The Neon Empire

A powerhouse cast, including Ray Sharkey, Martin Landau, Dylan McDermott, Gary Busey, and Harry Guardino, as well as a smooth script by columnist/novelist Pete Hamill cannot quite overcome the workmanlike flavor which taints this fictional overview of the rise of Las Vegas. The first half of this overlong, made-for-cable, film chronicles the dream of Junior Maloof (Ray Sharkey) whose favorite film was The Wizard of Oz, and who saw a bit of Oz in the deserts of Nevada. Supported by mob money, Junior tries to buy out the locals, erect a gambling palace, and keep his shirtfront from becoming riddled with unsightly bullet holes, while facing opposition on all sides. During the second half, the powers that be make their move on Maloof's dream of a neon empire, and the film spirals down into a series of bloody shootouts. As a fictional recreation (based on the lives of real life gangsters Bugsy Siegel and Meyer Lansky) about the transformation of a home for cactus into the glittering lodestone of the American Dream, The Neon Empire is not without its historical interest. Still, the demands for simplicity and action routinely required by television fare, keep this film from being the fascinating story it should have been. An optional purchase. (R. Pitman)