LIBERTY INN Welcomes WBPPA Poolplayers....Page 32
Poolhall Junkies MARS CALLAHAN TALKS TO THE BREAK ABOUT HIS MOVIE By: Don Cheese Akerlow
January 9, 2003 I had a chance to talk to Mars Callahan, Writer, Director and Star of the upcoming movie Poolhall Junkies. Cheese: How long have you been playing pool? Mars: I started playing pool when I was about 12 years old. Cheese: Where did you grow up?
Mars: I grew up in California in Los Angeles Cheese: What s your favorite game? Mars: Nine ball. Cheese: Who did you pattern your game off of? Mars: Nobody. I ve always been sort of a maverick. I m a person. This is the first time that anyone has written, directed and starred in a movie like this. I never really patterned myself after anybody. Somebody that I looked up to was Robert LeBlanc. Robert LeBlanc was the house pro at the Hollywood Athletic Club when I was shooting pool there and he had a great style. He and I became real good friends and he was the technical advisor on the film. (Poolhall Junkies
Opens February 28th
continued on page 15)
(left is Christopher Walken as Mike and right is Mars Callahan as Johnny in Poolhall Junkies Copyright Gold Circle Films All Photos by Tracey-Lee Taylor, 2000
Martinez Victorious at Funsters Casino
by: Linda Carter
Seatac, WA Funsters Casino was definitely the place to be over the weekend of December 28-30 for intense pool action and the most talented players in the NW, from Kelowna and Calgary, Canada to Los Angeles, CA and east to Yakima. Forty-three top players vied for the $9,300 purse. Funsters and King Cobra Billiards put up the $5,000 added which made this one of the top added money tournaments ever in the NW. When Rafael Martinez is in the house, prepare to be entertained! He puts on a show whether he is zinging in balls with razor-sharp precision, stretching out with his 3 foot bridge and his leg extended, or displaying his powerful stroke that dazzles the mind with the possibilities of drawing around 5 rails. Kim Gates unfortunately fell
(l to r) Raphael Martinez 1st, Mike Vidas 2nd, Stan Tourangeau 3rd
as his first victim, 9-1, followed swiftly by Carlos Santos 9-4, Mike Zimmerman 9-4, John Doherty (JD) 9-1, and Rich Geiler 9-4. That gave
him a 45-14 win/loss record. More amazing, were the players that were being sent over to the B-side. Simon Pickering who just won the
big Canadian tournament was out in 3. Also appearing on the wrong side of the board early were Dan Louie, Rick Marshall, Todd Marsh, Tim Tweedell, Monk, Stan Tourangeau, Alan Ima, Brady Gollan, Glen Atwell, Kris Iverson, Randy Camantigue, and John Horsfall! It seemed a lot safer to stay on the winner s side. The last 8 left on that coveted side of the board were Rich Geiler, Chad Aldridge, Rafael, JD, Jeff Jimenez, Mike Vidas, Raul Abenojar, and Jeremiah Johnson. It was probably no coincidence that except for Rafael, everyone else was a regular at the weeklies at Funsters and were used to the tight pockets. It fell to Mike Vidas to carry the Canadian pride to the finals, and he met that challenge head on. He (Funsters continued on page 13)