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Burt Reynolds

Critics Love Shannon Elizabeth Poker Movie Deal, Which Hits Theaters Tonight


Shannon Elizabeth stars in poker movie Deal with Burt ReynoldsA month after Zak Penn’s The Grand stormed the box office by banking just enough to buy-in to the WPT Championship, the poker movie Deal, which stars waxy-looking golden ager Burt Reynolds and features Dancing with the Stars’ Shannon Elizabeth (at right) playing a Las Vegas hooker, hits movie screens tonight in select cities, and already critics are rushing to give it praise.

Just sample some of these rave reviews:

“Deal has to take the title of the worst film ever about the game and that includes the how-to videos with Joan Rivers impersonators you see in your Vegas hotel room.” – Erik Childress, efilmcritic.com

“One of the most cliche-ridden and generally misguided films of not just the year, but the decade so far.” – Brian Tallerico, Deadbolt.com

“Director/co-writer Gil Cates Jr. gives us a by-the-numbers execution of a by-the-numbers story, which would barely be movie-of-the-week material but for Reynolds’s ‘star power.’”LA City Beat

“A poker movie that has the dubious honor of being even worse than Lucky You.” – Gary Thompson (but not the Gary Thompson?), Philadelphia Daily News

In related news our highly acclaimed screenplay titled Sitting on the Can While Writing This Post just got greenlit. It’s set to be filmed this morning, after our third cup of coffee kicks in. Drop us an email if you want to be an extra.

Below is a video of RawVegas.tv’s Denise Pernula prettying up the red carpet at the Deal‘s premiere last night at the Palms in Las Vegas. Maybe it’s us but it’s like director Gil Cates Jr. and his producers know they made a piece of crap film. Like they were baked out of their minds when they shot it and now are trying to stop themselves from laughing as they try to talk serious about it. Also in the video, card-tossing couple Jennifer Tilly and Phil Laak talk about their non-plans ahead of the 2008 WSOP, and in news sure to delight ex-WCP reader Carl, Dancing With the Stars’ lovebirds Shannon Elizabeth and Ricky Schroder Derek Hough say they are getting married in Las Vegas. Burt Reynolds unfortunately couldn’t get out of the Madame Tussaud museum he lives in to walk the red carpet.

Video on RawVegas.tv here.

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Deal Set for April 25 Release, DwtS’ Shannon Elizabeth Plays Hooker


Deal, the "new" poker movie starring Burt Reynolds, Bret Harrison, and Dancing with the Stars’ Shannon Elizabeth, is finally set for "limited" release on April 25th.

We’re not ones to make bold predictions, but we predict that Deal will be closer to Lucky You than to Rounders in the poker movie pantheon (apologies to The Sports Guy, who apparently owns the rights to the word "pantheon" now).

Deal was completed two years ago (never a good sign) and was exec produced by 2005 WSOP final table-ist and magician Scott Lazar (never a good sign).

The plot sets new standards for creativity. A grizzled old vet who has already lost it all (and quit the game) takes a young Yale poker phenom under his wing to help him get to the next level. Young Yale student falls in love with a beautiful girl (played by Dancing with the Stars’ Shannon Elizabeth). Young girl turns out to be a call girl. Young Yale student makes a major tournament final table (WPT, with Mike Sexton and Vince Van Patten calling the shots) where he goes up against grizzled old vet, who decided to play this one last time.

If you’d like a visual representation of the above paragraph, there’s a trailer for you below. Or if you’d like to see something more interesting, watch this.

View Deal trailer.

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