Tagged: Russia

The Rocky IV Shearling Jacket

Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa in Rocky IV (1985)

Vitals

Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa, two-time heavyweight world champion boxer

Krasnogorsk, Russia, Winter 1985

Film: Rocky IV
Release Date: November 27, 1985
Director: Sylvester Stallone
Costume Designer: Tom Bronson

WARNING! Spoilers ahead!

Background

“New year, new you” messaging seems to dominate the beginning of every January, and what character better embodies getting in shape than the Italian Stallion and his famous training montages?

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Reilly, Ace of Spies: A Notch-Lapel Dinner Jacket

Sam Neill as Sidney Reilly in Reilly: Ace of Spies (Episode 6: "Dreadnoughts and Doublecrosses")

Sam Neill as Sidney Reilly in Reilly: Ace of Spies (Episode 6: “Dreadnoughts and Doublecrosses”)

Vitals

Sam Neill as Sidney Reilly, shrewd British agent and anti-Bolshevik

St. Petersburg, Russia, October 1910, and
London, November 1918

Series: Reilly: Ace of Spies
Episodes:
– “Dreadnoughts and Doublecrosses” (Episode 6), dir. Jim Goddard, aired 10/5/1983
– “After Moscow”(Episode 9), dir. Martin Campbell, aired 10/26/1983
Costume Designer: Elizabeth Waller

Background

Reilly: Ace of Spies fictionalizes the exploits of Russian-born spy Sidney Reilly, often cited as a real-life basis for Ian Fleming’s James Bond. While the showrunners must have been cognizant of the need to place their suave British secret agent in a tuxedo, the series’ narrative also coincided with the rise of the dinner jacket over the first quarter of the 20th century.

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Bond in Brioni – The Navy Suit in GoldenEye

Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, armed with an AKS-74U, in GoldenEye (1995)

Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, armed with an AKS-74U, in GoldenEye (1995)

Vitals

Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, sophisticated British secret agent

St. Petersburg, Russia, April 1995

Film: GoldenEye
Release Date: November 13, 1995
Director: Martin Campbell
Costume Designer: Lindy Hemming

Background

I’ve been featuring a number of looks from the James Bond series lately, but I would hate to let that get in the way of the 00-7th of March! Since we’re celebrating St. Patrick’s Day this month, it seems obvious to me that we should also be celebrating the Irish actor who delivered his own brand of debonair charm to the role of 007.

In his inaugural outing, GoldenEye, Pierce Brosnan’s Bond is relaxing in the pool of his St. Petersburg hotel when he is cornered by the alluring assassin Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen). Bond gets the upper hand – among other parts – and convinces Xenia to introduce him to the mysterious syndicate behind the disappearance of a missing satellite. Continue reading

Sidney Reilly’s Hunting Jacket

Sam Neill as Sidney Reilly in "Dreadnaughts and Crosses", Episode 5 of Reilly: Ace of Spies (1983).

Sam Neill as Sidney Reilly in “Dreadnaughts and Crosses”, Episode 5 of Reilly: Ace of Spies (1983).

Vitals

Sam Neill as Sidney Reilly, Russian-born adventurer and British secret agent

Russia, Spring 1910

Series: Reilly: Ace of Spies
Episode: “Dreadnoughts and Crosses” (Episode 5)
Air Date: September 28, 1983
Director: Jim Goddard
Costume Designer: Elizabeth Waller

Background

St. Petersburg is a hotbed of intrigue in the years leading up to World War I and the Russian Revolution. The English and the Germans are among those vying for inevitably valuable warship contracts from the Russian Ministry of Marine.

Ever the shrewd opportunist, Sidney Reilly finds himself in the right place at the right time and decides to forego the usual channels of submitting battleship plans. Instead, he slyly gambles against a brutish shipping executive who finds himself indebted to Reilly, thus handing a controlling stake in his firm to our hero. At the same time, Reilly has busied himself in a romance with the Minister of Marine’s lovely wife Nadia (Celia Gregory).

The events of the spring culminate in a pig hunting trip where Reilly joins the Minister, Nadia, and his cheeky pal Sasha Gramaticoff for an afternoon of angry swine and loaded revolvers. Continue reading

Meeting Sidney Reilly – A Cream Suit in Baku

Sam Neill as SIdney Reilly in "An Affair with a Married Woman", the first episode of Reilly: Ace of Spies.

Sam Neill as Sidney Reilly in “An Affair with a Married Woman”, the first episode of Reilly: Ace of Spies.

Vitals

Sam Neill as Sigmund Rosenblum, later known as Sidney Reilly, Russian-born British Secret Service agent

Baku, Russian Empire (now Azerbaijan), Spring 1901

Series: Reilly: Ace of Spies
Episode: “An Affair with a Married Woman” (Episode 1)
Air Date: September 5, 1983
Director: Jim Goddard
Costume Designer: Elizabeth Waller

Background

Super Bowl XLIX viewers last Sunday surely didn’t miss the new trailer for Jurassic World, the newest entry in the franchise that began more than 20 years ago with Jurassic Park. Unfortunately, Sam Neill will not be reprising his role as Dr. Alan Grant in the newest film, so Neill fans itching to fill the void can revisit the brilliant 1983 mini-series Reilly: Ace of Spies. Continue reading

Bond in Brioni – The GoldenEye Charcoal Windowpane 3-Piece Suit

Pierce Brosnan as James Bond in GoldenEye (1995).

Pierce Brosnan as James Bond in GoldenEye (1995).

Vitals

Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, sophisticated British secret agent

London, England to St. Petersburg, Russia, April 1995

Film: GoldenEye
Release Date: November 13, 1995
Director: Martin Campbell
Costume Designer: Lindy Hemming

Background

Obviously, I’ve been watching GoldenEye lately. For what many Bond fans – including myself – consider the finest of the Pierce Brosnan era, GoldenEye marked a re-emphasis on style after the grittier Dalton films. Continue reading

Hitman: Agent 47

Timothy Olyphant as the titular Agent 47 in Hitman (2007).

Timothy Olyphant as the titular Agent 47 in Hitman (2007).

Vitals

Timothy Olyphant as Agent 47, freelance hitman

Turkey, Fall 2007

Film: Hitman
Release Date: November 21, 2007
Director: Xavier Gens
Costume Designer: Olivier Bériot
Timothy Olyphant’s Personal Dresser: Anna Gelinova

Background

A black suit is typically acceptable for funerals and special occasions. These occasions may include a wedding, a semi-formal evening event, or being a badass. 47 would fit into the latter category here. However, being as it’s nearly Christmas, 47’s black suit and red tie would be the perfect attire for a holiday gathering. It would be even more perfect if you have to cut the holiday gathering short to go assassinate a few bad guys, but that might dampen your senile aunt’s holiday spirit.

Many would agree that, especially in the age of Hawaiian-shirted heroes in the Grand Theft Auto series, Hitman‘s Agent 47 has always remained one of the best-dressed video game characters. Continue reading

Sidney Reilly Goes Undercover in Russia

Sam Neill as Sidney Reilly in the seventh episode of Reilly: Ace of Spies.

Sam Neill as Sidney Reilly in the seventh episode of Reilly: Ace of Spies (1983).

Vitals

Sam Neill as Capt. Sidney Reilly, British secret service agent and Canadian Royal Flying Corps airman

Russia, Spring 1918

Series: Reilly: Ace of Spies
Episode: “Gambit” (Episode 7)
Air Date: October 12, 1983
Director: Jim Goddard
Costume Designer: Elizabeth Waller

Background

The mini-series Reilly: Ace of Spies, being based on Sidney Reilly’s own exaggerated account of his life, certainly stretches the truth – if not downright fictionalizes – many parts of Reilly’s story. However, the show does a fine job of serializing Reilly’s most important and life-altering adventure: the attempted overthrow of the Bolshevik government. Continue reading

Air Force One

As we in the United States celebrate President’s Day this week, BAMF Style also celebrates Air Force One, where Harrison Ford played the most badass U.S. President since Teddy Roosevelt.

Harrison Ford as U.S. President James Marshall in Air Force One.

Harrison Ford as U.S. President James Marshall in Air Force One (1997).

Vitals

Harrison Ford as James Marshall, U.S. President

Russia, September 1997

Film: Air Force One
Release Date: July 25, 1997
Director: Wolfgang Petersen
Costume Designer: Erica Edell Phillips

Background

No matter what your politics are, every American can agree on one thing: Harrison Ford was a badass President in Air Force One.

When I was eight years old, I was incredibly excited for this movie’s release. As the brilliant website TV Tropes describes: “It’s Die Hard on Air Force One and President Harrison Ford is taking back his plane. That’s the entire movie in one short sentence.” Continue reading

Reilly: Ace of Spies – White Tie

Sam Neill as Sidney Reilly in “Dreadnoughts and Crosses”, the fifth episode of Reilly: Ace of Spies.

Approaching the weekend, someone as popular as yourself probably has plenty of invitations to parties and dinners. Put off the typical “Autumn Man” look of a sweater and plaid shirt until next weekend and wow everyone with your white tie, much like…

Vitals

Sam Neill as Sidney Reilly, birth name Shlomo Rosenblum, a Russian-born adventurer, war profiteer, and rumored British secret agent

St. Petersburg, Spring 1910

Series: Reilly: Ace of Spies
Episodes: “Dreadnoughts and Crosses” (Episode 5) & “Dreadnoughts and Doublecrosses” (Episode 6)
Air Dates: September 28, 1983 & October 5, 1983
Director: Jim Goddard
Costume Designer: Elizabeth Waller

Background

Ian Fleming, known worldwide for his creation of the literary James Bond, is quoted as once saying:

James Bond is just a piece of nonsense I dreamed up. He’s not a Sidney Reilly, you know!

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