The Best Vegas Movies, Part 2 of 2

This is the second installment of our feature on the best Vegas movies ever made. When you can't make it there in person, the next best thing is to see it from home.

Swingers (1996)
Director: Doug Liman
Starring: Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau

Swingers was made on a minuscule budget and featured some relatively unknown actors at the time. However, the film became an instant cult hit, largely due to the hilarious dialogue and enough one-liners to fill a warehouse. It also featured some of the most memorable characters to come out of any 90s film. Although the majority of the action takes place in Los Angeles, the guys do make a disastrous road trip to Vegas which sets the tone for the great ending. For many Swingers is the ultimate guys flick the one that taught us to always double-down on an Ace in blackjack, and exactly how many days to wait before contacting a girl you met in a bar. It's so ""money,"" you have to see it.

Ocean's Eleven (2001)
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Starring: Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts

This star-laden flick is about the ultimate Las Vegas casino heist, in which a group of conmen assemble to pull off the big score. It is stylish and slick and although a bit far-fetched at times, it has enough charm to keep you riveted for the entire length of the film. Clooney and Pitt do a great job at just being cool, while neither attempts to steal the show. Roberts is even a pleasure to watch as she betrays her annoying habits for once for a much cooler demeanor. If you're one of the three people in the world who have yet to see Ocean's Eleven, we recommend that you do so immediately, particularly if you are fond of movies set in Vegas.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
Director: Terry Gilliam
Starring: Johnny Depp, Benicio Del Toro

The film version of Hunter S. Thompson's classic journalistic novel of the same name, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a bizarre look at the state of American culture in the early 1970s. Las Vegas is presented as a microcosm of the decadence and hypocrisy which plagues American society following the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Depp plays Raoul Duke, a semi-biographical character of Thompson's and Del Toro his mentally unhinged lawyer, Dr. Gonzo. The two misfits make their way to Las Vegas loaded with a car trunk full of drugs and, as might expect, mayhem ensues.

Honeymoon in Vegas (1992)
Director: Andrew Bergman
Starring: James Caan, Sarah Jessica Parker, Nicholas Cage

Honeymoon in Vegas is a light-hearted comedy involving a bride, two grooms, and 34 Flying Elvises. It features Cage doing what he does best playing the neurotic loser. This time around he loses his fiance (played by the lovely SJ Parker) in a poker game, and tries desperately to win her back. The film is filled with scenes of Vegas grandeur and although slightly outdated now, it does a good job of capturing the charm and pull of the city. It's a very easy and enjoyable film to watch, featuring a few great comedic performances.

Viva Las Vegas (1964)
Director: George Sidney
Starring: Elvis Presley, Ann-Margaret

What would be a list of great Vegas flicks without at least a mention of The King? In Viva Las Vegas, Elvis is 29 years-old and clearly at his prime. Another great thing about this film is that it shows Vegas in its infancy, before the corporations took over and it was still being run by the good old-fashioned mobsters! The on-screen chemistry between Elvis and Ann-Margaret also makes it a must-see.