Vegas has been in numerous movies over the years. As the world’s entertainment capital, the City of Las Vegas offers a perfect mix of drama, atmosphere and glamour. In this article, we will take a look at five of the best movies that were set in Vegas. With the rise in popularity of casino gaming and betting we’re also guaranteed to see even more movies about gambling. Especially the quite young industry of Novelty Betting might be a good starting point. With novelty bets you can bet on pretty much everything; politics, the ending of a TV-Show or even who will be the next James Bond. This for sure will offer great opportunities for more gambling-themed movies.
But let’s get back to casinos in particular. There have been lots of successful movies in recent decades, that we condensed to just the top-5 best Casino movies you have to know.
Casino
Produced by Barbara De Fina and directed by Martin Scorsese, Casino is an epic crime film that was released in 1995. This iconic Las Vegas movie follows De Niro as Sam “Ace” Rothstein, a Jewish American gaming expert specialist handicapper who has been told by the Chicago Mafia to oversee the daily hotel and casino operations at the Vegas-based Tangiers Casino. Supporting characters include Ginger McKenna (Sharon Stone) and Nicholas “Nicky” Santoro (Joe Pesci). The movie details Rothstein’s operation of the casino, the Mafia’s involvement with Tangiers Casino, the difficulties he faces in his job and the breakdown of his standings and relationships as the city changes over the years.
21
Released on July 21, 2008, 21 is a heist drama film that was directed by Robert Luketic. The movie features Kieu Chinh, Aaron Yoo, Jacob Pitts, Liza Lapira, Kate Bosworth, Laurence Fishburne, Kevin Spacey and Jim Sturgess. Ben Campbell is a mathematics major at Massachusetts Institute of Technology; he’s accepted into HMS but can’t afford the tuition. Campbell applies for the Robinson Scholarship to cover the whole cost. However, he faces tough competition despite having high grades and a Medical College Admission Test score of 44. Back at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Micky Rosa, a professor, challenges Campbell with the Monty Hall Problem, and he solved it successfully. Rosa invited Campbell to become a member of his blackjack team. Using covert signaling and card counting, the team increased their probability of winning in casinos, which led them to get substantial profits. They were flown to Vegas over many weekends and Campbell comes to enjoy his rich lifestyle as a big player. Cole Williams, the head of security started monitoring the team, turning his attention to Campbell. Fans of blackjack will love this movie.
Ocean’s Eleven
Ocean’s Eleven is a heist film released in 2001. It was written by Ted Griffin and directed by Steven Soderbergh, and it’s a remake of the classic 1960 Ocean’s Eleven. The movie features an ensemble cast, including Julia Roberts, Bernie Mac, Andy García, Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, and George Clooney. The film follows friends Rusty Ryan (Pitt) and Danny Ocean (Clooney) who plan to rob famous casinos: MGM Grand, Mirage, and Bellagio. Rusty and Danny recruit 8 criminal specialists and former colleagues. Several members of the team carry out a survey at the Bellagio Casino to get information about the behaviors of the staff, the routines, the security, and the building itself. While planning, the team learns that Tess, Danny’s wife, is Benedict’s girlfriend. As a result, Rusty urges Danny to quit the team, believing that he’s not capable of sound judgment when Tess is involved. However, Danny refuses.
The Hangover
Released in 2009, The Hangover is a comedy film written by Scott Moore and Jon Lucas. The plot of this movie follows three friends (Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms and Bradley Cooper) who try to piece together the events that took place at a bachelor party that went wild. This will help them find their friend Doug who is due to marry Tracy. The trio used clues to retrace their steps and went to a hospital. Here, they discovered that someone drugged them with roofies or Rohypnol, which resulted in their memory loss. From the hospital, they went to a chapel, where Stu married Jade, a stripper. Outside the chapel, gangsters attacked the trio. They flee and managed to track Jade. The police then arrested them for stealing a police cruiser. The three friends were released after unknowingly accepting to act as targets for a taser demonstration. Alan confessed that he intentionally drugged their drinks to make sure that they had a memorable night, as he believed the drug was ecstasy.
Viva Las Vegas
Regarded as one of the best Elvis Presley’s films, Viva Las Vegas is a 1964 musical film. The movie follows Lucky Jackson (Elvis) as he goes to Vegas to participate in the first annual Grand Prix Race in the city. However, his race car needs a new engine to compete in the event. Jackson raises the necessary cash in Vegas but loses it when Rusty Martin (Ann-Margret), the hotel’s nubile swimming instructor, shoves him into the swimming pool. Jackson then works as a waiter to replace the money that he lost to help him pay the hotel bill and the talent contest held by the hotel in hopes that he will win the cash prize to help him pay for his vehicle’s engine.
