The beginning, the end, the best Bond — The Double-O Do you recall the story of how my Bond fandom began? The father-son film nights, the cable marathons, and the regular home video rentals of my youth introduced me to the 007 franchise, to film, and to the grander notion of pop culture as a whole. Sean Connery, George Lazenby…

The middling, the milquetoast, the star-crossed Bond — The Double-O In the interest of full disclosure and ultimate confidence, I’d like to share a little more about myself with you, reader. I was born in the year 1991, during the deep, dark Bond hibernation that took place from 1989 to 1995, between the end of Timothy Dalton’s and the beginning…

The earnest, the purist, the ahead-of-his-time Bond — The Double-O The world wasn’t ready for Timothy Dalton’s Bond. With only two films to his name, Dalton’s truncated time in the role, much like George Lazenby’s, is often unfairly and incorrectly categorized as a failure. …

The lavish, the affable, the tongue-in-cheek Bond — The Double-O Posh, debonair, and more than a little campy, Roger Moore’s James Bond is a fascinating litmus test for your appreciation of the sillier side of this franchise, perhaps even life itself. Opinions on Moore vary more wildly than any other Bond, fluctuating between recoil and refusal of his light-hearted japery…

The rebel, the playboy, the one-and-done Bond — The Double-O George Lazenby gets a bad rap. As the only Bond actor to star in just one film, history has understandably downplayed Lazenby’s contribution to the grand tapestry that is the James Bond film franchise. Even though his lone film is one of the very best in the series. The Australian…

The trendsetter, the template, the original Bond — The Double-O What more can be said about the man who started it all? He’s the innovator, he’s the revolutionary, he’s Sean Fucking Connery. Without Sir Sean Connery (may he rest in peace), James Bond would not be where he is today. That much can be agreed upon. Connery firmly established Bond’s…

Exploring the 007 film franchise, from Dr. No to No Time To Die — The story of how my Bond fandom began is a familiar one. Film nights with my father, cable TV marathons around the holidays, routine home video rentals, and carefully choreographed playground stunts with wooden Walther PPK in hand helped shape my childhood, my appreciation for film, and my desire to…

The best sounds from the worst year — You’ve read enough about how shit 2020 has been. Through the continued health crisis and all the vitriolic political theatre, music was always there at the end of the day to calm our anxiety-riddled minds. …

Your guide to Beer City, from A-Z — Asheville beer is a known commodity. While the official Beer City title is currently held by a different craft-obsessed city (shouts to Portland, ME), Asheville’s imprint on the collective craft beer consciousness has long been solidified. Like many before me, and like many more to follow, I moved up to…