Stu Ungar movie?

[morgan]

A friend of mine told me there is a movie in the works about the life of Stu Ungar. Does anyone know about this? Is it true? Any details?

Morgan

[thebroker]

It is true, however I don't really know any details. The book by Nolan Dalla will be released in spring of 2004. I read this in Greg Dinkin's Cardplayer article(march 14 issue). I'm sure the book will be much more factual than the film.

[Dynasty]

While having dinner with Nolan Dalla a couple weeks ago, Nolan seemed to think the film was not going to be a good portrayal of Stu's life.

[DanS]

Go to www.stueymovie.com. (http://www.stueymovie.com.) If you click on "the film," you can get a few clips of the movie, including one where Stuey (Michael Imperioli) is playing gin against Pat (Wax on, Daniel-san) Morita. That clip, unlike the other two, kinda makes me want to see the movie.

Dan

[Bill Murphy]

It would be possible to make a movie that has a good portrayal of Stu's life? He was an idiot savant card player, junkie filth otherwise.

That said, I can't wait for both the book and the movie.

[PokerBabe(aka)]

Babe was an extra in the movie, so I know it was filmed. Don't know if it will be released, however. Nolan's book will be a much more accurate account of the "kid's" life than the movie. LGPG, Babe /forums/images/icons/heart.gif

[beernutz]

Yes, those clips look really good. I've seen entire movies that didn't have as many good parts as those 3 scenes.

[**MR.MANHATTAN**]

watch how u speak about the dead....he has alot of friends left.....in case u been in cave mr.please stake me......addiction is a disease not a crime...and where he is from ..the lower east side of manhattan...well kids were junkies b4 6th grade......walk a mile in the mans shoes..

[TimTimSalabim]

That web site also says that the movie will premiere at the Taos Talking Picture Festival April 10-13. Perhaps someone will go and give us a review.

[Big Al]

yeah, right...a bunch of Stu's buddies are going to start looking for Bill Murphy because of what he posted here...wake up pal. Maybe addiction is a disease, but ripping off your friends is a crime. Stu burned a lot of people in his time. He died broke in a sleazy hotel, not exactly a success story if you ask me...

[**MR.MANHATTAN**]

hi big al,no one said anything about anyone looking for bill or anything else related to threats or violence.i said"he still has friends left" i was not insinuating anything. read my other posts ,im pretty strt forward.it is disrespectful to talk about deadpeople who in their personal life were as u say fkd up.he was and is still one of the most brilliant tourney players u must agree.as for gin rummy they still catching up to where he left off at.if u lend a drug addict money or back a sick person you take the risks.he did not pretenfd that he was sober.i know he beat people,people that were only interested in making $ of his talent and gave him $ knowing it was going in his arm or in the pipe. so big al..or do u prefer BIG AL.? we all have friends like stu....how would u like someone taslking about your chilhood pal or family member that has been the victim of drugs..a loser to society but loved by family.....food for thought fat al.i mean big al......i dont insinuate,,,i speak strt....if i were talking like u say...the verbage wouldve been "bill,watch your mouth or i"ll kick u in the balls when i se u at binions"...i was just saying have respect for the mans friends and family.......to bill murphy im sorry for causing u any headaches...ok? clear....dont think im condescending or going backwards for u al...im just clarifying who i am for uyou, p.s...if it was your family or pal u would not like to overhear people talking bad about them..or would u big al? do tell. MR> to u Manhattan

[**MR.MANHATTAN**]

true friends forgive...ripping off strangers might be one thing....if u cant rob your friends who can u rob? his true friends forgave him long ago...and why u stick up for bill? can it be your his friend? i tell u this big al....my friends can do no wrong and my enemies no right. enuf said....deal up

[Big Al]

A persons life should be judged in its totality. Just because someone is good at one thing doesnt, when you look at their overall life, mean you automatically get on your knees and sing their praises. The guy was a mess. Also, I dont buy this idea that if you have a drug problem, its a disease, like cancer. Poor Stu, the drug bug/disease came along and infected him and he couldnt get cured. What a load of BS. Doing drugs is a matter of free choice. Nobody put a gun to his head and ordered him to do drugs. He choose, on his own free will, to become a druggie. To put people like that in the same category of someone who contracts a terminel illness is crazy. And to advocate or say its OK to rip off your friends is also crazy. Yes, I have had friends who were druggies. After many years of trying to help them and being burned time and again by them, I have no problem saying that my friend was and is a mess and is fu*ked up. Why? because its the truth, and yes, the truth hurts sometimes. You obviously are so enamored with Stu that you defend him to the very end, despite the facts. Also, if you want to engage in childish comments like calling me fat al (I thought you said you were a straight forward guy...doesnt seem like it to me when you make a juvenile remark like that) then go ahead. The reason I am called Big Al is because I am tall (played college hoops). Obviously you are a guy who doesnt bother to check things out before he makes a comment...yeah, you are a real straight, up front type of person. Stop being a legend in your own mind and start trying to practice what you preach.--BIG AL--

[Ryan_21]

He's been dead for six years and people are still talking about him on boards like this. Sounds like a success to me.

Ryan_21

P.S. Oh yeah, forgot to mention the THREE world championships, but thats not really important.

[Ryan_21]

"To put people like that in the same category of someone who contracts a terminel illness is crazy"

Its crazy to even make a statement like that. For most people w/ adddiction problems it is the SAME as someone who contracted a terminel illness. In a sense it is a terminal illness. Research has proven that addiction and substance abuse is hereditary. And if its hereditary you dont have a choice when you are born if you want this chemical imbalance or not.

"Doing drugs is a matter of free choice. Nobody put a gun to his head and ordered him to do drugs. He choose, on his own free will, to become a druggie"

This man started drugs early in life he was a 14 year old w/ hundreds of thousands of dollars and lived in the ghetto. Everyone knows children are easily influenced by their surroundings. To be that young and have that much money, he never stood a chance. And if you think drug dealers dont follow around addicts that they know have lots of money then you dont understand business.

Ryan_21

[Big Al]

Sorry Ryan, I dont buy it. Temanil illness's and being a druggie are not in the same category, IMO. Also, people still talk about Hitler 50 years later, does that make him a success or a great guy?

[D.J.]

The reason he is still talked about is b/c he was a great card player, not b/c he was a great person. I think you guys should give Big Al a break, he's not denying the guy was great at cards, he just simply pointed out that the guy was F**ked up in the other parts of his life. Facts are facts. There are plenty of people who fit into the same category as Stu, many athletes like Darryl Strawberry, Doc Gooden, Pete Rose, Babe Ruth, Michael Irvin, Ken Caminiti, and a whole lot more people who were great in athetics, but the other parts of their lives were extremely F**ked up. Not to mention all those top level execs worth millions of $$$ who get drunk and beat the [censored] out of their wives and kids every night, but hey, they can really make a sale so we shouldn't talk bad about them. Take it from a guy like Reggie White, arguably one of the best defensive football players of all time, says, "if people remember me as a great football player, that's fine, but I would rather be remebered as a great person." So quit treating Stu Ungar like some poor little kid who was born w/ leukemia, and look at things for what they are, he was a great card player, but away from the tables he's probably not someone you'd want dating your daughter.

-D.J.

[Smackdab]

"To put people like that in the same category of someone who contracts a terminel illness is crazy"

Al your a college graduate and I can't believe you penned this.
Do you think people intentionally do this because they want to ruin themselves and everyone else aroud them. Drug addiction is a serious issue. However, the taking of the drug is not the illness it is just a symptom of the problem.

Obviously you are fortunate enough to have never suffered from a chemical addiction. Its also apparent that you have done nothing to educate yourself on the topic either. You don't think it's a terminal illness? Terminal illness is defined as one from which there is no recovery. There is no recovery from a chemical addiction. Once an addict always addict whether clean or not.

Free choice to take the first hit or whatever? I agree. After that the whole game changes. If it was just a matter of stopping it would be so darn easy. I mean eventually everyone has to sleep so in effect they have stopped right there. Problem solved from that simplistic view.

Am I defending Stu? No. Addicts cause terrific amounts of pain to those around them. They hurt most the ones who love them. Interested in seeing the movie though. See if the filmakers can make the audience experience the emotional highs and lows that a person like Stu surely must have gone through.

Don't mean to rag you Al but your view on drug addiction seems to be very narrow.

[brad]

i agree with Al even though i think you have a point.

btw i am someone who really has never known happiness or anything like that and considered using drugs but just didnt want to so i think i have a semi informed opinion. (just semi)

[Big Al]

One of the major problems in our society is no one wants to take responsibility for their actions. They want to blame someone or something else for their problems or mistakes. Very simply, you are responsible for the voluntary actions you take. You, like a lot of others in our society, dont want to hold people accountable for their behavior but want to blame it on some "disease" or "syndrome" and then not hold that individual accountable for their actions. This is one of the major reasons our society is so messed up. People are responsible for their actions and should be held accountable for the consequences of those actions. We live in a society that perpetuates the belief that "its not my fault, the drugs made me do it". I am sick and tired of this. When are we going to start holding people accountable for what they do and stop finding every and any excuse for what they do?

[Smackdab]

No one said they shouldn't be accountable. In fact part of the recovery process is taking responsibility for the wrongs they hav committed. One of the worst things you can do for an addict is make excuses for them and enable them. Unfortunately the people who love them have a hard time doing that. The quicker the addict hits their bottom the quicker they will seek help.

Actually Al its people like you in our society that are the problem. You take the attitude that its not your fault. That your above this because it hasn't affected you therefore eff em they are on their own. I sincerely hope that you have no children that get mixed up in this. That it never darkens your door. I truly do. Its a horrible thing for the addict and the family. Everyone suffers. But if it ever does Al I hope you take the time to educate yourself on the subject. You are way in the dark here.

Who am I? What qualifies me?
I'll tell you.........I am a 20 year recovering addict. Clean and sober 20 years now and still recovering. My recovery is a day to day thing. I will never be cured. Thats terminal pal. I have sponsered numerous recovering addicts in a 12 step program. Some made it, most don't. Like poker you can't beat statistics. I have worked part time as an addiction counselor the past 10 years. I shouldn'y say worked as I have gotten no pay. My reward is the constant reminder that but for the grace of God there go I.

The drug itself isn't the problem Al. That is the symptom. Whats the problem? Complex question. Could be many things. Common is a sense of being unique of never fitting in. The inability to cope with life on a day to day basis. Of not being able to let go and wanting to control everyone and everything and failing miserably at it.

Well enough of that. Don't want to turn this into an NA meeting. Funny Al how you can tell someone they should educate themselves before they spout off yet you have blown long and hard on an issue you are totally ignorant of. Perhaps you should take your own advice.

[brad]

'Could be many things. Common is a sense of being unique of never fitting in. The inability to cope with life on a day to day basis. Of not being able to let go and wanting to control everyone and everything and failing miserably at it. '

honestly ive got all that. ive actually considered going to a AA meeting or something like that but figured that if they found out i wasnt addicted to alchohol or whatever everybody would be really mad.

[Broyle Dunson]

Drug addicts love to say its a disease they have no control over .WRONG.Every single drug addict went down a long spiral staircase of decline and had many chances to turn back.They made the concious choices to continue BEFORE they were completly out of control.BI AL HAS IT RIGHT.Find the right misguided and naive thinking individuals and they will defend anyone no matter how indefensible the position.I ask those that defend,would your outlook be the same if you had been the one that staked STU to a WSOP main event only to have him no show cuz hes upstairs smokin coke.I dont buy into any of it ,The "Stuey legend " or any thing else.Didnt know him personally but sounds like a total DEGENERATE to me.BIG AL may have ruffled feathers in his delivery,but hes got my vote on this one.

[Bill Murphy]

..after all, Stu was when he won in '97! /forums/images/icons/shocked.gif /forums/images/icons/grin.gif /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif /forums/images/icons/cool.gif

BTW, in case anyone's curious, Mr. Manhattan and I have exchanged PM's, and we're all cool.

[Your Mom]

I agree completely with you Al. This is what is wrong with this society. We fail to place blame where it belongs - on the person who made the decision. Instead, we attatch some disease or syndrome or whatever to account for their actions. It is ridiculous. Comparing cancer to a drug addiction is ridiculous too. Frankly, I get tied of listening to that type of bullshit liberal thinking.

[**MR.MANHATTAN**]

yes bill,thx for the post......i will say i sorry to big al to.it was juvenile to say fat al...as for how i would feel if it was my $$ sponsoring him for the WSOP,i would never have left that man alone...i would have nursed and babysitted him for 1 week prior to him playing....kept him at my house not at binions...I realize doyle and slim and others have no time to suffer fools and had no exp.living and growing up in a drug ridden community. there was a hotel owner who built the tallest bldg in nevada who had a very bad addiction and he overcame it..you all are good buds? i also believe stuey was exploited way to much......i think we all have valid points.still if u have never been personally involved w/drug addicted friends a and family.......well enuff of this b.s. shut up and deal.

[J_V]

my vote too.....i'd win the wsop with cobalt blue glasses too.

[J_V]

stu ungar is far from a success in life. he was a disgusting individual.

[Ryan_21]

"he was a disgusting individual"

And you are basing this statement on what?

Did you actually know him? Did you travel around w/ him on one of those side cars for motorcycles or something?

Ryan_21

[Lurker]

I talked to Andy Bellin about the film not too long ago (November, maybe?)...I don't remember the conversation exactly, but I think the gist of it was that the script needed some serious re-writing and some subsequent re-shooting. I think he was involved with the re-write part. He expressed some concerns about the story's 'authenticity' as well, but also made mention of the fact that they had to put together some kind of linear narrative as well as find an audience for the film. Nobody ever made money with a film made solely for fat humps like us ;-).

[J_V]

And you were his best friend?

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

I agree that addiction is as much a character flaw as a disease, but that doesn't change the fact that Stuey was a compelling individual worthy of a movie. In fact, it's the flaws in his life that make the story so compelling.

Hey Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle were womanizing drunks. Does that make the story of them as baseball players less interesting? Let's add Ty Cobb and Pete Rose to the list of great athletes with character flaws.

So Stuey wasn't a role model? So what??!!? Bring on the movie, I'm dying to see it.

[Ryan_21]

Never said I was, but I never judged him or said bad things about him either, there is a difference. Its acceptable to praise someone even if you didnt know them. However it is totally unacceptable to say crappy things about someone if you didnt know them personally.

Ryan_21

[**MR.MANHATTAN**]

"If you look deep enough you will find good in any man:"
If more people prayed for stu and people like stu ,the world would be a better place,trying to get a man into a tourney when he shoulda been entered into rehab...imo