Another take on "Luck"

[moosepalm]

I\'ll stand with this guy.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1194165/index.htm

[alm]

David Milch is I believe an admitted compulsive gambler.  That\'s ok.  He can produce whatever he wants, whenever he wants, but if racing is just the \'dark game\' he is including in his show, I must have been missing something these past 50 years.  For every trainer who fits the profile of the 2 in this show I\'ll introduce you to 10 who are normal human beings and are \'stand up\' people in their own right.  For every close-to-degenerate gambler he depicts, I\'ll introduce you to a hundred guys who are not.  And to everyone who has to watch this crap to get their jollies, I can introduce you to unbelievable cinema that lifts the human spirit...maybe yours too.

[moosepalm]

Alm, if you\'d like to discuss cinema or the human condition, or preferably both, I\'ll be happy to go with you all day on that, but before long someone, deservedly, will want to know how it all relates to patterns, form cycles, etc.  Let me simply say that \"Luck\" is not a documentary.  It is, if you will, an artistic rendering of various aspects of a sport that lends itself to what will be, for some, compelling viewing, and done with a very respectable amount of authenticity for the portions being represented.  Movies such as \"Citizen Kane,\" \"The Godfather,\" \"On the Waterfront\" and \"Chinatown,\" which will generally be found at or near the top of any greatest movie list, did not seek to represent an accurate portrayal of their overall milieu, nor were they intended to \"lift the human spirit.\"  If someone can\'t separate himself and/or his vested interest in the subject matter of a film in such a way as to give it an objective viewing, then perhaps it is best avoided.  At the very least, a disservice is being done to the filmmaker who is under no obligation to represent someone else\'s vision of the subject matter on the screen.

[sighthound]

From The Horse.com and posted on Derby Trail:

HBO\'s horse racing themed television series \"Luck,\" which was recently picked up for a second season by the cable network, is encouraging racetrack goers and employees to participate in an open casting call at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., Feb. 12.

\"Luck,\" written and produced by David Milch and directed by Michael Mann, stars Dustin Hoffman, Nick Nolte, Dennis Farina, and John Ortiz and is currently airing on HBO on Sunday nights at 9 p.m. (EST).

Casting for racetrack employees will be conducted from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Top \'O the Stretch adjacent to Clockers\' Corner.

Open casting will take place in Santa Anita\'s paddock area, just north of the Seabiscuit Walking Ring from 1 p.m. until 4:30 p.m.

Participants are asked to bring a picture of themselves and to meet casting directors from Christopher Gray Casting.

\"This is a good opportunity for many of our employees and fans to be a part of a major league television production and to pick up some extra income,\" said Pete Siberell, Santa Anita\'s director of special projects, in a release. \"We had approximately 500 extras involved with season one, and I would expect there would be a similar opportunity with season two.

\"Having a series of this magnitude in production here at Santa Anita is a win-win for us and the community. Anyone who has seen the first two episodes knows how beautiful Santa Anita looks and when you factor in all the economic plusses, from the actors, technicians, grips, catering, etc., this show is generating a lot of jobs and revenue for the community, across the board.\"

Santa Anita\'s current winter/spring meeting runs through April 22. For more information regarding Luck, visit www.santaanitalive.com, or www.hbo.com.

[sighthound]

Hey - being a degenerate gambler is the only chance to be a 2012 pirate-type outlaw.  I\'m sure the romance attracts some.

But I agree ... normal, normal, normal is the ... average.

[FrankD.]

They should film a segment with the Carolina BBQ boys on a weekend at the Spa.
I would challenge them to find a character the equal of Richiebee!!!!

Frank D.

[Topcat]

FrankD. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> They should film a segment with the Carolina BBQ
> boys on a weekend at the Spa.
> I would challenge them to find a character the
> equal of Richiebee!!!!
>
> Frank D.


And you thought vaudeville was dead.

[aceriley63]

Yes this is fiction and we must \"suspend our disbelieve\".

Classic line so far is from Gary Stevens, after falling off and hitting the ground heavily.  \"I\'ve broken my F\'ing collar bone more often than I\'ve been laid\".

[Ntheiroff]

He also sported a Rolex Presidential, but had to settle for a pint of \"Cutty\".