The 7 Wildest Casino Flicks

There are lots of casino-style flicks catering to a discerning audience of players. Off the top of my head I can think of several stellar movies that have definitely earned their stripes. These include 21, Vegas Vacation and Very Bad Things. It is to the latter that I pay homage, because this flick is nothing like the usual list you’re likely to see. In truth, the movie is nothing more than mindless drivel for the most part, but a careful dissection of its elements reveals an osmosis of wicked humor, superb character acting and an action-packed adventure of note.

If you enjoyed ‘There’s something about Mary’ then you’ll swoon for this late 90s hoot-a-minute. The premise is simple: A Vegas call girl is killed during a bachelor party and the party friends turn on each other as the wedding approaches. Take note there’s lots of dark humor, lots of cussing and a fair amount of innuendo. But the best part is the constant ratcheting up of the plot. It winds up as tight as a coil and then unloads into a writhing morass of a casino-themed rollercoaster ride. The stars of this show are Jon Favreau, Cameron Diaz, Christian Slater (the real bad boy) and Jeremy Piven, among others. On my Aces scale, this flick scores the poker triple.

The rest of the best in the casino-themed flicks

No list would be complete without mentioning these casino-themed winners.

• Vegas Vacation – join America's favourite zany dad Clark Griswold as he takes his dysfunctional family to the world’s gambling mecca: Las Vegas, Nevada. Chevy Chase returns as the goofy, weird and lovable Dad in this Vegas Vacation caper. Remember the only flush he's going to enjoy is in the rest-room.
• The Hangover – Need I say more? This flick is based on a similar premise to Very Bad Things, but it features bizarre scenes including a cameo by Iron Mike Tyson – don't miss this thrill-a-minute.
• Get Smart – in Italian it's called "Agente Smart - Casino totale". Okay there's less about casinos here but the action is red-hot and it features Steve Carell so it's got to make it onto this list of the 7 wackiest casino-themed flicks.
• Rat Race - This had comedy fans doubled over in stitches. It stars Rowan Atkinson at his oddball best, Seth Green and a slew of other comedy stars.
• 21 – These MIT Whiz Kids and their professor sure scammed mega-bucks from plenty casinos – it's loaded with riveting action and is a deserving recipient on this list of the 7 Wildest Casino Flicks.
• Maverick – This Western-style casino heist caper starred Mel Gibson before he went off the rails. It's loaded with a laugh-a-minute of sharp humor and excellent action. There’s more bluffs and blinds here than you can imagine.