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Brüno

So right now, I’m on a (non-film, non-blog) business trip to Las Vegas, NV; which is, incidentally, why the late Summer of Blood entry, the scrapped (delayed?) plans for an especially complex Sunday Classic Movie, and most of all why I won’t be reviewing Brüno or any other new release until – if all goes exquisitely well – Tuesday afternoon.

Anyway, it’s my first visit to Sin City, and I’ve gotten to thinking about the storied position it holds in American mythology, and cinematic versions of that mythology especially, which then led to this quick primer on ten movies that have exemplified various facets of Las Vegas, Tawdry Soul of America.

Las Vegas was created so that mobsters could legally fleece tourists

The Godfather, Part II (Frances Ford Coppola, 1974)

Las Vegas is the swingin’-est place for a cat to be cool

Viva Las Vegas (George Sidney, 1964)

Las Vegas is still the swingin-est place for a cat to be cool – and now it has gorgeous fountains!

Ocean’s Eleven (Steven Soderbergh, 2001)

Las Vegas is a playground where anything can happen, and it’s awesome

The Hangover (Todd Phillips, 2009)

Las Vegas is a playground where anything can happen, and it’s obscene

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (Terry Gilliam, 1998)

Las Vegas is where lost souls go to be found

The Cooler (Wayne Kramer, 2003)

Las Vegas is where lost souls go when there’s nowhere else to go

My Blueberry Nights (Wong Kar-Wai, 1997)

Las Vegas is where lost souls go to die

Leaving Las Vegas (Mike Figgis, 1995)

Las Vegas makes it easy to marry people without due consideration or sobreity, and this often leads to perilously un-funny scenarios

What Happens in Vegas (Tom Vaughan, 2008)

Las Vegas is full of whores
Showgirls (Paul Verhoeven, 1995)

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