We were shooting Mars Attacks at the Stardust which used the Landmark implosion in 1995 as part of the Martians attack and we were shooting Jason Bourne at the Aria when they used the Riviera’s implosion in 2016. Both of those hotels had their implosions used in other movies.
So, let’s do a “backlot” tour-since I’ve worked as an extra on nearly every movie that’s shot here since 1995 (too late for Casino which filmed in 1994 and was shot primarily at the Riviera, with the nearby Landmark Hotel’s entrance replicating the fictional Tangiers). I usually write about historical hotels in each featured city but Las Vegas is so young that the first Strip hotel (the El Dorado) wasn’t built until 1941 and Bugsy Siegel’s Flamingo, which redefined the Las Vegas vibe, didn’t open until 1946-hardly historical! And Las Vegas usually implodes any hotel that gets to 20 years old (or renovates and modernizes it).īugsy’s efforts to take Las Vegas from a whistlestop RR stop to a glamorous gambling destination brought Hollywood to Las Vegas-and we’ve been the backdrop for more than 100 feature films since. The D.E.A.L.: Dining, Entertainment, Attractions & Lodging
