WHAT HAPPENED IN VEGAS: THE MOVIES THEY MADE HERE - LIGHTS! CAMERA! ACTION!
By Howard T. Brody
Summertime is usually the time of year when all the big blockbuster films are released. But this year, thanks to the global pandemic known as Covid-19, Hollywood release dates were thrown out the window and all the big pictures that were slated to be released during the spring and summer got pushed back and rescheduled for the fall.
In the meantime, millions of film buffs worldwide have turned to on-demand and video streaming services to get their celluloid fix, albeit digitally.
With services like NetFlix, Amazon Prime, Hulu Plus, YouTube Red, Disney+, HBO MAX, Vimeo, Daily Motion and countless other platforms, not to mention the fact that virtually every cable TV provider offers the ability to watch Hollywood classics whenever you get the itch, you can pretty much watch anything you want at any time.
This of course, includes movies in which sin city has a role. Whether Las Vegas is part of the film’s title, plays a critical element of the plot or simply serves as a backdrop for the story, there’s a pretty good chance that regardless of how Las Vegas-centric the film may be, you can watch one of these gems any time you want.
So, to help you, separate showgirls, from casino bosses, how to tell the difference between a flying Elvis and the real king, and decide which Danny Ocean did it better, the one played by Frank Sinatra or the one played by George Clooney, we present to you, in audience-scored order from worst to best, some of the films that featured Las Vegas as part of its storytelling.
Here’s how to read the listings: Name of the Film (year it was released) time of the film in minutes. The audience score at press time, which is the percentage of filmgoers who have rated the movie 3.5 stars or higher on the Rotten Tomatoes website. D: Director. W: Writer(s). St: The original film distribution company. S: Cast. The 411: What you need to know about the movie. [MPAA Rating] Before getting to the actual list, a couple of honorable mentions are in order, both directed by Barry Levinson.
The first goes to the 1988 R-rated film Rain Man starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise. One of the best sequences in the movie is that of Charlie (Cruise) bringing his autistic savant brother, Ray (Hoffman), to Vegas to count cards and get him out of debt. How much did he win, Ray? “About $100.” We should all have brothers like this.
The second goes to the 1991 R-rated biopic Bugsy starring Warren Beatty, Annette Bening and Ben Kingsley, among others. Sin City cost the real-life Bugsy Siegel his life when he went over budget on building the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel Casino and when $2 million of the mob’s money couldn’t be accounted for. As Meyer Lansky (Kingsley) tells Siegel (Beatty), “I can’t protect you anymore.” And we can’t protect any of the films on the list. Let’s get to it, shall we?
Luck You (2007) 124m. 28%. D: Curtis Hanson. W: Curtis Hanson, Eric Roth. St: Warner Bros. Pictures. S: Eric Bana, Drew Barrymore, Robert Duvall, Debra Messing. The 411: A hotshot poker player needs $10,000 to get a seat in the World Series of Poker, but he is fighting personal battles that prevent him from making an emotional commitment to a young singer from Bakersfield, while fighting off anger issues concerning his estranged father, a two-time WSOP champion. Sometimes a one-on-one game of poker played for pennies, nickels, and dimes is more rewarding than winning a big money tournament. [PG-13]
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013) 100m. 33%. D: Don Scardino. W: Jason Reitman, Jonathan M. Goldstein, John Francis Daley. St: Warner Bros. Pictures. S: Steve Carell, Steve Buscemi, Olivia Wilde, Alan Arkin, James Gandolfini, Jim Carrey. The 411: What happens when a veteran magician tries to revive his career after his longtime partner quits their act, he gets fired from the his casino gig and Bally’s, and has to fend off an edgy new “street magician” who tries to steal his spotlight? Never discount Cambodian drugs that put users into a deep sleep. [PG-13]
Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 (2015) 94m. 34%. D: Andy Fickman. W: Nick Bakay, Kevin James. St: Columbia Pictures. S: Kevin James, Raini Rodriguez, Neal McDonough, David Henrie, Daniella Alonso. The 411: It’s the first sequel on our list, but certainly not the last. After six years of keeping our malls safe, Paul Blart has earned a well-deserved vacation. He heads to Sin City with his teenage daughter before she heads off to college. But because safety never takes a holiday, when duty calls, Blart answers. We don’t know why and maybe he shouldn’t. [PG]
Honeymoon in Vegas (1992) 96m. 35%. D/W: Andrew Bergman. St: Columbia Pictures. S: Nicolas Cage, Sarah Jessica Parker, James Caan, Pat Morita. The 411: A private eye swears to his mother while she’s on her deathbed that he’ll never get married, but he goes back on his promise and arranges for some quick Vegas nuptials with his girlfriend. What could possibly go wrong when it turns out his girlfriend is a dead ringer for a wealthy gambler’s late wife? “We’re the ‘Flying Elvises’ – Utah chapter!” [PG-13]
Showgirls (1995) 128m. 37%. D: Paul Verhoeven. W: Joe Eszterhas. St: MGM/UA Distribution Co. S: Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan, Gina Gershon. The 411: A young “street-smart” drifter hitchhikes to Las Vegas in order to become a showgirl but instead finds herself dancing in a strip club. Still determined to make it as a casino showgirl despite her tainted past, she scratches and claws her way to the top of the Vegas food chain to achieve that much coveted showgirl status. But was it worth it? At times the film can be vile, contemptible, garish and misogynistic — but isn’t that the point? [NC-17]
Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (2005) 115m. 43%. D: John Pasquin. W: Marc Lawrence. St: Warner Bros. Pictures. S: Sandra Bullock, Regina King, Enrique Murciano, William Shatner, Ernie Hudson, Heather Burns, Diedrich Bader, Treat Williams. The 411: When the friends of a well-known and popular female FBI agent are kidnapped in Las Vegas, the agent goes undercover at a beauty pageant to try to rescue them, putting her at odds with the FBI, as they are unwilling to lose the person who they’ve made the “face” of the law enforcement agency. We must ask: Why would anyone want to blow up the ship at the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino? [PG-13]
The Grand (2008) 104m. 43%. D: Zak Penn. W: Zak Penn, Matt Bierman. St: Anchor bay Entertainment. S: Woody Harrelson, Cheryl Hines, David Cross, Chris Parnell, Richard Kind, Dennis Farina, Werner Herzog, Ray Romano. The 411: A recovering drug addict who has been married 75 times, brother and sister twins who’ve been rivals their whole lives, a genius who still lives at home with his mother, a math teacher, an old school Vegas poker player, and a cheating German who sacrifices small animals to gain luck at cards, all enter The Grand, a $10 million prize Texas Hold ‘Em poker tournament played at the Golden Nugget. The poker play is real and the actors improvise the dialogue as they go. All bets are off. [R]
3000 Miles to Graceland (2001) 125m. 46%. D: Demian Lichtenstein. W: Richard Recco, Demian Lichtenstein. St: Warner Bros. Pictures. S: Kurt Russell, Kevin Costner, Courteney Cox, Christian Slater, Kevin Pollak, David Arquette, Howie Long. The 411: Dressed in Elvis costumes, a gang of ex-cons set out to rob a casino during an Elvis convention. There’s lots of double crossing going on here, to the point where you just can’t trust an ex-con anymore. Whatever happened to honor among thieves? Oh, wait, right. [R]
Indecent Proposal (1993) 117m. 47%. D: Adrian Lyne. W: Amy Holden Jones, William Goldman. St: Paramount Pictures. S: Robert Redford, Demi Moore, Woody Harrelson, Oliver Platt, Seymour Cassel. The 411: Based on the novel of the same name, a married couple travels to Vegas, hoping they can win enough money to finance a dream real estate project only to lose all of their savings on roulette. Their relationship is further put into turmoil when a billionaire offers them one million dollars for the wife to spend the night with him. Is love stronger than money? [R]
Vegas Vacation (1997) 93m. 51%. D: Stephen Kessler. W: Elisa Bell. St: Warner Bros. Pictures. S: Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Randy Quaid, Wayne Newton, Ethan Embry, Wallace Shawn. The 411: The Griswolds head to Las Vegas for a family vacation and to renew their vows. As the fourth sequel in the series, it’s standard “Vacation” fare with all the gags and zaniness that have made the series popular including some time spent with Cousins Eddie & Catherine. What’s more important, family or money? [PG]
Very Bad Things (1998) 100m. 58%. D/W: Peter Berg. St: PolyGram Filmed Entertainment. S: Cameron Diaz, Jon Favreau, Daniel Stern, Jeremy Piven, Christian Slater, Leland Orser, Kobe Tai, Jeanne Tripplehorn. The 411: Mean spirited and empty, this dark comedy features a group of friends head to Sin City for a bachelor party (don’t they always?). There’s just one problem – things don’t quite go as they had planned. As a matter of fact things go completely upside down and a woman is killed. Before long the bodies start piling up and the friends find themselves turning against each other; maneuvering in order to cover their own tracks. Friends to the end unless there’s a murder and then it’s every man for himself. [R]
Diamonds Are Forever (1971) 120m. 58%. D: Guy Hamilton. W: Richard Maibaum, Tom Mankiewicz. St: United Artists. S: Sean Connery, Jill St. John, Charles Gray, Lana Wood, Jimmy Dean, Bruce Cabot. The 411: Bond. James Bond – in Sin City! It’s typical spy game fare in this Bond adventure as he battles Ernst Blofeld and SPECTRE in a worldwide game of nuclear chess that concludes in our little desert town. Watch for great stunts and witty dialogue at every turn. [PG]
Think Like A Man Too (2014) 106m. 59%. D: Tim Story. W: Keith Merryman, David A. Newman. St: Screen Gems. S: Kevin Hart, Gabrielle Union, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Jerry Ferrara, Michael Ealy, Meagan Good, Regina Hall, Terrence J, Taraji P. Henson, Romany Malco, Gary Owen. The 411: In this sequel to 2012’s Think Like a Man, all the couples are back for a Las Vegas wedding, but plans for what was to be a romantic weekend run afoul when their various misadventures get them into some compromising situations that threaten to derail the big event. Weddings and Vegas go together like casinos and showgirls. [PG-13]
Last Vegas (2013) 105m. 59%. D: Jon Turteltaub. W: Dan Fogelman. St: CBS Films. S: Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Kline, Mary Steenburgen. The 411: Three retirees who grew up together in Brooklyn travel from different cities and states to Las Vegas where they have a bachelor party for their last remaining single friend. While there are lots of silver hair on that silver screen, the movie proves that sometimes old can be gold. [PG-13]
What Happens in Vegas (2008) 99m. 65%. D: Tom Vaughan. W: Dana Fox. St: 20th Century Fox. S: Cameron Diaz, Ashton Kutcher, Rob Corddry, Treat Williams, Dennis Miller. The 411: Like the title of this column, the title of this film is based on the Las Vegas marketing catchphrase “What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas.” A man and a woman meet by chance after a computer error gives them the same hotel room. After clearing up the confusion and getting upgraded with their own rooms, they find themselves partying together. After getting married, the next morning they realize it was a big mistake and agree to get divorced – until they win a giant jackpot. In order to split the money the two must live together as a couple for six months. What could possibly go wrong? [PG-13]
21 (2008) 123m. 66%. D: Robert Luketic. W: Peter Steinfeld, Allan Loeb. St: Columbia Pictures. S: Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth, Laurence Fishburne, Kevin Spacey. The 411: Inspired by the true story of the MIT Blackjack Team as told in the best-selling book Bringing Down the House by Ben Mezrichis, six MIT students who were trained to become experts in card counting, take Vegas casinos including Planet Hollywood for millions in winnings. [PG-13]
Viva Las Vegas (1964) 85m. 67%. D: George Sidney. W: Sally Benson. St: MGM. S: Elvis Presley, Ann-Margret, Cesare Danova, William Demarest, Nicky Blair. The 411: A racecar driver heads to Sin City to win the Las Vegas Grand Prix only to fall for the casino’s swimming instructor. Lots of musical numbers from both the King and Ann-Margaret, including the titular number that we all like to sing along with. “Oh, there’s blackjack and poker and a roulette wheel... A fortune won and lost on every deal... All you needs a strong heart and a nerve of steel... Viva Las Vegas!” [PG]
The Cooler (2003) 101m. 69%. D: Wayne Kramer. W: Frank Hannah, Wayne Kramer. St: Lions Gate Films. S: William H. Macy, Alec Baldwin, Maria Bello, Ron Livingston, Paul Sorvino. The 411: An unlucky gambler is so bad that instead of having his legs broken by the mob-boss for being more than $100K in debt, the casino hires him to sit next to high rollers so they can lose too. Just as his debt is about to be paid off, his luck changes when he meets a cocktail waitress. That must’ve been one hell of a stiff drink. [R]
Ocean’s 11 (1960) 127m. 81%. D: Lewis Milestone. W: Charles Lederer, Harry Brown. St: Warner Bros. Pictures. S: Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Peter Lawford, Joey Bishop, Angie Dickinson. The 411: World War II veterans Danny Ocean and Jimmy Foster plan an elaborate heist for New Year’s Eve that requires the precision of a military operation. They recruit nine U.S. Army buddies from their 82nd Airborne unit to knock off five casinos on the Strip at the same time: the Desert Inn, Flamingo, Riviera, Sands and the Sahara. It’s the original and some will argue it’s better than the remake. What could possibly go wrong? [PG-13]
Ocean’s Eleven (2001) 116m. 82%. D: Steven Soderbergh. W: Ted Griffin, Steven Soderbergh, George Clayton Johnson. St: Warner Bros. Pictures. S: George Clooney, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts lead an all-star cast. The 411: Danny Ocean and his buddy Rusty Ryan conspire to rob $150 million from an underground vault that serves three of the Strip’s biggest casinos on the night of the big fight. Between them, they rustle up nine other confidence men, each with their own specialty to assist in the heist. To complicate things, Ocean’s ex-wife Tess now works for casino mogul Terry Benedict, owner of the three casinos. Although it’s a remake, it stands squarely on its own 11 feet. Remember, in a casino someone is always watching. [PG-13]
The Hangover (2009) 100m. 84%. D: Todd Phillips. W: Jon Lucas, Todd Phillips, Scott Moore. St: Warner Bros. Pictures. S: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Ken Jeong. The 411: A Las Vegas bachelor party turns into a race against the clock when three groomsmen wake up with no memory of the previous night only to find the groom missing. The trio retrace their steps in an attempt to find their buddy. Beware of naked Chinese men in your car trunk, don’t fall for hookers and don’t fuck with Mike Tyson. [R] Leaving Las Vegas (1995) 111m. 85%. D/W: Mike Figgis. St: United Artists. S: Nicholas Cage, Elizabeth Shue, Julian Sands, Richard Lewis. The 411: A down and out screenwriter named Ben heads to Vegas with the notion that drinking himself to death will somehow overcome all of his problems, until he meets a prostitute named Sera. Apparently misery and desperation loves company, no matter how much you drink or how many johns you’ve banged. [R]
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) 118m. 89%. D: Terry Gilliam. W Terry Gilliam, Tony Grisoni, Tod Davies, Alex Cox. St: Universal Pictures. S: Johnny Depp, Benicio del Toro. The 411: A journalist and his lawyer drive from Los Angeles to Sin City on a drug binge. While the duo’s initial journalistic intentions include covering the news including a drug abuse convention, they instead devolve into a frightening exploration of the city under the influence of psychedelic substances. Based on the 1971 Hunter S. Thompson novel of the same name. [R]
Casino (1995) 178m. 93%. D: Martin Scorsese. W: Martin Scorsese, Nicholas Pileggi. St: Universal Pictures. S: Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci, James Woods, Don Rickles. The 411: An odds maker, a Mafia underboss and an ex-hooker lie, cheat and steal their way to the top of the Las Vegas food chain only to fall from grace when pissed off mob bosses, the Feds and corrupt government officials tear things apart with a corrupt casino as their backdrop. It’s ok to play by the rules, but they’re Vegas rules. [R]
Regardless of which films you like and which ones you don’t, one thing is for certain and that is when it comes to the cinema, filmmakers have a love affair with Las Vegas. So when we say what happens in Vegas, if it’s on film, it doesn’t stay here at all. Everybody wants to take a peek at what goes on backstage, and Vegas has the most transparent curtain there is. Now, get the popcorn and enjoy!