GUEST COLUMN: Quintessential Las Vegas Movies
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Quintessential Las Vegas Movies
by Kevin Gardner
Sin City. Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada. It’s a truly unique city, not just in America, but in the whole world. For some, it’s a vacation destination with great food and shows. For others, it’s an adult Disneyland filled with the decadence of gambling, sex, and booze. Whichever way you look at it, Las Vegas is a massively appealing setting for Hollywood movies, from depressing dramas about down-on-their-luck losers to cool portrayals of suave sophisticated and high rollers. Here are five truly iconic movies set in the desert layover that became a symbol of the best and worst of America.
“Ocean’s Eleven”
The mention of Las Vegas conjures many images; palm trees, suburban houses with custom pools Las Vegas, and (of course) casinos. The Las Vegas Strip and “Old Vegas” feature legendary casinos featured in numerous movies. If you always wanted to visit Las Vegas's casinos but never had an opportunity, try out this online casino with $5 minimum deposit.. The Las Vegas Strip and “Old Vegas” feature legendary casinos featured in numerous movies. When you think about Las Vegas cool, your mind probably drifts back to the 50s and 60s when some of the greatest entertainers held court at iconic casinos. Foremost among those entertainers was “The Rat Pack.” Ol’ Blue Eyes himself, Frank Sinatra, led The Rat Pack, and in their day, they were the epitome of cool. “Ocean’s Eleven” is the story of Danny Ocean (played by Sinatra) leading a group of cool cats comprised of the rest of The Rat Pack and others plotting a casino heist for the ages. Sinatra’s “Ocean’s Eleven'' hit theaters in 1960, but equally iconic was the 2001 remake featuring the coolest actors of that era: George Clooney and Brad Pitt.
“Swingers”
Doug Liman’s 1996 cult classic “Swingers” gave us many iconic film moments. It introduced many people to the acerbic wit of Vince Vaughn, and the charisma of actors like Ron Livingston, Jon Favreau, and Heather Graham. Its juxtaposition of the brief 90s revival of swing music and upbeat, glamourous Las Vegas imagery would likely earn a place on this list by themselves. The legendary phrase “Vegas, baby!”, however, is what solidifies it as a Hollywood/Vegas classic.
“The Hangover”
“The Hangover” certainly owes a great deal to “Swingers,” but it became a box office sensation for a variety of reasons. Sure, it had plenty of cool shots of the Strip’s top casinos. Its appeal, however, relied on a screwball plot (a man goes missing in Vegas after a wild bachelor party) and the perfect confluence of stars on the rise.
“The Hangover” was the film that cemented Bradley Cooper’s leading man status after a memorable turn in “The Wedding Crashers.” Ed Helms was a known comedy star on the rise. Perhaps the biggest revelation of “The Hangover,” though, is the deadpan hilarity of Zach Galifianakis in a comedic supporting role for the ages. This movie spawned two highly successful sequels and propelled its stars into superstardom.
“Viva Las Vegas”
The King himself, Elvis Presley, gave Las Vegas one of its signature songs and signature movies when we made “Viva Las Vegas” in 1964 with Ann-Margaret. This is a celebration of the fun side of Las Vegas, a delightful romp of cars, gambling, and song-and-dance. No list of classic Las Vegas movies would be complete without it.
“Hard Eight”
Of course, Las Vegas has its dark side. It’s portrayed in numerous movies, from “Leaving Las Vegas” to “Casino” to “The Cooler.” “Hard Eight” may not be a title you recognize instantly, but it is significant in the lineage of both Las Vegas and Hollywood films. That’s because 1996’s “Hard Eight” (also known as “Sydney”) is the feature film debut offering from auteur director Paul Thomas Anderson. Anderson would go on to make such classics as “Boogie Nights,” “Magnolia,” and “There Will be Blood.” Hard Eight concerns an aging gambler and features soon-to-be Paul Thomas Anderson stock players Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, Philip Seymour Hoffman. It also stars a rising, young Gwyneth Paltrow and the inimitable Samuel L. Jackson in a sad tale of a Vegas grift.
Las Vegas can inspire many simultaneous emotions, from joy to despair, lust to contentment, and so on. These movies encapsulate, in their own way, the many facets of the Vegas experience.
