It is when they break that amendment to catch you.

Not up until now. There's no reason for them not to at this point, it's allowed after all.

But not for the police?

The 4th amendment and private property. Police shouldn't even be allowed on your property without probable cause.

It's important because it limits the powers of government. Say you're not doing something "bad", like having a beer or smoking a doobie, the constitution is there to protect your right to those things, even if some crazy legislature decides what you're doing is "illegal".
At least it used to be.

And if power tripping government officials weren't trying to fill their pockets there wouldn't be something as inane as a ban on crack, nor any crack houses. All of those are problems caused by not following the constitution and continuously trying to circumvent it. All in the name of profit and "morality".

Thank you, always good to see a fellow Bond fan.

Live And Let Die (1973)

I can't tell you, they'll kill me if I do!
I'll kill you if you don't.

I don't know if this was intended for Connery but it often feels like it. The last Bond to have that 60s look. Being absent from the pre title scenes, Moore is introduced rather unceremoniously, although very characteristic. Three colleagues of Bond have been murdered in a very short period of time and Bond is visited by M in the middle of the night to be informed. Unsurprisingly our man is nor asleep, nor alone and there's a successful gag being played on him trying to hide the girl from M, with help of Moneypenny. Louis Maxwell's 8 consecutive appearance in the role btw. With time she would do 6 more as well, making her the second longest serving actor in the series after Desmond Llewelyn as Q.

The plot is very similar to the more outrageous Connery movies and you're being forced to accept a lot very early on. It's apparently easier to include a whole parade of people in a murder plot after you've discreetly disposed of a secret intelligence agent, than it is to just discreetly dispose of him. In fact it seems everybody who's black in Harlem is involved in some form of conspiracy.

From there on it's a by the numbers Bond film. The redeeming factor is Roger Moore. From the moment he appears on screen he is unequivocally Bond. It's kinda ironic he should be the one to replace an aging Connery when he's actually 3 years older than him, but at 46 Moore is still looking good. And Sean Connery might be the manliest man in the world, but even he can't beat Roger for charm.

Some of the most memorable Roger Moore moments are found in this film. Threatening to kill a double agent working for the villain after he's slept with her. When she thinks he won't do it since they've just been intimate he slyly retorts with: I wouldn't before. Or when he tricks Jane Seymour out of her virginity by cheating at cards, then literally pumping her for information. Classic stuff.

The Man With The Golden Gun (1974)

First? Oh James, you must be good.

To my bewilderment a frequent participant in "worst Bond" lists. I love this film, one of my favorites. Yes the plot is very small scale for Bond and there is a lot of silliness, but the second Moore outing is pure fun.

Christopher Lee makes for an excellent villain, the best since Savalas' Blofeld. The locations, especially in the third act are stunning. Bond throwing a girl into his wardrobe for 2 hours so he can have sex with another girl, then comforting her with the information that "it will be more than enough time for her to get a taste as well" is as slick as it can get. Britt Ekland in a bikini is probably worth the price of admission alone. On top of that we have lasers, flying cars and Bond wrestling a sumo.

The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

Keeping the British end up, sir.

Generally held as Moore's best Bond. Essentially a remake of You Only Live Twice, though a much improved one. This was supposed to be the ultimate sendoff for the mainstay villain Blofeld, but due to losing the rights to the character he was substituted with somewhat of a clone, Karl Stromberg. Not the ultimate villain, but a very good one. We meet Jaws for the first time. Memorable gadgets include a submersible car and the villains lair "Atlantis" is classic Bond. As for the girl, Barbara Bach couldn't act her way out of a paper bag, but she sure is stunning.

Some trivia, this is the first film where Bond kills the villain with his PPK. Rather merciless too, first hitting him in the junk then firing 3 non lethal shots into his chest. Before calmly leaving to make love to the Russian secret agent, whose lover he has recently killed. Now of course she has learned to overcome her sorrow (and mission) and enjoy the comforts of Bond's arms.

Moonraker (1979)

You missed Mr. Bond.
Did I?

Another one of Moore's notorious for its campiness. The ridiculousness is indeed taken to new levels here, but it's all in good spirits. Moore always had fun being Bond and that covered up for a lot of his bad scripts. Also we have Michael Lonsdale portraying an over the top but memorable villain. Dr. Goodhead isn't the most exciting Bond girl you've seen, but her voice sure is sexy. The pre title sequence is one of the best in the series, although Jaws surviving a 2000 feet fall accompanied by circus music sets the tone for what is to come later.

Clearly aiming to capitalize on the success of Star Wars we are being presented with perhaps the most outrageous Bond moment to date, a laser battle in space. I'm sure it has a few fans, but most hate it. It only lasts about 15-20 minutes though, so if you manage to survive that there's really fun Bond film to be had for the rest of the duration. 

For Your Eyes Only (1981)

My uncle thinks I'm still a virgin.

Though Moonraker was a huge hit the producers felt the series had become a little too silly and this was their attempt to "reboot" a more serious Bond. For that reason it features high on many Bond lists, especially with those who are big Craig fans.

This was intended to be Moore's last film in the series, and they play a little gag with his age by having underage Bibi fall in love with him. Naturally she was more than legal in real life, so like me you're allowed to ask why the hell Bond didn't tap that. Bibi was very hot indeed.

You probably have to go all the way back to From Russia With Love to find a Bond film as grounded as this and it features some of Moore's more cold blooded moments. Pushing the villians car off a cliff is a classic moment and the mounting climbing climax is one of the most suspenseful scenes put in a Bond film. Moore is in top form as always, the cinematography is stunning and Carole Bouquet is perhaps the most exquisite Bond girl to date. 

Octopussy (1983)

Play Mr. Bond. You'll need a great deal of luck to get out of this one.
Oh luck?Well, then I shall use players privilege and use your...lucky dice.

Moore was supposed to have been done by this point, but when Timothy Dalton turned down the role for the second time and with no readily available replacement the producers were once more left in a bind. Moore was far from a spring chicken at this point, but his movies were still making millions and with Connery returning to do his swan song in the unofficial Bond outing, Never Say Never Again (a remake of Thunderball by another production company) the choice to continue with him was an easy one.

Predictably dubbed the "battle of the Bonds" this was to be the second and likely last time to see 2 Bond films released in the same year. Octopussy won out at the box office in the end, but only marginally.

Perhaps one of Moore's lesser films, but I enjoy all of his so it's hard to separate them. We are back to being silly again so naturally it's not held in the highest regard these days. I like it. Bond being "trapped" on an "women exclusive" island resort does make for a very enticing plot device. Though Kamal Khan is a middling villain and Maud Adams isn't the best Bond girl it's a fun ride. Definitely worth a watch if you consider Moore one of the better Bonds.

A View To A Kill (1985)

You're leaving? I was hoping we'd spend the evening together. Now I'll be all alone.
Oh, I doubt that Mr. Bond.

The best way to describe Moore's last performance as Bond would have to be: infamous. Even having Christopher Walken as a villain couldn't make up for the odd fact that Moore, at 57 and looking it, still was able to pick up 22 year old knockouts with seemingly no effort.

I protest though. As evidence I will refer to the fact that Roger, even at the tender age of 80+, is still seen getting it on with girls way below his senior and whom most guys on this board would consider smoking hot. I'm positive Connery, even Eastwood, would feel the pressure when this guy walks in the room. Either way it shouldn't matter too much how old a man is when Tanya Roberts and Alison Doody is on the screen.

Moore may be old, but he's still kicking it out the park. The scenes with him and Sir Godfrey playing master and servant could only have been done by him. Walken as the pure sociopathic villain is also great entertainment and the climax at the top of Golden Gate Bridge has been etched into my memory since I was a little kid. Underrated.

Coming up next: Dalton/Brosnan/Craig

With Skyfall coming up I figured it was time to do a proper marathon.

Dr. No (1962)

Bond. James Bond.

Small scale for a Bond film being the first outing, resulting in a relatively bare boned portrayal of Bond. There are no gadgets in the film, so no role for Q either. The sets are good, but nothing like the grandiose style we get accustomed to in later entries.

Connery is smooth, crafty, cold blooded and a bit racist. The line "fetch my shoes" to his black sidekick as he strolls away with Honey Ryder feels very duplicitous in a film that actually employs quite a few black actors, including the minor sidekick.

All in all one of the few Bonds eering on the serious side. Some genuine moments of suspense, charm and action. Not great, but a very good start. Bond sending one of the villainesses into a police car making her think it's a taxi, after he's just slept with her is worth the watch alone.

From Russia With Love (1963)

From where I'm looking, things are shaping up quite nicely.

One of the most famous and well liked Bonds. Although still considered a serious film, the slide into fantasy is already becoming evident. The organization who the previous villain worked for, SPECTRE, is back and we "meet" Ernst Stavro Blofeld for the first time. The plot in itself isn't all that far fetched. SPECTRE are trying to acquire a piece of technology by pitting the british and the russians against each other. However, the female russian agent who is supposed to trick  Bond, and then turn around and fall in love with him is on the cartoonish side, and the final showdown with Rosa Klebbs feels anticlimatic after the epic train confrontation between Bond and the main henchman.

Q does his first appearance and we get our first gadget in the form of a multi purpose briefcase so to speak. Nothing especially fancy, but very cleverly applied. One of my favorite films and surely one of the best Bonds made.

Goldfinger (1964)

It seems you know more about airplanes than you do guns, Pussy.

Undoubtedly the most famous and universally acclaimed film in the series. For me I consider it rather overrated. This is the first truly formulaic Bond. The super villain with a global scheme, the steamy Bond girls with very sexually suggestive names, full on gadgets introducing the "smart car" and the more humorous and cavalier Bond.

It's a good effort, but contrary to what many seem to believe it really was the deciding factor in straying away from the source material and going with a more superhero interpretation of Bond. This is the start of the jokey "Moore Bond". The scene to look out for is Bonds literal conversion of a lesbian woman using his magic penis. It's subtly done but still pretty outrageous considering modern attitudes.

Thunderball (1965)

Thunderball continues in the same vein as Goldfinger, only the villains are grander and the jokes sillier. The first mediocre Bond. It's well loved, but I always struggled to get through it. Connery is clearly getting older (despite only being 35) and you can see he's not all that into it anymore. Worth watching, but that's about it.

You Only Live Twice (1967)

In Japan Mr. Bond, men come first.

Dubbed "James Bond in Japan" in my country, and that's a pretty accurate description. Yes, they actually try and pass Connery off as a Japanese man in this one. The plot is silly beyond belief almost and Donald Pleasance plays the campiest Blofeld to date. Looking back today people must be thinking "are they kidding?". Easily one of the worst Bonds and Connery was to leave the role (temporarily) after this.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)

First film with a new Bond. George Lazenby, a world famous male model at the time entered the role at only 29 years old, making him the youngest Bond ever. The producers are going in a completely different direction with this one. A more realistic and sensitive portrayal of the character. Not only does Bond fall in love and get married (only time he does this) it's also the only film without a happy ending when his wife is brutally murdered by Blofeld right before the end credits.

An interesting approach, and from being previously viewed as more or less a "nothing Bond" the film has gained a lot of popularity the last few years. Understandably as once you get over the fact that this is not Sean Connery there are many good qualities to the picture. The production values are amazing, clearly marking a shift from the 60s style of film making to the 70s. The characters a very 3 dimensional for a Bond film up to that point and Terry Savalas interpretation of Blofeld in imo clearly the best in the series.

Lazenby is not really an actor though, and it sorely shows. He's playing Bond but you never believe he actually is Bond. The ending is viewed as cutting edge for its content, and it is, but it's not in the spirit of Bond and being in the hands of people not accustomed to this level of film making, it ends up feeling more surrealistic than anything.

Diamonds Are Forever (1971)

OHMSS was a financial hit, as all Bond films have been, but it underperformed and after Lazenby pulled out the producers were desperate to get back to basics. Connery was brought back for an outrageous paycheck (30$ million upfront + 12% of profits) and in many ways this is the "Die Another Day" of its era.

Everything is more silly and over the top than before. Some of the gems being the gay hitmen and the psychotic amazones Thumper and Bambi. Once again Blofeld is the villain, his last official appearance before they sent him off in an underwhelming fashion in "For Your Eyes Only" due to copyright issues.

A popularly hated film, and universally considered Connery's worst. I think that's a little harsh. I certainly enjoyed it more than Connery's 2 previous efforts and the insane paycheck make him appear a bit more interested. Probably as outrageous as Bond gets, but I think it's good fun. Well worth the watch.

That's the Connery/Lazenby era. Next up: Roger Moore.

Russia was simply first. China is now doing good after a rough start. Scandinavia is doing even better. Not only are americans becoming more socialized, the vast influx of immigrants are also supporting the move towards a welfare state. There will still be "free markets" and you'll still collect a pay check, but regulation and centralization is increasing all over the world.