I'm going to a premier tonight.

I've been waiting for this to open.

If you're not familiar, you can go to yahoo.com, click on movies, 21, and watch a trailer.

It's about the group from MIT who set up a blackjack counting team and won millions!

Local buzz says the group that actually the deed were all Asians and the movie used all white folk, so the Asians are upset. I think there was more belly aching, but I got the TV turned off before I heard more.

The documentary on the Discovery network was interesting. I especially liked the way they did distractions during training. I hope the movie touches on that.

senator- waiting for the review,but i can tell you right now that you have to read the book to completely understand what actualy happend.what happend in vegas didnot stay in vegas!

and the mit teams have been doing this for years and i am sure it continues today

Bad news is, someone backed into my car in the parking lot of the movie.

I've never been to one of these pre-screenings before. This was by invitation only. They had us all waiting in the hall in a line to get in. They made an announcement that no cameras or video cameras were allowed and told us that if anyone had a camera on them, they should take it to their car. There was a lady searching ladies purses then they wanded everyone but they didn't really know what they were doing. The wand would go off over a guy's coat pocket. He'd pull out some keys, show them and the gurad would wave them in without rechecking to see if there was maybe something still there.

Good news, don't walk, RUN to your nearest theatre. Anyone who reads this BB should love this movie.

Joe, there were 2 Asians on the team in the movie.

I've got to admit, I haven't read the book but will probably be getting it tomorrow. (as soon as I get an estimate to see if it's over my deductable or not)

I started out thinking the kid who stared in this beside Kevin Spacey wasn't the right guy for the part but I quickly changed my mind. I'm a big Spacey fan and he didn't disapoint.

The Vegas footage was very up to date with many shots of Planet Hollywood and they spent a lot of time playing at a table with PH chips.

They did the same stupid thing I see in most Vegas movies; they checked into the Hard Rock, the hotel hallway was correct but then they showed a view from the balcony on the strip. The same thing happened from what was supposed to be a suite at the Palms. It was too close to Caesars then looked down at the Bellagio fountains.

There's a little something here for everyone; drama, romance, action, and twists.

I don't want to give too much away and ruin the movie for anyone but will be glad to answer questions that don't do that.

I've had a couple of invitations to private pre-screenings and never knew what generated them. I think it might be my Best Buy rewards card since they seem to think I am interested in movies. If I had one for that movie, I'd probably go.

Maybe China Town wont riot on opening day after all.

Sorry to hear about your car.

Did you notice the security at Bette's show? I had a camera in my pocket and pulled out a set of keys. He rewanded the area and it beeped again and he let me through. Kinda reminded me of TSA.

The camera thing is stupid, almost every cell phone today has a camera option, mine has a short movie option as well.
I hope you didn't have the cadi. I'm sure it will be over your deductable, on those it doesn't seem to take much, I know!

I'm dying to see this movie - can't wait!

Joe,

Guess I wasn't paying that much attention to the security people at Bette's show but it sounds like the same deal. This show was sponsored by a radio station. I friend called and gave me the pass.

Lee,
Yes, I had the Caddy. Went to the dealer this morning and they said it's well over my $500 deductable. I called the theatre to see if they have security cameras on the parking lot and they don't.

Mike,

I'll expect your report soon!

As a MIT alum, I have always wondered why CalTech and Stanford did not come up with this since they are closer.
Eric

Maybe CalTech and Stanford didn't get caught<g>?

the person that kevin spacey played has been banned in most casinos everywhere,he is like the team leader and new recruits keep the teams fresh

Good one Daisy.

Well, I'm sick...just saw it again with Patti.

I was wrong about the suite at the Palms, it was supposed to be at the Hard Rock again and like I said before, shots out the window were first of the side of Caesars then the fountains at the Bell.

And yes, I enjoyed it the second time!

I read a book a while back where the Blackjack "team" had some kind of "computer device" in their shoes that would transmit the delt cards to a team member in a van and he in turn would transmit the "instructions" back to a second device in the other shoe.

Sounds very complicated and very uncomfortable. Why didn't they just count cards?

And... has anyone ever seen the actual "shoe' device or a photo of that device? Or better yet! ... Has anyone worn one?

For that matter, why not simply go to Atlantic City, which isn't a 5-1/2 hour flight from Boston?

I went to see "21" this past week with my fellow math geek friend Dave, who just got his masters in math. We both enjoyed the movie. I got a bit nitpicky, though, over a few things:

1) The usual problems with Vegas geography that most movies set there have. senatorjm has aleady covered most of them, though.

2) Laurence Fishburne as "eye in the sky" to several casinos simultaneously. In the movie, Fishburne runs a private security company that provides eye-in-the-sky services to many different casinos. This is how in the movie he's able to catch on to the MIT team as they casino hop.

Doesn't each casino have their own setup? I would think that in real life each casino's eye-in-the-sky system is entirely self-contained.

3) The MIT team playing anywhere from $500 to $5000 dollars a hand and not being noticed by the floorperson. I know Vegas has gotten more expensive in the past few years, but I would think that betting $1000 per hand at blackjack would still attract a fair amount of attention from the casino floor staff. More than it does in the movie, anyway.

4) How the main character stores his winnings. Are you kidding me?? For someone who is a hotshot at MIT and was accepted into Harvard Medical, the kid has zero common sense.

Maybe it's some sort of tax dodge, and he's therefore afraid to deposit it in the bank. Doesn't the casino make you fill out the gambling winnings tax forms if you have a big win at the tables, or is that only for slots? At one point in the movie, the main character reveals that he has accumulated about $350,000 in winnings over 17 trips to Las Vegas. That's more than $20,000 per visit. If I were that kid I'd be worried less about casino security and more about the IRS.

4) The whole premise of "I have to go to Vegas to raise the money to go to Harvard Medical School; there is simply no other way without a scholarship." Hello? Student loans, anyone?

5) Yes, Dave and I noticed the "Monty Hall problem" early in the movie. When I asked him about it afterward, he just gave me this funny look and said, "Of course I understand it. What, did you sleep through the first three weeks of Probability with Dr. Coffey?"

Take care,

Tim