They had it all, they ran the show, and it was paradise...while it lasted.

Starring: Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci, James Woods, Don Rickles, Alan King, Kevin Pollak, L. Q. Jones, Dick Smothers

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Listen to me very carefully. There are three ways of doing things around here: the right way, the wrong way, and the way that I do it. You understand?" - Ace Rothstein

Why watch this? The mob ran Vegas. Scorsese, De Niro and Pesci show us how.

Plot Summary: Sam "Ace" Rothstein, a mob-connected expert handicapper, is sent to run the Tangiers Casino in Las Vegas during the 1970s. He faces challenges not only from law enforcement, but also from his increasingly violent friend Nicky Santoro and his troubled wife Ginger. Ultimately, as tensions escalate and relationships deteriorate, the mob's grip on the casino and the city begins to loosen, leading to significant consequences.

Dad's Preview: This is Sharon Stone's great, Oscar-winning performance and one of Scorsese's best films. It is the story of Las Vegas when it was run by the Chicago mobsters. The performances are vintage by De Niro (cool, in control) and Pesci (unpredictable, dangerous). I like this film more than Goodfellas (1990), because it's also a history lesson. Still, but both gangster tales are very close by comparison in quality.

Syalis D.A.; Universal Pictures