Το σενάριο αφελές και υπνωτιστικό..

Οι πρώην , πλέον , πράκτορες του FBI Mulder και Scully επιστρέφουν στην ενεργό δράση, η δεύτερη με βαριά καρδιά, βοηθώντας στην εύρεση μιάς αγνοούμενης πράκτορος. Βέβαια το πράγμα δεν είναι όπως φαίνεται, κάτι που ανακαλύπτουν και οι ίδιοι στην πορεία. Ας προστεθεί σε συτό το σημείο ότι οδηγός τους σε αυτή την αναζήτηση είναι τα οράματα ενός παιδόφιλου ιερέα (!) , (απίστευτος ο Billy Connoly στην ερμηνεία του χαρακτήρα του ο μόνος που πίστευε αυτό που έκανε) ο οποίος τους δίνει στοιχεία που είναι σταλμένα από τον "Αποπάνω" (σου θυμίζει την Βλαχοπούλου που έκανε το μέντιουμ  σε παλιές ελληνικές ταινίες).
Σιγά το μυστήριο δηλαδή που θέλει να περάσει η ταινία, μιας και το όλο θέμα είναι σχετικά με έναν Ρώσο που χρησιμοποιεί ανθρώπους ως "ανταλλακτικά" για να ζει αιώνια.. Να σημειωθεί πως δράση ή αγωνία είναι άγνωστες λέξεις για το έργο.. Επίσης δεν έχει εξωγήινους ούτε για δείγμα, όπως επίσης οτιδήποτε το υπερφυσικό ..

Σίγουρα ένα ρομάντζο υπάρχει (το μόνο ενδιαφέρον στο έργο) αλλά μέχρι εκεί.

Δεν έχει καμία σχέση με τη σειρά , ούτε έχει το μυστήριο, την ατμόσφαιρα , την γοητεία αν θέλετε που είχε κάποτε στην μικρή οθόνη.

Αυτό που έχει επίσης το έργο είναι μια μίνι-προπαγάνδα για την ύπαρξη μιας ανώτερης αδυναμίας. Ο παιδόφιλος ιερέας που έχει μετανιώσει για τα αμαρτήματά του βλέπει τα οράματα ως ένδειξη πως έχει συγχωρεθεί (και μάλλον θα μπει στον Παράδεισο ο μπαγάσας).

Ελπίζω να μη βγάλουν και τρίτη συνέχεια γιατί θα πατώσει τελείως.. Αν την δείτε μην μου πείτε πως δεν σας προειδοποίησα.. Προτείνω να πάρετε ένα μαξιλάρι για να απολαύσετε τον υπνάκο σας κατά τη διάρκεια της ταινίας.. Εγώ στραβολαίμιασα..

They could've reincarnated Eugene Victor Tooms and it would've been so much better. I could rant and curse about the good and the bad things about the movie but that would be too much. The reviews are bad and I believe Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz can do a better script.

If there's one thing I really miss in the series that is barely present in the movie, it's Mulder's deadpan humor and Scully's tolerance to Mulder's alien logic. I am tempted to think that the movie doesn't need aliens since for the most parts, Scully and Mulder have become one - well, considering both were abductees.

I was delighted to see Skinner - the fairy godfather and the best kick ass boss in the world. CSM and the Lone Gunman were not invited in the gathering - although I think CSM and The Lone Gunman are dead? I think they are. I also miss the flashlights and the badges as Mulder chants "I'm Special Agent Fox Mulder and this is my partner Special Agent Dana Scully. We're with the FBI..."

The fact that there were no effects at all doesn't disturb me. I was actually hoping for lesser CGI effects considering I saw The Dark Knight a week before I saw X Files. What I appreciate about IWTB is that it made Scully and Mulder more human.

These two FBI agents are flawed since the series started a decade and a half ago. They are, at times, stupid (especially Mulder). Scully with her short legs doesn't kick her enemies' ass at least the way Alias does. Mulder is a nerd prototype who is arsonphobic and acarophobic (not to mention his paranoia). They don't have James Bond's gadgets (Scully uses Google for her researches - for crying out loud!).

There were some scenes that drove me nucking futs especially the George Bush joke - I knew there was something spooky about him! There were scenes that could make you scream unwholesome words. There were parts when you wish you could throw alien guts at Agent Drummy's (Xhibit) dumb face.

So did I like it? Let's just say I watched it in theater hoping my tinny contribution would help the producers push for a 2012 movie.

It is a good closure for Scully and Mulder (although they haven't found William yet). But it definitely isn't a good closure for THE series that opened the door for so many great series today.

Je poursuis mon exploration estivale des salles obscures, avec, cette fois-ci, un des incontournables de l'été (pour moi du moins) : "X files - I want to believe" (oui ... c'est le même que "regeneration" ... mais franchement, pourquoi mettre un titre aussi tarte alors que le titre d'origine est juste parfait ...).

Je précise tout de suite : dire que je suis une accro de la série est très très loin de la réalité. Cette série, je l'ai découverte dans les 10 premiers épisodes qui ont été diffusés sur M6, il y a ... pff ... c'était hier. Je l'ai suivie épisode par épisode (il y en a 202), saison par saison jusqu'à la dernière goutte. J'ai vu toutes les rediffusions ... Soyons clairs et n'ayons pas peur des mots, "X files" c'est 15 ans de ma vie !!! J'aime cette série !!!

Du coup, vous comprendrez facilement que mon avis sur le film comporte une part de subjectivité assumée. Mais, pour autant, je pense que je suis tout de même capable d'émettre un jugement qui tienne la route sur les qualités de ce film en tant que film.

D'ailleurs, je vais commencer par là, tiens !

Donc pour tous ceux qui ne sont pas spécialement fans de la série, qui ne la connaissent pas particulilèrement bien, et qui se demandent si ça vaut le coup d'y aller, la réponse est OUI, pour les raisons suivantes.

• Pas besoin de connaître la série en détail pour comprendre. Il y a des clins d'oeil, mais vous ne les verrez pas si vous ne connaissez pas. Et ça ne vous gênera pas.
• C'est un bon film d'enquête policière, avec une intrigue très crédible.
• Le suspens est particulièrement bien mené du point de vue narratif ET du point de vue visuel. En clair, ça fait peur juste ce qu'il faut.
• La part de paranormal reste modérée et "utile". L'imbrication entre le normal et le paranormal est bien faite.
• Et il y a d'autres dimensions intéressantes qui viennent se méler à l'ensemble et l'enrichir.

Maintenant, si vous êtes fans à quelque degré que ce soit, et que vous hésitez à y aller de peur d'être déçu, de peur qu'après tant de temps, la magie ait disparu, de peur que ... Et bien point du tout !!!

• En plus de tout ce que j'ai dit au-dessus ...
• L'atmosphère des "X files" est là, dès les premières secondes, bien présente, et même accentuée par la qualité visuelle du suspens. Pas de doute, Chris Carter n'a rien perdu de son talent, au contraire.
• Les clins d'oeil à la série sont présents, faits de façon discrète et intelligente, mais impossible de passer à côté pour ceux qui s'y connaisent. Ils permettent de bien raccorder le film à la série sans gêner ceux qui ne la connaissent pas.
• Mulder et Scully sont fidèle à eux même, mais avec une profondeur psychologique supplémentaire. Leur tandem fonctionne limite encore mieux, ce qui fait, une fois de plus, regretter qu'ils ne se recollent pas à une nouvelle série ...
• Bien sûr, une des dimensions importantes de la série était ce que les scénaristes américains appellent le "unresolved sexual tension". Donc, ils sont ensemble ou pas ??? Et bien, on progresse sur cette question, mais rien n'est acquis. Non !!! Je ne dirai rien de plus !
• Bien sûr, du temps a passé depuis la dernière fois, mais tout est géré de façon harmonieuse, et ce film apparait comme un super-épisode très bien ficelé qui donne envie d'aller s'acheter toutes les saisons en DVD (si ce n'est pas déjà fait ...) et de tout regarder depuis début.

Bref ... j'ai eu du mal à quitter la salle à la fin. Et je pense sérieusement que je vais y retourner !

Si vous vouler en voir et en savoir plus, le site officiel est ici avec tout ce qu'il faut de trailers, photos, ... Bref, absolument tout ce qu'il faut ... Et je vous signale que les Wikip sont bien faits aussi. En français, et en anglais.

Si vous l'avez vu, et quel que soit votre avis, je serai ravie de le connaître.

Je vous souhaite une extra-terrestre et paranormale journée à toutes et à tous ;o)

I moved from Australia about four years ago, and i'm mostly based in Prague. I made the move because i wanted to be performing more tunes rather than just a guy with a recording. I lived mainly in the inner city of Sydney and out of a 150 potential spaces to perform tunes, music happens in about two. The scene is not that much different in Europe, yet more cities, more people, and a better understanding of what art means, makes life more interesting. We have it good in Australia, more space, less people, yet its not really that great a place for someone a little off-beat. Its a great inspiration, yet hard to figure out a way to connect that inspiration.

-Recently you had a song go out in the now showing x-files film "i want to believe", how did this happen and what does it all mean for you?

The director of the film Chris Carter found out about the song and Beatpick licensed the recording to fox. I was shocked to find out about it. The use of the song in the film has changed a lot of things for me, an industry that has left me out of things for so long has taken an interest. That's not a bad thing, yet i'm still not sure how to react. Its going to take time to re-adjust and i'm in no hurry.

-What creative commons license do you use and why do you use that license?

I use a creative commons license that allows commercial use, i use this license as it offers more flexibility to the user than a non-commercial license. Consider though that although a song might have gone out as part of a major film production, look into the commercial avenues where artists can have their music used and gain a revenue and I don't see many "self published" works being used. Mostly the rights organizations issue blanket licenses, for the use of content that is owned by publishers. The system is set up in favor of the publisher not the artist. To me it seems its best to license content with as little restrictions as possible, as there are already a heap of restrictions in place as things are.

-Do you think this could be the first major released film to use a song that is also licensed with a creative commons license?

I hope so. Its interesting to consider all the people in the past that gave their songs up, many maybe taken or given away in the hope of getting a name for themselves, or some songs maybe just in the hope that people would get it. The thing i really appreciate about a Creative Commons license that allows commercial use, is that a regular publisher could possibly use a song that is licensed with a creative commons license, yet probably wouldn't as someone else could use that song as well. This might be the reason why publishers are putting bad vibes out about Creative Commons.

-How did you hear about Jamendo?

I found out about creative commons through an open source guy in Vienna, at first i was skeptical about Creative Commons, it took me a while to even get what open source meant. Then i struggled with understanding my situation. In the heat of the moment i told APRA in Australia to cancel my membership, at the same time i went along to the Icommons isummit in Croatia. I sat on the plane next to the CEO of Jamendo with a project.

-You joined ASCAP to collect for the use, are you worried about not being included in any revenues from the film?

I can't see much reason for a self publishing artist to join with any rights organization, unless they are sure they are going to collect something. Sure its a family of artists, yet its a family of artists that is represented mostly by the artists and publishers that collect the most revenue. As soon as an artist joins a rights organization other than ASCAP or BMI it seems that they are removing themselves from the market place. Self published artists look to be better off with ASCAP and publishers in Europe might even be better to transfer their artists memberships to ASCAP/ harry fox. Less equals more. Most publishers and labels based in Europe are using Myspace anyway. I'm still trying to figure it all out, yet it seems this way.

I was not so worried about not collecting revenues through the screen actors guild as I did not write the song for the film. Its just the way it works and i can't change that. I respect competition and the right for the artist to be able to choose. I'm told a small residual is paid when the song gets to TV though.

Consider though, artists, web services, film makers and the consumer are left in the cold as a result of how the rights organizations look after their authors copyright outside the US. Its just not fair. For me its important that people get to hear the song, looking for ways for people to get the song I've gone active against the system. I'm not sure if one side is better than the other, it seem as if both sides don't care much for the art though.

Interview with X by X is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.
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I was supposed to write a review for The Dark Knight but I am waiting to catch this modern classic once again...preferably on an IMAX theater this time around. By this time, I can give a proper assessment (that is, not one clouded by euphoric fanboy hype this time around) about this film.

Glad to know, though, that the "dog days" reputation of August is somewhat of an exaggeration here, with three of my most-awaited titles making their local bows.

As usual, local releases are in orange while must-sees are in italics.

Aug 06

You Don't Mess with the Zohan
My Sassy Girl

Catching I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry recently on cable, I've come to a belated appreciation for his effort at addressing America's homophobic tendencies even as I saw Jessica Biel's presence as somewhat of a damper - maybe to mute the overt gayness of the premise...kinda like Aunt Harriet in Wayne Manor. Along the same lines, I see that Zohan should address not just that but also its xenophobia (Adam Sandler plays the titular character who leaves a career in Israel's Mossad to pursue his true calling as a hair-dresser in New York). Watch out for my forthcoming review of this one.

My Sassy Girl - three years down the road and I'm not sold to this Korean wave crap. I'm not surprised that this US remake has gone direct-to-video Stateside - pretty inconsequential for a theatrical bow.

Aug 13

X-Files: I Want to Believe
Wall-E
Rogue
Dobol Trobol
Confessional

Never was too much of an X-phile myself (even if I used to catch the series intermittently). After reading the write-ups on this one, I think I'll pass this over in favor of the new Disney-Pixar collab. Don't get me wrong, Noel Vera notwithstanding, I'm still very much loyal to the Mouse House in spite of their frequent lapses into over-frickin' sentiment. Cars never fails to draw tears to my eyes - quite a feat for a film with practically no human characters at all - and Ratatouille (rat*at*too-ee) is an all-out charmer that nearly got me taking up cooking classes. Stay tuned to this frequency for my review!!!

Rogue? Think Lake Placid and/or Primeval remade in a more habitat-appropriate setting. Kinda makes you think that the late great Steve Irwin must've died in vain fighting to restore the good PR of crocodilia.

Aug 20

Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Loving You
Death Race

Not too keen on this CGI-animated "bridge" story to the Star Wars canon...AFAIK, my enthusiasm with the series considerably waned when George Lucas wheeled in that Gungan assclown Jar Jar Binks in the prequels. Thankfully, his visage would be absent in this installment, but the critical response's not too warm on this corner .

Yeah, sure, casting Englishman Jason Statham as an ex-NASCAR driver still boggles the hell out of me (who have maintained a mental image of NASCAR wheelmen as all-American good ol' boys who cry in their beer whenever they hear a Tim McGraw tune on the jukebox) but what even baffles me more was why Joan Allen got signed to this. Then again, Dame Helen Mirren let her hair down to co-star with Nicolas Cage in the last National Treasure adventure, fellow Dame Judi Dench imbued some Oscar-tinged dignity to The Chronicles of Riddick...hell, even Imelda Staunton endured filming with the wooden aikido master Steven Seagal!!

Then again, one has to give props to the original film, a masterpiece of cult 1970s cinema which had a young Sylvester Stallone wreaking havoc behind the wheel opposite David Carradine.

Just goes to show you how siiick the original was!!!

Trailer for the original "Death Race 2000"

Aug 27
Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Breaking news...."Hellboy II" will be opening locally on September 10!!

Makes me feel apoplectic in despair - who'll still have the patience to catch it in on the big screen by then? By this time, everyone's who's well interested in this one would've bought their copies over at their friendly neighbourhood pirated DVD stalls.

Speaking of DVD pirates, I've finally managed to finish both Semi-Pro and Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (unrated version is the way to go!!!).

Nice to see Will Ferrell once again in retro mode - and battling bears again! Makes me wonder where's Steve Carell when you need him? He's Jackie Moon, one-hit-wonder-singer and player/owner/coach for the (fictional) Flint Tropics, who find themselves caught in the middle of the NBA's buyout of the American Basketball Association (ABA) during the late '70s (who'd have thought that future NBA legends Moses Malone and Julius "Dr. J" Erving played for ABA teams?). Sure enough, there are lots of leisure suits and equally groovy music on the soundtrack (give them props for using Curtis Mayfield's "Move On Up" on the soundtrack - kinda reminds me of "Bend It Like Beckham")

Will Ferrell (as Jackie Moon) - Love Me Sexy. Dig the attempt
to channel Barry White and Isaac Hayes!!!

Meanwhile...to show my apparent disgust over how the MTRCB butchered the local release of Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, I have got myself the unrated copy and treated myself to a lot of tasty stuff.

Bush? Check (then and again...the "Dubya" kind and...well, the other kind)!

Girls tonguing each other? Check!!

Ethnic jokes - well, it's got them up the wazoo, that's its raison d'étre.

Love Rob Cordry's scene-stealing role as the cluelessly hawkish Department of Homeland Security head (well, whad'ya know...he was also in Semi-Pro too!!)

Nice to know that these two dudes did manage to get to Amsterdam, though....

movie releases
movies

Rappelez-vous, c'est en 1993 que débarque la première saison de "X Files". Grâce son succès interplanétaire, la fox décide de pousser la série jusque dans ses derniers retranchements et atteint le nombre hallucinant de 9 saisons, soit plus de 200 épisodes! En 1998, le film nommé "The X Files" sort et est dit comme le "crossover" de deux saisons de la saga. Ainsi, par sa trop longue existence, elle ne s'arrêtera qu'en 2002 et verra son audimat régresser en flèche! C'est donc en 2008 que débarque "Régénération", pouvant être interprété étymologiquement comme: "ramener une chose, à un état antérieur jugé meilleur". Définition qui ne colle malheureusement pas avec ce film !

Si on espérait une étincelle des enquêtes paranormales des agents Mulder et Scully, "I want to believe" nous replonge dans l'univers de "Chris Carter". Ne nous servant plus la vieille soupe d'hier, nous passons de la traditionnelle conspiration gouvernementale (pour cause les extras-terrestre), à un pathétique enlèvement. Beaucoup moins ambitieux dans l'immédiat, les visions d'un pédophile les envoient sur les traces d'un trafic d'organes. Pour un tel défi? On demande aux ex-agents Scully (devenue Médecin) et Mulder de résoudre ces énigmes qui seront bien sûr "paranormales". Ayant été laissé sur la touche et banni de toute gloire, "Fox Mulder" compte bien trouver la solution.

On a beau se secouer les méninges (expression fausse en réalité) et on a beau reprocher un trop long sommeil à cette série, le film est dans la liste des "films hollywoodiens" ratés. On aurait pu y croire (comme le dit le titre) mais on croit surtout à un scénario vu et revu, à une histoire qu'on ne veut plus voir. A l'éternel entêtement de l'homme et aux incertitudes de la femme. L'enquête est bancale, et on décortique l'énigme aussi facilement qu'un enfant. Une approche beaucoup trop simple, sans "magie" et sans "enchantement". On aurait souhaité une histoire qui fait mal et cela dans tout les sens du terme. On aurait voulu le passage d'une révélation à une révolution, "I want to believe". Malheureusement on ne peut y croire.

On a beau retrouver nos chers enquêteurs, il n'y a plus cette si belle alchimie. Nous avons un "Mulder" qui ne rentre plus dans son rôle et une Scully l'ayant déjà oublié... Leur rapprochement n'en est que plus pathétique. Bref, ce qui faisait la série n'existe plus désormais! De son coté, la bande son pourrait rehausser la chose, pour autant que vous vous y intéressiez. En effet, dramatique certes, mais touché subtilement par de l'électro, Régénération ne s'en sort pas trop mal.

Inutile de continuer les déboires, "X Files - Régénération" aurait jamais du sortir. La fox voulait la renaissance d'un mythe quelque peu oublié, nous démontrant que X - Files n'est finalement que l'ombre de lui-même...

"Un rêve est la réponse à une question, que nous n'avons pas encore appris à poser".

Soulanubis n'a pas aimé.

When it was on TV, “X-Files” episodes divided into two categories: the “Mythology” episodes, about the government conspiracy and aliens and Cigarette Smoking Man and Mulder’s sister and the alien bounty hunter (the longer the series went, the more complicated – and ridiculous – the conspiracy became) and then the “Monster of the Week” episodes, in which Mulder and Scully investigate garden variety monsters or supernatural occurrences. These were often a welcome break from the mythology and included quite a few of the best episodes (“Eve,” “Humbug,” and “Jose Chung’s From Outer Space,” to name a few.) Having officially laid the conspiracy to rest with the (underwhelming) series finale, “X Files: I Want to Believe” is of the Monster of the Week variety. But if it had been an episode of the TV show, it would not have been one of my favorites. The whole thing feels deflated and uninspired. Perhaps Chris Carter is ready to move on to other projects. Perhaps he already has.

It is fun to see Mulder and Scully again – I, like many, watched the show so much and for so long, they feel like old friends, and the new lines on their faces make this moviegoing experience feel like a reunion of sorts. Gillian Anderson is a top-notch actress who turns in a fine performance here, and David Duchovny, though not really of Anderson’s caliber, brings that mischevious curiosity and deadpan wit that was so sorely missed from the show when he left. Chris Carter allows them, for the first time, to actually have an adult relationship; they can actually say what they mean to each other these days. Some will find this boring, others, more deep and interesting. The way the movie is written and directed, it’s clear that these characters, their relationship, and how they’ve aged is the only thing that still holds Carter’s interest. Their scenes, as well a few of the outdoor scenes, are shot in a way that really surprised me. They carry a weariness, almost sadness, a sense of age, and tender weakness, and love. It might sound ridiculous, but I was reminded of Ingmar Bergman’s films. Maybe it was all the snow.

But a movie with “X Files” in the title is not supposed to be an exercise in melancholy. It’s supposed to be a supernatural thriller. Right? But on that front, “I Want to Believe” just doesn’t cut the mustard. The paranormal aspects range from humdrum to the laughably ridiculous. Really, guys, a criminal psychic who knows where the bodies are? IS there an older play in the paranormal thriller playbook? And what he leads them to… well, I shouldn’t really say, I’d be spoiling the movie for you, but let’s just agree that it’s a pretty bizarre and unbelievable medical procedure. It belongs in X-Men, maybe, but not X-Files.
The less I say about the plot, the better. At its worst, “I Want to Believe” feels like a made-for-TV movie, an desperate attempt to keep the franchise alive, a placeholder episode while the geniuses who write this stuff think of something better. But the franchise didn’t need a boost – DVD sales of the series are still going strong – and “I Want to Believe” doesn’t add anything to the series’ legacy. If it does anything at all, it makes me want to go see Anderson and/or Duchovny in something else, something not quite so played out.

Recommended

• for X-Files fans who were always more interested in Mulder and Scully than in anything they investigated

Not Recommended

• for X-Files fans who were always more interested in the plots and storylines than in who was investigating them.
• for anyone who's not an X-Files fan already.
• for hardcore X-Files fans hoping to see lots of references to their favorite parts of the show.

Originally uploaded by Lola how_i_lie

I should warn you, the following content is SPOILERRIFFIC and will completely ruin the movie for you, so don't click if you haven't seen it, mmkay?

I could wax lyrical about the cultural and emotional significance of getting to see the return of The X-Files in my favourite city with my bezzer, but she already did it so well I have nothing more to add on that front. Suffice to say my 'oh it's just like press night' nonchalance evaporated right about the time my foot first made contact with the red carpet.

Sure, there may have been some head-shaking and muttering about the 'There But for the Grace of God Society" on my part, but my crippling self-consciousness about seeming over-excited was thrown by the wayside when I stood in a room full of screaming fans seeing David and Gilly right in front of us. They thanked us for coming, like there was ever any doubt we would. I would have broken into the cinema and camped out if I had to.

The film itself was as certain to be a disappointment as it was impossible to disappoint me. There was no perfect resolution I expected, I just wanted to check in, to see if everything was as I had left it. For the most part it was.

Let's start positive though: in-jokes a-plenty, with the appearance of pencils being a particularly nice touch. The appearance of one Mr Mitch Pileggi was a superb bonus, though he was underused. I was enraged by the mere presence of Amanda Peet, but her pretty swift demise was as horrific as I could have hoped for. Billy Connolly! Billy freakin' Connolly! In a real, proper film, doing his best BBC Scotland voice. Awesome. Plus, kickass! Scully in one of the best 'whack' 'pow' moments outside of a comic book.

On a more critical note, I have my reservations. It's no secret that I absolutely adore Gillian Anderson, and as an actress I've never found reason to fault her. Here she did the best she could, but the material just seemed an awkward fit, a little as though Chris Carter had forgotten how to write Scully. We concluded that the entire final season of 'whine, whine, whataboutmybaby' may well have done for the character we all know and love. The irritating distraction of Dr Scully's son-substitute dying patient I could have done without. Plus, dude, what is she doing hanging around with the Catholics again? I know she has her necklace, but wasn't her faith kind of shattered a couple of dozen times?

I found the parallel with stem cell treatment and the Tuskegee acts of the villains a little uncomfortable, it must be said. Which leads me to my central problem with the film, that it just didn't creep me out that much. Perhaps I'm desensitised by watching too much, um, X-Files, not to mention the scores of gory medical dramas I've been watching in the years since, but until axes are being wielded at our favourite agents, the sense of peril is pretty minimal.

I can't imagine what someone who didn't watch the series would make of it. Trying to play to the neutrals compromised the ability to deal with the lingering issues of the show, even giving up their (alien) baby became a quick snippet of pillow talk rather than an emotionally wrenching reminder.

One of the non-spoiler previews I read about the film alluded to the sense of time having elapsed, that Mulder and Scully had been 'together' for six years and as such their relationship reflected that. It's probably realistic that they would seem so jaded, both far removed from the life that their relationship was forged in. I could have done without the 'I'm totally dumping you if you stick with your obsession' nonsense because HELLO HAVE YOU TWO MET?!

It's nice that it basically all works out in the end, but it did leave me sort of cold. The film should really be the end of it all, forming a lovely bookmark to the last nine years of my televisual life.

May 21 - June 20 Gemini
Thanks to the good people at Vosges, you can have a marvelous experience with chocolate that will blow your mind. The Vosges Exotic Barcelona Bar is a mix of dark and milk chocolate married to hickory smoked almonds and grey sea salt. On the packaging are loving directions telling you exactly how to consume this item to get the full experience. There are five steps: See, Smell, Snap, Taste, Feel. The sweet salty creamy crunchiness of the chocolate is like waves hitting the shore of your taste buds.

June 21 - July 22 Cancer
He’s as handsome as they come, per the name (Handsome Dick Manitoba), he’s the lead singer of the Dictators (a band for which he was formerly a roadie), he’s got a radio show on Sirius Satellite Radio’s Underground Garage Channel, and he owns the coolest rock and roll bar on the planet – Manitoba’s, located (of course) on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Many a beer has been hoisted inside those august walls, many a tale has been told. For the moment they don’t have any live music going on due to some annoying neighbors, but it’s still the best place around to listen to a great jukebox and shoot some pool. And the photos of great punk legends on the walls are worth the trip alone.

July 23 - August 22 Leo
Bonne anniversaire! ¡feliz cumpleaños! Janam Din Mubarak! Sretan Rodendan! Happy Birthday, My Damn Channel! One Year Today, July 31! It feels like you’ve been our friend forever. You thrill us and inspire us, you make us laugh until soda comes out of our noses. Your peeps – Don Was, Harry Shearer, Andy Milonakis, David Wain, A.D. Miles, Coolio, Steve Kerper, and Big Fat Brain – are now our beloved heroes. We love you ~ keep on keepin’ on.

August 23 - September 22 Virgo
Strange human remains found in the hills of West Virginia…no one has a clue what might have happened…evidence of bizarre medical experiments…well, it has to be a case for the X-Files. And it is; my beloved Moldy and Scoldy are back, reunited to chase down the dark demons once again. The trailers tease us with a shot of them being quite romantic. The TV show, in its early years, stunned and delighted before collapsing in on itself in a classic case of a show lasting too long. I could do with a trip back to 1993 just for a couple of hours. I want to believe!

September 23 - October 22 Libra
The Beat Goes On forever at Sonny Bono Memorial Park, located on a traffic island near Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C. The 800 square foot area was developed into a tribute to Mr. Bono in 1998 by his friend, local real estate developer Geary Simon. Perhaps the only Congressman who also had a string of hit records in the 1960’s and co-hosted a popular variety show, Sonny is memorialized here with a plaque and a vault of memorabilia which includes the sheet music for The Beat Goes On and a set of his official Congressional cufflinks.

October 23 - November 21 Scorpio
Gretchen Craft Rubin is a former lawyer and U.S. Supreme Court clerk for Justice Sandra Day O’Connor who has written a number of books. Her daily blog, The Happiness Project, tests happiness principles and theories from Oprah to St. Theresa to report on what works and it’s a terrific read. A book based on The Happiness Project will be published in 2009. Watch her film The Years Are Short in which she suddenly comes to the realization that life is a string of precious moments that we need to be grateful for.

November 22 - December 21 Sagittarius
Shoyeido is a 300 year old Japanese company, established in 1705, which produces what is thought to be the highest quality and finest natural incense in the world. A family owned business, the company operates in the same location it has occupied in Kyoto, Japan for three centuries. The incense blends are Inspiration, Peace, Joy, Love, and Hope. Hope, a blend of sandalwood, frankincense, vanilla, ginger lily and spices, is my favorite. Each box of approximately 35 sticks comes with its own ceramic burner.

December 22 - January 19 Capricorn
This week’s musical treat is Tracey Ullman, a Capricorn lass. Ullman is known primarily in the States for her acting and comedy (she has a hit show - State of the Union - right now on Showtime), but our U.K. friends know that she was quite a musical sensation in the 1980’s. And you can download The Best of Tracey Ullman and hear why. It’s always a mystery why some things don’t make it across the pond and she barely created a ripple here with some great material. My favorite is the fabulously dramatic Doc Pomus-y I Close My Eyes and Count To Ten. There's 20 songs in total and nary a clunker in the bunch. Check out the video for They Don't Know which was a big hit in England and features a famous British rock star who's also been knighted. (Hmm, who could it be?)

January 20 - February 18 Aquarius
Housing Works Used Book Café is located on 126 Crosby Street – a few steps from the intersection of Canal and Crosby in Soho. Open every day until 9pm on weekdays and until 7pm on weekends, the store is a reminder of the days when Soho was not chockablock with high end couture stores and packs of tourists. A selection of some 45,000 new, used, and rare books and records make this by far the best book outlet in New York City. Add to that a café with sandwiches and salads, coffee, wine, beer and desserts. Add to that live events and readings. And add to that the fact that all proceeds go to Housing Works, which provides housing, health care, job training, advocacy, and other services for homeless New Yorkers living with AIDS and HIV.

February 19 - March 20 Pisces
Glory in the timeless beauty of Hedy Lamarr as you listen to Tony Bennett’s Stranger in Paradise. This kind of clip is what I love about YouTube – a truly creative, well edited slideshow which pays tribute to an actress who was thought to be the most beautiful woman of her time. Lamarr, born in 1913, was known for her appearances in Samson and Delilah, Boom Town, Ziegfield Girl, and other films. She was also a brilliant inventor. In 1942, at her highest peak of popularity, Lamarr and composer George Antheil patented a frequency-switching system for torpedo guidance that was well ahead of its time. Along with Antheil, in 1997 she was awarded both the Electronic Frontier Foundation Pioneer Award and the Bulbie Gnass Spirit of Achievement Bronze Award which is given to individuals whose creative lifetime achievements in the arts, sciences, business, or invention fields have significantly contributed to society or the earth at large.

- Gothicus Maximus

I'm not a hardcore X-Files fan by any stretch of the imagination. I enjoyed the series and liked the first movie, but lost interst when the Alien mythology got too convoluted and David Duchovny essentially left the show. If ever there was a series that jumped the Fluke man shark, it was the X-Files. But absence makes the heart grow fonder, and after six years I was kinda stoked to see Mulder and Scully again (based on the box office estimates, not many others were).

I was pretty sick of the whole Alien conspiracy by the end of the series, so I'm glad this flick was a stand alone story. Part of the problem with the first X-Files film (horribly titled X-Files: Fight the Future) was that it tried to unravel some of the mystery about the conspiracy, but at the same time add a few wrinkles to it. It ended up making the whole thing more convoluted than ever. With I Want to Believe, you really don't need to know anything about black oil or cigarette smoking men to enjoy it.

One criticism I've heard is that the story isn't "epic" enough to warrant an X-Filesmovie. The story definitely plays like an extended "monster of the week" episode, so can I can understand where the criticism comes from. There are, however, some "epic" Character moments and development between Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. Their relationship evolves in this movie much more than it ever did in any of the TV episodes or even the first feature film. 

David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are both good and make the relationship between Mulder and Scully seem real and make the audience care about it. They aren't merely "skeptic" and "Believer" for the sake of dramatic effect. They are fully fleshed out characters. 

A few things did irk me about the movie. First off, who the hell casted Xzibit? Seriously, he sucks all manner of genitalia in this. Also, there's a point in the film when Scully (a doctor mind you) uses Google to do some medical research. As far as I'm concerned, Google should only be used for medical research by regular dudes that want to know if it's normal to have so many bumps "down there"  or find the best cure for hiccups. I'm pretty sure an actual Pycisian shouldn't be using Google. That scene reeked of product placement to me. 

All in all, I really liked this movie. I think it could have appealed to fans and X-Files newbies alike, but FOX completely botched the release and seemingly hid the movie from audiences. I was talking to a friend that's a really big fan of the show (or X-Phile) and he only heard about the new film a few weeks ago. It's FOX's money to waste I guess. Hopefully fans will still find this and give it a chance.

Last summer, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" made butt-tons of money, and it made it fast. In just a little over two weeks (sixteen days, to be exact), the out-of-control swashbuckling flick featuring a dude with a squid-beard banked over $300 million, going on to take in a $423.3 million domestic haul during its entire theater run in the States. That's right, $300 million dollars in just 16 days.

Absurd, right? Well, yeah. But compared to what "The Dark Knight" is doing, that's peanuts. Cut almost an

entire week off the record, and you get Christopher Nolan's directorial water-mark's timeline for $300 mill — after the final Sunday tallies were tolled, the Batman epic-fest pulled in a cumulative $314.2 million in cumulative green. Ten days was all it took.

Ten Days! I mean, I'll probably be making $30 million a day once I graduate college, but that will be for something like curing the common cold, discovering some grand invention or becoming the Emperor of Earth — not a flick about a guy in tights.

Before you flame about that last comment, you should know that I absolutely love this movie, and it should hands-down be nominated for Best Motion Picture of the Year at the upcoming Oscar's. So, I'm not ragging on it, but you have to admit that it's a bit ridiculous that it's pulling in THIS kind of money. I mean, I went for a repeat viewing on a Tuesday night at 10 p.m., only to find out that is was sold out. What other movies are doing that midweek?

And it's not just making an impact in Nolan's wallet. "The Dark Knight" is skewing the numbers of the entire film industry (Via The Hollywood Reporter):

Warners' stunning success with "Dark Knight" has propelled the studio past $1 billion in total domestic grosses in record time, shaving almost 1 1/2 months off the Warners' then-record spurt last year, when it reached $1 billion on Sept. 12. Studio execs now expect to pass Paramount in domestic marketshare by week's end and are bullish about prospects of finishing the year atop distributor rankings.

That's ridiculous! When I posted about "The Dark Knight's" initial weekend box office jaw-droppers, I posed an interest in seeing what the flick did in its second week of run, and there's no way I expected to see another $75 million added to the bank roll. I mean, the No. 2 movie "Step Brothers," which was brand-new this weekend, pulled in $45 million less that "The Dark Knight," even with its new-flick handicap. Unbelievable.

Of course, a lot of it has to do with re-watchability. I mean, I've already seen it three times, and plenty of my friends and acquaintances have gone back for multiple viewings. But it's still an amazing feet. Here's how this weekend's top five box office shaped up.

1. The Dark Knight, $75.6 Million ($314.2 Million total)
2. Step Brothers, $30 Million
3. Mama Mia, 17.9 Million, ($62.7 Million total)
4. X-Files: I Want to Believe, $10.2 Million
5. Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D, $9.4 Million ($60.1 Million total)

Two things that immediately jump out at me from this list: "Mama Mia" dropped just 36 percent in its second week, making it one of the most surprising money-makers this summer. I completely wrote of its chance of making money when I saw it was stacked up against "The Dark Knight," but it actually turned out to be a good decision to open it the same day as the Batman sequel. Moms dropped their teenage boys off at "The Dark Knight" and bought themselves a ticket to "Mama Mia." Brilliant.

Secondly, what the hell happened to "X-Files"? I guess that's what you get for releasing a TV adaptation ten years after the show's run. That's too soon to be retro, but far enough away where people have forgotten about it.

Soy fan de Expediente X desde que empezó a emitirla tele 5 en la década de los 90´s. Aguanté hasta que dicha cadena empezó a burlarse de los espectadores y ponerla cuando le venía en gana. Emitiendo episodios repetidos o simplemente dejando temporadas enteras sin emitir. Con lo cual se convirtió en un suplicio para el que lo quería seguir asiduamente.

Al fin empezaron a sacar los packs de las temporadas en dvd, a un precio desorbitado, todo hay que decirlo. Pero me hice con todas. Con las nueve. Y bien es cierto que algunas eran mejores que otras, pero me daba igual en cierta manera. Me encantaba ver la relación entre los dos agentes del FBI, para mí uno de los ejes centrales de la serie. Creo que en cualquer otra habrían acabado en la cama a las primeras de cambio, mientras que aquí el respeto y la amistad primaba por encima de la típica relación romática.

Me extrañó por otra parte leer en la prensa escrita (revistas de cine o periódicos) o en blogs, cosas como: "acabarán liandose al final Mulder y Scully por fin?". Se nota que no vieron la serie. Ambos tuvieron un hijo juntos (aunque sin relaciones todo hay que decirlo) y SÍ que acabaron teniendo una relación y besándose (algo que todos los fans querían ver desde hace años). Todo eso en las últimas temporadas. Pero suele pasar que la gente se crea que eso no ocurrió cuando no se ha seguido la serie en su totalidad.

Cuando una serie como Expediente X se cancela, los fans quedan en el aire. No tienen su ración semanal. Vuelven a ver la serie de vez en cuando, participan en foros, comparten opiniones, pero saben que la serie en sí no va a volver. El final ya fue bastante agridulce para muchos. Parecía que su creador, Chris Carter, quería zanjar demasiadas cosas en pocos minutos (dos episodios). Así que todo parecía muy apresurado y se cerraron hilos argumentales de una manera muy poco acertada.

Así que cuando se dijo que habría una nueva película de Expediente-X (recordemos que la serie terminó en el 2002) creo que todo el mundo (los fans) pensó que se arreglaría el desaguisado que finiquitó la serie en cuestión. NI DE LEJOS. Aún es más, visto lo visto habría preferido (aunque siempre tira mucho ver a tus personajes favoritos de nuevo) que ni la hubiesen hecho. Esto es la peor forma de volver a ver a Mulder y Scully.

Nos encontramos con unos personajes adulterados en una película que se aleja totalmente de lo que se podría denominar "la esencia" de Expediente-X. En la serie existían dos tipos de episodios. Los autoconclusivos (que podían captar a una parte del público, incluso esporádico) y los que seguían una subtrama interesante (pero complicada si no se seguía fielmente) pudiéndose llamar "los de la conspiración".

En esta película (he leído entrevistas donde el propio Duchovny hacía la comparación con "El Silencio de los Corderos") han optado por mostrarnos una historia de suspense. Un gran error lo llamaría yo. Personalmente habría optado por volver al tema de la conspiración, de los extraterrestres, enseñarnos como Mulder y Scully (con ese final dramático donde eran perseguidos y se habían desvinculado del FBI -osea, acababan siendo fugitivos) habían subsistido durante 6 años sin sus expedientes x, pero sabiendo que hay una fecha determinada donde los extraterrestres nos invadirán (si, es cierto. No recuerdo el año donde seremos invadidos, pero se cuenta en los ultimos episodios).

Al principio parece que todo va a ir bien. Vemos como un pederasta condenado y recluído voluntariamente empieza a tener visiones y busca a una agente del FBI desaparecida. No es la primera vez que nuestros personajes se ven con este tipo de personajes (osea, la originalidad brilla por su ausencia como en muchos casos), pero siempre me ha gustado más lo que hizo Brad Dourif en el episodio que moría el padre de Scully. Mil vueltas le daba al que nos ocupa.

Con una pequeña vuelta de tuerca (o grande) tienen que contactar con Scully para que a su vez hable con Mulder y lo manden a ayudarles en la tarea que les ocupa. A cambio de ello todo será perdonado. Osea, que el FBI le esta buscando y todo queda olvidado. Un interrogante menos.

Mulder con barba (para que sepamos que ha pasado el tiempo y "lo que ha cambiado el personaje") nos muestra algún guiño a los fans de la serie. Sus características pipas, sus bolis en el techo, su poster de "I want to believe" con el ovni flotando en el aire. Y PUNTO. Practicamente se acabó lo que se daba.

Los personajes acaban siendo caricaturas de ellos mismos hasta puntos insospechables. El vidente sirve (aparte de para poco) para que Scully se vuelva a replantear conflictos morales que ya los había tenido en la serie. Y solucionados, lo peor de todo es que ya estaban solucionados. Y Fox Mulder tambien los tiene. De nuevo con la desaparición de su hermana. Y sí, era otro tema que ya se zanjó en la serie (en un episodio que parecía dirigido por Steven Spielberg). Así que vemos que los esquemas se repiten para que la película pueda ¿funcionar?

El tema de la película llega a un punto donde me dejó de interesar. Me dije a mi mismo "esto lo he visto en multitud de películas similares. Voy a centrarme en ver a Mulder y Scully y punto". Ni aún con esas. No eran los que yo recordaba. Cierto es que se podría decir que han pasado unos años, y que los recuerdos suelen ser mejores que lo que ves en la actualidad. Pero no, estos actores estuvieron casi una década haciendo esos personajes, y una de dos, o el guión les coartó hacer lo que sabían hacer, o a ellos se les ha olvidado.

La química entre ellos parecía extinguida, eran como dos extraños que se juntaban por primera vez (algo horrible cuando precisamente era lo mejor de la serie). Era para echarse a llorar. Pero aún llegaría algo peor, el cameo de Skynner. Uno forzadísimo y que sobra totalmente. Cuatro frases tan tontas como las que decía Monica Bellucci en "Matrix Revolutions" y de nuevo otro personaje que no reconoces en absoluto (con la importancia que tenía en la serie).

Mirad de que va el tema:

Una agente del FBI desaparece. Un vidente (el que os he comentado más arriba) empieza a encontrar pistas (algunas de gran ayuda y otras parecen que no). Los federales contactan con Scully. Ella con Mulder. Primero se niega, luego no. Van los dos juntos. Hay una agente y un agente que salen de vez en cuando. Hay unos malos. Se ocupan de coger gente con un determinado tipo de sangre. Los secuestran y hacen pruebas con ellos. Y los protas, sin prácticamente ayuda de los secundarios, resuelven todo. De vez en cuando Mulder o Scully tienen una pequeña discusión, un conflicto de intereses, etc... pero todo vuelve a la normalidad. DE LA MANERA MÁS TONTA POSIBLE PORQUE ESO LO HEMOS VISTO CIEN MILLONES DE VECES EN LA SERIE!!!

Y todo se echa a perder de la peor manera posible. Porque si esto lo hubiese hecho un director o un guionista que no tenía ni puñetera idea de la serie lo entendería. Pero es que Chris Carter fue su creador. Y él, sólo él, ha dirigido y co-escrito la historia de esta película. Se esta vendiendo como una película de suspense-terror, al estilo de "El Silencio de los Corderos", "El Coleccionista de Amantes", "El Coleccionista de Huesos", etc... pero cualquiera de ellas le da cien vueltas en ese aspecto. No hay un momento donde yo sintiese inquietud o interés por lo que estaba pasando. No hay tensión. La escenas de acción (persecuciones por ejemplo) se quedan en un auténtico fiasco. Personajes que igual te da lo que ocurra con ellos (ya lo veréis) porque no les has cogido simpatía ni empatía (buscad cualquier adjetivo que termine en "-ía" que tambien pegará aquí).

Posiblemente un espectador casual y que no siguiese la serie no se sienta tan engañado y timado como yo. A lo mejor incluso se entretiene (cosa que dudo muchísimo). Pero si has sido fan y te has alegrado cuando conocistes la noticia de una nueva película sobre tus agentes del FBI favoritos y sus aventuras fantásticas... lo llevas claro. Yo por lo menos no me lo pasé nada bien y me hizo preguntarme como se puede decepcionar tanto.

Osea, que vamos apañados si vamos a tener de nuevo una película de Expediente X. La taquilla ha respondido de la siguiente manera: En 3 días lleva acumulados 10.200.000 dólares. Ha costado 30 milloncejos. Puede ser que los recupere (su primera película consiguió casi 190 en todo el mundo -83 en su país de origen-), pero tengo muchísimas dudas que su resultado final haya sido el que todos habían esperado. Sobre todo Carter y compañía.

Lo Mejor: Algunos guiños a la serie. Ver a Duchovny y Anderson "interpretando" a Mulder y Scully después de más de un lustro.

Lo Peor: Una cosa es ver físicamente a unos personajes y otra que sean los que veías con auténtico placer. La historia es socorrida, repetitiva, agónica por la falta de ritmo e interés. Personajes totalmente prescindibles y que no aportan prácticamente nada a la historia. Al final parece un episodios de los malos, pero alargado y aburrido. Muchísimo mejor la primera película, aún sabiendo que si no seguías la serie podías perderte en no pocos detalles.

¿Alguien entiende por qué aquí ponen "Creer es la clave" cuando realmente "I Want to Believe" -título original- significa "Quiero creer"? Igual me confundo, pero me huele al típico "me paso por las pelotas la traducción y pongo lo que pongo". Algo habitual en este país.

Fdo: Snake  

The plot is pretty straightforward as the story involves mysterious multiple kidnappings, the reuniting of the Mulder and Skully characters which I thought was pretty cool, and a subplot built around the Skully character and stem cell research. I know I’m being a bit vague in my overall description but I think the less you know going in the more you will enjoy it, especially not knowing what Mulder and Skully have been doing since their last appearance six years ago when the series ended. Carter’s script raises issues of faith, perseverance and even morality and it kept me interested throughout. Duchovny and Anderson still have a nice chemistry together, and I truly enjoyed revisiting these two characters again. Billy Connelly (Last Samurai) and Amanda Peet (The Whole Nine Yards) are solid in supporting roles. Peet plays the FBI agent in charge of their new missing person investigation and Connelly plays a fallen Priest who may or may not have psychic abilities. Overall, will this film blow you away? NO! Will it entertain fans of the show and semi-fans like me? I say yes! I believe there’s still something to be said for well crafted, story driven movies with solid characters. That’s what this X-Files film is, and for that, I enjoyed it.

While it would be inaccurate to call me a hardcore X-Files fan, I can say that I enjoy the series and watched it quite often during it's original run. When I first heard that a new X-Files movie was on it's way I was pleased because I always enjoy seeing popular series get another installment after a hiatus. The series has been away just long enough to generate a call for a return and I Want To Believe is a well-crafted and satisfying return for the series.

I was so glad to see both Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny reprising their iconic roles. If one of them had opted not to return then the movie wouldn't have really worked at all. Truly the movie is all about the relationship between Mulder and Scully, it is the main force that drives the plot along.

Before going to see the movie, the vibe that I got by reading online was that the movie would be very much stand alone and would not delve to deeply into the mythos of series. However to my surprise the movie does in fact explore many aspects of the series mythos. There are many moments in the film that are direct references to the series, some of which I (due to my non-hardcore following on the series) did not catch but was aware of due to the audience reactions.

Yet even with all the nods to series the movie's story is structured in such a fashion that it can appeal to even those who know nothing at all about the X-Files. The plot follows a familiar X-Files formula. It is a mystery that gets progressively more complex as Mulder and Scully dive deeper into it. Moments of suspense and intensity are interspaced with welcomed bits of humor. Many varying tones are juggled successfully allowing for a rich and captivating story.

Final Verdict:

I Want To Believe is an exceptional treat for fans and a nicely done film for all. It's a great story that has a meaningful theme of hope running through-out it. I encourage you to support the movie so that we can perhaps see some more X-Files movies in the future.

Chris Carter, is this my reward for 17 years of unflinching dedication to the franchise you created? I renounce The X-Files! I will rise from my death to avenge this disappointment with all the powers of darkness!

The subtitle of the New X-Files is resonates with a new poignancy in retrospect. The attitude I maintained in anticipation of this movie is most succinctly conveyed thusly: I wanted to believe it would be good. I wanted to believe that a script penned by some of the series' most accomplished writers would contain compelling dialogue and engaging characters. I wanted to believe that Chris Carter would learn from the mistakes he rendered in his first effort to translate the show's atmosphere to a feature film. I wanted to believe that production team would valiantly resist the compulsion to retread the very path that lead to the show's decline in order to appease chubby, lonely fan girls. Even as negative reviews poured in like a torrent of truth surging forth from out there, I wanted to believe I could find some way to enjoy it. As Agent Mulder said once, "I wanted to believe, but the tools had been taken away. The X-Files had been shut down. They closed our eyes... our voices have been silenced.... our ears now deaf to the realms of extreme possibilities". 

The question as to how this project went so horribly wrong is one that utterly baffles me. I feel as though any pubescent boy instructed to write a movie script about 'two FBI agents who work together to solve cases judged unexplained by bureau proper- an eccentric whose sister's abduction by mysterious forces when he was eight years old provokes him to obsessively pursue supernatural phenomena, and uncompromising skeptic who doggedly challenges her partner's beliefs' would produce a composition superior to The X-Files: I Want To Believe. Every component that made the television series fantastic was somehow excised from this installment in the saga. Mulder and Scully don't investigate a crime but rather are dragged along, blathering about "the darkness in their lives" as other people do so. The case itself is barely even paranormal in its nature, to the extent that when Mulder demonstrates a belief that forces beyond mortal comprehension are at work, he isn't chastised for 'spookiness' but rather respected for his legitimate opinion. Scully is too entrenched in an inane, trite, lifetime movie of the week worthy subplot involving a boy with a terminal illness to actually serve as her former partner's foil. The convoluted mystery, involving a pederast who experiences psychic visions of his former victim's attempts to perform illegal head transplants, is unraveled not by intuition or cunning on the part of any character, but rather by happenstance as Scully stumbles upon the seminal clue after conducting a google search on Stem Cell Research in hopes of aiding the ailing young man in whom she has become emotionally invested.  Even Mulder and Scully's simmering sexual tension has vanished. With what does Chris Carter seek to fill the empty husk that remains once these elements are stripped away? A fuck-ton of fanservice and rapper-turned actor Xzibit.

I know that a number of people will enjoy this movie, and I know just what sort of people will comprise that number. Lonely, socially maladjusted, most probably obese women who only value the legacy of The X-Files insofar as they want its two central characters to fuck, who squeal rather than choke back vomit when Scully grumbles cutely about Mulder's 'scratchy beard' on her face. These individuals don't care that cuddling in bed and exchanging "I Love You"s mutilates the chemistry these characters previously shared, they care only about projecting their own sexual frustration onto fictional personages. When confronted with my perspective on the matter, people of this kind will likely allege that I'm opposed to 'evolution of the characters'. That idea isn't entirely wrong, especially if the characters evolve into shitty boring people whose show would have never been picked up in the first place. 

What would I have done were I at the helm of the new X-Files movie? I would have taken a page from mainstream American comic books and implemented a major fucking retcon, that is to say, for those unfamiliar with the term, I would have reorganized continuity entirely. Perhaps Chris Carter is so tremendously deluded as to believe that sensible people want his show's last three seasons to be anything but entirely erased from history, but I am not so misguided. I would have put Mulder and Scully back in the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in their cramped basement office, solving unexplained cases. One such case presents itself, Mulder thinks the supernatural is involved, Scully doesn't. Maybe the perpetrator of the crimes turns out to be Satan, or a werewolf, or a genetic mutant who needs to extract livers in order to survive, or all three, I'm flexible as long as it actually possesses some of the palpable menace that head transplanters distinctly lack. Somehow, the simplicity of the formula I've just delineated alluded screenwriter Frank Spotnitz.

Don't misunderstand me, this movie isn't entirely without merit. It facilitates some excellent Xzibit jokes. At one point, Mulder asks Agent Xzibit to "get a car ready". You couldn't do better if you tried. 

-Gothicus Maximus

Swanner: After a female FBI agent goes missing, Mulder and Scully are called back to help find the missing agent and capture the person or persons responsible. Chris Carter is at the helm of The X-Files: I Want To Believe to bring one more story to X-Filers, but will they be there for this movie after so many years?

Judd: Of course they’ll be there, wearing stained “The Truth Is Out There” T-shirts and action figures clutched in their sweaty, pudgy fingers. They’ll line up around the theatres days ahead of time arguing X-Files trivia, sharing each other’s Gillian Anderson fantasies and playing the X-Files RPG to kill time until tickets finally go on sale.

Swanner: I wanted a "The Truth is Out There" t-shirt but they weren't in my size. Imagine that? I think that I physically match the majority of most X-Filers out there. Don't you'd think there would be a few XL's out there for me?

Judd: XLs? You mean 3XL. I'm sure all of those were snatched up and scalped on eBay. Why don’t you tell our readers about the movie, since I didn’t see it? The ushers wouldn’t let me into the theatre. I guess my hair wasn’t greasy enough and my skin doesn’t have the pallor of the undead.

Swanner: Shut up with your sci-fi geek slanders. I knew I should have washed my hair before the movie—it was a 10am screening. The movie was good. Well made and all the acting was good but there was nothing scary in the movie. I know that not all the episodes were scary but they still had something creepy happening. This is a kidnapping by humans...no extra-terrestrials. I just wanted a slug monster or something!!!

Judd: Were there at least religious whackos? I know the show liked to delve into the occult every once in awhile. During the first blowjob I ever gave, X-Files was playing on the guy’s TV and there was some whacko religious snake-handler going on about sin. Which is a funny coincidence seeing that I was supposedly sinning while handling this guy's "snake".

Swanner: Thank you for sharing that—interesting story—with us. Never do that again! Yes, the only supernatural aspect was a pedophile ex-priest having visions of the missing girl. There wasn't enough spooky for me. I wanted a scary story with a monster and I got a well-made CSI episode. Where's the werewolf or vampires? I think fans will be happy to see their old friends on screen but this fan was disappointed.

Judd: Fans will be happy to see their "only" friends on screen.

Swanner: Please, with all the folks out there playing World of Warcraft, they have plenty of friends and don't you forget it.

Swanner: 2 Stars

After stalking the X-Files  premiere, my mom and I headed over to Hollywood & Highland Shopping Center, where lo and behold, a camera crew was filming the TLC show Ten Years Younger.  The crew happened to be looking for people to do on-camera interviews about the contestant post-makeover and of course, I said SIGN ME UP!  :)  I was interviewed by the host of the show who asked me a couple of questions about how old I thought the contestant looked.  SO EXCITING!  :)  Hopefully you will be able to see me in the episode and I won't end up on the cutting room floor!  LOL 

Until next time, Happy Stalking!  :)

Stalk It: For the best chance of seeing a movie premiere in person, I recommend stalking Grauman's Chinese Theatre on a weekday in the late afternoon.  Grauman's Theatre is located at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood.  Ten Years Younger  is holding all of its "Man on the Street" type interviews at Hollywood & Highland Shopping Center this season, so if you're at the mall, chances are you could wind up on TV!   The shopping center is located right on the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue in Hollywood.  Ten Years Younger  airs Fridays at 10/9 Central on TLC.  I am on the 11th episode of the season, which should air in about 7 to 8 weeks.

Fans have been waiting patiently in the wings for the X-Files movie to debut.

Now, the big screen version of the TV hit is about to be unveiled to an ecstatic fan base next week.

To honor the "X-Philes" (as enthusiasts are known) 20th Century Fox is hosting a Fan Celebration at the World Premiere screening of:

"THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE"

The studio is inviting X-Philes to gather on July 23rd at Grauman's Chinese in Hollywood (CA) in specially-built seats (along the Walk of Fame) where they can observe the "red-carpet" arrivals and participate in a special conference with the film’s popular stars "David Duchovny" and "Gillian Anderson".

In addition to the actors, Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz (who wore writer/producer hats for this project) will be on hand to field questions from filmgoers and the press.

Seating will be on a first-come first-serve basis.

Please note:
Special credentials will be distributed at 4:00 p.m. to the first 500 fans who show up.

The festivities will commence promptly at 6:00 p.m.

In addition, X-Philes around the globe will be able to experience the gala event live via a special Internet site from which they can direct questions in real-time to the film’s cast and filmmakers.

During the course of this "Entertainment Extravaganza" - a worldwide community of fans will have the opportunity to interact with over one hundred of the co-stars, guest stars, and behind-the-scenes personnel who toiled on X-Files - who have committed to appear.

To get a jump on the celebration, surf to the X-Files web site today:

http://www.xfiles.com

See 'ya there!

According to the writer oft the new X-Files movie called X-Files: I Want to Believe, the story revolves around the love interest between the series’ two main characters Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. “The emotional story of Mulder and Scully is really the heart of the movie…it’s about their love story,” said Frank Spotnitz in a recent article in the TV Guide.

Hitting the theatres July 25, 2008, only time will tell if there are still enough X-Files fans to make this movie a hit. According to a recent interview with TVGuide.com, X-Files creator Chris Carter claims this shouldn’t be a problem. “I think the reason we made the movies was because we felt that enthusiasm from the fan base. That being said, I think for this movie to be successful as Fox would like, we need to make it a movie that would appeal beyond our fan base, to a broader base, and even to a group of people who didn’t watch the X-Files before.”

This is an interesting tact for the new film edition of the hit television show. I loved the X-Files back in the day and I’m excited to see the new one. I had not heard anything about it until I saw a preview in the movie theatres the other day and it looked good. It definitely looks like something worth checking out in the theatres. Who knows, maybe it will top Gone with the Wind as the most romantic movie. I don’t care, just as long as they have plenty of gut-wrenching plots twists and some crazy aliens.