According to Hollywood movies, Las Vegas is either the greatest place on Earth – where dreams come true and the lifestyle is kicking – or the worst place on Earth and everything that’s wrong with America. I’ve never been to Vegas so I couldn’t really say from first-hand experience what I think of Sin City, but I have seen several movies – including the upcoming "The Hangover Part III" – so it’s almost like I’ve been there. Kind of. Barely. Anyways, here are five of the most memorable films featuring the city that truly never sleeps.

"Rain Man"

Barry Levinson’s 1988 Best Picture-winning road trip drama doesn’t spend much time in Vegas. After all, it’s just one of the many cities of locales yuppie Charlie (Tom Cruise, doing fine work in an underrated and crucial role) and his savant brother Raymond (Dustin Hoffman in a deservingly Oscar-winning role). However, some of the movie’s most iconic and emotional moments take place during the Vegas visit.

Of course there’s the sequence where they hit the casino floor, a scene that would be parodied 20 years later in "The Hangover." Possibly even more memorable, however, is the scene where Charlie teaches Raymond to slow dance overlooking the entire glowing city. It’s a mild turning point for Charlie, as well as a sweet, touching moment between long-lost brothers.

"Ocean’s 11"

The Rat Pack may have originally starred in this Vegas caper back in 1960, but it’s the 2001 version – directed with jazzy verve by recent retiree Steven Soderbergh and starring most of Hollywood’s current royalty – that comes up all aces. The tale of Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and his posse’s plan to knock over three Vegas casinos in one night is as shiny, slick and addictive as a brand new slot machine. It’s a blast to watch their complicated plan come together, but the real toast of the film is the star-studded cast. From Pitt’s incessant eating to Clooney’s undeniable magnetism, they’re a blast to watch. They banter and play off of one another with such enjoyable snap and pizzazz that they managed to pull off the seemingly impossible: They out-cooled the Rat Pack. 

"The Hangover"

2009’s surprise blockbuster hit "The Hangover" (it’s currently the second highest growing R-rated comedy ever behind "Ted") is both a classic Vegas nightmare and a classic Vegas dream. Everyone who goes to Vegas dreams of having the kind of ridiculous memories and experiences only Sin City can provide, but what happens when you go too far? What happens when the shenanigans result in kidnappings, marrying hookers and racking up the kind of hotel room destruction that would make even the most party-minded rock star blush?

Hilarity, that’s what. The first "Hangover" is a blast, from the flabbergasted and amusing interactions between the Wolfpack members – none of whom were close to stardom when the original came out – to watching the mystery unfold, revealing all sorts of new, terrible and lurid details along the way. The only downside to the whole ordeal? It led to "The Hangover Part II."

"Leaving Las Vegas"

I doubt 1995’s "Leaving Las Vegas" is the kind of movie that the Las Vegas tourism department gets excited about. It’s not about the flash of the city; in fact, the production was so cheap that director Mike Figgis had to film several street scenes quickly in one take because they didn’t have permits. It’s not about fun, mindless escapism either.

Instead, it’s a sad, hurt-filled story about an alcoholic (Nicolas Cage) and a tough prostitute (Elisabeth Shue) who create an uneasy but close bond over the course of a couple days in Vegas. It’s a tough movie to watch and an even harder one to love and embrace, but it is rewarding. The most rewarding part of "Leaving Las Vegas" might actually be simply seeing Cage deliver a great performance before his days of screaming about bees and punching female cult members in the face while wearing a bear suit.

"Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas"

I don’t know if I’d ever want to see Terry Gilliam’s "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" ever again. It’s an aggressively unpleasant movie to watch, and it doesn’t get much more enjoyable as it goes along. In fact, Benicio Del Toro’s turn as the utterly drug addled and often incomprehensible attorney Dr. Gonzo (based on Hunter S. Thompson’s friend Oscar Zeta Acosta) is one of the most unpleasant performances ever put on the screen.

That being said, Gilliam paints a bizarre and psychotic vision of Vegas – featuring sickening man-sized reptiles in a bloody hotel bar orgy and more than a handful of horrid hotel room drug binges – that’s impossible to forget. It’s a vivid portrayal of a bad trip – by every definition of the word "trip" … and "bad" for that matter – into a messed-up city, viewed through the eyes of an equally messed-up writer.