Podcasts: James Bonding

So we've been making our way through the James Bond 50th Anniversary box set of Blu-rays. And then we found this podcast that goes over each film, so . . .

It's really just two guys from The Nerdist + a guest (or sometimes guests) having a conversation about whichever Bond film. And so of course there are many digressions and such. I tried to listen to the Skyfall one, for example, and got kind of annoyed that they weren't getting around to talking about the movie. But then we just watched You Only Live Twice last weekend, and so I started listening to that podcast this morning and found it better. As with anything of this sort, quality will vary from "episode" to episode.

This is really my introduction to podcasts, too. I mean, of course I know what they are, and I've even been told to do (and considered doing) my own. But because I can't really do audiobooks, I hesitated to try podcasts thinking I might have the same, I dunno, barrier. Turns out I don't, which is good to know. For me there's something about a story that has to been seen—that is, I have to see the words. I don't like to be read to. But podcasts are just people talking, and that doesn't bother me. Especially if they're funny.

I wouldn't say the James Bonding episodes I've listened to are all that funny, but they have their moments. And the information is interesting.

They start each podcast by asking their guest about his or her history with James Bond. So here's where I'll tell you mine: My parents were big fans, particularly of the Sean Connery ones. My mother had (still has, maybe) a huge crush on Connery. (Him and Sam Elliot, so . . . ???) For me, though, Bond was something that came on weird channels on Sunday afternoons. It was always either a Bond movie or a Western. I had this passing acquaintance with the films. I think I saw all of them, or nearly all, but nothing stuck with me until Timmy Dalton.

The Living Daylights was the first Bond film I saw in the cinema, and I recall really liking it. License to Kill would actually make a greater impression on me, though, probably because I also watched Miami Vice with my parents, and LtK is more like an MV episode adapted to be a Bond movie than anything else.

And then, of course, came Brosnan, who I'd loved in Remington Steele, so naturally I was all in for those, though looking back they make me cringe a bit.

There. That's the kind of digression you can expect in one of these podcasts. But seriously, despite the varying quality of the episodes, I've enjoyed it so far. Will have to branch out to other podcasts, but I'm taking it slow for the moment.