Top 5 Casino Scenes in Movies

Selecting the Top 5 Casino Scenes in Movies was never going to be an easy task, but here is my best attempt at doing so.

Casino

Casino-Movie-Poster

We will stick our neck out here and say that Casino is the best film that has ever been made about Casinos. Directed by Martin Scorsese and with an outstanding cast including Sharon Stone, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Frank Vincent the theme is how the mobs first took and subsequently lost control of the Vegas casino scene. The best scene – nothing to do with gambling, but when Sharon Stone is swimming in the glass sided pool.

21

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Perhaps 21 was not a great success as a movie, but as a cautionary tale about card counting at blackjack it has a lot going for it. It is based on the true life story of a group of MIT students who won some money counting cards in various casinos. All of the casino scenes are interesting.

Casino Royale

Casino-Royale-Movie-Poster

Casino Royale is one of the better James Bond movies, and in it Daniel Craig played Bond on his first 007 mission. It concerned a huge poker tournament organised by a banker who needed the money as he owed it to a group terrorists because of a scam that Bond had foiled. Really it was all about the poker game which was played out in a great deal of detail; a fascinating scene. James Bond casino scenes probably have something to do with the glam that surrounds casinos today – the legacy is felt all over, with online casinos like www.onlinecasinoaustralia.com.au even basing a slots game on him – “Agent Jane Blonde”.

Rounders

Rounders-Movie-Scene

Rounders is also centered on poker, but at a different level. It tells the tale of a pair of friends and their poker adventures while trying to win a large amount of money to repay a debt. There are some great poker scenes in this cult movie.

Rain Man

Rainman-Movie-Scenes

Rain Man is about so many other things than gambling, and in particular the changing relationship between Charlie Babbitt played by Tom Cruise and his autistic brother Raymond played by Dustin Hoffman. However, the gambling scene in which Raymond counts cards at a blackjack table in Las Vegas is a pivotal episode of the film.

What is your favorite Casino movie scene. Share your experience and suggestions in comments.

Posters Worthy of your Room !

We often think of wall art as being limp generic nature scenes or picture postcards and neglect a prime source of true artistic endeavour – The Film Poster.

lincoln-movie-poster

Throughout the years and right up to the modern day, film posters have been a source of great artistic interpretation.  The recent billboard poster for the film Lincoln draws us in to what we can expect to be a weighty film with a weighty performance from Daniel day Lewis.  It shows a high detail black and white image of Day Lewis’ portrayal of Lincoln lowering his gaze pensively to indicate the struggles and troubles of the great American leader.  In short it encapsulates what the film is about; a trait of many a great film poster.

Look through the ages and you will instantly recognize many iconic posters that you may well have seen in homes, bedrooms and offices now that they’re readily available through services like Instant Print posters.

Vertigo-Movie-Poster

The poster for Hitchcock’s masterpiece ‘Vertigo’ is one such example where a movie poster is also a genuine piece of art.  The sketchy lettering, orange background and spiraling stencil are courtesy of an artist named Saul Bass who was responsible for the dizzying opening sequence of a film that challenges one man’s grasp on reality.  The protagonist – Scottie – is never sure whether he’s being framed or who he can trust against a theme of his incurable vertigo; the poster grabs these themes perfectly.  Take a look at the poster for recent film ‘Moon’ and you may see some thematic similarities in what is another great poster – minimalist, blunt and eerie – one man pitted against the nightmare of his own erratic thoughts.  Instant Print posters are a great source for these prints.

‘Metropolis’ is a 1927 film that, like ‘Vertigo’, declares someone’s taste in great cult films.  ‘Metropolis’ paints a vivid and disturbing dystopia of twisted ideologies and attempts at mass control of the workers.  Its Orwellian subject matter is as much a declaration of a questioning mind as good taste in films and great art work.  This is a poster well worthy of adorning and adding intrigue to any room.

The-Exorcist-Movie-Poster

Other posters are less modern in their artistic outlook, but equally as effective.  The simply representational poster for ‘The Exorcist’ is a lesson in creating a dark atmosphere, with the silhouette of a lonely priest looking up towards a lonely house where light floods from one window.  The viewer already has some preconception of what is at large and the artwork delivers that sense of foreboding and intrigue.

Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, The Tree of Life and Moon are some more up to date examples of what makes a great poster.

Argo Movie Review (2012)

Argo Movie Poster

 

Directed by: Ben Affleck
Produced by: Ben Affleck, George Clooney and Grant Heslov
Starring: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman

It is popularly suggested that there are no seconds acts in American life, let alone Hollywood, this is untrue. There are many Hollywood talents that while not exactly gone away may seem to be on have been on a semi-permanent hiatus, they usually end up making a comeback of sorts (a la John Travolta) or re-invent themselves (Kevin Costner, Clint Eastwood).

Ben-Affleck-Poster

Maybe Ben Affleck’s acting standing may have been at a standstill since the early 2000’s disasters (Gigli, Jersey Girl) but could in no sense have been said to have been away. His performance in The Company Men-2010, a criminally underrated film, was not the performance of someone ‘on the way out’. His directing chops have been well evidence since 2007’s Gone Baby Gone and The Town-2010. I do not think it was a coincidence that Affleck’s assuredness and confidence was well evident in films that were set in his own hometown of Boston. As important as the feel for place was a keen understanding of the social milieu in which both these films were set.

ARGO

In Argo, Affleck shows the same confidence, maybe because of his familiarity with the machinations of Hollywood and/or because he studied Middle Eastern Affairs while in college. The plot of the movie certainly seems in the realms of fiction but in fact is based on real life events and people. The opening sequence perfectly captures the tension and upheaval of the time and contextualizes US involvement in the history of Iran.

A CIA operative Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) is set the task of rescuing some six USA Embassy employees who are hiding out in the Canadian Embassy in Tehran; having escaped the fate of their colleagues who were held hostage during the Iranian Revolution. Obviously their existence had to remain a secret and their escape had to be effected by other than diplomatic means. Mendez with the assistance of special effects friend in Hollywood comes up with the bizarre idea (“the best bad idea we have”) of posing as a producer of a ‘fake’ (also called Argo) Hollywood sci-fi movie armed with fake Canadian passports for the Embassy refugees. The pretext is that even fanatically anti-American revolutionaries would be distracted by the universal draw of all things Hollywood.

Argo-Ben-Affleck-Tony-Mendez

Because of the delicacy of the operation they have to go through the whole process of a Hollywood production; financing, script, casting, etc. The film has great fun with the Hollywood sequences which are finely balanced by the tension of the Iranian ones. Even out of his comfort zone of Boston, Affleck still delivers probably the most perfectly executed movie of the year.

This is a caper film which pokes gentle fun at the Hollywood industry, set against the real world political upheaval and all with a fantastic feel for the period detail of the late 70’s and early 80’s. What’s not to like?

MoviesCrunch Rating – 8/10

Share your experience about the movie in Comments. Cheers.

About 85th Academy Awards – Oscar 2013

Great! I spend most of the last 6 months trying to avoid Les Miserables, having heard enough clips to satisfy my morbid curiosity of how bad these types of maudlin faux down and dirty musicals really are and then.

The-85th-Academy-Awards-Oscar

Whatever justification they have foisting this awful music on us there can be no excuse for submitting us to a musical interlude of Chicago, apparently due to some manufactured anniversary. The awfulness and bloated reputation that both these film enjoy was only highlighted by the classy performances of Adele, Shirley Bassey and the evergreen Barbra Streisand. Basseys performance reminding us of the thing that made so many of the James Bond title songs so memorable; a lesson not lost either on Adele who with Skyfall has brought us the best Bond song since License To Kill.

Seth MacFarlane

 The real buzz about this years Oscar ceremony though was whether presenter Seth MacFarlane would bring his withering and unsparing humour to bear on the Tinseltown love-in. The verdict on his performance seems to have been a bit negative; wonderfully anticipated by him in Star Trek sequence. I however (as a big Family Guy fan) found him very funny and finding just the right balance between insulting and incisive humour. He also had the best dance/musical sequence with his ode to Hollywood’s actress’ propensity to have a ‘topless’ clause in their contracts! However his nominated song from his movie Ted was the only low point of his night. That and no Gywneth Paltrow acceptance speech joke, which I thought was a contractual obligation for all Oscar hosts.

michelle obama at oscars

We all know how the Hollywood industry mostly vote Democrat but the introduction of politics to the proceedings in the guise of First Lady Michelle Obama presenting the award for best film seems a jarring misstep by the Academy. I wonder what the audience reaction might have been say if a Republican First Lady was presenting the Best Film Award for a film about a C.I.A.operation in a foreign country. If you get over the ridiculousness of having any awards at all; how do you compare Lincoln with Django Unchained, Christoph Waltz with Alan Arkin – then it all comes down to a showcase for the movie industry. Apparently this year the viewing figures were 42.40 million viewers; some market for your wares!

Life of Pi Movie Poster Argo Movie Poster

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As usual most of the major awards are easily predicted more to do with knowledge of how the Academy actually votes rather than merit. Argo (Best Film, Adapted Screenplay) and Life of Pi (Best Director, Cinematography) were the big winners and it is hard to argue against either as both were standout movies in a very good year for film.

I fear that by winning the Best Actress Award that Jennifer Lawrence may now be too ‘big’ for roles such as her stunning breakthrough one in Winter’s Bone and indeed her award winning one here in Silver Linings Playbook. As regards Daniel Day Lewis, maybe from hereon, for fear of winning the Best Actor Award for a possible 4th time, he will ONLY take on roles in ‘small’ movies and be careful never to go anywhere near a Weinstein project. While the Oscars can be great fun for any movie lovers it does tend to be a bit of a black-hole for cinema in general. There are plenty of equally worthy movies which do not make the nominations (The Sessions, Moonrise Kingdom, etc,) while independent and foreign movies barely get a look in; the former could not afford the costly lobbying campaign and the latter is stymied by Academy rules.

Amour-Movie-Poster

Also can we ever hope to see a documentary make a breakthrough out if it’s own category to the Best Film category as some foreign movies have done (Amour this year for instance); if it was ever going to happen it had to be this year (Searching for Sugarman, Queen of Versailles, were not even nominated in their category such was the competition)?

Finally I thought the Academy might own up as to why or how Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close got nominated for Best Picture at last years Oscars. I am still waiting!

This article is written by K.J. Fitzpatrick. The first Guest author review in Our Movie Blog.  Share your views in Comments. Cheers.

6 Fright Flicks Coming 2012

Everyone loves a good fright, and 2012 will bring plenty of opportunity. If you miss these films when they run in the theater, Directv will surely have them available shortly after their runs.

  1. First up on the list is a story sure to chill your spine, rampant with exorcism and demons, in the horror thrill ride, The Devil Inside. Set in Italy, a woman seeks to discover the truth of what happened during her own mother’s exorcism. It hits theaters in January. Be sure to bring holy water.
  2. One month later, The Innkeepers will arrive, promising more than just your average haunted hotel plot. Set in New England, two lone employees of The Yankee Pedlar Inn set off to find proof of haunting during the final days of business at the inn. Strange events happen, and a heck of a good time ensues for the audience. Ready to book a room?
  3. March brings a new twist to an old tale, Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters. Fifteen years after their terrifying encounter at the gingerbread house, they have grown up and become hunters of the object of their fear. Their dark adventure is a twisted journey that shouldn’t be missed. Still love fairy tales?
  4. May finds a once popular daytime drama revamped for the big screen. Dark Shadows will bring to life the ghoulish world of Barnabas Collins, the vampire patriarch of this creepy family. Enjoy the amped up version of this story as witches, monsters, werewolves, ghosts, and zombies come along on this spooktacular ride. A guilty pleasure for soap fans.
  5. Summer is always full of blockbusters, and one looking particularly interesting is Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Ever think there was more to the Civil War than meets the eye? This movie shows you that you might just be right. Care to battle the undead, anyone?
  6. A parapsychology experiment goes horribly wrong for a couple in next fall’s The Apparition. Feeding on torture and fear, their only hope is an expert in the supernatural. But is it too late?2012 is set to be a year full of fright, shock, and a grisly good time for all!
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