Las Vegas: An Unconventional History: Part 2 - American Mecca

Watch the drama unfold when the city of Las Vegas blows up the town's impromptu movie set.

Tips and tricks on how to win on 80's and 90's slot machines!

From 1973 to 1992, the hottest action in Las Vegas was the University of Nevada, Las Vegas men's basketball team and their controversial coach Jerry Tarkanian. Led by 'Tark the Shark' and a rotating group of future NBA stars, the team became a dynasty as they went on to four NCAA Final Fours, winning one NCAA title in 1990, before collapsing in scandal and controversy.

Documentary tracing the attempts of a team of Massachusetts Institute of Technology Institue students to become rich playing blackjack at casinos throughout the United States and the attempts of the casinos' management to thwart them.

A strippers' convention and a major contest. The movie focuses on a few strippers, each with her own strong motive to win.

Documentary about Las Vegas.

After a tour of the sights and sounds of the Las Vegas strip, we enter the Club Paradise where we are treated to a night of song, comedy, and dancing.

A behind-the-scenes look at Céline Dion's opening night in Las Vegas.

Have you ever had a dream that felt so real, you couldn't tell the difference between the real world and the dream world? On November 18, 2001, the world's biggest star, Britney Spears, brought her "Dream Within a Dream" Tour to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in legendary Las Vegas. Watch this defining concert, witnessed by millions of fans, as it was broadcast live on HBO.

Florent Tillon takes an anthropological lens to Las Vegas, Nevada. What he finds is some curious new species of Americana. (Dorothy Woodend, DOXA Documentary Film Festival)

Documentary on water usage, money, politics, the transformation of nature, and the growth of the American west, shown on PBS as a four-part miniseries.

Seven days, 45 finalists, one World Champion. Shot on location in Las Vegas, Nevada, Rank takes us from the ranch to the arena for the struggle of the three highest-ranking bull riders competing for the title of PBR World Champion. The three contenders: Justin McBride, a third generation bull rider; Mike Lee, 21 year-old born-again Christian and 34 year-old Brazilian Adriano Moraes, already a two-time PBR World Champion, who has been riding since the age of 18 and is now in the twilight of his bull riding career. This documentary brings the reality of this hazardous sport into focus for the first time. From preparations to ride through severe injuries and finally, victory for one: a gold belt buckle and a check for one million dollars.

Dream city, Sin City, a mirage in the desert, Las Vegas is a film set in its own right, a piece of pop art, an outdoor museum of American culture. What is the story behind the neon lights and fantastical buildings? What will its future be in these tough times? Alan Yentob takes a mob tour and talks to producers and performers about the golden days when Sinatra and Dino held the stage, and the wise guys called the shots.

On the evening of Sept. 7, 1996, Mike Tyson, the WBC heavyweight champion, attempted to take Bruce Seldon’s WBA title at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. At this point in his career, Tyson’s fights had become somewhat of a cultural phenomenon, where the ever present hype of the professional boxing scene would come face to face with the worlds of big business, Hollywood, and hip hop. Sitting ringside was controversial rapper Tupac Shakur. Shakur and Tyson were friends, a feeling of kinship linked them as each rose to stardom from poverty only to be thrown in prison. Following Tyson’s victory, Shakur and “Iron Mike” were to celebrate at an after party, but the rap star never arrived. Shakur was brutally gunned down later that night, and the scene in Las Vegas quickly turned from would-be celebratory revelry to ill fated and inopportune tragedy.

The Crazy Horse cabaret has been a Parisian night hotspot since 1951. The cabaret is known for celebrating the beauty, personality and pure talent of its female dancers. Since opening, the Crazy Horse has captivated the imagination of more than six million spectators, including many celebrities, with its stunning sexy shows. Since 2001, the Crazy Horse shows are also performed at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. In February 2009, Dita Von Teese, the uber glamorous icon and international striptease diva, was the first guest star to appear in a Crazy Horse show. This DVD showcases the full show including three of Dita’s sensual numbers.

Cirque du Soleil presents The Mystery of Mystère, a captivating documentary that explores how arts and science merge together using Mystère, the critically acclaimed Las Vegas show at Treasure Island, as the outlet for this message.

Made in Japan is the remarkable story of Tomi Fujiyama, the first female Japanese country music star. From playing the USO circuit throughout Asia to headlining in Las Vegas and recording 7 albums for Columbia records, Tomi’s career culminates in a 1964 performance at The Grand Ole Opry where she followed Johnny Cash and received the only standing ovation of the night. Forty years later, Tomi and her husband set out on a journey through Japan and across the United States to fulfill a dream of performing at The Opry one more time. Made in Japan is a funny yet poignant multi-cultural journey through music, marriage, and the impact of the corporate world on the dreams of one woman.

An experimental essay film about terrorism, media, violence and globalisation. Three infotainment news broadcasts - a rollercoaster, a hijacking, and an influencer - are soundtracked by pulsating experimental electronics that push the psychic residue of a post war-on-terror world out of the unconscious and onto the screen. Capitalism, imperialism, desire; all three are implicated in a nihilism that has seeped from the news into the social psyche.

This documentary on the nightlife of Las Vegas was filmed primarily at the Topicana and Dunes Hotels, respectively, in 1962-63. Musical numbers performed by the film's stars aside, "Spree" also includes scenes of gambling casinos, cock fights and boxing.

A four-part making-of documentary about Scorcese’s 1995 Vegas crime epic Casino featured in physical media releases and split into sections on the Story, the Cast and Characters, the Look and After the Filming.