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Las Vegas & The MoviesIulia Pascanu Sunny Las Vegas hosted hundreds of movies or movie-scenes. Some of them got the Oscar. Others got lost on the way. But Vegas surely remains a classic attraction for film-makers since the glory of the Rat Pack days. To be completely fair, the early 60s werent really the first screen action days in Las Vegas. Frank Sinatras first movie, Las Vegas Nights was set back in 1941. However, the Rat Pack Days are always a good point to start. The Rat Packs Five gentlemen in Las Vegas: Sammy Davis Jr, Peter Lawford, Dean Martin, Joey Bishop and Frank Sinatra. Good friends. Loved to party. And of course, they had their own favourite place to hang out, that was Sands Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas which was demolished in 1996, nowadays the site of the Venitian. The Rat Pack Days begun in late 50s, somewhat as a reaction to the Cold War early days; the guys came up with the ideea of having their own "summit of cool" in Las Vegas; it lasted seven years. As the Sands performing scene wasnt enough for them, the mighty five moved further to movies and recordings. The seven years brought out seven films: Some Came Running, Oceans 11, Sergents 3, 4 For Texas, Robin and the 7 Hoods, Marriage on the Rocks, and Cannonball Run II. Oceans 11 1960 is the most famous one, and also benefited from a modern remake 2001, starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts. The action in new Oceans 11 involves robbery scenes at Bellagio. The Rat Pack, released in 1998 for cable TV, includes scenes from The Sands. The King The good old days gave us the classic Viva Las Vegas 1964, featuring Elvis Presley, who sings his heart out for the beloved "sin city". Later, in 1970, the King starred a documentary filmed at the International Hotel, nowadays Las Vegas Hilton Elvis: Thats the Way It Is. The 1979 Elvis, a memorabilia to The King, stars Kurt Russell. The story goes on in 1988 with Elvis and Me, inspired by Priscilla Presleys autobiography. The 1995 BBC documentary The Burger and the King: The Life and Cuisine of Elvis Presley seems to have closed the Elvis & Las Vegas series, up to this moment. Casino This one, released in 1995, is the classic. It approaces "sin city" the way nobody dared before. The story is based on the almost fabulous life of Frank Rosendhale impersonated by Robert de Niro, the best handicapper of all times, and his beautifull wife Gery impersonated by Sharon Stone. Las Vegas made them rich and television made them famous. "Casino" hit the box-offices, but Frank said director Martin Scorsese brought the spotlights on his own chopped vision of Las Vegas; blamed him that he was not really interested to either understand casinos or be faithful to the real story; thus, Frank Rosenthale would have told it differently. The Winner Las Vegas footage has proven a good luck charm for Francis Ford Coppolas famous nephew, Nicholas Cage. He started with Honeymoon in Vegas in 1992, grabbed an Oscar on the road with Leaving Las Vegas and made a come-back with Con Air in 1997; literally, Nick Cage forced his landing on the Hard Rock Hotel guitar... Just another subjective list
| | | | RELATED ARTICLES The Sights, Sounds, and People of Morelia, Mexico As the sun set on my first evening in Morelia, I found myself reflecting on the day’s events and my initial impressions of this old colonial style city that would be my home for the next several months. How To Deal With Airport Stress Your flights booked, and now its airport time.Airports can be stressful places nowadays, and these tips are designed for stress reduction... Find cheap tickets from all the majorairlines. All of the major airlines are now associated with different web sites allowing for you to find discount airfare and cheap tickets on the internet. One of the reasons theairlines have done this is because so many people now have access to computers and the internet. Improve your Golf Game by Learning The Secrets of The Golf Club Grip Grips are the least expensive yet one of the most important parts of a golf club. Remember, the grip is the only part of the clubs that you make contact with, so it’s extremely important to make sure that you have the right size and the right quality of material. If you use a club grip that is too small, there is a good chance that the club will twist towards the target just before impact and cause the clubface to be closed. This often happens when the golfer unconsciously grips harder just before impact, resulting in the twist. If you use a club grip that is too big for you, your physical grip will often break loose at an off center impact causing the club face to be open The Thoughtful Tinkerer - Make Homemade Devices For The Fun Of It Ive always liked to make gadgets and gizmos that have some function, either useful or not so useful. It started with the simple things that many kids make - slingshots, a simple bow and arrow, a toy boat. Occasionally I made more involved items such as a canoe and a dune buggy. Then there was the grass hut - 12 feet across, octogonal in shape, and thatched top to bottom with a thick layer of grass. I built it in a remote location, near a stipmine filled with water. Hauled the cut grass in a 1972 Volkswagon convertible with the top down. Piled the grass high in the back seat. It must have taken a dozen trips back and forth from a nearby hay field. Silent Macau A failed or neglected city springs to mind when walking around Macau during the day time. Around the outskirts of the Islands the doors of modern buildings never seem to open. Hotel restaurants tend to sole customers with reluctance: public gardens remain empty except for the lone tramp rooting around in the bins, roads remain unsullied with tyre tracks and the silence is loud all around. Inside and up the hill cracked and uneven pathways run along to meet the next, weeds compliment the falling cement on graying walls. Unpainted fences balance precariously around crazy paved basketball pitches whilst graffiti gives color to an otherwise drab setting. Ten Percent Of Jimmy Stewart Jimmy Stewart was seen one night in 1933 in New York performing on stage as a female impersonator by an MGM talent scout. He was signed to a contract to come to California to work for the prestigious studio. Studio Head Louis B. Mayer expressed doubt when he first saw him,"Hes so skinny! A beanpole." Efforts were made to put weight on him, the 133 pound actor was constantly sharing butterfingers candy bars with Ann Miller which seemed to fatten her up more than him. Theres More to Orlando than Disney Orlando is one of the top tourism destinations in the world.It features Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and Sea World.People come from every continent to take in these famous theme parks, and especially to meet Big Mickey. Driving in the Outer Hebrides When you think of the Outer Hebrides, you normally think of sandy beaches, ancient standing stones and lilting Scottish accents. You dont normally associate the Outer Hebrides with some of the best driving in the British Isles... Titanic Anecdotes Studio executives in High Concept Hollywood have very short attention spans. When pitching a film idea, many believe if you cant do it in one sentence it is an unmarketable product. For example Planet Of the Apes 1968 starring Charlton Heston was pitched by producer Arthur Jacobs as "Moses Talks To Monkeys". Passenger 57 1992 with Wesley Snipes was known as "Diehard On a Plane." Director James Cameron, despite a strong track record with films like Aliens 1986 and True Lies 1994 knew he would have a tough selling job after he went deep sea diving with Dr. Robert Ballard to glimpse the remains of the RMS Titanic. He became so emotionally involved by the experience that the sinking of the famous luxury liner in 1912 had to be the subject of his next picture. His pitch to the nervous executives at Twentieth Century Fox was," Romeo and Juliet on a doomed ship." There was a tense pause and Cameron said," Also fellas its a period piece, its going to cost $150,000,000 and theres not going to be a sequel." Fox, a studio which had known great success with both The Love Boat 1977-1986 TV show and The Poseidon Adventure 1972 was dubious about the ideas commercial prospects. But wanting a long term relationship with Cameron they gave him a green light. Seattle Airport Parking Located in the spectacular Pacific Northwest and in the shadow of majestic 14,000 foot Mt. Rainier, SeaTac International Airport is the region’s largest and most sophisticated air passenger and air cargo transportation hub, providing connections as well as non stop services to major US destinations as well as to Canada and the Pacific Rim. At ground level, a key to SeaTac’s operating success is the quality and extensive services provided by SeaTac airport parking facilities. Did I Pack My Toothbrush Getting Organized for Travel For many of us summertime = vacation time. Some people will spend their days off at the local pool. Some may choose to sightsee in their own town. Many will leave behind the comforts of home for the open road. Regardless of the destination or mode of transportation, it is important to be organized for travel. Amazon Lodges Amazon Lodges Ditch The Hotel For A Villa Or Vacation Home Two visits to Budapest.Two apartments, walking distance from downtown.I did not even set foot in the Hilton.My mother and I saw Budapest like only someone who stays away from the Americanized hotels can.We stayed with the locals.We came to feel the city, not just see it. The Costa Brava Insight Starting at Blanes to the south and ending at Cadaques in the North, the Costa Brava offers purchasers natural beauty, proximity to the great city of Barcelona, historic medieval villages, world-famous restaurants like "El Bulli" at Roses, innumberable excellent sporting opportunities including world famous golf courses and ski-ing in the Pyrenees. Vegas and the Ride of a Lifetime Most people envision Las Vegas as one big casino. Admittedly I was one of them, until I undertook the ride of a lifetime. Imagine soaring hundreds of feet above canyons of red and orange, walking over rocks that been sculpted by mother nature herself and floating down a river of dreams. These are the images that I will carry with me forever when I think of Las Vegas, Nevada. Riding the Rails of Milwaukee Road I walked to the top of the hill to start the water pump. I could see farmers in the surrounding countryside working in their fields. I had wantedto get an early start in the field but Pa was sore at me for not helping with the morning nilking instead so he wouldn’t go into town to buy gas for the tractor! Cruising Glacier Bay You can watch movies about it, you can hear about it, you can read about it, but until you partake of it, you have no clue how thrilling it is to cruise Glacier Bay. Vacation Insurance... Saves Your Money, Time And Frustrations! Dont forget your vacation insurance before you take off for any travel. OHare Airport Parking Whether your flying out of OHARE for business or leisure, we all know how parking at OHare International Airport can frustrate any human being. The lack of space, the price, the thought of your car being at an unsafe, insecure lot. As a frequent flyer myself, I understand that the person who only travelers maybe twice a year or 20 times year, the same holds true. Airport Parking is the toughest part of the trip. I have compiled a list of reason why it is extremely advantageous to “reserve” your airport parking before your trip out of OHARE Airport. |
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