Tagged: What to Wear to the Casino
Wild Card: Jason Statham’s Black Leather Jacket
Jason Statham as Nick Wild in Wild Card (2015)
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Jason Statham as Nick Wild, bodyguard-for-hire
Las Vegas, Christmas 2013
Film: Wild Card
Release Date: January 14, 2015
Director: Simon West
Costume Designer: Lizz Wolf
WARNING! Spoilers ahead!
Background
Following a request I received via my Instagram account last November, today’s post explores the Jason Statham action thriller Wild Card, coincidentally released five years ago today. The movie was a remake of the 1986 movie Heat starring Burt Reynolds and adapted by William Goldman from his own novel, not to be confused with Michael Mann’s heist epic released nine years later.
Despite Wild Card‘s less than stellar reviews and box office returns, it was an interesting experience, watching a familiar and eclectic cast through a movie that took a surprisingly understated approach for an era where action movies tend to rely on excessive CGI and explosive value, weaving through various genres and plot directions with our taciturn protagonist. Continue reading
Bond’s White Dinner Jacket in Diamonds are Forever
Sean Connery and Lana Wood in the seventh James Bond film, Diamonds are Forever (1971), filmed and set in Las Vegas.
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Sean Connery as James Bond, British government agent
Las Vegas, Spring 1971
Film: Diamonds are Forever
Release Date: December 17, 1971
Director: Guy Hamilton
Wardrobe Master: Ray Beck
Tailor: Anthony Sinclair
Background
It’s Friday the 13th! Considered an unlucky day by some, this summer occurrence feels like just the right time to follow James Bond as he tests his own luck in a Las Vegas casino in Diamonds are Forever, the 1971 film that convinced Sean Connery to portray the British secret agent one more time.
Luck appears to be initially on 007’s side as he wins $50,000 at craps and makes the acquaintance of the voluptuous Plenty O’Toole (Lana Wood).
Casino – De Niro’s Light Blue Plaid Suit
Robert De Niro as Sam “Ace” Rothstein in Casino (1995)
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Robert De Niro as Sam “Ace” Rothstein, Vegas casino executive and mob associate
Las Vegas, Spring 1977
Film: Casino
Release Date: November 22, 1995
Director: Martin Scorsese
Costume Design: Rita Ryack & John A. Dunn
Background
It’s been quite a while – a few weeks shy of a year, in fact – since I last explored the bold wardrobe of Robert De Niro in Casino, but the onset of warmer weather had me thinking more colorfully for this #MafiaMonday.
Steve Martin’s Gray Plaid Jacket in My Blue Heaven
Steve Martin as Vinnie Antonelli in My Blue Heaven (1990)
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Steve Martin as Vinnie Antonelli (aka Tod Wilkinson), ex-Mafia informant
Fryburg, California, November 1989 through summer 1990
Film: My Blue Heaven
Release Date: August 17, 1990
Director: Herbert Ross
Costume Designer: Joseph G. Aulisi
Background
You know, it’s dangerous for you to be here in the frozen food section… because you could melt. all. this. stuff.
Steve Martin’s smooth-talking Vinnie Antonelli finds post-Mafia lifestyle to be more and more amenable in My Blue Heaven as he builds a suburban criminal empire and seduces a floozy in the frozen aisle of his local grocery store. Continue reading
Bond Style: Lazenby’s Black Tie and Aston Martin
George Lazenby as James Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
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George Lazenby as James Bond, smooth British secret agent
Estoril, Portugal, September 1969
Film: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
Release Date: December 18, 1969
Director: Peter R. Hunt
Tailor: Dimi Major
Costume Designer: Marjory Cornelius
Background
On the 00-7th of December, this Car Week post is focused on James Bond’s sole Christmastime adventure, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service starring George Lazenby as the suave secret agent.
The film opens with a scene straight out of the source novel as a competitive Bond engages in a playful “race” against a beautiful young woman speeding toward the beach in her convertible. Continue reading
Casino – L.Q. Jones in Snakeskin and Corduroy
Today is the first day of my annual weeklong sojourn at the beach. I’m honored to present the first-ever contributor post at BAMF Style. Please enjoy the following submission by BAMF Style reader “W.T. Hatch”.
L.Q. Jones as County Commissioner Pat Webb in Casino (1995)
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L.Q. Jones as Pat Webb, cowboy Clark County commissioner
Las Vegas, Spring 1977
Film: Casino
Release Date: November 22, 1995
Director: Martin Scorsese
Costume Design: Rita Ryack & John A. Dunn
Background
I appreciate you taking the time to see a poor old civil servant.
In a rare moment of uncontrolled anger, Tangiers casino boss Sam “Ace” Rothstein (Robert De Niro) fires his slot machine manager Don Ward, accusing him of outright incompetence or collusion with a gaming scam. Don hails from an influential Las Vegas family and is the brother-in-law of powerful county commissioner Pat Webb (played by Hollywood character actor L.Q. Jones). Continue reading
Skyfall – Bond’s Dark Blue Tuxedo in Macau
Excerpt from a promotional poster for Skyfall (2012), featuring Daniel Craig as James Bond against the familiar “gunbarrel” backdrop.
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Daniel Craig as James Bond, British government agent
Macau, Spring 2012
Film: Skyfall
Release Date: November 9, 2012
Director: Sam Mendes
Costume Designer: Jany Temime
Background
Nearly forty years after his last visit in The Man with the Golden Gun, James Bond returns to Macau after discovering a casino chip on an assassin in Shanghai. Now officially back in Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Bond packs up his dinner suit, cut-throat razor, and sunglasses and heads to the film’s version of Macau. Continue reading
The Casino Royale Dinner Jacket
I’m not sure if any of you knew this, but I wouldn’t be surprised if many of you did – today is National Martini Day, celebrating the favorite drink of many from presidents and industrialists to entertainers and fictional secret agents.
Daniel Craig as James Bond in Casino Royale (2006).
BAMF Style’s choice for today was an obvious one.
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Daniel Craig as James Bond, rookie British secret agent
Montenegro, Summer 2006
Film: Casino Royale
Release Date: November 14, 2006
Director: Martin Campbell
Costume Designer: Lindy Hemming
Background
After years of audiences used to Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan*, some Bond fans were unsure what to expect with the new tough and gritty Bond played by Daniel Craig. While most hardcore fans – especially those of Fleming’s novels – were pleased by the return to form in 2006’s Casino Royale, some worried that the “Bourne-era” Bond would be too tough for the Bond dinner jacket.
Luckily, Casino Royale not only puts Bond in a sharp tailored dinner jacket for the second act of the film, but his formalwear actually is commented on in the film’s dialogue as Vesper tells him:
There are dinner jackets and dinner jackets. This is the latter.
Sinatra’s Dark Gray Ocean’s Eleven Suit
Today marks the sad anniversary of 15 years since the death of the legendary Frank Sinatra. To pay tribute to the man, here is another installment from the original Ocean’s Eleven.
Frank Sinatra as Danny Ocean in the original Ocean’s Eleven (1960).
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Frank Sinatra as Danny Ocean, smooth-talking con man and casino heister
Las Vegas, New Year’s 1960
Film: Ocean’s Eleven
Release Date: August 10, 1960
Director: Lewis Milestone
Costume Designer: Howard Shoup
Tailor: Sy Devore
Background
A great suit is great not just only for looking good but also for its versatility. In several key scenes in Ocean’s Eleven, Sinatra wears a sharp gray suit, the same suit seen in the iconic Rat Pack poster of all five members standing in front of a sign for the Sands in Vegas. What makes this suit diverse is that Sinatra’s character, Danny Ocean, wears it for both a night at the casino and the funeral of an old buddy.
In an interesting reversal, the original Ocean’s Eleven is actually darker than the modern remake. According to Frank Sinatra, Jr., in the DVD commentary, Danny and his men were to charter a plane, flown by one of the “eleven”, and get the stolen money out of Vegas successfully. Unfortunately, the entire group would then be killed in a plane crash.
Other than the irony, there’s not really much that is very funny about this ending. After it was decided that no one really cared for it, an alternate ending was developed. The new ending still featured death, but only one compared to eleven. This sort of black comedy was not very common in 1960, and the Rat Pack handled it perfectly. They would be the perfect guys to defy cinematic conventions and say, “Fuck it. Someone’s gotta die for this movie.”
What’d He Wear?
Sinatra wears a dark gray wool suit, tailored for him by the legendary Sy Devore. Continue reading
Clooney hits A.C. in Ocean’s Eleven
Today is the 52nd birthday of George Clooney, a guy who typically tops the lists of modern men’s style icons.
George Clooney at the tables as Danny Ocean in the 2001 Ocean’s Eleven remake.
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George Clooney as Danny Ocean, paroled con man and casino heister
Atlantic City, Spring 2001
Film: Ocean’s Eleven
Release Date: December 7, 2001
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Costume Designer: Jeffrey Kurland
Background
For all of the fanfare he gets as an icon of men’s style these days, I’m a little surprised it took me this long to write something about Mr. Clooney.
The 2001 remake of Ocean’s Eleven needs little introduction. As one of the very few remakes widely considered to surpass the original in terms of quality (although the Rat Pack is a lot of fun to watch in their 1960 version), Steven Soderbergh’s heist film paved the way for a number of similar heist films to pop up in cineplexes throughout the early 21st century, most notably The Italian Job and the rest of the “Ocean’s Trilogy”. Continue reading