
Edgar Kennedy as Bicarbonate
Lynne Overman as Honeysuckle
Groucho Marx as Sunbather (uncredited)
Dennis O’Keefe as Man (uncredited)
Charles Ruggles as Sunbather (uncredited)
Ellen Drew as Girl (uncredited)

Links

• Yours for the Asking at the Internet Movie Database

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

Directed by Daniel Mann
Produced by Jack Rose
Written by A. Rose (book), Jack Rose
Starring Dean Martin, Lana Turner, Eddie Albert, Walter Matthau
Music by George Duning
Nita Talbot
Cinematography Joseph Ruttenberg
Editing by Howard A. Smith
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date(s) December 25, 1962
Running time 93 min.
Country U.S.A.
Language English

Who’s Got the Action? (1962) is a comedy film about a man suffering from an addiction to gambling starring Dean Martin, Lana Turner, Eddie Albert, and Walter Matthau. The film was written by Alexander Rose and Jack Rose, and directed by Daniel Mann.

Plot

The gambling habit of lawyer Steve Flood (Dean Martin) is beginning to get on the nerves of his wife Melanie (Lana Turner), who initially suspects him of marital infidelity. When she learns about the gambling, Melanie talks Steve’s law partner Clint Morgan (Eddie Albert), an old flame, into helping her act as a fictitious horse race bookie offering unusually attractive terms to clients.

The plan is for Steve to lose enough money to permanently rid him of the betting habit, but it goes awry when he suddenly begins winning bets on a number of long-shot horses. Flood’s winning streak attracts the attention of two horse-playing judges, Boatwright (Paul Ford) and Fogel (John McGiver), who persuade Flood to place bets for them with his mysterious “bookie.” Melanie and Morgan are astounded when the judges begin winning large wagers as well.

The make-believe bookmaking activity arouses the ire of syndicate mobster Tony Gagoots (Walter Matthau), who is furious to know who’s “getting the action.” Gagoots’s mistress, a nightclub singer named Saturday Knight (Nita Talbot), happens to be the Floods’ next-door neighbor, and assists Melanie in raising cash for the gambling payoffs by purchasing various furnishings from the Floods’ apartment (using Gagoots’ ill-gotten money).

The source of the mysterious “bookmaking” is traced to the Floods’ apartment by Gagoots through an illegal telephone wiretap. He and a team of thugs descend upon the apartment, where they are surprised to find all the defecting gamblers assembled. They are thunderstruck when a coercive interrogation reveals that Melanie Flood is the “bookie” they have been seeking.

Steve Flood ultimately convinces Gagoots to forgive all of their gambling debts by arguing that only by marrying his mistress Saturday can he avoid the risk of incriminating testimony. In one stroke this fulfills Saturday’s long-sought goal, saves the Floods’ marriage, insulates Gagoots from future prosecution and clears Melanie’s $18,000 gambling payoff burden.

Evaluation

Who’s Got the Action? doesn’t rank as a landmark comedy, it is thoroughly entertaining and well worth seeing. The principal cast members (Martin, Turner, Albert) give creditable performances, but the film benefits much more from knockout performances by the supporting cast (Talbot, Matthau, Ford, McGiver, Glass, various others). The musical score is also excellent. Many of the scenes were filmed on location in Flood’s/Knight’s luxurious penthouse apartments in the historic Talmadge building on Los Angeles’ Wilshire Boulevard; much of the automobile driving shown runs up and down Wilshire. The pace of the action is very fast, with the gag lines (some good, some dull) coming every few seconds. An amusing sideline is the occasional views of Gagoots’ s huge, light-flashing Univac computer, which keeps track of the syndicate’s illegal bookmaking operations.

Movie Origins and Design

The storyline is based on the 1960 novel Four Horse Players Are Missing by Alexander Rose, who also plays a minor role in the film (“Mr. Goody”). This novel, in turn, was closely related to the book Little Miss Marker (1934) by Alexander Hall.

At the detail level, producer/script writer Jack Rose took many liberties to make use of the screen reputations of the cast members. For example, Dean Martin at the “Blue Slipper” night club maintains his boozer image by telling a waiter, “Pour scotch all over us”; in the film’s opening scene he grabs someone else’s cocktail on his way to the phone booth. Straight-laced John McGiver explains that he bets on horses only because “it annoys my wife.”

Matthau’s tour de force portrayal of mobster Tony Gagoots includes a parade of humorous cracks and incongruous actions (drinking from a glass of milk on his desk; biting loudly into apples; ordering his thugs to bring along the artillery “unless you object on religious grounds”; telling Mrs. Flood that he has a deal with Bennett Cerf – “He doesn’t take horse bets, I don’t publish books.”

Famous pin-up model June Wilkinson has no spoken lines, but appears in a bizarre scene in Judge Boatwright’s chambers as a young bride preparing to marry an octogenarian groom. One curious anomaly: Judges Boatwright and Fogel show up in person at a local horse racing track (Hollywood Park) to witness the running of an elderly mare named “Sadness”; this raises the question of why, if the judges could make it to the track, they did not place legal pari-mutuel wagers there instead of making illegal bets through Flood’s mysterious bookie (actually Mrs. Flood). The song performed by Nita Talbot at the night club (“The Lady’s In Love With You”) was of her own composition.

Cast

Dean Martin as Steve Flood
Lana Turner as Melanie Flood
Eddie Albert as Clint Morgan
Walter Matthau as Tony Gagouts
Paul Ford as Judge Boatwright
Nita Talbot as Saturday Knight
John McGiver as Judge Fogel
Jack Albertson as Hodges

Links

• Who’s Got the Action? at the Internet Movie Database
• Who’s Got the Action? at AllRovi

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

Directed by Stephen Kessler
Produced by Jerry Weintraub
Written by Screenplay: Elisa Bell
Story: Elisa Bell, Bob Ducsay
Characters: John Hughes
Starring: Chevy Chase, Ethan Embry, Marisol Nichols, Beverly D’Angelo, Randy Quaid
Music by Joel McNeely
Cinematography William A. Fraker
Editing by Seth Flaum
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Release date(s) February 14, 1997 (USA)
Running time 93 min.
Language English
Gross revenue $36,429,528 (USA)

Vegas Vacation is a 1997 comedy film. It is the fourth film in the original Vacation film series centering around the fictitious Griswold family, following Vacation, European Vacation, and Christmas Vacation. Chevy Chase reprises his starring role as Clark W. Griswold, the patriarch of the family. The film opened at #4 at the box office and grossed over $36.4 million domestically.^[1] This is the only theatrical Vacation film not to be sponsored by National Lampoon.

Plot

At work, Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) has invented a long life food preservative, earning him a large bonus check. Clark announces to his family that he is taking them on vacation. Enthusiasm wanes, however, when Clark says they are headed to Las Vegas, Nevada.

His wife, Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo), and teenage daughter, Audrey (Marisol Nichols) have their doubts, as Las Vegas is not known for its family-friendly atmosphere, while teenage son Rusty (Ethan Embry) appears to be more eager, even asking if prostitution is legal there.

Upon arriving in Vegas, the family embarks upon a series of mishaps and adventures. Clark crosses paths with Cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid), the husband of Ellen’s cousin Catherine (Miriam Flynn). Eddie and his family now live in the desert just north of Las Vegas, on what used to be an H-bomb test site.

While on a group tour of the gigantic Hoover Dam, Clark foolishly leaves the group after accidentally creating a leak in the dam’s inside walkways, and is forced to climb the scaffolding to the very top of the dam to get out, because his cries for help cannot be heard over the roaring water of the spillway.

During the vacation in Las Vegas, Clark becomes addicted to gambling (mostly Blackjack, which he usually loses), Rusty gets a fake ID and becomes a winning high roller (taking on the pseudonym ‘Nick Pappagiorgio’), Audrey starts hanging out with Eddie’s wild stripper daughter Vickie (Shae D’Lyn) (and hanging out with impersonators of The Beatles as well), and Ellen becomes addicted to Wayne Newton (playing himself), who may have feelings for Ellen, and it’s making Clark jealous.

After Clark gambles away the family’s $22,600 bank account, Eddie—who has money buried in his front yard—tries to come to the Griswold family’s rescue in return for everything the Griswolds have done for him and his family over the years.

Ultimately, the family begins to fall apart, thanks to Clark’s obsessive gambling, Ellen’s infatuation with Wayne Newton, Rusty’s new winning lifestyle, and Audrey’s desire to engage in exotic dancing with Cousin Vicki rather than spend time with her family.

The Griswolds must learn how to come together as a family, or “Sin City” just might destroy their very fabric.

Near the climax of the film, the Griswolds gamble their last two dollars on a game of Keno. They take a seat next to an older man (Sid Caesar in a cameo) who compliments Clark on his lovely family, and hints that he’s been lonely all of his life. Out of guilt, Clark tells the man to consider himself part of the Griswold family for the night. The man happily accepts Clark’s kind words, and both parties begin the game. At first, the Griswolds are hopeful, but as they realize they’ve already lost the game, they sadly sit for moments in silence. Suddenly, the man next to them ecstatically declares that he’s won the game. As he continues to express joy, he suddenly begins to slip in and out of consciousness while Ellen sends Rusty for help. He awakens one last time and whispers a message to Clark, before dropping his winning ticket and falling one final time. Clark, puzzled, tells Ellen that the man said “take the ticket”. When the casino security guards and paramedics arrive, they declare the man officially dead. They tell the Griswolds his name was Mr. Ellis, and commented on how sad his loneliness was to them. As Mr. Ellis is carried away, a janitor approaches with a vacuum cleaner; walking straight for the winning ticket on the floor. Though it appears Clark is going to allow it to be lost, he at the last moment pulls the ticket out of the path of the vacuum.

Clark and Ellen remarry at the end. Afterwards, Clark hands Eddie a large pile of cash (Eddie can be overheard saying $5000 after counting it) and explains by telling him that “we were very fortunate last night”. Rusty tells Clark of the four cars he had won, a Dodge Viper, a Ford Mustang, a Hummer H1, and a Ford Aspire. Clark takes all the keys away from Rusty, but instead of confiscating them, he gives the keys to each family member. The movie rolls credits as the Griswolds are shown on Interstate 15, driving back home to Chicago.

Cast

Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold
Beverly D’Angelo as Ellen Griswold
Marisol Nichols as Audrey Griswold
Ethan Embry as Russell “Rusty” Griswold
Randy Quaid as Cousin Eddie
Miriam Flynn as Cousin Catherine
Shae D’Lyn as Cousin Vicki
Wallace Shawn as Marty
Julia Sweeney as Mirage Reception Person

Cameos

Wayne Newton as himself
Siegfried & Roy as themselves
Toby Huss as young Frank Sinatra impersonator/fake i.d. salesman
Christie Brinkley as “Girl in the Red Ferrari” from the first film
Sid Caesar as Mr. Ellis
Jerry Weintraub as “Gilly from Philly”

Production

The Mirage Resort on the Las Vegas Strip was a major filming location for this movie. It was filmed during the busy tourist season, from mid-June, through late September 1996. Several sections of the movie are filmed at Shenandoah, the home of entertainer Wayne Newton, who also appears in the film.

Nichols and Embry became the fourth different set of actors to play the Griswold children, Audrey and Rusty. This fact is referenced early in the film when Clark Griswold comments that he hardly recognizes his children anymore. The role of Huss was similar to a number of MTV commercials from the early 1990s that featured Huss as a Vegas crooner.

This was the first (and only) theatrical Vacation film in the series to receive a PG rating. The first Vacation film was rated R, while European Vacation and Christmas Vacation received PG-13 ratings. As a result the language, and vulgar/sexual situations as in the previous films do somewhat exist but are much more mild and toned down than the other installments.

Critical reception

The film has received mostly mixed to negative reviews. The film has garnered a “Rotten” rating of 14% on Rotten Tomatoes^[2] and a weighted average score of 20 out of 100 on Metacritic.^[3] However, the film has received a C+ rating at Box Office Mojo and a score on 5.5 on Internet Movie Database.

Despite mixed reviews, Vegas Vacation has found success on DVD and on television.

References

Links

• Vegas Vacation at the Internet Movie Database
• Vegas Vacation at Allrovi

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Directed by Sidney Poitier
Produced by Melville Tucker
Written by Richard Wesley
Starring Sidney Poitier, Bill Cosby, Harry Belafonte
Studio First Artists
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Release date(s) July 26, 1974
Running time 104 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $3,000,000 (approx.)

Uptown Saturday Night is a 1974 comedy film written by Richard Wesley, and directed by Sidney Poitier. Poitier also stars in this film, along with Bill Cosby and Harry Belafonte. Cosby and Poitier teamed up again for Let’s Do It Again (1975) and A Piece of the Action (1977). Although their characters have different names in each film, the three films are considered to be a trilogy.

Synopsis

Steve Jackson (Sidney Poitier), a blue-collar worker at a steel mill, has just begun a two-weeks-long vacation. He is convinced by his friend Wardell Franklin (Bill Cosby) to go to a party that Saturday night at Madam Zenobia’s, an uptown nightclub.

While the two are at the party, the club is robbed. The masked bandits force the patrons to strip to their underwear, then steal their money and jewelery, including Steve’s wallet.

The following day, Steve is at home and reading his newspaper when he learns he has won the lottery. However, he realizes that the lottery ticket was in the wallet that was stolen from him, and Steve and Wardell spend the remainder of the film tracking down his wallet by consulting with crooked politicians, fake detectives, con-artists, and underworld crime bosses.

Cast

Sidney Poitier — Steve Jackson
Bill Cosby — Wardell Franklin
Harry Belafonte — Geechie Dan Beauford
Flip Wilson — The Reverend
Richard Pryor — Sharp Eye Washington
Calvin Lockhart — Silky Slim
Rosalind Cash — Sarah Jackson
Roscoe Lee Browne — Congressman Lincoln
Paula Kelly — Leggy Peggy
Lee Chamberlin — Madame Zenobia
Johnny Sekka — Geechie’s Henchman
Lincoln Kilpatrick — Slim’s Henchman #1
Don Marshall — Slim’s Henchman #2
Harold Nicholas — Little Seymour Pettigrew

cameo appearances by:

Ketty Lester — Irma Franklin
Jophery C. Brown — Geechie Dan henchman
Gene McDaniels — Member of the Choir
Ray Parker Jr. — Ray
George Reynolds — Big Percy
Richard Warren — Driver

Television pilot

Shortly after the film’s release, NBC commissioned a pilot for a sitcom version of Uptown Saturday Night,^[1] starring Cleavon Little and Adam Wade, playing the respective roles played by Cosby and Poitier in the film. The pilot did not sell, though it was seen on NBC during the summer of 1979 as part of Comedy Theater, one of many showcases featuring unsold pilots.

References in popular culture

An episode of Martin spoofed the club/robbery scene at Madame Zenobia’s. “Jerome” owns a club called “Club Shiznit” that Tommy and Cole go to visit one night. As armed masked women enter the club and rob everyone “down to the underwear,” one of them overhear Cole murmur to Tommy about being relieved that they did not discover the diamond earrings he was holding for Martin (who had planned to surprise Gina with them upon their return from a trip). The masked woman motions to Cole to hand the earrings over; Tommy tells her to just shoot him for running his big mouth.

The rapper Nas referenced Madame Zenobia’s in his 2006 track “Money Over Bullshit.”

Macedonian house duo Latenta Project released their track “Only One Life” with Apollo Records in 2010 which includes vocal samples and references to Madame Zenobia’s throughout the track, featuring remixes by Those Twins, Artette and Ocean Gaya.

Remake

In 2002, it was announced that Will Smith and his production company, Overbrook Entertainment, had secured the rights to the trilogy for remakes to star Smith and to be distributed by Warner Bros. Smith stated that he hoped to get Eddie Murphy, Martin Lawrence and other famous African-American stars to be in the films.^[2][3]

The 1996 album Uptown Saturday Night by the rap duo Camp Lo was named after the movie, with one member (Geechie Suede) taking his stage name from the film.

References

Links

• Uptown Saturday Night at the Internet Movie Database
• Uptown Saturday Night at Rotten Tomatoes

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

Directed by Leena Yadav
Produced by Ambika A. Hinduja
Screenplay by Leena Yadav, Shiv Kumar Subramaniam
Story by Leena Yadav, Shiv Kumar Subramaniam
Starring Amitabh Bachchan, Ben Kingsley, R. Madhavan, Saira Mohan, Raima Sen, Shraddha Kapoor, Tinnu Anand, Mahesh Manjrekar
Music by Salim-Sulaiman
Cinematography Aseem Bajaj
Editing by Hughes Winborne, Kaushik Das
Distributed by Serendipity Films
Release date(s) February 26, 2010
Running time 140 mins.
Country India
Language Hindi

Teen Patti (Hindi: तीन पत्ती) is a 2010 Bollywood film directed by Leena Yadav who had previously directed the Sanjay Dutt-Aishwarya Rai starrer Shabd in 2005. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Ben Kingsley, R. Madhavan, Raima Sen, Shraddha Kapoor^[1] and is produced by Ambika Hinduja under the banners Hinduja Ventures and Serendipity Films. The film is about a mathematics professor, played by Amitabh Bachchan, who is trying to write a thesis on probability and relates it to the Indian card game of Teen Patti.

Plot

The story begins with Venkat Subhramaniam (Amitabh Bachchan), a professor of mathematics, software engineering, and a genius, teaching math in his village to kids when a postman comes with a letter. The letter is from Perci Trachtenberg (Ben Kingsley), widely regarded as the world’s greatest living mathematician, who invites Venkat to a high rolling casino in London. Venkat tells Perci about an equation that could not only change the dialogue on mathematics forever, but one that has already left an indelible impression of guilt – for many painful reasons – on Venkat’s life. It is shown in the past that the reclusive genius Venkat has cracked a theory that could redefine the principles of probability and randomness. Venkat tries to use this experiment in a game called Teen Patti, (a poker game) which he plays on the internet. According to this experiment if a player playing Teen Patti knows all the 3 cards with one of the players (except him) he/she can guess the other cards with the rest of the players and therefore can guess who is going to win with the theory of probability.

Venkat succeeds on his theory and submits his report to the institute where he teaches but they reject his report. But Venkat is sure about his theory and wants to try out in reality with real players. So he talks with a younger professor Shantanu (R. Madhavan) about his theory and tells him to get three students to try out this experiment. Shantanu arranges three students- Sid (Siddharth Kher)- the college rockstar, Aparna or Apu (Shraddha Kapoor)- the studious geek who has a crush on Sid and Vikram or Vikku (Dhruv Ganesh)- the boy next door. They come together and start playing the game and Venkat’s theory like the last time proves to be successful. Venkat tells that after a few more games he’ll be sure to crack his equation and even be able to study it better. Shantanu tells him that he should try using his theory in the real world, where there are people who actually gamble and play Teen Patti i.e. in underground dens or ‘addas’.

Although Venkat has no interest in the money that could come from practicing his equation to crack Teen Patti, he eventually succumbs to Shantanu’s charismatic persuasion. Soon, with the help of his new students, they explore the addas (underground gambling dens) of wild Bombay. Later another student from the institute, Abbas (Vaibhav Talwar)- the rich spoiled brat joins the gang and arranges for them parties in casinos, private clubs etc. But what starts out as an experiment between a charismatic young professor and an eccentric older one soon descends into a game neither of them can control. The money they earn gets stolen; someone is blackmailing them; they get greedy about money and in the course of time they change into different people and even start betraying each other. The story tells that money is nothing but hunger; it leads to greed, deception, betrayals which have disastrous consequences in the end.

Cast

Amitabh Bachchan as Venkat Subramanium
Ben Kingsley as Perci Trachtenberg
R. Madhavan as Shantanu Biswas
Dhruv Ganesh as Bikram
Shraddha Kapoor as Aparna
Siddharth Kher as Sid
Vaibhav Talwar as Abbas
Saira Mohan as K.
Raima Sen
Ajay Devgan as Sunny
Jackie Shroff as Tony Milano
Mahesh Manjrekar as Dagdu
Ranjeet
Shakti Kapoor as Prem London
Tinnu Anand as Billu
Siddharth Shanghvi
Nonita Kalra
Bibhu Mohaptra
Eden Shyodhi
Rubina Khan as Sadasas
Maria Gopez as Dancer in Niyat Song

Production

The film is shot in India except for a few parts that in England, for which production designer Ayesha Punvani, created gambling dens (adda) in places like abandoned train yards, dockyards, abandoned factories, mills that have been shut down and an ice factory, and in all 80 sets were created ^[2]

Reception

Teen Patti had a poor opening, being beaten out by My Name Is Khan in the first place and Karthik Calling Karthik in the second place. Even Amitabh Bachchan’s appearance could not help the film to go on. The film was rated as a Box office disaster in its first week. The critical reception was extremely poor as well, receiving almost universally bad reviews. Well known film critic and author Anupama Chopra called it “a train wreck of a movie”.^[3]

References

Links

• Official website
• Teen Patti at the Internet Movie Database
• Teen Patti Reviews

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

Directed by Jack Conway
Produced by Bernard H. Hyman
Written by Anita Loos
Robert Hopkins
Starring Clark Gable
Jean Harlow
Lionel Barrymore
Frank Morgan
Walter Pidgeon
Hattie McDaniel
Margaret Hamilton
Music by Edward Ward
Cinematography Ray June
Release date(s) July 23, 1937 (1937-07-23)
Running time 92 minutes
Country United States
Language English

Saratoga is a 1937 film written by Anita Loos and directed by Jack Conway. The movie stars Clark Gable and Jean Harlow in their sixth and final film collaboration. When filming was 90% completed, Harlow collapsed on the set and died about a week later, reportedly of uremic poisoning. MGM wanted to reshoot the movie with Virginia Bruce or Jean Arthur. However, Harlow fans complained, so the remaining scenes were filmed with Mary Dees doubling for the camera and Paula Winslowe supplying Harlow’s voice. The supporting cast includes Lionel Barrymore, Frank Morgan, Walter Pidgeon, Hattie McDaniel, and Margaret Hamilton. The film would be Harlow’s final movie and Harlow’s fans turned out in droves, making Saratoga MGM’s biggest moneymaker of 1937.

Synopsis

Bookie Duke Bradley (Clark Gable) stops the bank from taking the stud of Grandpa Clayton (Lionel Barrymore). Carol Clayton (Jean Harlow) calls from England that she is going to marry the wealthy Hartley Madison (Walter Pidgeon). Duke tells her father, Frank Clayton (Jonathan Hale), and Grandpa. Broke, Frank gives Duke the deed to the family farm to pay his gambling debts. At the races, Duke takes bets and meets Hartley and Carol. Duke greets Fritzi (Una Merkel) with a kiss. During a race, Frank collapses and dies.

Carol asks Duke to sell her the farm, but Duke assures her he won’t foreclose on Grandpa. They quarrel about her marrying for money. Fritzi tells Duke that her husband Jesse Kiffmeyer (Frank Morgan) is allergic to horses. When Jesse sneezes during an auction, Duke sees to it that this is considered a bid, and Jesse ends up buying a horse that Fritzi wanted. Grandpa tells Duke that Carol is selling her horse, Moonray; Carol tells Duke she needs money to pay him off. Duke bids Hartley up to $14,000 but stops before Carol is going to let him win. Hartley asks Grandpa to train Moonray.

Carol studies horses and has won money from Duke. Tip O’Brien (Cliff Edwards) sings “The Horse With the Dreamy Eyes” with Fritzi, Duke, and Rosetta (Hattie McDaniel). Carol is friendly with Duke until he asks her to get Hartley betting. Duke calls on Hartley and tells him to help Carol’s nerves. Hartley calls Dr. Bierd (George Zucco), who says Carol is emotional and should marry soon or not see Hartley. Duke gets Hartley to bet and win $6,000, telling Tip it is bait. Carol tells Hartley not to bet with Duke, who learns Hartley is leaving. Carol asks Hartley to stay.

At the track, Hartley bets with Duke and loses $5,000. On a train, Duke dines with Fritzi and Jesse, who is jealous. Fritzi knows Duke is in love with Carol, and Duke says he plans to win money to marry her. Carol tells Duke she loves him and has broken off her engagement to Hartley. When Duke objects to losing Hartley, she gets angry. At the races, Hartley loses. Hartley hires a new trainer for Moonray. Carol gets Jesse’s contract with the jockey Dixie Gordon (Frankie Darro) so Duke will lose; but Fritzi tells Jesse that that if Duke wins, he will marry Carol. Dixie is riding Moonray. Grandpa quarrels with the new trainer. The race is a photo finish, but Moonray loses. On a train, Carol and Duke celebrate.

Cast

Clark Gable – Duke Bradley
Jean Harlow – Carol Clayton
Lionel Barrymore – Grandpa Clayton
Frank Morgan – Jesse Kiffmeyer
Walter Pidgeon – Hartley Madison
Una Merkel – Fritzi
Cliff Edwards – Tip
George Zucco – Dr. Harmsworth Bierd
Jonathan Hale – Frank Clayton
Hattie McDaniel – Rosetta
Frankie Darro – Dixie Gordon
Margaret Hamilton – Maizie

Quotes

• Duke Bradley: Honey, I love ya!
• Fritzi Kiffmeyer: We women can do things to a man we love that men wouldn’t do to a rattlesnake.
• Duke: Why, honey, you look sharp as a razor.
• Fritzi: Oh, there he is, the sweetheart!
• Duke: Who, your husband?
• Fritzi: No, that colt!

Links

• Saratoga at the Internet Movie Database

Directed by Barry Levinson
Produced by Mark Johnson
Screenplay by Barry Morrow, Ronald Bass
Story by Barry Morrow
Starring Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, Valeria Golino
Music by Hans Zimmer
Cinematography John Seale
Editing by Stu Linder
Distributed by United Artists
Release date(s) December 16, 1988 (1988-12-16)
Running time 133 minutes
Country United States
Language English, Italian
Budget $25 million
Gross revenue $354,825,435

Rain Man is a 1988 comedy-drama film written by Barry Morrow and Ronald Bass and directed by Barry Levinson. It tells the story of an abrasive and selfish yuppie, Charlie Babbitt, who discovers that his estranged father has died and bequeathed all of his multimillion-dollar estate to his other son, Raymond, a man with autism of whose existence Charlie was unaware.

The film stars Tom Cruise as Charlie Babbitt, Dustin Hoffman as Raymond Babbitt, and Valeria Golino as Charlie’s girlfriend, Susanna. Morrow created the character of Raymond after meeting Kim Peek, a real-life savant; his characterization was based on both Peek and Bill Sackter, a good friend of Morrow who was the subject of Bill, an earlier film that Morrow wrote.^[1] Rain Man received overwhelmingly positive reviews at the time of its release, praising Hoffman’s role and the wit and sophistication of the screenplay.

The film won four Oscars at the 61st Academy Awards (March 1989), including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Actor in a leading role for Hoffman. Its crew received an additional four nominations.^[2] The film also won the Golden Bear at the 39th Berlin International Film Festival.^[3]

Plot

Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise), a Los Angeles car dealer in his mid-twenties, is in the middle of importing four grey market Lamborghinis. The deal is being threatened by the EPA, and if Charlie cannot meet its requirements he will lose a significant amount of money. After some quick subterfuge with an employee, Charlie leaves for a weekend trip to Palm Springs with his girlfriend, Susanna (Valeria Golino).

Charlie’s trip is cancelled by news that his estranged father, Sanford Babbitt, has died. Charlie travels to Cincinnati, Ohio, to settle the estate, where he learns an undisclosed trustee is inheriting $3 million on behalf of an unnamed beneficiary, while all he is to receive is a classic Buick Roadmaster convertible and several prize rose bushes. Eventually he learns the money is being directed to a mental institution, which is the home of his brother with autism, Raymond (Dustin Hoffman), of whose existence Charlie was previously unaware. This leads Charlie to ask the question that permeates the movie: “Why didn’t somebody tell me I had a brother?”

Although Raymond has autism, he also has superb recall, albeit usually with little understanding of the subject matter, and extreme skill in mathematics. He is said to be a savant by some doctors. He is frightened by change and adheres to strict routines (for example, his continual repetition of the “Who’s on First?” sketch). Except when he is in distress, he shows little emotional expression and avoids eye contact. Numbed by learning that he has a brother and determined to get what he believes is his fair share of the Babbitt estate, Charlie takes Raymond on what becomes a cross-country car trip (due to Raymond’s fear of flying) back to Los Angeles to meet with his attorneys. Charlie intends to start a custody battle in order to get Raymond’s doctor, Dr. Gerald R. Bruner (Jerry Molen), to settle out of court for half of Sanford Babbitt’s estate so that the mental institution can maintain custody of Raymond.

During the course of the journey, Charlie learns about Raymond’s autism, which he initially believes is curable — resulting in his frequent frustration with his brother’s antics. He also learns about how his brother came to be separated from his family, as a result of an accident when he was left alone with Charlie when Charlie was a baby. Raymond also sings “I Saw Her Standing There” by The Beatles like he did when Charlie was young. Charlie proves to be sometimes shallow and exploitative, as when he learns that Raymond has an excellent memory and takes him to Las Vegas to win money at blackjack by counting cards. However, towards the end of their trip Charlie finds himself becoming protective of Raymond, and grows to truly love him.

Charlie finally meets with his attorney to try to get his share of his inheritance, but then decides that he no longer cares about the money and really just wants to have custody of his brother. However, at a meeting with a court-appointed psychiatrist and Dr. Bruner, Raymond is unable to decide exactly what he wants. Eventually, the psychiatrist presses Raymond to make the decision, upsetting him and leading Charlie to request that the doctor back off. Raymond is allowed to go back home to Cincinnati. Charlie, who has gained a new brother and mellowed considerably, promises Raymond as he boards an Amtrak train that he will visit in two weeks.

Cast

Tom Cruise as Charlie Babbitt
Dustin Hoffman as Raymond “Ray / Rain Man” Babbitt
Valeria Golino as Susanna
Jerry Molen as Dr. Bruner
Jack Murdock as John Mooney
Michael D. Roberts as Vern
Ralph Seymour as Lenny
Lucinda Jenney as Iris
Kim Robillard as Small Town Doctor
Barry Levinson (uncredited) as Doctor
Bonnie Hunt as Sally Dibbs

Effect on popular culture

Rain Man‘s portrayal of the main character’s condition has been seen as inaugurating a common and incorrect media stereotype that people on the autism spectrum typically have savant skills, and references to Rain Man, in particular Dustin Hoffman’s performance, have become a popular shorthand for autism and savantism.^[12] However, Rain Man has also been seen as dispelling a number of other misconceptions about autism and improving public awareness of the failure of many agencies to accommodate autistic people and make use of the abilities they do have, regardless of whether they are savant skills.^[13]

References

Links

• Rain Man at the Internet Movie Database
• Rain Man at the TCM Movie Database
• Rain Man at Allmovie
• Rain Man at Box Office Mojo
• Rain Man at Rotten Tomatoes
• Rain Man at Metacritic

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

Directed by Thorold Dickinson
Produced by Anatole de Grunwald
Written by Alexander Pushkin (story), Rodney Ackland, Arthur Boys
Starring Anton Walbrook, Edith Evans, Yvonne Mitchell
Distributed by Associated British-Pathe (UK)
Republic Pictures (US)
Release date(s) June 30, 1949 (USA)
Running time 95 minutes
Country United Kingdom
Language English

The Queen of Spades (1949) is a fantasy-horror film based on a short story of the same name by Alexander Pushkin. It stars Anton Walbrook, Edith Evans and Yvonne Mitchell. A poor Russian officer tries to learn the secret of an aged countess’s success at the card table.

Despite a limited budget, it was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best British Film. It was also entered into the 1949 Cannes Film Festival.^[1]

Cast

Anton Walbrook as Captain Herman Suvorin
Edith Evans as Countess Ranevskaya
Yvonne Mitchell as Lizavetta Ivanova
Ronald Howard as Andrei
Mary Jerrold as Old Varvarushka
Anthony Dawson as Fyodor
Miles Malleson as Tchybukin
Michael Medwin as Hovaisky
Athene Seyler as Princess Ivashin
Ivor Barnard as Bookseller
Aubrey Mallalieu as Fedya
Maroussia Dimitrevitch as Gypsy singer
Violette Elvin as Gypsy dancer
Pauline Tennant as young Countess Ranevskaya

References

Links

• The Queen of Spades at the Internet Movie Database

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

Directed by Ron Shelton
Produced by Stephen Chin, Kellie Davis, David V. Lester
Written by Ron Shelton
Starring Antonio Banderas, Woody Harrelson, Lolita Davidovich, Tom Sizemore, Lucy Liu, Robert Wagner, Tony Curtis, Wesley Snipes, Mike Tyson, Kevin Costner, Rod Stewart, Jennifer Tilly, Natasha Gregson Wagner, Drew Carey
Music by Alex Wurman
Cinematography Mark Vargo
Editing by Patrick Flannery, Paul Seydor
Distributed by Touchstone Pictures
Release date(s) December 25, 1999
Running time 124 min.

Play It to the Bone is a 1999 sports/comedy-drama film, starring Antonio Banderas and Woody Harrelson, written and directed by Ron Shelton.

It follows the adventures of two boxers and best friends who travel to Las Vegas in order to fight each other for the sake of a chance to compete for the middleweight title. The film also starred Lolita Davidovich, Tom Sizemore, Lucy Liu, and Robert Wagner.

Cameo appearances include: Tony Curtis, Wesley Snipes, Mike Tyson, Kevin Costner, Rod Stewart, Jennifer Tilly, Natasha Gregson Wagner and Drew Carey.

Plot

Aging prizefighters and longtime pals Cesar Dominguez (Banderas) and Vince Boudreau (Harrelson) always regretted not getting one last shot. Out of the blue, such an opportunity comes their way — except it is to fight each other.

Boxing promoter Joe Domino (Sizemore) has a problem on his hands. The fighters scheduled to be on his undercard in Vegas, a preliminary to a main event featuring heavyweight Mike Tyson, suddenly become unavailable at the last minute. He needs replacements fast, so a call is made to a gym in Los Angeles to see if Dominguez and Boudreau would be willing to step into the ring against one another.

The boxers negotiate one condition: that the winner will be given a chance to fight for the middleweight championship. Domino agrees, although the untrustworthy promoter is not necessarily a man of his word.

Cesar and Vince have only a day to get to the fight. They decide to drive rather than fly, so they call upon their friend Grace (Davidovich) to drive them in her lime green Oldsmobile 442. Grace is a former love interest of both. Grace’s own plan is to pitch her various money-making ideas to Vegas bigshots like hotel and casino boss Hank Goody (Wagner) and raise venture capital. Along the way, they pick up a hitchhiker (Liu) whose insults finally result in Grace’s flattening her with a solid right cross worthy of her traveling companions.

The fight between the two friends is sparsely attended, ringside fans and celebrities remaining uninterested until the night’s main event. Cesar and Vince mix it up so savagely, however, beating each other to a bloody pulp, that fans in the arena begin paying more and more attention, as do commentators on TV.

When the action-packed and dramatic bout comes to an end, Cesar and Vince are paid off, but promptly spend most of their money in the casino. Grace, too, comes away bruised and empty-handed, except for her everlasting relationship between a couple of hard-headed but soft-hearted guys.

Reception

The film garnered a generally poor reception, with Rotten Tomatoes giving it an average rating of 3.9 out of 10.^[1] Professional critical reception was similar, with Empire magazine giving it just 2 stars out of 5.^[2]

References

Links

• Play It to the Bone at the Internet Movie Database

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

Directed by Steven Soderbergh
Produced by Jerry Weintraub
Written by George C. Johnson, Jack G. Russell, Harry Brown, Charles Lederer, Scott Corwon, Ted Griffin
Starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy García, Julia Roberts, Bernie Mac, Don Cheadle, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Elliott Gould, Eddie Jemison, Shaobo Qin, Carl Reiner
Music by David Holmes
Cinematography Steven Soderbergh
Editing by Stephen Mirrione
Studio Village Roadshow Pictures, JW Productions
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Release date(s) United States & Canada December 7, 2001, Australia January 10, 2002, United Kingdom February 15, 2002
Running time 116 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $85,000,000
Gross revenue $450,728,529
Followed by Ocean’s Twelve

Ocean’s Eleven is a 2001 comedy-crime caper and remake of the 1960 Rat Pack caper film of the same name. The 2001 film was directed by Steven Soderbergh and features an ensemble cast including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Andy García, and Julia Roberts. The film was a success at the box office and with critics. Soderbergh directed two sequels, Ocean’s Twelve in 2004 and Ocean’s Thirteen in 2007. George Clooney stated in November 2007 that there will not be any additional sequels.^[1]

Plot

Shortly after being released from East Jersey State Prison, Danny Ocean (George Clooney) breaks parole and travels to Los Angeles to meet up with his former partner in crime and close friend Rusty Ryan (Brad Pitt) to propose a scheme he has in mind. The two head to Las Vegas to pitch the plan to wealthy friend and former casino owner Reuben Tishkoff (Elliott Gould). The plan consists of robbing the Bellagio, The Mirage, and the MGM Grand casinos. Tishkoff’s familiarity with casino security makes him very reluctant to get involved, but when he begins to think of it as a good way to get back at his rival, Terry Benedict (Andy García), who owns the three casinos, Tishkoff agrees to finance the operation. Because the casinos are required by the Nevada Gaming Commission to have enough cash on hand to cover all their patrons’ bets, the three predict that, on the upcoming night of a highly anticipated boxing match, the Bellagio vault will contain more than $150 million. Ocean and Ryan recruit eight former colleagues and criminal specialists, including Linus Caldwell (Matt Damon), a young and talented pick-pocket thief. Several of the team members carry out reconnaissance at the Bellagio to learn as much as possible about the security, the routines and behaviors of the casino staff, and the building itself. Others create a precise replica of the vault with which to practice maneuvering through its formidable security systems. During this planning phase, the team discovers that Ocean’s ex-wife, Tess (Julia Roberts), is Benedict’s girlfriend. Ryan urges Ocean to give up on the plan, believing Ocean incapable of sound judgement while Tess is involved, but Ocean refuses.

When the plan is put in motion, Ocean goes to the Bellagio in order to be seen by Benedict, who, as expected, has him locked in a storeroom to be beaten by a bouncer called Bruiser. Ocean, however, knows Bruiser, and he allows Ocean to leave through a ventilation shaft, to meet with his team in the vault. Linus Caldwell poses as a gaming commission agent, confronts Benedict on hiring Frank Catton as an ex-con, and in the process lifting the security code to the vault from Benedict. From there Caldwell and Catton staged a faux confrontation to allow Linus to slip away into the vault after the incident. Yen is smuggled into the vault by the Malloy brothers, to assist in triggering the explosive from the inside. Saul Bloom sneaks explosive into the casino vault by posing as an international arms dealer needing especially secure safekeeping for his valuables, and then stages a heart attack that was treated by Ryan posing as a doctor.

The team activates a stolen pinch device to temporarily disrupt the casino’s electrical power, allowing them to breach the vault undetected. As Benedict attempts to restore order following the power outage, Ryan anonymously calls him on a cell phone that Ocean had earlier planted in Tess’s coat. Ryan tells him that the vaults are being raided, and that all the money will be destroyed if Benedict does not cooperate in loading half the money into a van waiting outside. Benedict observes video footage of the vault that confirms Ryan’s claims, and complies in moving the money, but orders his men to follow the van after it departs, and calls a S.W.A.T. team to secure the vault. The S.W.A.T. team’s arrival results in a shootout which causes the incineration of the half of the money left in the vault. After assuring Benedict that the casino is secure, the officers depart.

Terry realizes that the vault video feed was faked when he notices that the floors shown in the video lacked Bellagio logos, which had only very recently been added to the floors in the vault. The men following the van discover that it is being driven remotely, and that, instead of money, it contains duffel bags full of flyers advertising prostitutes. A flashback reveals that Ocean had used the vault replica to create the fake video Benedict had seen; the rest of the team posed as S.W.A.T. officers, and took all of the money in the vault when responding to Benedict’s call for police assistance. Benedict then returns to the room where he left Ocean and finds him still there, leaving him with no way to connect Ocean to the theft. Ocean offers to assist Benedict in finding the money on the condition that he give up Tess, to which Benedict agrees. It is then revealed that his team had routed live footage of this conversation to Tess’s suite. Angry at being used by Benedict, she leaves him and returns to Ocean. Benedict tips off the police, who arrest Ocean for violating parole, and Ocean spends some months in prison. When he is released, he is met by Ryan and Tess, and the three drive off, closely followed by Benedict’s bodyguards.

Cast

Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Andy García, Julia Roberts, and Steven Soderbergh in December 2001

Ocean’s Eleven

In order of recruitment:

George Clooney as Danny Ocean – “The Idea Man” (Conman)
Bernie Mac as Frank Catton – “The Inside Man” (Card Dealer)
Brad Pitt as Rusty Ryan – “The Detail Man” (Ace Card-Sharp)
Elliott Gould as Reuben Tishkoff – “The Bankroll” (Casino Mogul)
Casey Affleck as Virgil Malloy – “The Getaway” (Frontman)
Scott Caan as Turk Malloy – “The Getaway” (Frontman)
Eddie Jemison as Livingston Dell – “The Eye In The Sky” (Surveillance man)
Don Cheadle as Basher Tarr – “The Basher” (Explosives Expert)
Shaobo Qin as “The Amazing” Yen – “The Grease Man” (Chinese Acrobat)
Carl Reiner as Saul Bloom – “The High Roller” (Retired Thief)
Matt Damon as Linus Caldwell – “The Rookie” (Pickpocket)

Others

Andy García as Terry Benedict – “The Target” (Casino Magnate)
Julia Roberts as Tess Ocean – “The Wild Card” (Museum Curator)

Cameos

Five television actors make cameos as themselves, being taught how to play poker by Rusty:
* Holly Marie Combs
* Topher Grace
* Joshua Jackson
* Barry Watson
* Shane West
Steven Soderbergh as one of the bank robbers with Basher
Siegfried and Roy as themselves
Wayne Newton as himself
Henry Silva and Angie Dickinson as themselves (both appeared in the original)
Vitali Klitschko as himself
Lennox Lewis as himself
Jerry Weintraub as a high-roller gamblera[›]

Cons described

In the beginning of the film, when they begin to work on the plan for the casino heist, Rusty (Pitt) says to Danny (Clooney),

This list of cons was created by director Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter Ted Griffin to describe the type of people and cons needed to knock over the three casinos.^[2]

References

Links

• Official website
• Ocean’s Eleven at Allmovie
• Ocean’s Eleven at the Internet Movie Database
• Ocean’s Eleven at Rotten Tomatoes

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

No Limit: A Search for the American Dream on the Poker Tournament Trail
Directed by Brian O’Hare, Timothy Rhys
Produced by Susan Genard
Written by Timothy Rhys
Music by Buddy Judge
Cinematography Ben Bloodwell, Mark Petersen
Editing by Ronen Pestes
Country USA
Language English
Budget $450,000 (estimated)

No Limit: A Search for the American Dream on the Poker Tournament Trail is a 2006 documentary film about the professional poker tournament circuit. The film follows producer Susan Genard as she enters several Seven-Card Stud Hi/Lo and Omaha poker tournaments across the country. Dozens of professional poker players appear in the film. No Limit features interviews with over 40 of the top players in the world. No Limit had its premiere screening at The Palms Hotel and Casino on July 27, 2006 and toured the film festival circuit. The film was released on DVD in October 2006. Interview subjects include:

Amir Vahedi
Annie Duke
Barry Greenstein
Bobby Baldwin (CEO, Mirage Resorts, Las Vegas)
Bonnie Damiano
Charlie Shoten
Chip Jett
Chris “Jesus” Ferguson
Chris Moneymaker
Clonie Gowen
Daniel Negreanu
Dave “Devilfish” Ulliott
David Sklansky
Dean Shores
Doyle Brunson
Evelyn Ng
Hendon Mob
Howard Lederer
James McManus
Jennifer Harman
Kathy Liebert
Kenna James
Larry Flynt
Layne Flack
Linda Johnson
Lou Krieger
Mark Seif
Mel Judah
Men “the Master” Nguyen
“Miami” John Cernuto
Mike Sexton
Paul Phillips
Phil Gordon
Phil Hellmuth
Puggy Pearson
Ron Rose
Scotty Nguyen
Steve Lipscomb
T.J. Cloutier
Thor Hansen
Tom McEvoy
Vince Burgio
Warren Karp
Yosh Nakano

Critical reaction

• “This documentary is a complete slice of poker heaven.” — The A-List Magazine
• “These guys are like the last American cowboys. There are some great stories told.” — USA Today
• “No Limit is mother of poker docs.” — The Las Vegas Sun
• “It’s a roller-coaster ride with an adrenaline high.” — The Toronto Star
• “No Limit wins on all counts.” — American Poker Player Magazine
• “Truly, most people outside of the poker world can relate to No Limit – the pursuit of the American dream is universally understood.” — PokerNews.com
• “No Limit digs deeply into the psyche of a poker player. It’s not always a pretty sight, but it’s an honest one.” — bgsports.com

Links

• No Limit official website
• No Limit at Internet Movie Database
• ‘No Limit’ is mother of poker docs
• Poker film premieres in Vegas
• Poker movie – The American Dream has no limit

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.