Summer Movie Pool

NCAA Tourney pools are commonplace and who hasn't heard of Fantasy Football? But what about a pool based on blockbuster movies? A couple of years ago, we were introduced to such a pool and it's so much fun we wanted to tell the world about it. What started as a friendly competition among a few friends, has now ballooned into a fierce bloodsport with almost 100 participants.

The rules are simple. A moderator sends out a list of films that are scheduled to be released between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Everyone picks the 15 films they think will make the most money. You win one point for every million dollars your first ten movies earn at the box office. The first ten are not ordered and ties are settled by people’s ranking of their remaining five choices, as needed to establish a winner.

The game is easy and is a great way to stay in touch with friends over the summer—a witty moderator adds to the fun. The trick is being able to differentiate those films you think will be "good" but not make much money ("Hustle and Flow" or "Smart People") from those you think will make lots and lots of money regardless of how technically "good" they are ("The Dark Night" and "Ocean’s Thirteen"). Pull one together for yourself and see how much fun they can be.