Classic Casino Films

Author: Simon Dexter

Casino Royale may have failed to receive any Oscar nominations but the gambling based film was critically acclaimed and proved, at last, that the Bond series is not a dieing genre.

There are an incredible 54 films with the word ‘casino’ in the title and to be honest I could only name two: Casino Royale and Martin Scorsese’s ‘Casino’ - perhaps three if you will count the original Bond movie with David Niven and Peter Sellers.

Has anyone heard of “Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold” whose tagline is 6′ 2″ of dynamite caught in the web of international intrigue? Another probably needed a more subtle title - The Casino Murder Case (1935) which was surprisingly about a murder case set in a casino!

It was Scorsese’s ‘Casino’ which divided many people as to whether it was the best ever casino film. Many believed the film to be one of the director’s best works - on a level with Raging Bull and Taxidriver. Others saw it as a poor attempt to cash in on his success with Goodfellas.

It has been described as over-violent and with plenty of brutal scenes, I think this is a fair point. I’m not a huge film buff but this offering kept me engaged for three hours - pretty hard to do with my usual levels of concentration.

I have yet to see the latest Bond film and may not get to watch it at the cinema. The gambling side to the action does intrigue me and I should get to see it on dvd. I haven’t really enjoyed a Bond film since I was a kid - though I did have a liking for Duran Duran’s theme for View to A Kill.

One of the most recent casino films was The Last Casino where a university professor enlists three of his students in attempting to con a casino.

The plot is nothing special but it is a well-made (for TV) movie that keeps you interesting from start to finish mainly due to the whole piece being well acted and the action superbly directed by Pierre Gill.

It is a much underrated film which is highly recommendable and allows you to see some of the seedier side of the casino world.

For less of the seedier side of the online casino world take a look at the trusted online casino at www.littlewoodscasino.com.

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