It’s been ten-years since the Game of Thrones series debuted, and despite mixed emotions around the penultimate season, it remains a celebrated show with recognizable characters.

At GetCenturyLink.com, we wanted to uncover which Game of Thrones characters each state can’t stop Googling. Are you obsessed with the same characters as your neighbors? Or are you as different from the rest of your state as the Lannisters and Targaryens? Take a look at our findings below.

Hold the door for these interesting findings

• Daenerys Targaryen is apparently the most intriguing character on the show: 16 states search for the Mother of Dragons, making her the most searched character nationwide. Jon Snow, on the other hand, only appeared in Massachusetts’ searches.
• Meanwhile, some states haven’t let go of the long dead. Vermont and Rhode Island searched for Joffrey Baratheon while six states googled Khal Drogo most (actor Jason Momoa’s starring role as Aquaman could have something to do with his former character’s popularity). Meanwhile, Minnesotans search for Ned Stark more than any other character—something about his competent rule of Winterfell on the edge of an icy wasteland seems to have struck a chord with fans.
• A few other most googled characters seem closely tied to their states’ interests and character. Arya Stark, the most adventuresome and wild of the Stark siblings, is a favorite in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming—three of the least populated yet most outdoorsy states. Similarly, the unconventional, independent residents of Alaska were the only ones to favor the unconventional, independent Brienne of Tarth.
• As for which house is most often googled across the nation, characters from House Targaryen come in first, followed by House Stark. The cutthroat Lannisters are obviously the least favorite: Jaime and Cersei didn’t appear in any searches, while Tywin surfaced in Connecticut’s, and Tyrion arose in seven other states.

Methodology

The GetCenturyLink team compiled a list of the 25 most iconic Game of Thrones characters. Then, we looked at the Google Trends search volume for each over the past five years to determine each state’s most googled GoT character.

For media inquiries, please contact media@getcenturylink.com

About GetCenturyLink

GetCenturyLink is an Authorized Sales Agent that offers Internet, DIRECTV and Home Phone Service. Find speed availability or call us at 1-855-204-1982.

Image Sources
Arya Stark, Bran Stark, Brienne of Tarth, Daenerys Targaryen, Eddard Stark, Hodor, Joffrey Baratheon, Jon Snow, Jorah Mormont, Khal Drogo, Margaery Tyrell, Sansa Stark, Sandor ‘The Hound’ Clegane, Petyr ‘Littlefinger’ Baelish, Tyrion Lannister, Tywin Lannister, Ygritte

Protecting your privacy in this digital age isn’t easy, but you can start by safeguarding the most basic functions of your phone: calls and messages. Whether you’re dealing with telemarketer calls, automated messages, or a persistent ex, boost your call privacy with these simple tips.

How to Make a Private Call

The next time you need to call a business for a quote or contact a stranger about a classified ad, consider calling anonymously. Preventative steps like this can save you from unexpected calls later on. just dial *67 and then enter the number you wish to call. Your caller ID temporarily drops and the recipient won’t have access to your number.

How to Make Your Number Private

While *67 works like a charm for one phone call, you may wish for a more permanent option. Open your mobile phone’s settings, find “Caller ID,” and turn it off. This step-by-step guide for iPhones, Android, and landline phones shows you exactly where to look. You could also use a temporary number through paid apps like Burner or Hushed, which allow you to make calls and send messages without revealing your personal number.

Google Voice, a free service, creates a Google number that forwards calls to your phone. You can give out either your real or Google phone number depending on the circumstances.

Further decrease the number of unwanted calls you receive by adding your phone number to the National Do Not Call Registry. It’s backed by the Federal Trade Commission, and any legitimate businesses that wish to make sales calls must honor it and not call you.

How to Call Back a Private Number

If you ever need to call back a private number, dial *69, and your carrier will automatically connect you with the number that last called you. If that doesn’t work, check your online account with your service provider for a call record. It lists all the phone numbers that have contacted you—even the anonymous callers. But if it doesn’t, you can request a call log directly from your provider.

For smartphones, apps like TrapCall or Truecaller can unmask private callers or even require them to leave a recording with their name before you accept the call. These apps can also filter unwanted calls and robocalls.

Pair your newfound knowledge about blocked calls with quality phone service so every call you make is clear and reliable. And if you want to learn more about which phone codes you can use before or after calls, look through NANPA’s (North American Numbering Plan Administration) Vertical Service Codes list.

Seattle. Set amid a backdrop of brilliant green forests and mist-shrouded waterways, this jewel of the Pacific Northwest is moody, evocative, hip—and a frequent muse for filmmakers. Some of the TV shows and movies on this list weren’t primarily filmed in Seattle, but these seven picks have a love affair with the Emerald City that’s apparent in every scene.

Movies Filmed in Seattle—or Set There

Some of Hollywood’s greatest cinematic wonders all have ties to the Evergreen State’s gem of a city.

1990s Time Capsule: Singles (1992)

Singles centers on a group of twenty-somethings living in an apartment complex, looking for love, wearing lots of flannel, and listening to lots of mid-90s bands. The film features songs by bands that defined the grunge era: Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden. The wardrobe is authentically grungy, too, as Matt Dillon’s character wears clothing loaned by Pearl Jam’s bassist, Jeff Ament. Be on the lookout for Coryell Court Apartments, Gas Works Parks, Chandler’s Crabhouse i, Jimi Hendrix’s grave at Greenwood Memorial Park, and Pike Place Market.

Classic Romcom: Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

Tom Hanks stars as a widower with a young son who moves to Seattle looking to mend his broken heart. Meg Ryan plays a Baltimore reporter about to marry someone she doesn’t really love. One day, she hears Hanks’ character pouring out his soul on a talk radio program, and the rest is romantic sitcom history.

Though the meet-cute isn’t until the end of the movie and takes place at the Empire State Building in New York City, there’s a lot of Seattle to love in this film. Most prominently, Hanks’ character and his son live in a charming Lake Union houseboat that’s allegedly still docked there—and it sold for $2 million in 2014. Alki Beach Park, the Athenian Seafood Restaurant and Bar in Pike Place Market, and the Dahlia Lounge also pop up throughout the film.

Teenage Love Story: 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)  

This 1990s teenage version of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew stars Julia Stiles and the late Heath Ledger—and Seattle, of course. Some of the city’s most iconic locations appear on screen, including Lake Union (the site of the couple’s pedal boat date), Gas Works Park (where the couple first kissed), and the Paramount Theater (the prom took place here). The famous Fremont Troll even makes a brief cameo.

Creepy Horror Movie Remake: The Ring (2002)

With its dense forests, stormy coastlines, and heavy skies, only Seattle could deliver the intense moodiness required of one of the 2000s most iconic horror movies. While you’re waiting for the next appearance of that creepy little girl in the well, keep your eyes peeled for scenes filmed on the streets beneath the monorail and—in one of the most terrifying sequences—on the Whidbey Island ferry (called the Quinault Ferry in this remake of the ultra-scary supernatural flick).

TV Shows Set and in Seattle—or Filmed on Location

Several shows also put much of Seattle on display.

Long-Running Spinoff to Cheers: Frasier (1993-2004)

Much of Seattle is displayed over the eleven seasons of Frasier, which featured Kelsey Grammer’s psychiatrist character, Dr. Frasier Crane, taking on a new career as a talk radio shrink. However, locals will probably have more fun picking out the gaffes this long-running sitcom made. For starters, the view out Frasier’s window—complete with the Space Needle and skyscrapers—is a physical impossibility, and it hardly ever rained in this notoriously wet city. Places (like the state of Oregon) weren’t pronounced the way Seattleites would say them, either. And in at least one scene that took place downtown, a palm tree was visible in the background.

TV Medical Drama: Grey’s Anatomy (2005-present)

This other long-running TV show boasts a Seattle pedigree, even though it isn’t filmed there (for the most part). The series is primarily shot on sets in Los Angeles, though the show includes exterior shots from around the city. You can’t really fake the Seattle skyline or the ferry to Bainbridge Island, after all. Meredith Grey’s house is in the historic Queen Anne Hill neighborhood, and Grey Sloan Memorial’s exterior is the Seattle-Tacoma Airport. In season fourteen, the cast trekked to the Pacific Northwest to film at Gas Works Park, the Fremont Bridge, and along the waterfront.

Moody Crime Drama: The Killing (2011-2014)

Moody is an understatement for this Seattle-based suspense series that was shot in Vancouver. Two detectives trudged through nonstop rain, smoked countless cigarettes, and sucked down cup after cup of coffee as they followed a serial killer’s twisty trail. The filmmakers did shoot footage of well-known Seattle locales, but they also created numerous locations to explain a backdrop that clearly isn’t from the Evergreen State. As with Frasier, those who truly know the city may have a better time noting faux Seattle references than celebrating a fleeting glimpse of their favorite coffee shops or parks.

After you’ve caught up on these great shows and films with your  high-speed internet connection from CenturyLink, check out the blogs on our site for more insight about flicks and TV series located or filmed across the country.

These days, there’s a dating app for everyone. From horse enthusiasts to bacon lovers to gluten-free romantics. But no matter what app you use, you need to give off a good first impression.

And so begins your quest for the perfect bio. What will set you apart from the droves of singles swiping left and right? A quote from The Office? Mentioning your love of adventure? Adding a helpful hint such as, “the baby in the picture is my nephew?”

Whatever it is, chances are, it’s part of a theme that the whole nation seems to unknowingly take part in. The data analyst team at GetCenturyLink decided to identify some of these themes, and then use an AI bot to generate new dating bios based on the collected ones.

First, we painstakingly collected just under 500 Tinder profile bios from the five most populous cities in the US: New York City, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Houston, and Chicago. From there, we pulled out some interesting findings.

Interesting Findings:

• Women use emojis in bios almost twice as much as men.
• The most common emoji used in bios for was the shrug.
• More men include their height in their bios than women.
• Women used the word love in their bios almost three times more than men.
• 66% of males listed a job while only 47% of females listed a job.
• Both genders had similar profile lengths (an average of 25.3 words per profile for females and 25.5 for males) and word lengths (an average of 4.5 characters per word for females and 4.6 for males).
• Males used personal pronouns 356 times and females used them 480 times (i.e. I, my, me, I’m).

So How Do You Teach a Bot to Write a Tinder Bio?

After collecting the dating bios, we then placed them into our recurrent neural network to generate fifty new bios based on the formatting, structure, and language use of the original bios.

After studying the soul-baring memoirs of America’s most eligible singles, our bot came up with some pretty good options. Here are the top two for women and men. Tag yourself—I’m “baby daddy yoga.”

Lady Bios

• Every breath is agony, son. Soul-searching, K-pop cover singer. Baby daddy yoga, camping, and good sandwiches. Looking for someone to catch and maybe neurotic.
• I look great with makeup. Me naps, no travel. Cheese sandwiches wanna kiss ‘em. I love going reading, movies, pants, seriously. Baby probably your next ex gf.

Guy Bios

• 6’2″ huge and ESTP. Grown drink with an outdated ride—basically the beer kid. Currently alone, a searching wrestler. Swiped right, it’s because we’d make attractive babies.
• Brooklyn native. Institute ready vegetarian. Entrepreneur. Guitarist. Boxer. Chef. Barber. Attorney. Lifestyle looking up! But guaranteed to fall. Love a rebound.

I don’t know about you, but these bot-generated profiles sound like solid-gold, swipe-right material.

If “every breath is agony” when it comes to dating, hang in there, friends. Keep swiping until you find your entrepreneur. Guitarist. Boxer. Chef. Whatever they might be. And you may want to stick to writing your own bios.

Tinder is a trademark of Tinder and Match Group.

About GetCenturyLink

GetCenturyLink is a Authorized Sales Agent that offers Internet, DIRECTV and Home Phone Service. Find speed availability or call us at 1-855-204-1982.

For media inquiries, please contact hilary@getcenturylink.com

The consulting firm Frost & Sullivan awarded CenturyLink its 2018 Company of the Year Award for services in Latin America. The award is given to an outstanding company in the Latin American enterprise service providers’ sector and determined by the company’s growth and ability to thoroughly meet consumers’ needs.

Because of its solid connectivity network, CenturyLink is uniquely positioned to accommodate the growing market of Latin American consumers needing high-quality, high-speed IT services. Ignacio Perrone, one of Frost & Sullivan’s research managers, attributes the win to “CenturyLink’s unparalleled expertise”; he says that CenturyLink “raises the standard to the next level for a range of value-added, managed, and data center services” like “no other participant,” which makes it a top-notch industry leader in Latin America.

The company’s customer commitment isn’t isolated to Latin America. CenturyLink offers a solid telecommunications infrastructure and fast services in 60 countries (and counting), so along with the 2018 Latin America Company of the Year Award, CenturyLink also won Frost & Sullivan’s Asia-Pacific Hybrid IT Service Provider of the Year Award and 2018 North American Product Leadership Award.

Keep scanning our blog to see more exciting CenturyLink news!

The Senior Vice President of Cyber Engineering and Technology Services at CenturyLink now has another line on his job description: member of one of the first state cybersecurity commissions in the country. Bill Bradley will work with local, state, and tribal governments—along with state institutions and businesses—to help protect Louisiana citizens from cyberattacks.

Bradley brings years of online expertise that will help the commission make informed, proactive decisions about cybersecurity in Louisiana. In particular, Bradley aims to help the state minimize security costs while upping cybersecurity efficiency. With his fellow commission members, Bradley will also educate Louisiana’s citizens and business owners about online safety and grow the state’s ability to counter online threats.

Louisiana is one of just 21 states with cybersecurity commissions. Hopefully, as Bradey and the other board members dedicate themselves to stopping cyber threats, the remaining 29 states will follow suit, ensuring anyone can get online worry-free.

With help from companies with cybersecurity experience like CenturyLink, American—and global—cyber risks should go down, businesses and state economies can grow, and web users like you can safely log on without worrying about a data breach or identity theft that will haunt your credit score for years.

Curious to see other cybersecurity innovations from CenturyLink? Stay up to date on the GetCenturyLink blog!

Read full press release here: https://news.lumen.com/2018-03-12-Bill-Bradley-appointed-to-first-state-cybersecurity-commission

To support teachers who implement new technologies in the classroom, the CenturyLink Foundation dispensed $1.4 million in grant money from 2017 to 2018. Through the foundation’s Teachers and Technology program, CenturyLink awarded schools across 34 states up to $5,000 each to support students in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education.

The program chose recipients from a pool of nearly 2,000 applicants and considered the projects’ creativity and impact on students’ engagement and learning. Whether the school had CenturyLink service was not part of the program’s consideration.

Teachers and Technology aims to increase worldwide connectivity and invest in communities to create a better quality of life for all. If you’re a CenturyLink customer, it’s nice to know your own investment pays off not just in home internet service but also in projects that benefit neighborhoods just like yours.

Keep following our blog for updates on how the CenturyLink Foundation and other CenturyLink ventures support communities across the nation!

Read full press release here: http://news.centurylink.com/2018-05-15-CenturyLink-Foundation-awards-1-4-million-in-technology-grants-across-34-states

Viral videos are everywhere. Going viral is such a big deal that marketing firms and political strategists are trying to figure out how to replicate the social success of videos that tickle the funny bone, touch a nerve, and cause web surfers to smash that Share button.

Silly successes are giving way to viral videos that replace pricey political ads, and product ads that go viral themselves. Everyone wants in on that viral video action!

But which viral videos see the most traction across the US? We here at GetCenturyLink took a look at the YouTube data to figure out each state’s favorite viral video sensation, and here’s what we learned:

Fun Facts

• Virginia is for “zombie” lovers. It’s the only state that prefers the “Zombie Kid” vid, despite the video being filmed in Portland, OR.
• The most popular viral video across the US was “Wedding Entrance Dance,” the favorite in eleven states. Did the parody on The Office have something to do with all that success?
• Utah is the only state to prefer the “Potter Puppet Pals” video. That’s no surprise given how much the Beehive State loves Harry Potter. In fact, 6.15% of Utah’s population likes “Harry Potter” on Facebook, the highest percentage of any state.
• Wondering where chocolate reigns? That’d be Rhode Island and Vermont, the only states where “Chocolate Rain” tops the charts. Interestingly, while “Chocolate Rain” singer Tay Zonday hails from Minnesota, his home state prefers the “Honey Badger” video over his sweet track.

The Most Popular Viral Videos by State

Wedding Entrance Dance

• Arkansas
• Georgia
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Nebraska
• New Jersey
• New York
• Ohio
• Pennsylvania
• Wisconsin

Linda Honey

• Arizona
• California
• Florida
• Kansas
• Nevada
• New Mexico
• Oklahoma

Charlie the Unicorn

• Alaska
• Maine
• Montana
• North Dakota
• West Virginia
• Wyoming

Charlie Bit My Finger

• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• North Carolina
• Texas

Hide Yo Kids, Hide Yo Wife

• Alabama
• Louisiana
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Washington

Friday – Rebecca Black

• Connecticut
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Kentucky

Honey Badger

• Colorado
• Minnesota
• Oregon

Evolution of Dance

• Mississippi
• New Hampshire

Chocolate Rain

• Rhode Island
• Vermont

Daft Hands

• Missouri

David After Dentist

• South Dakota

Miss Teen Question

• Delaware

Potter Puppet Pals

• Utah

Ultimate Dog Tease

• District of Columbia

Zombie Kid Likes Turtles

• Virginia

Methodology

The data analyst team here at GetCenturyLink ranked nearly 100 of the most popular and iconic viral videos on YouTube by original video views to narrow it down to the fifteen most-watched videos. We then took a look at YouTube search volume by state to see which of those fifteen videos each state searches for the most in order to determine the states’ favorite viral videos.

Was your favorite viral video on the list? Does your taste go along with the rest of your state? Hit that share button to see what your friends and family think too!

About GetCenturyLink

GetCenturyLink is a Authorized Sales Agent that offers Internet, DIRECTV and Home Phone Service. Find speed availability or call us at 1-855-204-1982.

For media inquiries, please contact hilary@getcenturylink.com

The world is rapidly adopting fiber internet for its great speed, reliability, and security. But for now, the US trails behind other developed countries in making the technology widely available.

CenturyLink is working to put the US on the map of lightning-fast internet by building a fiber-optic network across the country. Here’s a quick look at what this option can mean for consumers and where it’s already available.

What Is Fiber Internet?

Fiber internet harnesses the power of light to transmit data across long distances at speeds from 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps. Far above DSL’s speed range of 1 to 7 Mbps, fiber creates the capacity for smooth audio and video streaming, even for higher-resolution 4K video. Multiple devices can tap into the connection at once, even for high-demand activities, like gaming, without leading to a service slowdown.

Where Is Fiber Internet in Use?

Leading the world for fastest fiber connections is South Korea, which boasts an average speed of 28.6 Mbps. Norway is next, with an average speed of 23.5 Mbps, followed by Sweden, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Finland, Singapore, Japan, and Denmark. The US comes in tenth place, with an average connection speed of 18.7 Mbps.

These speeds are steadily rising. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development reported that the global average connection speed for fixed broadband increased by 2.3% in the first quarter of 2017, as compared to the fourth quarter of 2016. South Korea saw the largest increase, with a 9.3% rise in average speeds compared with the previous quarter. The United States saw the second-largest gain at 8.8%.

What Limits Fiber Internet’s Availability?

It’s a combination of cost and geography, according to David Belson, author of Akamai’s annual State of the Internet Report.

“Countries such as South Korea have more people living in higher density areas such as cities where it is increasingly easier to deliver high-speed internet to large groups of people. In countries like the United States, where there is a large population of people living in rural areas, it’s much more difficult and costly to deliver high-speed internet,” Belson says.

How Is Fiber Internet Being Used?

Cost is certainly a factor in fiber internet-connected communities where the technology is used to bring about social change. In Kenya, for example, the Nairobi Garage made fiber internet available to entrepreneurs and small businesses that otherwise would not be able to afford it.

“Through shared work spaces young businesses and entrepreneurs are able to get internet access as part of their office space at very affordable rates,” says Hannah Clifford, general manager at the Nairobi Garage. “High-speed, reliable internet is vital for these young businesses to compete with the likes of Silicon Valley.”

Liquid Telecom made commercial and residential fiber internet services available in Zambia and Zimbabwe as part of its conviction that such connectivity is “a basic human right,” according to chief executive Nic Rudnick. “Fiber is key to the future economic prosperity of Africa.”

Kolonia in Kosovo was unable to afford access to the internet until Fiberlink piloted an extension of its fiber network to the area. Every household now has a broadband internet connection, and most residents say they’ve seen a significant improvement to their lives because of it.

“Most of us use the internet to talk to our family members who live abroad,” says resident Mergrim Juniku. “We talk to them almost every day, and it is important to have a good internet connection to be able to use the free phone call services like Skype, Facebook, or Viber.”

Vista, another ISP available in Kosovo, brought fiber internet to the village of Studenicani in Macedonia, where a local farmer used it to keep an eye on his cattle via an online video surveillance system.

“The farmer thanks me every time I see him,” says Vista CEO Eshref Mazreku. “He says that now his customers don’t need to come to him to get meat. Instead, he’s selling it online.”

Where Is Fiber Service Available in the US?

Although only 25% of US households currently have access to fiber internet, the benefits of the technology are leading more network providers to invest in these super-fast connections. The increasing number of devices connected to the Internet of Things will also continue to generate high demand and support future market growth in the US.

CenturyLink offers 1 Gig high-speed fiber internet in certain markets that makes it possible to stream anything from any device at any time, even if the entire family taps into the connection simultaneously. To see what areas have access to this service, find your availability on the CenturyLink site and search by zip code.

Nevada is a state of jaw-dropping landscapes, dramatic weather, and a colorful history of cowboys and mobsters. So it’s no surprise that the thirty-sixth state is the backdrop for countless movies and TV shows. In particular, gritty, glittery Las Vegas pops up in bit parts and starring roles in just about everything.

There’s quite a range of entertainment options to choose from, but these ten TV shows and films show off the Silver State’s charms.

Mockumentary: Reno 911! (2003–2009)

Definitely not a show for the kiddos. The raunchy Reno 911! is a part-scripted, part-improvised comedy about the fictional Reno Sheriff’s Department. The hapless crew of foul-mouthed officers are often on the losing end of attempts at corralling speeders, prostitutes, and various other ne’er-do-wells. Crooks and cops alike jockey for camera time because they (mistakenly) think they’re being filmed for a documentary series called Heroes on Patrol.

Reality Show: Pawn Stars (2009–present)

Pawn Stars documents the dealings at the 24-hour Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, which was opened in 1989 by recently deceased patriarch Richard “Old Man” Harrison. Manned by his son Rick, Rick’s son Corey, and a goofball named Chumlee, the shop sees a steady stream of patrons hoping to get major bucks for absurd items, including a potato allegedly chucked at Martin Luther King, Jr. during the 1963 march on Washington. (The hopeful customer wanted $100,000 for the tater but settled on $2.) Real treasures abound, too, like JFK’s cigar box (which the shop bought for $60,000).

Crime Procedural: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000–2015)

CSI has versions set in Miami and New York, plus another that focused on national cybercrime, but the original was set in Vegas and had a cast that included Marg Helgenberger, Ted Danson, Laurence Fishburne, and Elisabeth Shue. The team solves murders using forensic evidence—the show is even credited with birthing “the CSI effect,” where jurors in real court cases now expect DNA results from the prosecution.

Heist Movies: The Ocean’s Series (1960, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2018)

The Ocean’s series (Ocean’s 8, Ocean’s 11, Ocean’s 12, and Ocean’s 13) feature celebrity casts pulling off outrageous casino heists. Some of the big names that have popped up in the films: the Rat Pack, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, Al Pacino, Sandra Bullock, Anne Hathaway, and Cate Blanchett.

Drama: The Misfits (1961)

Another star vehicle, The Misfits was the last film for both Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe. The movie takes the focus away from Las Vegas for a change to show off the sights of Reno, where recent divorcee Monroe takes up with a cowboy (Gable), a tow-truck driver (Eli Wallach), and a rodeo rider (Clift).

Musical: Viva Las Vegas (1964)

It’s a toss-up whether Viva Las Vegas is best-known for the hit titular song or the sizzling on-screen chemistry of Elvis Presley and Ann-Margret. Either actor makes it a worthwhile watch, even if the plot—Elvis is a Grand Prix racer who competes with his racing rival for the gorgeous redhead’s affections—is hardly unique.

Crime: Casino (1995)

No Vegas film list would be complete without one featuring the mob, and Casino delivers. Directed by Martin Scorsese, the movie stars Robert De Niro as a casino manager, Sharon Stone as his scheming wife, James Woods as a con artist, and Joe Pesci as an out-of-control mob enforcer. How much more do you need?

Comedy: Vegas Vacation (1997)

Vegas Vacation is the fourth film about the misadventures of the Griswold family, helmed by Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo. This time, the family heads to Vegas but makes some pit stops along the way at a hydrogen bomb test site and the Hoover Dam. Rest assured that hijinks ensue.

Dark Comedy: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a trip of a film—literally. It was adapted from Hunter S. Thompson’s novel of the same name and turns all kinds of psychedelics in the hands of director Terry Gilliam and stars Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro. The bizarre visuals and excessive drug use make this film another one best viewed by adults only.

Comedy: The Hangover (2009)

The Hangover is the first installment in a trilogy about four pals (Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, and Justin Bartha) getting into hot water, and the movie takes advantage of well-known landmarks such as Caesars Palace and one of the city’s many quickie wedding chapels. Mike Tyson also makes an appearance after the boys steal his pet tiger.

You can watch these Nevada-centric shows and films pronto using the high-speed internet connection offered through CenturyLink.