Release Date:
Tuesday, June 4, 2002
In all its crisp black-and-white glory, The Hustler finally comes to DVD. This is a guys movie if there ever was one: Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason, George C. Scott, pool halls, dingy bars, hustlers, drunks, and other assorted lowlifes that seem to populate most of our favorite flicks are all present and accounted for. The tale of Fast Eddie Felson before he fell in with Tom Cruise and bad leisure suits, The Hustler would be a classic and a must-have even without some of the vastly entertaining special features it boasts.
The commentary track, featuring so many of the films participants, feels more like a running interview that corresponds loosely with what youre watching onscreen, which is a good thing since it has a bit more structure to it than simply having a director ramble for two hours. In addition, many of the people featured on this track pop up on the Inside Story documentary, which delves into the hows and whys behind everything. But by far the reason to pick this up has to be World Trick Shot Champion Mike Masseys How to Make the Shot feature. Choose to run this with the movie, and Mike pops up, care of an onscreen box, to explain not only how to make trick shots, but also the psychology of the hustler, the technique behind the hustle, and the rules of pool in general. (You can also watch the scenes he comments on individually). Anyone whos ever picked up a cue will love this. Oh, and it just so happens to be a great movie on top of everything.
The commentary track, featuring so many of the films participants, feels more like a running interview that corresponds loosely with what youre watching onscreen, which is a good thing since it has a bit more structure to it than simply having a director ramble for two hours. In addition, many of the people featured on this track pop up on the Inside Story documentary, which delves into the hows and whys behind everything. But by far the reason to pick this up has to be World Trick Shot Champion Mike Masseys How to Make the Shot feature. Choose to run this with the movie, and Mike pops up, care of an onscreen box, to explain not only how to make trick shots, but also the psychology of the hustler, the technique behind the hustle, and the rules of pool in general. (You can also watch the scenes he comments on individually). Anyone whos ever picked up a cue will love this. Oh, and it just so happens to be a great movie on top of everything.