i started counting cards at vegas and lake charles last year. i got kicked out of a casino in lake charles because i won in excess of $25K in one day (and they thought i was counting - which i was but denied the entire time.... no roughing up - just a lot of verbal abuse in an office) apparently that's big money over there... in Vegas I'm hardly a blip on the radar. but of course I go to vegas MUCH more and have lost just as much as i've won over the years... so it evens out.
Just got back from the SXSW premiere. They had the author, the guy the movie was based, and the led actor there. Very good movie. Kevin Spacey was the man as usual. I was afraid it would have been too 'hollywood' but it wasn't. they didn't concentrate too much on the gambling techniques but a decent amount so that you can follow it. Considering they did this (for real) in 1993, the 'current' Vegas setting wasn't that bad. Casino's filmed at Spoiler hard rock, planet hollywood, riveria, and red rock..(that's way off the strip. they must have chosen it cause it looks cool) Good soundtrack, some Kasabian. Good flow. The Q&A session was good too.
http://blogs.chron.com/outtakes/ 21: Stereotypical casting? The new movie 21, based on the true story of a group of MIT students who take Las Vegas casinos for millions by perfecting the art of card counting, is gaining a lot of press before it hits theaters on March 28. The movie, which stars Jim Sturgess (Across the Universe), Kate Bosworth (Blue Crush) and Kevin Spacey (all of these), opened the SXSW festival. But not all of the press it's getting is the good kind. It seems that the main players on the MIT card-counting team were Asian and were "recast" by Hollywood movie execs for white actors. A recent article in AsianWeek complained about this trend, deeming it a "whitewashing" of historical events. The author of the book the story is based on called it "stereotypical" casting. I didn't know much about the MIT team and hadn't read the book, Bringing Down the House, that the movie is based on. But Hollywood has a long history of distorting facts or rearranging stories because execs think it will be more palatable and/or profitable. Gender, race, political affiliation, motive ... all appear to be flexible when it comes to big screen adaptations. In this case, some think the race of the characters is central to the plot. Allegedly, part of the reason the group was so successful was that they didn't fit the stereotype of a card counter (young, brainy-looking, male and Caucasian). According to an article on Wired.com: The MIT team thrived by choosing BPs who fit the casino mold of the young, foolish, and wealthy. Primarily nonwhite, either Asian or Middle Eastern, these were the kids the casinos were accustomed to seeing bet a thousand bucks a hand. Like many on the team, Kevin Lewis was part Asian, and could pass as the child of a rich Chinese or Japanese executive. "When you're recruiting, you don't recruit white kids. They look conspicuous. Asian kids, Greek kids, dark skin fits in better with lots of money in the casinos. White 20-year-olds with $2 million bankrolls stand out," explains Andrew Tay, one of Lewis' teammates. "A geeky Asian kid with $100,000 in his wallet didn't raise any eyebrows."
the main guy talked about this in the Q&A he was fine with a non-asian guy playing him. he was a pretty business minded guy and he understood that. there were 2 asians on the team (movie) also. so it wasn't all stereotypical. plus John Cho is already Harold and Kumar and John Cho couldn't play every asian dude he now runs some sports business with troy aikman as one of his clients. the point of the movie is not so the gambling but the character development and relationships. he mentioned that if they put in the details of card counting "you guys would fall asleep"
I don't get the "whitewashing" as they call it...A good movies is a good movie, no matter what the color of person's skin...KateB is ok, but I'd rather have an hot asian woman playing the part vs. her... It looks alright...
Daryl said he knew the actual guy which the story was based on. He calls him his "good friend"...they talk a couple of minutes about it towards the end of the interview (24min mark) http://www.1560thegame.com/page1_sub.php?id=153 John and Lance Podcast - Morey interview on 3/14
and Kevin Spacey was the best in that movie, he stole the show Luke was the hero, but Hans Solo was the show stopper
