Las Vegas is the most iconic party city in the United States. The frenetic energy and incredible spectacle of the strip have made it a classic location.
With its nickname of ‘Sin City’ the town encourages crazy behaviour resulting in great stories which make better films. To mark the release of Last Vegas, we have put together a list of 10 great movies set in Las Vegas.
- Viva Las Vegas - 1964
Singing Las Vegas' anthem, Elvis Presley and Ann-Margret take over the big screen in the musical Viva Las Vegas. Elvis, playing a race car driver, goes to Las Vegas to participate in the cities first annual Grand Prix Race.
Finally collecting the money for his entry, he misplaces it when he becomes distracted by the local swim instructor (Ann-Margret).
With the music and dance scenes, overwhelming attraction between the co-stars and a great story, Viva Las Vegas, is regarded by many fans as Elvis Presley’s best film and as a timeless Vegas classic.
- The Godfather: Part II -1974
With a continuation of the famous Godfather, The Godfather: Part II follows the story of Michael’s (Al Pacino) expansion out of New York and into Las Vegas.
The film portrays the temptation of Sin City through the transformation of Michael Corleone from once reluctant son to powerful mob boss.
Starting his expansion with the best intention of building a family empire, he quickly becomes involved in the corruption of the city. Often regarded as the best sequel ever made, and a sequel thought to be superior to the original, the Godfather: Part II is a must see!
- Honeymoon in Vegas-1992
Swearing to his dying mother he will never get married, Jack Singer (Nic Cage) goes back on that promise years later and proposes to his girlfriend Betsy (Sarah Jessica Parker) and rushes to Vegas for the weekend to tie the knot.
Getting cold feet, Jack procrastinates getting married by playing a poker game that last for hours with notorious gambler Tommy Jorman.
After losing over 65,000 dollars, Korman offers a solution to Jacks recent debt problem; give up Betsy for a weekend and he will give Jack his money back. Agreeing to the proposal, Betsy flies to Hawaii with Korman and quickly falls for his charm. In an unconventional Vegas movie, Honeymoon in Vegas is a classic Las Vegas movie.
- Showgirls - 1995
Show Girls could potentially be the most unpopular, popular movie. Following the story of a Vegas stripper who dreams of becoming famous, the movie is full of nudity, sex, and drugs; a perfect concoction for a raunchy Vegas movie.
Winning the Golden Raspberry Awards for worst picture, worst actress, worst director, worst screenplay, worst new star, worst screen couple and worse original song, the film still manages to appear on every ‘top Las Vegas movies’ list.
- Casino - 1995
Martin Scorsese is a legendary director for mob/gangster movies. With Robert DeNiro as Sam 'Ace' Rothstein, a mobster who oversees operations in a casino, and Joe Pesci as Nicky Santoro, a mob enforcer, the two best friends encounter greed, deception, money and murder in the gambling kingdom.
Not only was Martin Scorsese nominated for a Golden Globe as Best Director - Motion Picture, but the film was also nominated for the AFI’s 10 top Gangster Films.
- Leaving Las Vegas- 1995
In this emotional drama, Ben Sanders’ (Cage) depression and alcoholism has consumed him as he decides to go to Las Vegas with the intention of drinking himself to death. When Ben meets a prostitute called Sera (Elisabeth Shue) on the street, they form an unusual friendship and non-interference pact with one another.
Leaving Las Vegas shows a different side of Sin City, a flip side to the glitz and glamour. Cage won an Academy Award for Best Actor and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama and the film is considered a Las Vegas classic.
- Swingers - 1996
After breaking up with his long-time girlfriend, Mike (Jon Favreau) is taken to Las Vegas by his friend Trent (Vince Vaughn) to forget his troubles.
On the prowl for women and cheap thrills, the duo takes on Sin City. Rated number 57 on Bravo’s '100 Funniest Movies' and honoured at the 2007 Spike TV Guy’s Choice Awards, the movie was a tremendous success.
- Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas -1998
Adapted from Hunter S. Thompson’s novel, director Terry Gilliam introduces a film starring Johnny Depp as journalist 'Raoul Duke' and Benicio del Toro as insane 'Dr. Gonzo' and their psychedelic escapades in Las Vegas.
Raoul, only trying to cover a story in Vegas, finds himself involved in massive amounts of drugs, alcohol and temptation.
- The Hangover- 2009
Winning the Golden Globe Award for best comedy, the 2009 ‘bachelor party gone wrong’ film became an instant hit. Just two days before his wedding, Doug Billings (Justin Bartha) brings a crew consisting of an awkward dentist (Ed Helms), narcissistic pessimist Phil Wenneck (Bradley Cooper) and socially inept and future brother-in-law Alan (Zach Galifinakis) for a bachelor party in Las Vegas.
With a night of strippers, weddings and all the temptation Vegas has to offer, they wake up with no memory, the groom-to-be nowhere to be found, missing teeth and a tiger.
The three of them go on an adventure to piece together their night and find the groom to get him back in time to say ‘I do’. The Hangover became a trilogy due to popular demand, and great success at the box office.
- Oceans 11 - 2001
George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and eight other guys team up to take down three of the biggest casinos in Las Vegas.
With casinos, action, robbery, con artists and attraction, Oceans 11 is the Vegas movie of all Vegas movies. With the film grossing $450,728,529 worldwide and positive remarks from critics, Oceans 11 is a classic.
- Last Vegas - 2013
Academy Award Winners Michael Douglas, Robert DeNiro, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline play a group of friends in their late 60’s reliving their glory days in celebration of the group’s sworn bachlors’ engagment.
However, upon arriving, the four quickly realise the Las Vegas they had once known has been transformed over the decades.
Last Vegas opens in UK cinemas on January 3rd, 2014
Tagged in The Hangover