#5 – 3000 Miles to Graceland (2001)

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Las Vegas? Gambling, drive thru' weddings - and Elvis Presley. There aren’t many icons of Vegas more widely recognized or more imitated than Elvis. What could possibly go wrong with the idea of robbing a Las Vegas casino count room as an Elvis impersonator during an Elvis convention? Wildly over the top, violent beyond its rights, and a whole lot of fun, you cannot take this movie seriously. Accept the movie for what it is and it is very enjoyable slice of Las Vegas movie lore.

#4 – Hard Eight (1996)

Anyone who has read anything I’ve written in the past six months knows I am a sucker for Paul Thomas Anderson. This, his debut feature, is no exception. Originally titled Sydney, this is less a Las Vegas movie and more a Reno one. What it lacks in location, though, it more than makes up for in spirit. A veteran gambler tutors a loser with no money into a successful small-time professional who falls in love with a waitress who just  happens to be a hooker… sometimes. Only in Vegas, indeed.

#3 – Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)

Las Vegas isn’t called Sin City for nothing. It breeds behavior that is not accepted anywhere else on the planet as you chase the dream of getting rich or otherwise. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas illustrates the very idea of chasing the American dream and embodies every angle of the ‘otherwise’. This film isn’t for everyone, but those who get it understand how perfect a portrait of the Las Vegas ideal it paints.

#2 – Ocean’s Eleven (1960 & 2001)

Neither of these movies will ever be accused of being anything other than they are – fun. What they succeed at doing remarkably well is capturing the essence of a group of friends having a good time in Vegas - which just happens to include robbing multiple casinos. Details, details… What Ocean’s Eleven represents is far greater than the two movies or even their sequels. It represents a cool factor that  is always associated with Vegas. Neither movie was anything more than an excuse for a few friends to hang out in Vegas and make a ton of money while doing so, which by my count, is everyone’s dream when they go.

#1 – Casino (1995)

This isn’t Martin Scorsese’s best movie. It may not even crack his top five best list, but it is tops this one for a simple reason: it runs the gamut of every emotion and touches on every experience one could possibly have in Sin City. Spanning three decades, the aptly titled Casino follows the rise and fall of a gambling handicapper sent to Vegas by the Mob to oversee the day to day operations of their casino. By rise, I mean rise – to the highest of highs one can attain in Las Vegas. But the lows that followed were just as vivid. The mystique of the fabled ‘old Las Vegas’ hangs heavy all over this film. While cheating wouldn’t get you kicked out or arrested, it could get you whacked or worse. It may essentially be ‘Goodfellas in the desert’ but as a Las Vegas movie, it is the perfect blend of violence and entertainment, the elation and devastation that is the perfect cautionary tale needed for anyone who thinks they can take the house. Quick word of advice, and take it from someone who has been there enough to know -  you can’t.