This The Killers documentary may be of some interest to those who’ve ever wondered how the Las Vegas music scene works. It will not, however, give much insight into the band itself. The DVD packaging calls this “an unauthorized documentary film packed with exclusive interviews.” What it doesn’t tell you in between the lines, however, is that these so-called “exclusive interviews” primarily consist of folks like the group’s initial drummer and a former UNLV drum teacher for current The Killers skin man, Ronnie Vannucci. Filmmakers had no access to the band members, nor did they receive permission to use The Killers performance clips. Nevertheless, we do learn that Las Vegas, the land of Wayne Newton, strip clubs and lounge acts, is one difficult place to become a rock star. It was doubly hard for The Killers, who sounded like a Brit pop band at a time when most other locals were doing their best Linkin Park imitations. But much like Jimi Hendrix before them, The Killers moved to England for a spell. When they returned, they were suddenly cool. Leaving Las Vegas makes a valiant effort to give viewers an overview of The Killers’ career to date. But it’s simply impossible to paint a definitive band portrait without the usual suspects.
-- Dan MacIntosh
