Thrilling, revealing, shocking and, above all else, thoroughly entertaining!

Rating: 8/10 (12 June 2005)

"Casino" (1995) is director Martin Scorsese's analytical, if overly graphic, critique of mob rule and its loss of control over Las Vegas' gambling empire. It stars Robert DeNiro as Sam Rothstein, a hand-picked inside wise guy and front runner. Sam's put in charge of one of the biggest gaming palaces on the strip, The Tangiers. Initially he's assigned to clean up the penny corruption of local shady con artists. After all, the mob can't be the one's getting scammed. However, when Sam meets Ginger (Sharon Stone) the sexy and devil-may-care high rolling courtesan of the blackjack tables, he throws caution and the advice from his mob bosses to the wind in favor of a good time. This already volatile situation is further stimulated by the arrival of Nicky Santora (Joe Pesci), a thug in a fancy suit with a decided disregard for the niceties of gracious living. Nicky presents himself as Sam's indispensable appendage. But it isn't long before his uncontrollable behavior threatens to topple Sam from his roost. With the mob bosses getting very nervous over Nicky's rising body count and Sam's flamboyance in the work place, it isn't long before everything falls apart.
Scorsese populates his cinematic landscape with a veritable who's who of contemporary stellar and old time talent, including Don Rickles, Kevin Pollack, James Woods, Dick Smothers and Alan King. After some smart talking and fast shooting at the crap tables, Scorsese takes us on the real tour of Vegas  in its corrupt byways, brothels and hidden cemeteries out in the middle of an unassuming corn field.
The Anniversary Edition of "Casino" has been remastered for DVD. The anamorphic picture element is free of the dirt and debris that the prior bare bones release of this formidable film had. Colors are rich, vibrant. Contrast levels are bang on. There is a bit of color bleeding during some of the underexposed scenes, but perhaps this in keeping with the film's original texture. Blacks are deep and solid. Fine details are fully realized throughout. Only a hint of edge enhancement intrudes (and then, only briefly) on an otherwise impressive transfer. The audio is 5.1 and delivers a real punch and kick to the bass and rear speakers, particularly with its emphasis on vintage background music.
The brutalization of Nicky with a baseball bat is even more viscerally disturbing in this new sonic mix. You can actually hear subtle nuances in breathing as they bludgeon him to death. Extras include a bevy of making of featurettes, including interviews with many of the principle cast, some nice behind the scenes junkets, deleted scenes, and an extensive backstage look at the real life incidents that inspired the film. Bottom line is, this is the version of "Casino" fans have been waiting for.