A love affair with the James Bond series is like a marriage; it's for life, and it's definitely a "richer or poorer, better or worse" proposition. Some days you get Casino Royale (2006) or Goldfinger (1964), where everything is bliss, but then other days you get Grace Jones or a cameo from Madonna or someone named "Christmas Jones." Some days are Connery and some are Lazenby. Some days your director is Guy Hamilton or Martin Campbell, and some days your director is John Glen or Marc Forster. But, like a diamond, the imperfections are what make it all worthwhile. From among the dregs, then, here are a few of my favorite things:

1. The entire supporting cast in The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
I confess it's one of the weakest Roger Moore entries, but come on! Motherf---in' Christopher "Dracula/Dooku/Saruman" Lee is the bad guy! And Hervé Villechaize as his diminutive villainous sidekick! And sex-goddess Britt Ekland as the Bond girl! In a bikini! And Swedish model Maud Adams, who would return as "Octopussy"! And Lois Maxwell and Desmond Llewelyn! And Soon-Tek Oh as Lieutenant Hip. The only drawback is that the goldurn redneck sheriff returns (see #2)...

2. The Paul McCartney Theme Song in Live and Let Die (1973)
Some fans like this early Roger Moore entry, but Moore hadn't yet settled into the role yet, and I call it "the one with the redneck sheriff and the idiotic boat chase." But conversely, it has one of the best -- if not the best -- song of the series, with its slow build, peculiar tempo changes and odd lyrics ("in this ever changing world in which we live in.") This was McCartney at his crazy out-there best, and it brings much goodwill to the rest of the film.

I remember the first time I ever saw a James Bond film. Sadly, it wasn't in the theater as it should have been as I was only a boy at the time. Instead, it was on TV as one of the ABC Sunday Night Movies. I was changing channels the old fashioned way (sitting in front of the TV turning the dial) and I came across a promo for the film which was just about to start. Then, it started and the smooth, deadly Sean Connery appeared as James Bond agent 007 in Diamonds are Forever. As I gazed at the screen watching Bond kick butt, take names and romance several beautiful Bond girls (including the super-cute Jill St. John as Tiffany Case), almost instantly, i was hooked. And my love for all things Bond continues to this day.

So, if you're like me and you love to get your Bond on (and, you happen to live in or near San Francisco or don't mind a little travel) you definitely need to be at this Memorial Day Weekend event. The event, sponsored by Bay Area Film Events and billed as the "007 Weekend to thrill" features screenings of many classic James Bond adventures including Dr. No, From Russia With Love, Goldfinger and The Spy Who Loved Me. The films will be shown on the big screen as they were meant to be seen and experienced at the famous Castro theater. Also, the event will have prizes, vendors and to top it off, a special appearance by a Bond super-villain: Jaws himself Richard Kiel. That alone should make the event worthwhile. But, you also get some great Bond films seen as they were meant to be seen and experienced in a theater full of other devoted Bond fans. What could be better than that?

Bondcast is finally back! We had some faulty equipment from Q Branch that led to this podcast being late. Q warned us that it was last used in the field by a certain Double 0 agent, and it might be a bit worse for wear. He was right, and we had to return it for servicing. Thankfully we didn't set off the embedded flamethrower or tear gas cannisters by accident.

In this episode Athena and I cover a very wide range of subjects, touching on everything from Daniel Craig's swimsuit, Pierce Brosnan's birthday, James Bond video games, and even Neil Gaiman ... which happens when you venture into tangent-ville. There's a slew of information in this episode, including upcoming DVD commentaries, events, book news, and more. Check out some of the highlights after the break, and be sure to give it a listen.

Bondcast returns! Although sadly, both on the bondcast and here, we have to mourn the passing of Barry Nelson, the first actor to ever play James Bond. Oddly enough, he was an American actor, and they made James Bond an American secret agent in the adaptation of Casino Royale that he was in. He passed away on April 7th, leaving behind a pretty impressive filmography, and a lasting honor as the first James Bond. A moment of silence for Nelson, Barry Nelson.

We'll be bringing you a Bondcast review of the Queen Mary SpyFi archives exhibit on the next episode, and our Casino Royale commentary will be coming up very soon as well. It's a summer packed with Bond events, and we're going to be putting on our finest 007-wear and hitting them up. The ever-present Bondcast microphone will bring you back audio reports whenever possible. Thanks for listening, and we hope to see you back on Bondcast!