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Las Vegas Season One
Now available on DVD
Review by Mr. Stinkhead

Mrs. Stinkhead and I have been tearing through episode after episode of NBC's Las Vegas now that we have it on DVD. When it originally aired, we were either not around a TV, or watching a different show. What were we thinking? We jumped in with both feet and can't stop watching just one more episode. Hmmm, much like the real Vegas, you lose all concept of time passing, however we haven't been comped a room or taken in a risque showgirls revue yet.

We are Sopranos junkies and can digest an entire season in a single extended weekend. We love the power and corruption, the decadence, and the humor of the Sopranos. We were surprised that Las Vegas was keeping up and had a good grasp on moving a good story while dazzling us with tricky camera moves, flashy women, and loads of people spending money they shouldn't. There's action, but not the skull-cracking, knee breaking violence of the Sopranos.

James Caan is the director of security at the Montecito casino and resort. I love his presence as the tough guy you just don't dick around with. Let me compare him to Tony Soprano. They're both powerful and get what they want, when they want it. However Caan's Big Ed hasn't (yet) stooped to criminal urges to get what he wants. He can actually be satisfied with doing the "right thing." We love watching him slide around the casino floor keeping the kiddies in line, and being protective of his hot daughter played by Molly Simms

Simms is hot and all, but my favorite is Vanessa Marcil as Sam, the sexy no-nonsense hospitality manager. Her job is to keep the high-rollers (or whales) happy and gambling at their casino. She doesn't dick around, but she can turn off and on the charm at a whim. I like how she portrays vulnerability (in the way that she has to please these infantile gamblers), but command (she too, will get what she wants).

One of the characteristics of any drama on network TV these days is stylistic camera work. CSI pushed it from cool gimmick to requisite for any new show. Like most of Vegas, the Montecito is covered in cameras, watching every move. The show transitions between the floor and the security control booth through these surveillance cameras. At first I thought it would get old, but it is done with some restraint, and I don't really mind it at all now. The whole "behind the scenes of security at a Las Vegas resort" as a premise is what got me interested in the first place. I love watching the sneaky methods the cheaters come up with, and the all powerful viewpoint our characters have at busting them.

My only complaint is that like a lot of shows, they sure do take liberties with the amount of information you can get from a digital picture. Even Law & Order is guilty, but I want to single handedly educate audiences of crime-type dramas that you cannot "zoom in" and read serial numbers from a camera-phone pic. I wish the writers (of all of these shows) would stretch a bit more in figuring out ways our heroes can solve the case. One other small complaint... they had some issues getting the music rights for home usage, and the theme song is not used.

Oooh bonus!, the DVD package says Uncut and Uncensored. I didn't have expectations that this thing would turn into some R rated, made for cable, skin-fest—but I was surprised. It appears that when filming this series, they would film these ladies in nary a stitch, being careful with camera angles and such... but occasionally they'd capture just a little bit more, and then digitally fuzz it out or otherwise obscure it for broadcast. Such precautions have been removed. There were several times while watching that I stopped blinking and leaned in, a bit slack-jawed. Did I just see nipples? Yes sir. It's not a Mack truck-load of nipples—you wouldn't buy this set just to see some extra flesh. This isn't hard-to-get-through-French-cinema-that-is-so-worth-it-just-for-the-boobs. But it did give me a well lookee here! type feeling. Nice.

Win it for free!
You can buy this box set from Amazon.com or you can win it right now! We have an unopened copy to send one lucky winner. I'll make this easy.

James Caan starred in 1990's Misery with Kathy Bates. What character did he play?

E-mail your answer to entry@millionaireplayboy.com by January 10th 2005. We'll draw one lucky winner to receive this DVD set. Good luck.

Review ©2005 MillionairePlayboy.com