Watch John Goodman Discuss His Devilishly Good Dialogue In This ‘The Gambler’ Clip (Exclusive)

Rupert Wyatt’s remake of The Gambler arrived in theaters last Christmas without a big splash, and I think it was just the timing. It’s a very good movie, one of the most underrated of 2014, but it couldn’t compete with the awards contenders of that season. Well, there was some buzz from myself and others about John Goodman deserving a Best Supporting Actor nod. He’s definitely the best part of the movie, which stars Mark Wahlberg as an author and college professor who is addicted to making unwise bets at the blackjack table.

Goodman plays Frank, one of the loan sharks that Wahlberg’s character must deal with after his debts to a gambling house owner and another loan shark get out of hand. He doesn’t have a lot of scenes, but those appearances have a lot of substance and make for quite a memorable performance. Now you can see for yourself, as The Gambler is out on Digital HD (iTunes, etc.) today, with the DVD and Blu-ray coming at the end of the month. 

And for the occasion, we have an exclusive video to share that comes with purchase of the digital copy and on the Blu-ray. It’s a collection of clips of Goodman’s scenes with the actor discussing his work on the movie. “Really good dialogue is easier to memorize,” he says of his heavy load of lines in the little onscreen time that he has. “So it wasn’t that much of a chore. It was like a labor of love.” Wyatt is also in the video at the end, commenting on the Frank character as being “the Devil, in a way.”

Watch the safe for work version of the video below. Find a version without the swears bleeped out here.

Here are the details on the other special features that come with The Gambler Blu-ray Combo pack:

·       Feature film in high definition

·       Mr. Self Destruct: Inside The Gambler

·       Dark Before Dawn: The Descent of The Gambler

·       Changing The Game: Adaptation

·       In The City: Locations

·       Dressing The Players: Costume Design

·       Deleted/Extended Scenes

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