Rating: 
Summary: pulp fiction
Review: i did not like this movie. it was filled with too many oranges and bananas. pulp fiction was muich better. i think john travolta is very sexy in pulp fiction. quentin tarantino is the best director i have ever seen yesterday. it was good, pulp ficiton. ed norton is a bad actor, he was not in this movie, but he was in primal fear with richard gerey. it was good. i gave this movie 1 star for lack of nudity.
Rating: 
Summary: one of the best ever
Review: Nothing more to say about this movie except that it is, in my opinion, of the greatest American movies made. I was not even a Paull Newman fan until I first watched this movie. One of the finest character developments unfolds as Eddy begins to question what makes life worth living. The conflict between him and George C. Scott allows everyone to really question what exactly a "winner" is. Further conflicts arise with his newly found, fellow alcoholic girlfriend as he struggles to decide exactly what their relationship means to him. With incredibly deep characters and subtle illustrations of what's in Eddy's mind, te movie really gets at the question, "What makes life worth living?" Plus, the pool action is really incredible with some very skilled shots, so if you're a pool fan, it's just another added bonus. I truly believe this is one of the most well made movies out there and Paul Newman's best work.
Rating: 
Summary: Subtitles?
Review: Are subtitles available? I've been waiting a long time for this to come out, but if there are no Spanish subtitles I won't buy it. I live in Costa Rica, and I hate the look of disappointment when a guest looks through my DVDs and finds one in which they're strongly interested, only to be told there are no subtitles.
I can understand not dubbing a film - that's expensive. But how much can it cost to add subtitles? I know it can't be too much. Considering the quality of some translations one gets the impression that one guy spent the afternoon typing out the Spanish as he watched the movie a couple of times.
Rating:
Summary: Oscar Robbery: Newman Gets the Shaft, Part 1
Review: The Hustler is loaded with great performances by Piper Laurie, George C. Scott and Jackie Gleason, among others. However, Paul Newman, in one of his greatest performances (his breakout), is the nerve center of the film. He somehow manages to be both cocky and vulnerable at the same time. I've always admired Newman (and his Butch Cassidy partner Robert Redford, for that matter) for not relying on his looks, for his willingness to play flawed characters, and for using his star power to make quality films that have something to say. His "Fast Eddie" Felson in The Hustler is a prime example. Bert Gordon (George C. Scott) has Eddie pegged when he calls him a "loser." Although talented, Eddie is a pawn of unscrupulous people who use him to satisfy their own greed. He treats Sarah (Piper Laurie), the only person who really cares about him like dirt. In the end, he loses Sarah and is blackballed from playing pool forever. It's a masterful performance by Newman and a credit to his artistic integrity that he was willing to play such a loser.However, Newman somehow lost the 1961 Best Actor Oscar to Maximillian Schell for Judgment at Nuremberg. Schell is a terrific actor and "Judgment" was a wonderful film, but his performance was clearly a supporting role. Newman, in contrast, is in almost every scene of The Hustler. If someone from Judgment at Nurember deserved the Best Actor Oscar, it was Spencer Tracy who was the lead. It's bad enough that Paul Newman lost the Oscar, but to do so to a performance that was really a supporting role is ridiculous. The Oscar is an award that rightfully carries a lot of prestige. In 1961, however, the Academy tainted that prestige by denying Paul Newman of an award that he richly deserved. Newman was criticized when he did not attend the 1986 Oscar ceremony to accept his award for his reprise of Eddie Felson in The Color of Money. When you realize how badly he was snubbed in 1961, you can understand why he passed on the ceremony in 1986. (See The Verdict for Part 2)
Rating:
Summary: Great Memorable Film...score: 88 (out of 100)
Review: Robert Rossen's THE HUSTLER (1961) is one of the great memorable films of the sixties. Although I am inclined to say that HUD (1963) and COOL HAND LUKE (1967) are Paul Newman's best films, this movie gets a very close third place. All of these movies have Newman playing born losers who won't conform to the rules of life. This film isn't just about Newman's character, pool hustler Eddie Felson, but about those in his orbit - his girlfriend (Piper Laurie), manager (Myron McCormick), Bert Gordon (George C. Scott) - the manipulative agent, and even Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason). There is one thing that is on Eddie Felson's mind - to beat legendary Minnesota Fats at pool. He not only wants to beat Fats for the money, but he wants to build a name for himself. Felson almost beats Fats in their first match, but he doesn't know when to quit. Felson blows it through pride and booze. According to Bert Gordon, Felson is a born loser. Gordon summarizes Felson's major weakness - lack of character. Then, Felson ruthlessly dumps his manager Charlie Burns (McCormick), and he finds solace in the arms of an alcoholic loner Sarah Packard (Laurie). They develop a destructive love affair. Unfortunately, this is when the movie goes flat - too much emphasis on Newman and Laurie. Felson tries a comeback, and with the financial help of Gordon, he does face Fats again. However, Felson pays a horrible sacrifice for this last match. The film received two Oscars for black-and-white set design and cinematography. It also garnered nominations for Newman (Best Actor), Scott and Gleason (Best Supporting Actor), Laurie (Best Actress), director, picture, and screenplay. It is a memorable film that engulfs you from start to finish. Pros: Acting, characters, direction, score, cinematography
Cons: Too much emphasis on melodrama of Newman and Laurie Score: 88 (out of 100)
Rating:
Summary: Absorbing! Realistic! Riveting! Fantastic!
Review: 1961's "The Hustler" is a picture that will truly "suck you in". It totally absorbed my attention throughout. Making this in black-and-white was a wise choice by the movie-makers too. It sets the mood of the drab surroundings we experience during the film. A perfect cast has been assembled here, with Paul Newman a knockout in the lead role of pool shark "Fast Eddie" Felson. Piper Laurie, George C. Scott, Murray Hamilton, and Myron McCormick give strong support to Newman. And there's a very controlled and somewhat subdued Jackie Gleason as "Minnesota Fats". Jackie doesn't have a huge part here, but he pulls off his role as "Fats" with style. There are a lot of quiet moments in this picture ... when just visuals propel the story. I like that in movies! Sometimes there's too much dialogue in a film, in places where nothing needs to be said at all. It just seemed to me that the producer/director (Robert Rossen) knew when to keep the actors quiet here. The Hustler will forever remain a Classic to me!! Some Hustler stats:
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Running Time: 135 minutes.
Debut in theatres: September 25, 1961.
Nominated for Best Picture of 1961. (Beaten out by "West Side Story".)
Paul Newman nominated for Best Actor of 1961. (Beaten out by Maximilian Schell--Judgment at Nuremburg.)
Both George C. Scott and Jackie Gleason were nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 1961 for this film. (Both beaten out by George Chakiris--West Side Story.)
Piper Laurie nominated for Best Actress in '61. (Beaten out by Sophia Loren--Two Women.)
Film won two 1961 Oscars --- Best Cinematography and Best Art Direction/Set Decoration (B&W).
Billiard champ Willie Mosconi, 14-time world champion from 1941-1957, was a key technical adviser on the set of The Hustler, literally teaching Mr. Newman how to play the game of pocket billiards, right down to his grip on the cue stick. Newman became quite proficient by the end of the shooting of the picture.
Newman reprised his role as Fast Eddie in 1986's sequel, "The Color of Money", co-starring Tom Cruise. Newman DID win the Oscar for Best Actor that year.
Rating:
Summary: Newman's Best
Review: Newman's best work. All-around wonderful acting, with beautiful cinematography and great-looking sets. A total classic - the way movies were meant to be made. Can't wait until the DVD is released.
Rating:
Summary: Better every veiwing
Review: A great B&W; timeless. Wonderfully portrayed by Newman and Gleason and even glimpses, shotmaking and a cameo, of Mosconi himself. Trevis did well and then continued in the Color of Money but the orginal, especially, is a masterpiece. A must have for any real pool enthusiast. This refers to VHS.
Rating:
Summary: IF YOU ONLY OWN 1 MOVIE, IT SHOULD BE THIS ONE
Review: A classic in every detail, this is my all time favorite movie. I first saw in in its original screen version years ago when I was a youth. Since then, I have watched the movie many times on TV. I am now 50 years old and still have fond memories of the movie and want to watch it again (actually, I was inspired to obtain it when its' follow up "The Color of Money" was released. I made many vain attempts to acquire the movie only to find that it was discontinued. Finally, I located and purchased it at Amazon.com (Thanks, Amazon). For a real treat, I suggest you obtain and watch "The Hustler" first, immediately followed by "The Color of Money" - you won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Can you get any cooler than this?
Review: Is it possible to get much cooler than a film about shooting pool for money against legendary players? How about an achingly beautifully black and white film about shooting pool starring Paul Newman and George C. Scott? Newman is Fast Eddie Felson, a pool hustler who is defined right from his opening scene/hustle. His dream is to make it to the city to take on Minnisota Fats, the greatest straight pool player around. This is where the Hustler takes a turn from your average "Guy with a dream" story. It only takes about three scenes before Felson is playing against Fats, and beating him pretty badly too. Only this game goes until someone calls it quits, and Fats eventually wear down Felson over the course of a highly enjoyable (from the viewer's perspective) sequence of pool games. From there Felson's world crashes around him and he winds up taking sides with a big money man played by George C. Scott who teaches Felson why he lost and why he needs the killer instinct to win. But is this really the kind of instinct a guy like Felson wants to develop? With tight, refined filming, a wonderful script, and a cast that just keeps getting better, The Hustler is truly a great film and a wonderful movie.
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