364 | The James Bond Draft

To celebrate the conclusion of our massive James Bond project, our panelists Michael, Rob, and Karen welcome fellow Bond fans Becky Tyler, Jacob Bean-Watson, and Jody Collins for a fun game, reviewing our favorite elements of the series. We draft our favorite Bond actors, villains, gadgets, and features from a dozen other categories to create our own inter-era Bond mash-up films. We laughed, we gasped, and we hurt each other's feelings in this super fun episode about everyone's favorite super spy.

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362 | No Time to Die (2021)

Michael, Rob, and Karen finish (for now) their James Bond movie project with the final Daniel Craig and the final Eon Productions entry in the series. It's No Time to Die, also starring Léa Seydoux, Rami Malek, Lashana Lynch, Jeffrey Wright, Ana de Armas, and the usual cast of allies.

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354 | Spectre (2015)

Michael, Rob, and Karen discuss the penultimate Craig Bond film, Sam Mendes's Spectre, co-starring Léa Seydoux, Christoph Waltz, Andrew Scott, and Dave Bautista.

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345 | Skyfall (2012)

Michael, Rob, and Karen are halfway through the Daniel Craig era as we talk about the series-changing film Skyfall by Sam Mendes.

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342 | Quantum of Solace (2008)

Michael, Rob, and Karen return for a look at the first direct sequel in the Bond series: Marc Forster's Quantum of Solace. While the Bond films have always been nominal sequels to each other, Quantum of Solace closely continues Bond's story begun in Casino Royale. Bond fans had never seen anything like it and not everyone appreciated the new experience. We talk about that and editing and villains and Olga Kurylenko and everything else.

One of this month's Bond trivia questions has a visual component, so here is that so you can play along as well:

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336 | Casino Royale (2006)

Michael, Rob, and Karen Flieger begin the new year with a new era in the Bond series. We're finally watching Daniel Craig and talking about Martin Campbell's reboot, Casino Royale. Or is it a reboot? What about M? Continuity is on the agenda as well as action, character arcs, and ambiguity about who the heroes and villains are.

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321 | Die Another Day (2002)

Michael, Rob, and Karen finish the Brosnan Bond films with the most hated Bond film of them all. Or is it? It's Die Another Day co-starring Halle Berry, Rosamund Pike, Toby Stephens, a ton of references to earlier Bond films, and that song by Madonna.

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314 | The World Is Not Enough (1999)

After a fun exercise in which they create their own one-off Bond films, Michael, Rob, and Karen discuss the tone, the villains, and the Christmas Jones of Pierce Brosnan's third Bond film (and Desmond Llewelyn's last), The World Is Not Enough. Also starring Sophie Marceau, Denise Richards, and Robert Carlyle, and directed by Michael Apted.

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308 | Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)

After largely agreeing about GoldenEye, Michael, Rob, and Karen are divided once again. We differ about the enjoyability of Tomorrow Never Dies, Pierce Brosnan's second turn as James Bond with Jonathan Pryce as an over-the-top villain, Michelle Yeoh as a butt-kicking rival agent, Teri Hatcher as the never-before-revealed love of Bond's life, and a heart-breaking tale of two theme songs. 

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301 | GoldenEye (1995)

Michael, Rob, and Karen watch Pierce Brosnan's introduction as James Bond and talk about how well GoldenEye rebooted and reinvigorated the series after a few years' break post-Licence to Kill. Directed by Martin Campbell, the movie also features Sean Bean, Izabella Scorupco, Famke Janssen, Joe Don Baker, Robbie Coltrane, Alan Cumming, and introduces Judi Dench as the new M.

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296 | Licence to Kill (1989)

Michael, Rob, and Karen wrap up 1980s James Bond as well as Timothy Dalton's too short time on the series with Licence to Kill. It's one of Rob's favorites, but not so much one of Michael's. And it's Karen's first time seeing it. So there's a lot to unpack as always.

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287 | The Living Daylights (1987)

Michael, Rob, and Karen welcome Timothy Dalton to the James Bond films in The Living Daylights. After the mostly over-the-top Roger Moore era, the series gets back to basics with Dalton's realistic, angry, but also charming take on 007.

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281 | A View to a Kill (1985)

Michael, Rob, and Karen dance into the fire and board the iceberg submarine to talk about Roger Moore's final performance as James Bond in A View to a Kill. Also starring Grace Jones, Christopher Walken, Tanya Roberts, and Patrick Macnee.

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272 | Never Say Never Again (1983)

Michael, Rob, and Karen talk about the Johnny English prequel that also happens to feature Sean Connery's last performance as James Bond. It's Irvin Kershner's alternate reality 007 film, Never Say Never Again, also starring Kim Basinger, Barbara Carrera, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Bernie Casey, and Max von Sydow.

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266 | Octopussy (1983)

The villain is a cliché, Bond is a clown, and the name of the movie is just embarrassing. Michael, Rob, and Karen talk about whether or not those factors affect the enjoyability of Roger Moore's penultimate Bond film. 

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261 | For Your Eyes Only (1981)

Having experienced the extravagance of Moonraker, Michael, Rob, and Karen are not upset at all when the Bond series goes back to basics in For Your Eyes Only. John Glen makes his directorial debut, Roger Moore returns as an age-appropriate Bond, and there are plenty of twists and turns with Carole Bouquet (sigh), Julian Glover, Topol, and... is that Charles Dance?

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253 | Moonraker (1979)

Michael, Rob, and Karen Flieger kick off the new year with one of the most infamous Bond movies. James Bond goes to space and pigeons do double-takes in the over-the-top, Star Wars-inspired Moonraker. Is it fun? Is it garbage? Or is it both?

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228 | The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

Michael, Rob, and Karen continue their Bondathon with a game-changing entry in the series, The Spy Who Loved Me. Co-starring Barbara Bach and featuring Caroline Munro, it introduces new recurring characters like Jaws and General Gogol while also raising the bar for sheer spectacle. But is it also good?! 

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214 | The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)

Michael, Rob, and Karen discuss fun houses, slide whistles, kung fu nieces, and Mary Goodnight's espionage skills in this comprehensive conversation about Roger Moore's second Bond film. It's The Man with the Golden Gun, starring Christopher Lee, Maud Adams, Britt Ekland, and Hervé Villechaize.

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207 | Live and Let Die (1973)

Michael, Rob, and Karen discuss Roger Moore's first go as Bond and the mixing of British spy adventure with the blaxploitation and hicksploitation genres. It's a messy film with plenty to talk about in terms of what works and what doesn't.

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