Now that the franchise is, depending on which titles you count, 24 movies and 55 years old, we all have our very own James Bond. While Sean Connery will always be the ultimate 007, Roger Moore is my 007. Yes, I still remember waiting in line with my dad to see Connery’s $1 million comeback in the under-appreciated Diamonds are Forever (1971). I also remember holding Dad’s rough mechanic’s hand in that insanely-crowded line and then having to come back for the 9 p.m. show because the early show was sold out (something that has never happened to me since). But even then it felt like Connery’s time was past.
I first met Roger Moore’s Bond at the tender age of eight while in attendance at something called a drive-in theater (Google it, kids — they were awesome). The year was 1973, my mom and sister were passed out in the back of the station wagon, and it was just me and dad watching this amazing mash-up of James Bond and blaxploitation.
.png)
.png)
