Is there a better place to get lucky than Vegas?

Plus: The Man With No Name

This is my Weekly Roundup! — April 21, 2024

Welcome to Weekly Roundup!, where we explore captivating films, books, and stories that grabbed our attention this week.

No, not that kind of lucky

If you’re going to have beginner’s luck, it might as well be at a Blackjack table in Vegas. While we don’t go there for the gambling (shocking, I know), we must at least play a hand or two. This time, as we walked back through the casino after dinner, we felt the pull of the Blackjack tables like a moth to a flame. One lap around (to find the lowest minimum bet), and we found a home.

This was the first time I’ve ever played Blackjack at an actual casino table, and the second I sat down, I questioned everything I’ve ever seen/learned. Suddenly, my entire math and physics education was gone, and I floundered to quickly add two single-digit numbers while everyone looked at me. Do people really nonchalantly tap the table to hit, or is that something only seen in the movies?

First hand—loss. Second hand—two Aces. Split. Next card, another Ace. Since I split the first two, treating them as 11s, I have to do the same here. I need to turn around to ask my banker, V, for more money (lowest minimum bet was not exactly low). While three Aces are cool, at this point, it could still go any way. Next card—King. Blackjack. Next card—Queen. Blackjack. Last card—Queen. Triple Blackjack. Play it cool. Act like you’ve been there before, but take your money and run.

My short stint at the table was a success. But what did we specifically make the trip to Vegas for? This time it was for A Jubilant Revue, Dita Von Teese’s newest residency paying homage to Jubilee!—one of the longest running shows in Vegas.

This was our second time seeing Dita, the “Queen of Burlesque” and one of Michigan’s own born in West Branch. We saw her for the first time last year when she brought her show back to Detroit. I didn’t know what to expect, except there’d be slightly more clothing and better dancing than your local strip club. I was ill-prepared for the true spectacle of performance and showmanship I witnessed. There were beautiful costumes and sets, enchanting choreography, and, of course, the art of the strip tease. She said she always puts on the best show for her hometown, so I was satisfied checking that off my bucket list. That is until we saw she’d be in Vegas. A burlesque show has to be better in Vegas, right?

The venue was smaller than the Fillmore in Detroit, but that was just one stop on a North American tour, where her Vegas residency has shows multiple days per week. That said, the moment a section of the ceiling descended with dancers on top, it was clear we were in for a treat. Like her previous show, the choreography and costumes were exquisite—the costumes in particular as they included original pieces from Jubilee!. The show's highlight for me was Dita’s act with various digitally projected dresses that weren’t merely static but “undressed” as part of the strip tease. To the young man in the row in front who left two minutes after the show started, you missed out greatly.

Watches of the week

• A Fistful of Dollars (1964) by Sergio Leone - 4.5/5
• For a Few Dollars More (1965) by Sergio Leone - 4.5/5
• The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) by Sergio Leone - 4.5/5

The Man With No Name Trilogy

When I first met V, I declared I couldn’t watch old movies. I didn’t see the appeal: worse sound, lower resolution, and corny special effects.

A few years later, my education is still far from complete, but I now have many older and classic movies in my repertoire. I see the error of my previous ways in full Technicolor. I’d even go as far as saying I’ve pulled a 180. We are in the middle of the streaming wars where movies and TV shows are now at the mercy of the almighty algorithm, and I’m hesitant to watch a new release until I’ve seen sufficient evidence of its quality.

That brings me to my recent watches: the Man With No Name trilogy, also called the Dollars Trilogy. A collection of three Spaghetti Westerns by Italian director Sergio Leone starring Clint Eastwood. Although not intended to be a trilogy, a loose plot connects them all, and the same characters pop up throughout. These three movies catapulted Eastwood to international stardom and brought back a revival to the dying Westerns.

I won’t be doing a full review of the three movies here. I don’t think it’s necessary. These are no Christopher Nolan films with complex plot lines; they’re Western films. They can be appreciated standalone or all together. It’s sufficient to say I loved each one. And if you want to treat them as a trilogy, the unofficial order is the reverse of their release order: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, then For a Few Dollars More, and then A Fistful of Dollars.

You might not have seen these movies, but you've definitely heard them. Ennio Morricone composed an iconic soundtrack instantly recognized 60 years later. These tracks have been sampled directly or at least inspired many movies to come. If I possessed V’s memory, I could, like her, point to every scene in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill movies that contain obvious Morricone inspiration or even direct samples. Alas, I do not—but I also have not watched them twenty times.

This might point to a larger beauty culture problem, but Hollywood either traded acting ability and charisma for looks, or genetics (and plastic surgery) have removed all interesting faces from our screens. Take a look at some of the main cast below (sorry, these are very male-dominated movies):

Now tell me these aren’t more interesting/unique faces than we see today, where every actor and actress goes to the same few Hollywood cosmetic surgeons.

Reader Recommendations

Now, I want to hear from you! What movies, books, or articles captured your attention this week? Share your top picks in the comments below; your insights might just lead someone to their next favorite film or book.

Stay tuned until next week!