Rewatchables Reference

• Bill: the Werewolves of London / Chalky's sequence into 'money won is twice as sweet as money earned.'
• Chris: the whole Chalky's sequence – Werewolves of London, the dinner scene where Eddie picks up a girl in 2 minutes, and the bar scene where Eddie gives Vincent the Balabushka.
• Sean: the Grady Seasons showdown – 'it's almost like him Breaking Bad.'

• The Vince T-shirt – iconic, Brandon Flowers wore it with The Killers on stage.
• Robbie Robertson's score.
• Newman's wardrobe – Sean: 'the rare '80s movie where the style still works, Newman's wardrobe could be worn today.' Apex Mountain for sweater vests.
• The cinematography – Newman's reflection off the pool ball, the final scene in a room full of mirrors with no visible camera, streetlights passing in time to Werewolves of London.
• Chris: the way the movie acknowledges The Hustler subtly – a true continuation rather than a recycled story.
• 'For some players, luck itself is an art.'

• Cruise being really good at the arcade game 'Stalker' – may not have been a real game, has no lasting cultural footprint. They wished it had been Ms. Pac-Man or Galaga.
• Cameos from 1980s pool stars (Steve Mizerak, Keith McCready) – big deal at the time but nobody recognizes them now.
• Guys waving cash at each other in bars – 'we got rid of that with phones' / Venmo.
• The movie doesn't work with phones/social media – '9 Ball Twitter would have just been all over Vince.'

• They considered bringing back Jackie Gleason as Minnesota Fats but it never worked in the script.
• Helen Shaver's character was added late to avoid the impression Eddie's fascination with Vincent was romantic.

• Chris's winner: Paul Herman – the guy in the Atlantic City bar who won the Akron Open. Also the 'you want to see helicopters?' guy from 'Goodfellas' and Beansie from The Sopranos.
• Bruce A. Young as Moselle – also Jackie from 'Risky Business'.
• Bill Cobbs as Orvis.

• Winner: Tom Cruise – the Werewolves of London scene, 'dialed up to 29 out of 10.' Bill: 'I don't know if he's ever dialed it up more.' Chris: 'That might be #1.'
• Vito D'Ambrosio as Lou at Child World.
• Keith McCready as Grady Seasons – 'not positive he can act.'

• Winner: Forest Whitaker as Amos – in one scene and crushes it, 'definitely a who is that guy moment.'
• Chris picks Keith McCready (Grady Seasons) – 'I feel like he is who Cruise modeled his game after.'
• John Turturro – early career, one of his first big roles.

• Bill sends Helen Shaver packing. His pick: Julie Christie as Janelle – 'if we're going to go for it with two of the biggest stars of 1986, let's put a real older lady with some chops.'
• Also mentioned: Charlotte Rampling, Helen Mirren.
• Sean: Julie Christie is 'a little overqualified' for a part that was basically added to prove Newman's character isn't gay.
• Sean floats: Why was Pacino not Grady Seasons?

Bill keeps 'spoiling' the half-assed research because the info is too good – Bruce A. Young playing both Moselle and Jackie from 'Risky Business', the Doom video game naming origin, and the Balabushka cue facts.

• Newman – no. Cruise – no. Scorsese – no.
• Billiards – yes. 'It never got bigger for billiards' – on ESPN2, plus no other major pool movie besides this and The Hustler.
• The Balabushka cue – yes, 'never got more love and respect.'
• Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio – debated. Bill thinks it's this (she got a nomination); Chris says probably The Abyss; Sean says 'Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves'.
• Sweater vests – yes. Newman killing the sweater vest game.

• Bill: hates the forfeit in the tournament – Eddie spent the first hour teaching Cruise how to hustle, then gets offended when Cruise uses those same lessons against him. Feels like there's a 90-second scene missing.
• Sean rationalizes it: getting hustled by Amos leads to a crisis of faith where winning with integrity matters more than hustling.
• Chris: the ambiguity of Vince saying 'you used us' at the end always nagged at him – not fully unpacked.

• Bill: No. 'Please, no.'
• Sean: would have watched another Eddie Felson movie in 1995 with Newman though.
• Bill pitches: Vince from Color of Money owns the resort in White Lotus Season 2. Cruise plays Brian Flanagan from 'Cocktail' as a continuation sequel.

• What would Vince's next 10 years look like? Chris: rededicated to the video game Stalker. Sean: solid case for him getting shot in the face 12 days later. Bill: either murdered or becomes one of the biggest stars on ESPN.
• What's the most ridiculous song Vince could dance to at Chalky's without getting his ass kicked?
• Is this a better movie if we know who won the big game at the end? Sean: 'No, not even close. One of the all time great endings.'
• How long do Vincent and Carmen stay together? Bill says not long – Carmen eventually marries a hedge fund guy.

Newman. Unanimous. He won the Oscar. Sean: 'What a fucking joke they didn't give him an Oscar until this movie.'