21 film trailer

weavin42

Well-Known Member
#2
I don't know, it doesn't look too bad. I really wish they would have a PSA in the film telling people not to play 6:5 blackjack or CSMs. It will be interesting to see if it has any effect on the games. It looks like it is portraying counters as rouge geniuses so I wonder if regular people will try to pick up counting.
 

RJT

Well-Known Member
#3
Actually that's part of my issue with the film - counter's are going to be protrayed and freak intellectuals totally belittling the fact that most people can do it. Any positive effects this film could have had - i.e getting more people to the tables - will be nullified if the public feel that they can't do it. Just furthers the myth that card counting can only be done by genuises with photographic memories etc etc.
To me the film actually just looks like a cheap attempt at a gangster movie.
They are going to emphasize every dark negative of the game - the violence and betraya making. I don't know how many of you have ever spoken to the people involved, but there was no violence. There might have been a few threats, but no violence.
From where i'm sitting the real story was fairly interesting. The one Mezrich told was ammusing and i know why he changed what he changed, but i feel that he could have left a lot more intact and still kept it interesting. This is just a joke and a bad one at that.

RJT.
 

TENNBEAR

Well-Known Member
#4
If 21 becomes a box office hit, I am certain it could bring a lot of attention to blackjack and card counting. The movie will be dramatized portraying card counting far from reality of a real card counter as we know it. Leaving movie goers the impression that card counters are super smart people, who can make huge amounts of money in a short period of time. The interest in card counting that this movie could generate, could impact the casinos, by providing an influx of inexperenced card counters making the casinos a lot of money. However, this could be another box office flop that has no impact at all.
 

RJT

Well-Known Member
#5
TENNBEAR said:
The movie will be dramatized portraying card counting far from reality of a real card counter as we know it. Leaving movie goers the impression that card counters are super smart people.....
by providing an influx of inexperenced card counters making the casinos a lot of money.
If people feel that you need to be "super" smart, they won't bother trying for the most part. Yes it might attract a few more math majors or engineering/computing students, but that'll be about the extent of it.

RJT.
 

SystemsTrader

Well-Known Member
#6
It looks typically "hollywoodized" because that's what it takes to sell it to the public at large. I've said it before I hope this movie flops, because if it's a huge success too many wannabe counters will flood the casinos. Then the casinos will all get paranoid and more and more lousy rules and pen will start showing up. I don't see anyway how it can benefit AP's, you never want to draw attention to what we do!
 

toastblows

Well-Known Member
#7
Looks cheezy. Im guessing most of it will deal with relationships between characters that didnt actually happen... and not counting cards...because a movie about 8 hour shifts of counting cards and flying back to Boston after the weekend to return to normal life is about as interesting as..... real life :laugh: :cool2:


on a non BJ related topic, "strange wilderness" looks funny as hell :laugh:
 

Dyepaintball12

Well-Known Member
#9
This movie looks sweet! I love how the guy from Across the Universe is the star.

This game will bring so many people to the tables it will be amazing. I think it will be good
 

bluewhale

Well-Known Member
#12
RJT said:
Actually that's part of my issue with the film - counter's are going to be protrayed and freak intellectuals totally belittling the fact that most people can do it. Any positive effects this film could have had - i.e getting more people to the tables - will be nullified if the public feel that they can't do it. Just furthers the myth that card counting can only be done by genuises with photographic memories etc etc.
Agreed. but its not really that big a deal. I was at a party yesterday where a friend of mine who heard that i make money at blackjack was explaining to his buddy what i do. he says "so he (referring to me) goes to casinos and wins about 1k every time." obviously this is a gross exaggeration of my abilities... but what do i do? i say "yeah, pretty much." Why? cause i don't really care if people really understand what i'm doing exactly, its not a big deal if they just get a general idea. if they want to know exactly how it works, don't watch this movie, read BJ Attack or something.

RJT said:
They are going to emphasize every dark negative of the game - the violence and betraya making. I don't know how many of you have ever spoken to the people involved, but there was no violence. There might have been a few threats, but no violence.
"Inspired by a true story " Inspired by" does not equal "is."

I for one can't wait to see this. But hey, i'm a sucker for any blackjack related movies. As for the effects of the movie on the game, only time will tell.
 

SPX

Well-Known Member
#13
Being really into film, I was pretty pumped when I heard this movie was getting made. Now that I've seen the trailer I'm disappointed. I like Kevin Spacey but it looks like he's taken this in the wrong direction.
 
#14
The televised poker craze has brought a lot of bad poker players to the tables, and I think a BJ movie will bring out bad BJ players in the same manner.

Only difference is, bad BJ players will support bad games which will elbow out the good games. One topic you can be certain won't be covered in the movie is game selection and a new counter gets killed if he doesn't understand that. So I think this movie might be bad for legitimate AP's.
 

toastblows

Well-Known Member
#15
I could tell from the trailer its not even going to follow the recollections of Mike Aponte.....That history channel Breaking Vegas....or Mezrichs book......which all in themselves dont match either (Unless someone can point me to where the lead character is $300k in school debt in any of these previous tellings?)....so sweet, another glamorization of smart kids winning money. :laugh: I'll go to that steve zahn movie instead.
 

RJT

Well-Known Member
#16
Automatic Monkey said:
The televised poker craze has brought a lot of bad poker players to the tables, and I think a BJ movie will bring out bad BJ players in the same manner.

Only difference is, bad BJ players will support bad games which will elbow out the good games. One topic you can be certain won't be covered in the movie is game selection and a new counter gets killed if he doesn't understand that. So I think this movie might be bad for legitimate AP's.
On this one we're agreed. I don't think this movie will do any good for the general conditions of the game.

As to it being inspired by a true story - what they've done is similar to what Mezrich did. He took a very interesting true story and changed it to what he wanted to the story he wanted to write. The film and taken Mezrich's story and changed it to the story they wanted to tell. My problem isn't with the lack of accuracy so much as it is with them even vaguely connecting it to the exploits of the MIT teams. To me, you have to leave at least something more than the fact that they card counted in to still have a connection.

RJT.
 

bluewhale

Well-Known Member
#17
RJT said:
To me, you have to leave at least something more than the fact that they card counted in to still have a connection.

RJT.
both were BJ teams out of MIT trained by professionals who had a very large bankroll. both teams took weekend trips to vegas and studied during the week. both teams showed initial success and then later ran into obstacles. theres a lot more. i see nothing wrong with loosely basing this film on the real events. now if the film advertized as "this is a true story" taht would be a whole other story. sure you might think the real story is more interesting etc., and i'd agree.... but like others have mentioned the producers care about one thing only, their bottom line, and the original story won't sell as well.
 

EmeraldCityBJ

Well-Known Member
#18
The movie will bring more players to the game which is both good and bad. We may start seeing more BJ tables and fewer carnival games (specifically in places like Washington state, where less than 25% of the tables in most casinos are blackjack). Many of these new players will try to count. Most will either be very bad at counting or they will be under-bankrolled and eventually lose to the casino the first time they experience some negative variance. The smart casinos will cater to this type of player which might improve conditions for real APs. The dumb casinos will get more paranoid and worsen their games.

I agree that we're not likely to see anything in the movie to discuss game selection to encourage the masses to demand better games. I am hopeful that when the DVD comes out, it will have some beneficial bonus tracks. I think a bonus track including a detailed explanation of basic strategy and game selection (including a big slam on 6:5), and a brief primer on card counting with references for people who want to learn more would be perfect.
 
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