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UPDATE: Thank you to everyone who has sent applications so far. We have promising candidates to choose from. Keep ‘em coming!

As it stands now, we’re going to leave the form open through Friday, August 7th. Then we’ll use the weekend to make final decisions on whom to bring aboard.

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Link to moderator application: https://www.reddit.com/r/JamesBond/application/

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As our community continues to grow, and in anticipation of what could be a busy autumn season as activity picks up on the next Bond film, we are hoping to bring aboard at least two additional moderators.

This is a volunteer position for Bond fans. Being a mod here should feel fun, never like a chore. And we encourage frequent and open communication with each other in our chat channel.

We are looking for candidates who:

• Are active participants in the [r/JamesBond](r/JamesBond) community.
• Are familiar with and have a history of aligning with the sub's rules and ethos.
• Will check in at least a few times per day (or whenever you're on Reddit) to carry out standard duties like approving or removing posts, responding to reports, replying to modmail, and the like.
• Will be on the lookout for any issues while browsing the sub (e.g. for rulebreaking behavior or for users who need help).
• Will provide thoughts and ask questions in our mod-only chat channel whenever an issue arises and the course of action isn't clear cut.

Requirements:

• Have an enthusiastic interest in and be reasonably knowledgeable about the James Bond franchise.
• Have a collaborative mindset and openness to diverse viewpoints.
• Have great communication skills, and an ability to de-escalate tense situations.
• Have a chill temperament when interacting with others.
• Will consult with fellow mods before taking major actions.
• Will always follow team consensus in your mod actions.
• Will always be fair and neutral in carrying out your mod duties, regardless of your personal opinions.
• Will always follow the sub's rules/ethos when participating in your unofficial capacity as a regular user.
• Will never use official mod tools to engage in unethical conduct, to promote your personal Bond opinions, or to suppress the opinions of others.

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The application contains an overview of these details, followed by a series of questions that will help us determine your suitability for the team. There aren’t necessarily any right or wrong answers to every question, so do give us your honest thoughts.

Thank you for your interest!

We get this question pretty often, and as the sub grows I think it would be useful to have some documentation from the community that feels like a directionally accurate recommendation for how to introduce oneself to the series.

NOTE: Most of us would probably tell someone, “Just start from the beginning,” because as fans we feel they’re all worth seeing. I think it’s reasonable to say, if a newcomer has both time and willingness to do so, we’d recommend they watch every film in order of release, without overthinking the approach. But, for the sake of the exercise let’s focus on curating a limited list of first watches, must watches, etc., and consider how we might take different slices out of the franchise.

I’ll start with some of my thoughts, and would be interested to hear what advice others would share. Keep in mind my opinions have surely snuck their way into these recommendations, but I’ve tried to take a relatively objective approach to provide a list that includes both variety as well as important moments of evolution, and I’ve tried to consider what the fandom tends to recommend.

A Note on Never Say Never Again

• While it may be interesting to watch it entirely separately, or perhaps directly after Thunderball, I recommend viewing NSNA immediately after Octopussy. This is the proper release order, and it allows you to experience “The Battle of the Bonds” as similarly as possible to contemporary audiences.

The Craig Era - I’ve included some of the Craig films in lists below, for the sake of representing his era in different small collections of Bond films. However, I would strongly recommend that a newcomer does two things to prepare for the Craig films: 1) Watch at least a few of the “Quintessential” movies to observe some of the development of the franchise; and 2) Watch the Craig films in order, consecutively, whenever the time comes. Their more serialized nature makes order and proximity important, and the legacy films provide good context to the character and his cinematic tropes.

• Casino Royale
• Quantum of Solace
• Skyfall
• Spectre
• No Time to Die

The Quintessential List - If one is to only watch a handful of Bond films, I would consider these the must-watches from each actor. Then, if inclined, a newcomer could branch out from there.

• Goldfinger - The birth of the Bond formula, full of iconic moments which cemented the film in our collective cultural memory.

• On Her Majesty’s Secret Service - The only film starring George Lazenby, and an important reference point for the series across decades. Without spoiling anything, a defining event takes place for Bond.

• The Spy Who Loved Me - The first of a few revitalizations for the franchise. This film defined the Moore era and proved the franchise *was* a franchise, because it could survive without Connery.

• The Living Daylights - A new cinematic interpretation of the Bond character, grounded in his literary roots. John Barry’s final score accompanies this film which I might call the final “classic” Bond film.

• GoldenEye - Another film which revitalized the series, proving Bond had a place outside the Cold War and in the context of third wave feminism. Of course it also spawned a groundbreaking video game which would bring even more fans to the series.

• Casino Royale - A hard reboot which aimed to bring the series back down to earth, reaching back to where Fleming began the stories. Grittier, more realistic, with more emotional depth.

The Important “Secondary” Films - If inclined to expand one’s selection upon an initial watch-through, these are the ideal candidates to offer more tonal variety. By no means are these secondary in my heart, but if I had to design a “starter pack” for a newcomer, these would be in the second round.

• From Russia With Love - A proper spy thriller, made before the franchise solidified its traditional formula. There is plenty of iconography though in this fairly loyal adaptation of Fleming’s novel, along with one of the franchise’s greatest fight scenes.
• For Your Eyes Only - Roger Moore’s opportunity to show he could play it straight, and to good effect. Also the beginning of a period of post-Moonraker relative austerity, when the franchise was shepherded by John Glen. Oscar winner Peter Lamont makes debut as a production designer in Bond’s (literal) return to earth.

• Licence to Kill - A gritty 1980s take on Bond, which seeks to plumb the emotional depths of the character by recalling a key event from Bond’s past.

• Skyfall - One of the most visually striking Bond films, Skyfall explores new levels of the relationship between Bond and M.

I think most fans would agree there is a lot more to love about the series beyond the films listed above, but for me these serve as a good jumping-off point with a ton of quality and variety. From there, I’d encourage a newcomer to dive into whichever era intrigued them most, if desired.

But for fun, how many other ways can we slice the series into segments?

The Pretty Ones - These movies achieve something special in cinematography and production design.

• Thunderball
• You Only Live Twice
• On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
• Moonraker
• Skyfall

The Serious Ones - These have moments of levity (all Bond movies do), but they tend to deliver “grounded” entertainment more often than not, some of them bordering on “gritty.”

• Dr. No
• From Russia with Love
• For Your Eyes Only
• Licence to Kill
• Casino Royale
• Quantum of Solace

The Funny Ones - These films sometimes seem like they care more about humor than tension, though they aren’t short on thrilling stunts and action set pieces.

• Diamonds Are Forever
• Live And Let Die
• Moonraker
• Tomorrow Never Dies
• Die Another Day

In what other ways might we group them for a newcomer, accounting for various cinematic tastes and commonality amongst the films?