Billiards Movies

Welcome to 8 Ball on the Silver Screen!  This blog is exclusively about billiards movies, billiards TV shows, billiards short films, and billiards web series.  I’m reviewing every one of the 300+ that I have found.

My Latest Billiards Movies Review

Alex HigginsThe Hurricane, aka Alex Higgins, aka one of the most beloved, controversial, iconic, and influential figures in snooker history. His rocket-fast, daring style of play was as legendary as his unpredictable, bad boy persona. 

Historians describe with awe and zeal his history-making World Snooker Championship win in 1972 against John Spencer, forever changing the face and trajectory of snooker, or his come-from-behind match ten years later in the World Snooker semis against Jimmy White. Yet, his biography is equally riddled with stories of excess, such as head-butting tournament director Paul Hatherell or forever indulging in his “three vices – drinking, gambling, and women.”

In a sport that has had its fair share of staid, colorless personalities, the Hurricane, who died in 2010, was “an accident waiting to happen,” “a breath of fresh air,” and, for many years, “box office gold.” 

Since Higgins first won the championship at age 22, there have been at least seven efforts to tell his story on the screen. I found four of the seven films, and as expected, they vary in their tone and structure, based on their time of release. Read the full post HERE.

Every Billiards Movie, TV Episode, Short Film and Web Series…EVER

I’ve discovered more than 400 billiards movies, TV episodes, short films, and web series. Below are the first 10 full-length billiards movies I believe were ever made.  Check out my full list.  Also take a look at my list of billiards scenes from other (non-billiards) movies and TV shows.

  1. Bad Boy (1935)The Player - billiards movies
  2. The Hustler (1961)
  3. There Are No Thieves in This Village (1965, Mexico)
  4. The Player (1971)
  5. Wandering Ginza Butterfly (1971, Japan)
  6. Vai Trabalhar Vagabundo (1973, Brazil)
  7. Festival at the Poolroom (1975, Israel)
  8. O Jogo Da Vida (1977, Brazil)
  9. Three Card Monte (1978, Canada)
  10. The Baltimore Bullet (1980)

The Top Billiards Movies “Top 10” Lists 

Okay, not all of these go up to ten, but  I guarantee these lists will make you think twice about billiards and pop culture.  Have an idea for a list? Send me an email with your suggestion.

Win $20 in FREE Billiards Supplies

Pooldawg - Billiards Movies contestDo you see a billiards movie, TV episode, short film, or web series missing from my list? If so, send me an email with the name of the missing show.  If you’re right, I’ll send you a $20 gift certificate for FREE billiards supplies courtesy of Pooldawg, the pool player’s best friend.

 

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14 thoughts on “Billiards Movies”

  1. Hans de Wilde

    I was talking to matthew allready. By his side I found your side.
    I found three titles I did not have.
    I have a list with 4409 titels of movies having pool, snooker or billiard scenes in it
    From 80 % of those I have a foto, captures, the dvd or digitelized video scenes.
    I have a digital database with at least 50.000 images of movie scenes
    Besides that i have 400 TV series with captures and or video of the billiard scenes
    I posses more or less 500 photo,s lobby cards or posters of the billiard scene in those movies
    I think i collected over the last 30 years the biggest collection about billiards in the movies, there exist in the world.
    Is this interesting and you think about an offer maybe together with matthew, I will hear from you.
    When you answer me by email, you will get 3 titels from me with captures from movies from 1920.
    With regards, Hans de Wilde

    Reply ↓
  3. Junior Umaña

    Hello, I´m really excited with this webpage, congratulations!

    A high school principal told me about a movie where they teach pool in a high school to students with social problems. Do you know which is that movie? Thanks for your unvaluable work!

    Poscript: I have a dream, to make a pool movie in Costa Rica with a social and political approach

    Reply ↓
  6. Zenas Camarano

    Okay People The Movie That Everyone Is Trying To Think Of Is…. Its Still One Of The Greatest Movies Still To This Day….
    It Stars: Edward James Olmos In The Movie Stand And Deliver

    Reply ↓
    1. Jason Moss Post author

      Thanks for sharing! To date, I’ve drawn an arbitrary line and excluded podcasts, but I may revisit that decision in the future.

      Reply ↓
  8. Daniel Brenner

    There was a mivie named “Match” in 2006. It was from Israel or had a Jewish element to it since it was featured at a Jewish Film Fest in the SF Bay Area. There is a version of it on YouTube but because of Copyrights or ?? the timing is tweaked.

    Put this on your list.

    Reply ↓
    1. Jason Moss Post author

      Daniel, thank you so much for alerting me to this movie. I was not aware of it. Do you have a link to it on YouTube or any additional information on it so I can research it? Unfortunately, with its generic title, I am coming up empty when I try to find it. There are 39 “Match” movies on IMDB, but none seem to fit the description or are from around 2006.

      Reply ↓
  9. Chet

    Dear Blogger,
    I read your recent post regarding the relationship between The Godfather and pool. I believe this topic was incorporated into an earlier version of the script where Vito and Michael Corleone muse about Michael’s future and the transfer of power:

    Don Corleone:
    I like to play pool more than I used to.
    Michael:
    It’s good for ya, Pop.
    Don Corleone:
    Anyway I’m playin’ more.

    For reasons unexplained, pool was changed to wine and drinking.

    Thank you for your excellent material.
    Chet M

    Reply ↓

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