Hanging with the Junkies
by Holly Ryan

Waiting with baited breath, the pool and billiard community has eagerly awaited the opening of the film "Poolhall Junkies" which was written by, directed by and stars Mars Callahan. The film now has a distributor, Gold Circle Films and a release date. On October 7th, while at Amsterdam Billiards Club on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, I had the pleasure of talking with Robert LeBlanc, whose life the film was based and Herb Wilmot, Marketing Specialist for the film's Marketing company, Beyond the Box Marketing.

Herb Wilmot, Tony Robles, Charlie Williams & Robert LeBlanc

HR: Now as you mentioned earlier, the film is scheduled to open February 21, 2003.

HW: Right, that's the scheduled date as of right now.

HR: Can you tell me what cities it will be opening in?

HW: Yeah, the scheduled cities that I know that are firm right now are: New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Salt Lake City.

HR: Do you have any planned events at the openings in these locations?

HW: Each city will have a premier party, and those locations are currently being determined largely I would say through Robert and my research. At each city we are looking at rooms and places that are eligible to hold these kinds of events.

RLeB: I agree with that. (Laughter) Cause Herb will hog the whole thing. Just kidding, I'm just joking. (More Laughter) Just joking.

HW: Go ahead (Smiles)

RLeB: Ah, Just kidding.

HR: Actually Robert, the story "Poolhall Junkies" is about your life.

RleB: It started off that way, from me telling pool stories to Chris Corso, co-writer, and Mars Callahan. Of course the movie's been re-written, probably about eight times, so every time it was re-written it went farther from the original stories. But, it was based on me telling pool stories about me traveling around for years gambling and playing pool.

HR: Do you have any good stories you'd like to share right now?

RLeB: Let me think...let me think a second. (Laughter). I have to think a moment.

HW: Is there a story that, any scene in the movie that particularly relates to one of your life stories?

HR: Yeah

RLeB: Hmmm, I'm drawing a blank. Well all the different silly sayings that's in the movie are the sayings I talked about like this one scene where, I think it was Mars, was telling this guy whose was racking some balls, "Rack em for my fingas too" Stuff like that, the lingo that was used on the road back then.

HR: Southernisms

RLeB: Yeah, because I was the housepro at the Hollywood Athletic Club (HAC) for like 3 years when the whole thing (the movie) came about.

HR: Now there are some heavy hitters in this film, some very talented people and I do understand it was an independent project. There was Chazz Palminteri, we have Christopher Walken, Rod Steiger.

HW: It was his last movie. His last movie coming out.

RLeB: Yeah, before he died.

HW: Yeah

RLeB: Alison Eastwood, Clint Eastwood's daughter, Glenn Plummer, who was in "Boys in the Hood", he played like a gangbanger kind of guy. He's really talented in this movie. And there's Rick Schroder.

HW: And Michael Rosenbaum and Anson Mount.

RLeB: Yes, Michael plays Lex Luthor in the TV series "Smallville". And Anson was in the Britney Spears movie, the one she made recently. He was in that movie, he played her boyfriend or something.

HR: Now alot of people have been waiting for this film and I know there were some distribution issues because it was an independent project. The pool world is excited that the movie is coming out. Of course there has been comparisons with "The Color of Money" and the impact that film had on the pool world. What are your hopes and goals not only for the film itself but it's anticipated impact on the pool industry?

HW: The anticipated impact the marketing company, Beyond the Box Marketing, they are the company behind the success of the marketing behind the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding". They believe that this movie has the same potential that "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" has, which has already grossed $150 million. They think "Poolhall Junkies" has the same potential and I agree with that.

HR: Are there any plans to show "Poolhall Junkies" at film festivals or have they already?

HW: Yes, it has been shown at the Las Vegas film festival, I think it's called CIN Fest. They had two sold out showings, we could hardly get a seat and so many people wanted to see the movie they scheduled on the cuff a third showing - which about dang near filled up again. You know, there is a tremendous excitement in Las Vegas about the movie. Of course there are many people in the business world in Hollywood, they saw the crowd reaction and that has led to Beyond the Box getting behind the movie and they really believe in it.

HR: As far as the film itself, is it more geared towards showing the potential of pool as sport, the playing, action or more purely the lifestyle of the poolplayer?

RLeB: I think it shows the lifestyle. It's like four young kids, that hang around the poolroom who like to gamble, drink, have a good time and meet women. That's why I started playing pool (laughter)

HR: Well it's like a lot of people, either play pool or join a band.

RLeB: Exactly, exactly.

Herb Wilmot, Greg Hunt from Amsterdam Billiards & Robert LeBlanc

HR: Play or become a rock star. (laughter)

RLeB: And I'll tell you real quick the interesting way, a little story that not anybody knows is how Mars Callahan, my friend, who directed the movie, starred in the movie and wrote it, how he secured Chazz Palminteri. He flew to New York without talking to him (Palminteri). He called him up. Mars used to be on the the TV show called "The Wonder Years" many years ago with Fred Savage. Like maybe ten years ago. He told Chazz, I know you wrote your first movie, "A Bronx Tale", that you needed someone to give you a break and you became the star that you are. Then Mars said, he told Chazz, I need a break. Chazz then tells Mars, listen I'll make you a deal, I'll be in your movie, give you a break because your a newcomer, new writer, new director and everything, but one day if some kid asks you the same thing you're asking me "will you give me a break", will you do the same thing for this person? Mars said you got it. So that's how Chazz, who's a really really sweet man, came to become the star of the movie. Because he's a nice person and that's how that works. It's a very cool story.

HW: That's something that's never been written about.

RLeB: No, it's cool man, it's cool. That's how he got it.

HR: Yeah, that's a sweet story and now that puts Mars in the position to help someone else. What they call..

RLeB: Right.

HR: Pay it forward.

RLeB: Right, right.

HW: Another good story, and Robert can elaborate on this also how he (Mars) got Chistopher Walken. When Mars and Chris Corso were writing the script they wrote that one character especially with Christopher Walken in mind. So, it was also a dream of theirs to maybe one day, maybe one in a thousand, they could actually get the actual guy that they wrote the script around. And (to Robert) can you elaborate on that?

RLeB: I just know Mars does the best Walken impersonation you've ever seen. (Laughter) He was doing it during the entire movie. Like, the whole time of the shooting.

HW: (smiling) Oh I know.

RLeB: He was doing the Christopher Walken voice and stuff.

HR: And how did he (Christopher Walken) take that?

RLeB: He liked it. He really loved it. He's a cool guy so he really liked it.

HR: Tell me a little bit about Mars Callahan. I know he's a young guy and this is a big endeavor.

RLeB: Yeah, he's 29.

HW: I know this, people in the Hollywood community are looking at him as a next big potential star. He has all the qualities - charisma, talent, dedication and hard work. He's got all the tools necessary and I think other people in Hollywood are looking at him in that light.

HR: Was there any real action that took place on the shoot? Tell me about some of the real pool playing that took place behind the scenes. I understand Rod Steiger was a big pool player.

HW: Yeah, tell that one story.

RLeB: (To HW) About me playing one pocket?

HW: No, about that one Rod Steiger scene.

RLeB: Oh, I was advisor for the movie and I also shot all the trick shots and the different skill shots on the movie, so I was practicing my jump shot over a ball real close to the other (object ball) and the first time I shot it because the cueball was so close the cueball jumped over it and went onto the floor. Rod Steiger said, "You're supposed to be the pro here?"

So I look at him, did it again, made the ball, nailed the shot, then he starts clapping of course. He was such a sweet man. I had pictures taken with him and his wife, he was newly married. When he made the movie, he'd only been married like 6 months. He married this nice lady, they got married in Malibu. He was a really cool guy. Oh, about the action you're talking about on the movie? No, I had a game, naw, well I don't want to talk about it. (Laughter) Well, I was across town, playing some guy some one pocket for money, and won a couple hundred, and they were excited. It was kinda fun. That was all there was to that.

HR: They won a couple hundred off of you?

RLeB: No I won a couple hundred off them. (Laughter from all)

HR: Ah ok, what no mercy? So, how long did it take to put the film together?

HW: You mean how long it took to actually get the equipment together and make the movie? 20-30 days, is that what you're talking about?

HR: Oh no, I'm talking about from the beginning to the end. Like 5-7 years?

HW: About 10 years.

RLeB: They wrote the movie in like 1980-1981. No, I'm sorry.

HW: 1990

RLeB: Reverse that.

HR: Yeah, I was just thinking there, did Mars write this when he was like 10 years old? (Laughter)

RLeB: Yeah he was 8 years old this guy, he's a prodigy. No it was 1990-1991.

HW: and they were writing it while at the...

RLeB: at the HAC yeah.

HW: Playing pool.

RLeB: Yeah, I was down there, and they would just disappear for like several hours and come back. I was like, were are these guys going? They were writing the script, so...

HW: They were writing the script from your life.

RLeB: Kinda

HR: So while this was going on you didn't even know it until they presented it to you?

RLeB: Yeah exactly.

HR: What was that like?

RLeB: Well alot of the stories you know, the original writing was things I told them that had been done and I've got the old script somewhere and I've read it, it's really good, but they improved it each time they re-wrote it.

HR: What do you guys think your going to do once the movie is out other than catch up on your rest?

HW: Me?

HR: Either of you, both.

HW: Keep going. I want this to snowball. This is what I love.

HR: The buzz on the film is good. I talked with some folks that had gone to the Hollywood premier.

RLeB: The first screening was at Fox Studios about 8-9 months ago.

HR: Yes, there were several top players there.

RLeB: Yeah, it got a great response there and the last one was 4 months ago in Las Vegas.

HW: This movie will benefit everyone in pool from manufacturers to players to poolroom owners, etcetera. For this movie to become the success that we think it will, it's imperative that all the people who want to see the movie go out on opening night then the next night and the next night, don't wait around. When the movie comes out go see it then, it will be a snowball effect and go from 7 cities to 27 cities to 40 cities to 200 cities, but it all depends upon the first night, 2-3 nights that weekend, February 21-23. Please go out and see the movie on those nights, make plans.