Have I mentioned that I’m a Bond gal? I can’t really say Bond Girl, because—frankly speaking, I wear too many clothes and they fit comfortably. I have been stung by a scorpion before, but my name is not nearly suggestive enough for an official BG title.

Doesn’t matter. I love the Bond movies.

I love the cars, the explosions, the chases, the gadgets, the tuxedos, the bad guys, and the occasional goofiness. I love Connery, Lazenby, Moore, Dalton, Brosnan, and Craig. I even love the Bond spoofs and satires. I have most of the Bond theme songs on my playlist, too.

I’ve been watching James Bond fly in jetpacks and drive/dive in cars that morph into submarines since I was a kid. My dream vacation would be to visit Ian Fleming’s writing retreat—Goldeneye—in the Caribbean. I love to analyze and make parallels between Fleming’s Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and the Bond stories. If you look deeply, you can see the similarities and symbolism between Caractacus Potts and James Bond.

I take Bond seriously and personally. The Bond movies are usually released in November, a week or two after my birthday. I consider them to be Hollywood’s gifts to me.

Some people mark their calendars in Leap years—I mark Bond years. I know; that was a little much. I can’t help it, though, 2012 is a Bond year! Skyfall premiers this November, after all sorts of complications, including a temporary shut-down of production by MGM.

After a summer of movies that have been a tad less-than-mind-blowing, I am ready to be wooed. I mean, of course, wowed. Who better to bring the action than Bond himself.

Oh, James!

That’s a wrap for this Toast to Cinema. Thanks for reading.