While there are many niches across entertainment that remain popular in Canada, movies and casino games stand out in particular. Catching a thrilling film, for example, has always been something most Canadians enjoy and a fun way to unwind in your free time. By the same token, casino gaming has a long history in the country, and this has seen lots of real-life casinos set up in provinces like Quebec and Ontario.
Of course, the modern age also sees next-gen online casinos making their mark on the Canadian gambling industry. MegaRush online casino shows what iGaming sites have to offer and comes with top bonuses, excellent customer support, and fair games to try.
While films and casinos are vibrant entertainment niches in their own right, they sometimes combine to give a superb effect. This is mostly seen when directors put casino-based scenes in their films. But what are the four most memorable casino scenes in movies?
1 The Hangover⎯Alan plays blackjack
Released with huge success in 2009, The Hangover saw great on-screen chemistry between the lead actors and provided some laugh-out-loud moments. When you also add in the glamorous Vegas setting and quotable moments, it is no wonder it became a mega-hit.
The Hangover is also fondly remembered for containing one of the best movie casino scenes ever. It sees the characters of Alan, Phil, and Stu heading to Caesar’s Palace with the aim of raising enough money to rescue their best friend Dough from a hostage situation. Alan, in particular, steals the scene and successfully beats the dealer multiple times to win the money needed to go and get Doug.
2 Run Lola Run⎯Lola’s iconic scream
1999’s German flick Run Lola Run was a quirky hit that centred on the attempts of Lola (Franke Potente) to find 100,000 Deutschmarks in just 20 minutes to spare her partner’s life from a delivery gone wrong.
This gritty and exciting movie is also home to a truly iconic casino scene. This sees Lola taking time out from dashing around Berlin and heading into a local casino to win the cash she needs. Once inside, she takes her small 100-mark bankroll and puts it to work at the roulette wheel.
This scene is not only thrilling to watch as Lola waits for the wheel to stop spinning but also joyous when her number comes up! The huge scream that Potente’s character emits when she wins is something that you almost copy as a watching viewer.
3 Dr. No – James Bond announces his arrival
While TV highlights, such as Accused season 2 on Fox, always find favour with Canadian viewers, movies with exciting casino scenes are hard to beat. The James Bond series of movies have always had close ties with casinos, and this has seen many Bond flicks contain famous gambling scenes. You could, for example, mention 2006’s Casino Royale, which sees Daniel Craig’s Bond taking on villain Le Chiffre in a high-stakes game of poker in an opulent casino.
For this list though, we will go all the way back to the original Bond film that saw 007 make his arrival on the silver screen. Dr. No is also home to a memorable casino scene that people still recall to this day.
In this scene, Sean Connery’s Bond is shown enjoying a game of Chemin de Fer in the luxurious Les Ambassadeurs casino in London. Bond’s skill in the game leads a female player to ask his name and he replies with the now infamous line, “Bond…….James Bond.”
4 Rain Man⎯Cruise and Hoffman hit the casino
The 1980s saw megastar Tom Cruise really build his reputation in Hollywood with a string of massive hits. Rain Man was one of the very best and saw his character running an ailing car sales business before having to pick up and look after his autistic brother (played by Dustin Hoffman) after attending their father’s funeral.
A touching and exciting road trip ensues, during which, Cruise’s character learns that his brother is a genius at counting things. This leads the duo to take a trip to Las Vegas and use Hoffman’s counting skills to great effect when playing blackjack.
The blackjack scenes shot inside Caesar’s Palace are authentically glamorous and were some of the first to ever be filmed in a real-life casino. Many people also remember the casino scene from Rain Man because of the entrance that Cruise/Hoffman’s characters make. Their slow arrival onto the casino floor via an escalator is the stuff of film perfection.
Casino scenes have made for some memorable movie magic
As the above shows, there is no doubt that there have been some very famous casino-based scenes in movie history. This is not a surprise when you consider the central role that movies and casinos have played in popular culture.
