Best Music from Casino Movies
Music that accompanies any movie is a significant part of setting the scene and narrative, but the tunes from casino films have their unique texture. They make for romantic, glitzy atmospheres full of drama, intrigue, and pizzazz – a far cry from your everyday online casinos that accept Visa. Let’s look at five big casino films and the soundtracks that help make them work.
Ocean’s Eleven – 2001
This movie has a musical background because the 1960 original featured Sinatra and the Rat Pack crooners. But the remake has top-notch actors and super music. You get Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and Julia Roberts. But you also get Perry Como, David Holmes, and a taste of Claude Debussy. The mix of music in the whole soundtrack says Vegas and the use of “Claire de Lune” provides a beautiful finishing touch. The other Ocean’s sequels have good vibes, too.
Casino – 1995
Director Martin Scorsese is known for blending classic sounds with his films, and this depiction of the life of casino manager Lefty Rosenthal is no exception. The soundtrack is an eclectic assembly with remastered tracks from Muddy Waters falling in with Dean Martin and Roxy Music. Each scene has its own theme, but the scene that starts with Sharon Stone at the craps table offers a good representation of an approach that mixes casino floor background tunes and thematic songs.
Casino Royale – 2006
This film mixes old and new. It introduces Daniel Craig in the role of James Bond, and it matches longtime Bond composer David Arnold with singer Chris Cornell. Arnold delivers his usual rousing score for the film, and Cornell performs the theme song, “You Know My Name.” Along the way, Bond plays a tension-fill poker game with music to match. But the whole film is filled with good sounds.
Maverick – 1994
Mel Gibson’s funny side comes out in this film as he plays poker and engages in all sorts of antics along the way. Randy Newman composes a light and fun score for a tale that is chock full of humor and charm. A country flavor is evident in contributions from Vince Gill, Waylon Jennings, and Tracy Lawrence. Clint Black’s song, “A Good Run of Bad Luck,” captures the gambler’s story. Listen for other great songs like “Rogues and Rebels,” “Luck Already Gone,” and “Renegades.”
The Cincinnati Kid – 1965
We venture out of the casino and into the world of high-stakes, backroom poker for this film featuring Steve McQueen as the upstart challenger to stud king Edward G. Robinson. We won’t tell you who wins because you may want to dig this one up sometime. You may also recognize the tones of composer Lalo Schifrin, who worked on a few Clint Eastwood projects. He captures the drama and tension of the narrative. But at the end, Ray Charles’s performance of the title song proves to be the highlight.
Conclusion
There’s a good mix of tunes from our top five films with the colorful and romantic world of casino gambling as the setting. Grab up a sampling of any of them for listening during your daily online casino play. They are sure to beat that endless loop that accompanies so many games.
Final Word
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