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Why are geeks interested in the James Bond movies?

Duh!!

1- Girls

2- Gadgets

3- Guns

4- Spanish Inquisition (whoops, sorry I didn’t expect that)

5- Style

James Bond is a badass.  He’s a badass that has kewl toys, gets the girls and blows up a lot of things in style.  One moment Sean Connery has a duck on his head swimming through the water, the next he’s in a tuxedo.   And that tuxedo probably has more devices imbedded in it than my cell phone.

Several years ago when I was interviewing Anthony “C3PO” Daniels in Denver, even he stated he wanted to be James Bond when he walks out of the theater.  Wearing a tux for my friends wedding, I would look at myself in the mirror and repeat the immortal line “Bond….James Bond”  I could never keep up that level of style needed (there are too many times I’m wanting to get back in my jeans and t-shirt to relax).  I think that one of the reasons that a lot of people enjoy following the James Bond franchise is the way it allows us to escape from reality and pretend that we are an international spy or the seductive temptress speeding down the Monte Carlo roadways in an Aston Martin sportscar (again filled with gadgets).

I also remember not being allowed to watch James Bond on TV when I was growing up.  My parents thought it was too risque for a thirteen year old.  I remember begging to stay up and watch the Sunday Night Movie on ABC.  Since I wasn’t allowed to stay up, and the parents were going to watch anyway, I snuck downstairs and watched from the stairs where my parents couldn’t see me.  This is how I first saw The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker.  Not being allowed to watch only made me want to watch more.  Now Mr. Bond cannot escape the diabolical laser that is contained within my DVD player.  Wuahhahahahahahah..ha….ha….uh..ok.

Who can for get the classic lines: Bond “Do you expect me to talk?” Goldfinger (laughing) “No Mr. Bond, I expect you to die.”  Roger Moore was classic with his one-liners dropped at the end of a tense scene.  I blame James Bond as much as I blame my Father for the bad one-liners I use in various responses.

The new James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace, will be released on Friday, November 14.  It will be the 22nd movie (24th if you count the two off-beat Bond movies) in the franchise spanning back for over 45 years.  It is the second Bond movie for Daniel Craig.  I think the use of different actors in the Bond role keeps the character fresh (you could tell it was time for Roger Moore to hang it up after watching A View to a Kill.)  It also supports my theory that James Bond is a Gallifreyan Time Lord.

I will be at the theater this Friday, waiting to hear the opening sequence to the James Bond theme.  Until that happens, I leave you with this…….

Rick Astley is....