zombie84 said:

I never really got the Bond series. They are okay movies, I like some of them and have seen almost all of them, but I would put them in the same category as Michael Bay films, some of which I also enjoy in the same sort of dumb, comic-book sort of way. I just never got why people go ga-ga over Bond while condemning similarly stupid films to hell. Half the Bond films aren't worth watching, and of the other half that are, only half of that are really good, so that's like.....6 out of 22? Casino Royale looked like a really good film but when I finally saw it I found it to be only better-than-average. I dunno, Bond has just never excited me. Decent films, worth watching, just nothing special. I look forward to seeing Skyfall since it's supposed to be great, but I'm really only expecting something above-average, and I will definitely be waiting for home video. I only see one or two films a month, including repertoire cinemas, and my money has better places to go.

End unpopular Bond rant.

I think as with Star Wars in 1977, you simply had to be there. Bond was daring and new in the 60's. It pushed boundaries for sex and violence in an era when movie censors still often ruled with an iron fist.

Decades of imitators and spoofs have eroded the cultural impact of the early films a little. Lots of people would laugh at a sinister villain like Blofeld because of Austin Powers today.

I first saw Dr. No on tv circa 1976, and as a little kid it was really exciting. It was all shiny new stuff to me. I fear seeing Ursula Andress coming out of the water triggered early puberty though. ;)