ScreenAnarchy in Bondage: James Bond Forever - Our Series Begins

"Bond. James Bond." The words still send unreasonable chills down my spine, thereby convincing me that Ian Fleming's creation has infected me on a subatomic level since childhood.

My introduction to James Bond came via the ABC television network in the U.S. Watching the edited-for-TV series, interrupted by frequent commercial breaks, was not the ideal way to meet the most famous secret agent in movie history, but it made me think of him as a really cool uncle, the kind of distant cousin who couldn't possibly be related by blood yet still showed up every so often to remind us that our lives were incredibly commonplace and ordinary.

Ensconced in a deadly world of fantasy, surrounded by impossibly beautiful, partially-dressed women who tumbled into bed with alarming ease, and constantly threatened by power-mad villains and menacing henchmen, James Bond rarely seemed to break a sweat, always ready to toss off an amusing quip that was perfect for the occasion.

James Bond means many things to many people -- not all of them good -- and to celebrate his 50th (movie) anniversary, and in anticipation of his upcoming adventure Skyfall, we'll be running a series of features throughout the month, leading up to the film's European release on October 26, ahead of its bow in U.S. theaters on November 9. Look for the features to be marked "Twitch in Bondage," because most of us will forever be held hostage by the man, the myth, the legend of James Bond.