3x3: pool table scenes

We discuss our favorite pool table scenes at the 53-minute mark of the Qt3 Movie Podcast of Hercules.

Kelly Wand
3. Lambada
2. The Hustler

  1. Femme Fatale

Tom Chick
3. The Dark Knight
2. A Shot in the Dark

  1. You Can Count on Me

Dingus
3. Killer Joe
2. Diner

  1. Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man

Let us know your favorite pool table scenes in movies and listen to the show to hear us talk about ours and read the picks our listeners sent in for this week. Send in your choices for the next topic to [email protected].

Unless I missed it, nobody, even the listeners, mentioned Johnny Boy picking a fight in a pool hall in Mean Streets. Not only is it wonderfully shot with Scorsese’s soon-to-be trademark steadicam and diegetically scored (Please Mr. Postman), it also has the classic “What’s a mook” exchange and establishes Johnny Boy’s character perfectly - obsessed with face and with a hair trigger temper but lacking the clout or nous to back it up.

Johnny Boy: Hey, why don’t you lower the jukebox, I can’t hear nothin’.

Joey ‘Clams’ Scala: Hey, the girls like the music loud.

Johnny Boy: Girls. You call those skanks girls?

Joey ‘Clams’ Scala: [to Charlie] Hey, what’s a matter with this kid, huh?

Johnny Boy: Hey, there ain’t nothin’ wrong with me my friend, I’m feelin’ fine.

Charlie: Keep your mouth shut.

Johnny Boy: You tell me that in front of this asshole?

Joey ‘Clams’ Scala: Alright, alright, we’re not gonna pay. We’re not paying.

Jimmy: But why? Joey, we just said we were gonna have a drink.

Joey ‘Clams’ Scala: [Joey interupts] We’re not payin’, because this guy, this guy’s a fuckin’ mook.

Jimmy: But I didn’t say nothin’.

Joey ‘Clams’ Scala: And we don’t pay mooks.

Jimmy: Mook? I’m a mook?

Joey ‘Clams’ Scala: Yeah

Jimmy: What’s a mook?

Johnny Boy: A mook, what’s a mook?

Tony DeVienazo: I don’t know…

Johnny Boy: What’s a mook?

Jimmy: You can’t call me a mook!

Joey ‘Clams’ Scala: I can’t?

Jimmy: No…

Joey ‘Clams’ Scala: [pause] I’ll give you mook!

[punches Jimmy in the face]

You just gave me a term I never knew before. I love you.

Thank you!

-xtien

“The old man’s still an artist with a Thompson.”

I could have sworn you’ve talked about diegetic music on the podcast before. It’s certainly been mentioned on the board.

I’m sure you’re right. But I don’t recall ever using that word out loud. It is always such a pleasure to have to go and look up a word and have that sense of discovery, especially when it relates to something meaningful to you.

I always appreciate that.

-xtien

Bull Durham.

Crash’s ruminations upon the vagaries of talent and desire and knowledge are pitch perfect and pretty poignant.

I was unable to get my picks emailed in, but absolutely, Mean Streets is in a class by itself. One of the greatest scenes Scorcese ever shot, just a rough, awful, realistic looking fight.

I’d forgotten about the pool hall scene in Diner!