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Modern Marvels - Las Vegas (History Channel) (A&E DVD Archives) | 
 enlarge | Actor: Modern Marvels
Studio: A&E Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $24.95
Buy New: $9.65
You Save: $15.30 (61%)
New (35) Used (6) from $9.65
Rating:  2 reviews
Sales Rank: 21760
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dvd-video, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 50
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: 71839
ISBN: 0767078691
UPC: 733961718294
EAN: 9780767078696
ASIN: B0007WFUBA
Theatrical Release Date: 1994
Release Date: April 26, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
Slightly dated September 18, 2008
Originally aired on The History Channel as a 1 hour program, this DVD felt a bit short at just around 50 minutes of Vegas material.
The program starts with a solid presentation of some historical background regarding the rise of early Las Vegas; Hoover Dam, Bugsy Siegal, the Rat Pack, etc.
Then the program goes into all the usual Las Vegas things such as Vegas Weddings, neon signs, showgirls, etc. that gives Vegas its identity. There is plenty of commentary from Wayne Newton and some from Debbie Reynolds.
Since the program originally aired in the mid-1990's, the material feels a bit dated. The Mirage, Treasure Island, and Luxor are given plenty of attention as the "modern marvels" of Las Vegas; Casinos which were all opened in the first half of the ninties.
Not withstanding the fact that you won't find anything about the Bellagio, Mandalay Bay, or Paris, this DVD does manage to present the historical aspects of Vegas in a solid and entertaining manner.
Places over People May 25, 2007
2 out of 6 found this review helpful
You do learn about the history of Las Vegas. In its defense, I think the "Modern Marvels" series intentionally focuses on the makings of objects and buildings. Still, I felt that this only showed one aspect of this famed town.
This work talks about the Flamingo costing $6 million to build and now the town has sites that go up for hundreds of millions. They talk about suites, neon signs, a lack of exits, and the many structures that make the town unique. I was amazed to learn how much Las Vegas views itself as in competition to Disney to the West and Times Square to the East.
Still, as a person that finds people more interesting than places, much was missing. They say nothing about the Rat Pack. They say nothing about the percent of foreigners who fuel the tourism. Celine Dion doesn't come up. "Ocean's Twelve," "Showgirls," and Sade's "Turn My Back on You" video don't come up. They don't mention how Homer and Flanders got polygamously married there. The former mayor is interviewed. You never learn whether Las Vegas residents were progressive enough to vote a woman into office, unlike other large cities that never had a female mayor. They vaguely mention water scarcity in the town. Still, the exponential increase in residents and the growing diversity are never addressed.
Yes, this did make me want to go to Las Vegas. However, the word "decadence" never comes up. The critics of the place are neither interviewed nor acknowledged here.
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