Product Details

• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: A&E Home Video
• DVD Release Date: April 26, 2005
• Run Time: 50 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0007WFUBA
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #29,888 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

MODERN MARVELS:LAS VEGAS - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Slightly dated, September 18, 2008

By 

EnergyWork (SGV, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Modern Marvels - Las Vegas (History Channel) (A&E DVD Archives) (DVD)

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.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This was the Beginning of the "Modern" Vegas, April 22, 2010

By 

Michael Kelly - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Modern Marvels - Las Vegas (History Channel) (A&E DVD Archives) (DVD)

This early episode of Modern Marvels, circa 1994, almost seems nostalgic now. Jack Perkins narrates this fun documentary at a time when the Mirage, which ushered in the era of the "new" Vegas, was only five years old, and the Luxor and Excalibur represented the "family friendly" Las Vegas.

In today's era of all - star chefs, breathlessly hip nightclubs, and upscale and expensive everything, this is like a stroll down memory lane for Vegas regulars, to a great moment when Vegas had cleaned up its image from the seedier 70's and 80's, and a trip there was still one of the best vacation bargains around.

By 2000, the corporate monopolies would begin, and in just a few years, so many wonderful resorts would be taken over and blended into a corporate sameness, under the control of non-gaming companies which know nothing about what makes people keep coming back to Vegas. Hint: it's not $200 bottles of wine at every meal and a Cirque Du Soleil show at every resort.

It's nice to see the Strip when there was room between each resort to take in the uniqueness of the building designs and themes, before it became an overbuilt canyon of neon and glass. Its worth viewing just to see how architects took advantage of the beautiful desert background and created resorts that served their purpose of both relaxing and exciting their guests.

What really comes through to the viewer is the sense that the Vegas experience then centered on gambling and catering to gamblers; the amenities were there to provide a break from the gaming. It was understood why people were there: they were there to gamble and have fun, to take a break from everyday activities. To that extent, Vegas was geared for gaming, not for high end shopping and aging divas at $250 a ticket. As a result, this episode spotlights many aspects of what made Las Vegas special. It provides a good brief history of Vegas' beginnings, and includes some interesting behind the scenes looks at how things get done.

It almost seems quaint today, but it's a fun look back.

4 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Places over People, May 25, 2007

By 

Jeffery Mingo (Homewood, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Modern Marvels - Las Vegas (History Channel) (A&E DVD Archives) (DVD)

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.