The holidays are almost here, and since most of you will be kicking it at home for a few days, we’ve gone ahead and listed the best Vegas-themed movies to help keep your head in the game.
We know the holiday season is a perfect excuse to eat, drink and be merry, but chances are some of you will also want to get your share of R&R. To help fill your time between holiday parties and the obvious spinning, shuffling and rolling, here are the five all-time best Vegas-themed movies you need to watch.
5. Vegas Vacation
The fourth and final installment of the National Lampoon’s Vacation series has the Griswolds visiting the Gambling Capital of the World.
From Clark’s blackjack shenanigans and son Rusty’s new identity as a winning high roller named Mr Papagiorgio, to wife Ellen’s infatuation with Wayne Newton and daughter Audrey’s debut as a go-go dancer; a fun-filled family vacation is what the Griswolds had envisioned, but Sin City has other plans for them.
This classic comedy will give you a taste of Vegas, a dose of casino action, good laughs and the feeling that your family members really aren’t as crazy as you thought they were after all.
4. Hard Eight
This underrated thriller not only boasts an awesome cast – think Samuel L Jackson, Gwyneth Paltrow and John C. Riley – but also offers up something for everyone: murder, mystery, sex and of course, casino gambling. What more could a player ask for?
Not to be missed is the flick’s intense craps scene, which features a cameo by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman who plays an arrogant gambler who taunts the film’s main character, Seymour.
3. The Hangover
Whether you caught it in theaters or not, this Vegas-themed movie is one to be watched again and again.
When a group of guys plan a Vegas bachelor party for their buddy Doug, debauchery tops their to-do list. However, when they wake up to a missing groom-to-be with no recollection of any of the previous night’s events, the guys spend their time trolling the strip, attempting to piece together their night and find their missing friend.
From Baby Carlos and Mike Tyson’s tiger to Stu’s toothless grin and Mr Chow’s privates, this Sin City-based comedy movie will have you rolling on the floor in hysterics.
2. Ocean’s 11
This star-studded remake of the 1960s Rat Pack classic is sure to entertain any casino buff.
We certainly don’t condone the activities ex-con Danny Ocean and his crew take part in, nor do we buy Don Cheadle’s offbeat British accent, but this film’s ensemble cast, witty humour and behind-the-scenes view of what high-end casino security entails makes it a holiday must-watch.
1. Casino
The all-time best Vegas-themed film has got to be Martin Scorsese’s epic crime drama, Casino, which tells the story of Sam “Ace” Rothstein who’s been sent to Vegas by the Chicago mob to run the Tangiers Casino.
In true Scorsese fashion, this motion picture has it all: a top-notch cast of actors, Oscar-worthy cinematography showcasing a glamorous Sin City of the past, and an amazing take on the trials and tribulations of a casino resort manager.
From Nicky’s angry blackjack session to Ginger’s wild craps game, this film delivers all the action every player would look for in a film.