Author Topic: The X-Files (Read 23533 times)

flyderman · « **on:** Aug 31, 2001 at 06:35 AM »

Just wondering why no one has started this thread yet...

Let's talk X-Files, X-Philes!

kings5504 · « **Reply #1 on:** Aug 31, 2001 at 09:55 AM »

Ah, the X-Files... How's the show going these days (to all of you who are still regularly tuning in to this show)? I kinda stopped watching this regularly at around the 5th season... I remember nung seasons 1 through 3 pa lang, kabisado ko pa talaga yung episode titles of each episode, and I can enumerate all variants to "The Truth is Out There" that they put on some episodes... I dunno why, but I just lost interest somewhere along the way... Tapos ngayon, ala na si Mulder... The show's not going to be the same without the Mulder-Scully tandem...

MultipleAngles · « **Reply #2 on:** Aug 31, 2001 at 06:02 PM »

I practically preached the X-files back in High School. I got to see the pilot exactly when it was showing in the States thanks to a formerly Satellite-fed Sky Cable.

Its ironic that I lost interest in the third season. Not through any fault of the series, mind you. I was watching the series through StarTV, and - for some reason - they decided to cut "disturbing" content whenever it appeared. I got sooooo turned off that I tried emailing StarTV, even the X-files official site, to do something about it. Alas, my pleas fell on deaf ears. And I think RPN9's broadcasts were a lot more advanced, so I was practically left in Limbo.

But now the DVDs are coming out at a steady rate so (I hope) I'm catching up!

kings5504 · « **Reply #3 on:** Aug 31, 2001 at 06:31 PM »

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Its ironic that I lost interest in the third season. Not through any fault of the series, mind you. I was watching the series through StarTV, and - for some reason - they decided to cut "disturbing" content whenever it appeared. I got sooooo turned off that I tried emailing StarTV, even the X-files official site, to do something about it. Alas, my pleas fell on deaf ears. And I think RPN9's broadcasts were a lot more advanced, so I was practically left in Limbo.

Akala ko ako lang ang sumulat sa Star TV regarding their censorship of the X-Files!!! Dalawa na pala tayo!

utoy · « **Reply #4 on:** Aug 31, 2001 at 08:32 PM »

RPN 9 is showing their latest acquisition of the X-Files alternating with reruns. I was so bitin one time when they had to stretch a two-part episode into three weeks. Us noncable subscribers get our share of "locally edited" episodes to accomodate sponsors. I heard somewhere that Bobby Garcia directed (or played a major part in the production) one (maybe a few) episode(s).

MultipleAngles · « **Reply #5 on:** Aug 31, 2001 at 09:35 PM »

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Akala ko ako lang ang sumulat sa Star TV regarding their censorship of the X-Files!!! Dalawa na pala tayo!

Comrade!

Someone feels my pain

utoy · « **Reply #6 on:** Sep 07, 2001 at 02:40 AM »

What about Robert Patrick filling-in David Duchovny's shoes? I heard he plays the skeptic that Scully used to be. Has anybody seen an episode with him already in? How's he doing so far?

Phobos · « **Reply #7 on:** Sep 11, 2001 at 10:25 PM »

Unga. Wala pa ba dito nakaka panood ng episodes na kung saan pinalitan na si David Duchovny?

utoy · « **Reply #8 on:** Sep 12, 2001 at 12:00 AM »

I guess not. Hope that they'd still come-up with interesting stories though. I think Robert Patrick started at the last quarter of the 8th season

and were still stuck at 6th via free TV and 4th on DVD. It's a looong waaaiit.

Btw, there was a spin-off of the X-Files starring the Lone Gunmen but they just didn't take off and was cancelled after the first season. Same goes for Millenium.

gonz · « **Reply #9 on:** Sep 12, 2001 at 12:34 AM »

SPOILER ALERT

I used to be a huge X-Phile. I had all episodes from Season Two onward taped for me by relatives in the US and shipped to me in Manila regularly.

In 1997 I created and moderated the Philippine X-Files Mailing List ([email protected]); at its height it had 80+ subscribers. The list still exists, but nobody has posted on it for over six months. List activity has been minimal over the past year and a half.

I bought all the books and collected all the videos released in the US and locally. I could quote you classic lines from my favorite episodes ("You will find her beside the fat little white Nazi stormtrooper," Clyde Bruckman, from "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose," 3x04; "I didn't spend all those years playing Dungeons and Dragons without learning something about courage," Darin Morgan, "Jose Chung's 'From Outer Space'").

I downloaded and updated the lists of Mulderisms and Scullyisms from the net. I bookmarked all the fan sites and read the fanfic. I searched for and saved every interview with Chris Carter, the crew, the cast. I identified favorite directors and writers (Darin Morgan, Glen Morgan and James Wong, Chris Carter, Frank Spotnitz) and least favorites (John Shiban, still hate his guts).

I bought the UFO and Roswell books and taped the alien autopsy video, poring over it like a detective searching for signs of a hoax.

I could name all the known Consortium members (The First Elder or Brandoguy, Conrad Strughold, Well-Manicured Man, and of course the inimitable Cigarette-Smoking Man). I was endlessly fascinated by Mulder's shady network of informants and apparent sympathizers (Deep Throat, who was slain by the Crewcut Man, X, Marita Covarrubias). I was actively involved in the search for Mulder's sister and the cure for Scully's cancer. When Duane Barry (Steve Railsback) abducted Scully for three episodes in season two while Gillian Anderson had her child Piper, I was in mortal terror for fear that she would not return. When Mulder got trapped in the desert boxcar at the end of "Anasazi" (2x24) and CSM ordered his men to "burn it!" I squirmed impatiently through the summer hiatus awaiting the third season opener ("The Blessing Way," 3x01). I think "Paper Clip" (3x02) is the finest mythology episode produced.

I bought and played the collectible card game, even after it was discontinued. As a multimedia authoring exercise, I attempted to create an X-Files Omnipedia that would display plot summaries, images, audio and video clips from the show. I could tell you the difference between a shipper and a noromo. I knew Mulder's address and Scully's cell phone number.

Eventually the DVD sets came out, and I have seasons 1, 2 and 3. I plan to get seasons 4 and 5 as well. Then, we'll see. Because along the way I lost my interest in the show, around the time of season six. I sold or gave away all my tapes. I stopped watching it religiously. Something was missing. Either I had changed or the show had changed, or maybe it was a little of both. But for whatever reason, I was no longer drawn to the show with the fanatical ardor of the past.

By the way, utoy, Millennium lasted for not just one but three seasons before being axed. I should know, I had them all on tape. I loved that show, and the character of Frank Black, as well. Some time after Millennium was axed, Frank Black made a special appearance in The X-Files, in an episode that served as a fitting epilogue to Millennium.

utoy · « **Reply #10 on:** Sep 12, 2001 at 01:05 AM »

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...
By the way, utoy, Millennium lasted for not just one but three seasons before being axed. I should know, I had them all on tape. I loved that show, and the character of Frank Black, as well. Some time after Millennium was axed, Frank Black made a special appearance in The X-Files, in an episode that served as a fitting epilogue to Millennium.

Oops, sorry I didn't really make my statement clear. I know Millenium lasted for more than a season. I was actually ignoring it until I heard people talking about how dark the series was. As a matter of fact, I intently watched its last few episodes and yes I've seen that Millenium episode.

utoy · « **Reply #11 on:** Sep 12, 2001 at 01:15 AM »

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...were still stuck at 6th via free TV...

I stand corrected, RPN 9 is showing the first half of the 7th season. The last episodes they've shown are Closure, X-Cops and First Person Shooter. Last night they showed The Amazing Maleeni.

gonz · « **Reply #12 on:** Sep 12, 2001 at 01:16 AM »

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and yes I've seen that Millenium episode.

It was an X-Files episode, but let's not quibble over details.

gonz · « **Reply #13 on:** Sep 12, 2001 at 01:33 AM »

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I stand corrected, RPN 9 is showing the first half of the 7th season. The last episodes they've shown are Closure, X-Cops and First Person Shooter. Last night they showed The Amazing Maleeni.

Saw those episodes last year. "Closure" was loopy, new age claptrap. "X-Cops" was yet another example of the creative bankruptcy that has begun to afflict the show in later seasons, employing the "Cops"-ish cinema verité camera technique to divert attention from the fact that the story was yet another monster/slasher one-shot that has been done and overdone in previous seasons. And "First Person Shooter" was just plain stupid -- as mindless as the game genre for which the episode is named. Dumber even than "El Mundo Gira," "Teso Dos Bichos, " or "Space."

"The Amazing Maleeni" was quite fun, though. But again, it bordered on the tone of self-parody that the show has begun to adopt increasingly to bolster ratings and mask the fact that its former staple formula of dead serious conspiracy/suspense and horror just isn't working as well as it used to.

utoy · « **Reply #14 on:** Sep 12, 2001 at 01:36 AM »

I should have said, "... yes I've seen that Millenium episode on X-Files." Sorry, I can't help myself.

gonz · « **Reply #15 on:** Sep 12, 2001 at 01:39 AM »

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I should have said, "... yes I've seen that Millenium episode on X-Files." Sorry, I can't help myself.

No need to apologize; as a matter of fact, that X-Files episode was entitled "Millennium."

utoy · « **Reply #16 on:** Sep 12, 2001 at 01:59 AM »

Yes, I know the episode was entitled Millenium and we're not quibbling over small details.

gonz · « **Reply #17 on:** Sep 12, 2001 at 02:07 AM »

Right.

Just so we're clear on this, the guy from Millennium was on an X-Files episode entitled "Millennium" which was actually an epilogue to the series Millennium which was cancelled whereas The X-Files, which began even before Millennium seven years before the end of the last millennium, continues to air and has even outlived not only Millennium but The Lone Gunmen which was a spin-off from The X-Files starring Langley, Byers and Frohike, recurring characters from The X-Files (and not Millennium).

Um...did everyone get that...okay...what was I saying?

utoy · « **Reply #18 on:** Sep 12, 2001 at 02:25 AM »

And this is the part where I come out and say. "Yeah. You guys better come up with better posts or Pikathulhu will cream you."

gonz · « **Reply #19 on:** Sep 12, 2001 at 02:33 AM »

No, Pikathulhu will abduct you and conduct invasive medical probes and implant mysterious objects of alien metal in your body.

Noel_Vera · « **Reply #20 on:** Sep 12, 2001 at 10:11 AM »

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No, Pikathulhu will abduct you and conduct invasive medical probes and implant mysterious objects of alien metal in your body.

Mmm...kinky.

flyderman · « **Reply #21 on:** Sep 14, 2001 at 06:52 AM »

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I used to be a huge X-Phile. I had all episodes from Season Two onward taped for me by relatives in the US and shipped to me in Manila regularly.

As I am, I have accumulated around 20 tapes recording all XF episodes could find. I was particularly most happy when I was able to go to the States. I almost didn't wanna come back when I saw the networks air back epidsodes of TXF everyday! Most were recorded randomly, but I was proud of a volume of tapes I made which has the entire mythology episodes from season 1 to 5, in order.

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In 1997 I created and moderated the Philippine X-Files Mailing List ([email protected]); at its height it had 80+ subscribers. The list still exists, but nobody has posted on it for over six months. List activity has been minimal over the past year and a half.

I am a member! Well, I am a member of almost every XF mailing list here in the PH (cXm, x-flips), but too bad, because I joined during the time TXF was losing its appeal.

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I bought all the books and collected all the videos released in the US and locally. I could quote you classic lines from my favorite episodes ("You will find her beside the fat little white Nazi stormtrooper," Clyde Bruckman, from "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose," 3x04; "I didn't spend all those years playing Dungeons and Dragons without learning something about courage," Darin Morgan, "Jose Chung's 'From Outer Space'").

Did any of you ever have Jane Goldman's book The X-Files Book Of The Unexplained? Probably the greatest book published which has references to The X-Files (note: It isn't a book entirely about The X-Files) I have volumes 1 and 2 (both bought at different times and places, but at real bargain prices), and if there's a volume 3 onwards, let me know. These books are 2 of my most treasured books.

Now that I think of it, I think Darin Morgan wrote the best ever one-liners on the series. He's also one of the writers who provides the smartest XF stories.

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I identified favorite directors and writers (Darin Morgan, Glen Morgan and James Wong, Chris Carter, Frank Spotnitz)

Did you forget Vince Gilligan, or do you hate his guts too?

As for directors, I think I liked those eps by Rob Bowman and David Nutter.

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Mulder's shady network of informants and apparent sympathizers (Deep Throat, who was slain by the Crewcut Man, X, Marita Covarrubias).

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it the Gray-Haired Man who killed Deep Throat? Anyway, we're probably referring to the same dude, since the Gray-Haired Man has a crew-cut hair.

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I think "Paper Clip" (3x02) is the finest mythology episode produced.

I think the finest mythology arc written was the Redux Trilogy (Gethsemane, Redux, Redux II). Another great myth arc were the episodes Nisei and 731.

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Eventually the DVD sets came out, and I have seasons 1, 2 and 3. I plan to get seasons 4 and 5 as well. Then, we'll see. Because along the way I lost my interest in the show, around the time of season six. I sold or gave away all my tapes. I stopped watching it religiously. Something was missing. Either I had changed or the show had changed, or maybe it was a little of both. But for whatever reason, I was no longer drawn to the show with the fanatical ardor of the past.

I agree. I think TXF started declining after season 5. Although season 6 has some memorable episodes (Dreamland I and II are two of the episodes in my favorites list; Triangle was swinging with its, um, swing music; Two Fathers and One Son has some great revelations and answered A LOT of questions; Arcadia, though simply a monster episode, has its charming appeal [but I'm no shipper, mind you]; etc. etc.), it still didn't compare to the ones from the previous seasons.

I dunno, I also lost interest in watching the episodes. But I still watch, and I think I'm still content with the current episodes. As for buying the DVDs, I vowed to collect every X-Files episode from start to finish, no matter what. Once an X-Phile, always an X-Phile. That's probably also the reason why I don't watch as much, because II know that soon enough I will have them all in one shelf.

So, what do you think is the best XF season? And let's talk about some of our favorite episodes, shall we?

MultipleAngles · « **Reply #22 on:** Sep 14, 2001 at 09:25 AM »

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Mulder's shady network of informants and apparent sympathizers (Deep Throat, who was slain by the Crewcut Man, X, Marita Covarrubias).

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it the Gray-Haired Man who killed Deep Throat? Anyway, we're probably referring to the same dude, since the Gray-Haired Man has a crew-cut hair.

Hi gonz and flyder... I hope that wasn't a spoiler

Hope you keep in mind that not everyone's seen all the episodes (yours truly is stuck in Season 2)

gonz · « **Reply #23 on:** Sep 14, 2001 at 10:19 AM »

SPOILER ALERT

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Hi gonz and flyder... I hope that wasn't a spoiler Hope you keep in mind that not everyone's seen all the episodes (yours truly is stuck in Season 2)

Sorry Multi, and you're absolutely right, I should have marked that as a spoiler. Fortunately for you, Deep Throat's assassination took place in The Ehrlenmeyer Flask, finale of season one.

kings5504 · « **Reply #24 on:** Sep 14, 2001 at 05:58 PM »

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So, what do you think is the best XF season? And let's talk about some of our favorite episodes, shall we?

My favorite seasons? That would be season 2 and 3...

My favorite episodes? Episodes written by Darin Morgan are classics in my mind... Humbug, Clyde Bruckman, Jose Chung... As for the conspiracy episodes, Anasazi is the one I remember to really have enjoyed watching (the one where Mulder gets stuck in a boxcar in the end and CSM had it blown up... you had to wait for the start of the 3rd season for the continuation of that storyline)...

MultipleAngles · « **Reply #25 on:** Sep 14, 2001 at 06:23 PM »

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SPOILER ALERT

Sorry Multi, and you're absolutely right, I should have marked that as a spoiler. Fortunately for you, Deep Throat's assassination took place in The Ehrlenmeyer Flask, finale of season one.

Thanks, gonz

. I thought that the guy's identity was revealed in later seasons or something like that

. Anywayz, follwing this thread's discussion, I absolutely agree that Morgan and Wong made some great episodes. In fact, I believe that they made the best ones in the series, at least for the earlier seasons. Nice mix of disturbing and intriguing.

flyderman · « **Reply #26 on:** Sep 15, 2001 at 12:20 AM »

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Hi gonz and flyder... I hope that wasn't a spoiler Hope you keep in mind that not everyone's seen all the episodes (yours truly is stuck in Season 2)

Oops, sorry about that. Anyway, Deep Throat's death isn't really much of a spoiler so I hope there wasn't any harm done

As for the name of who killed Deep Throat, no there weren't any revelations at all, I was just trying to clarify whether he was called the Gray-Haired Man or the Crewcut Man.

gonz · « **Reply #27 on:** Sep 15, 2001 at 03:07 AM »

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I was just trying to clarify whether he was called the Gray-Haired Man or the Crewcut Man.

Hi fly -- he was referred to as Crew-Cut Man in the credits for The Erlenmeyer Flask:

................... CREDITS .....................

"THE ERLENMEYER FLASK"
#1X23
Original Air Date: 5/13/94
Written by Chris Carter
Directed by R.W. Goodwin
Starring:
DAVID DUCHOVNY as Special Agent Fox Mulder
GILLIAN ANDERSON as Special Agent Dana Scully
Also Starring:
Jerry Hardin as Deep Throat
Lindsey Ginter as Crew-Cut Man
Anne DeSalvo as Dr. Anne Simon
Simon Webb as Dr. Secare
Jim Leard as Captain Lacerio
Ken Kramer as Dr. Berube
Phillip MacKenzie as Medic
William B. Davis as Cigarette-Smoking Man
Jaylene Hamilton as Reporter
Mike Mitchell as 1st Uniformed Cop
John Payne as Guard

gonz · « **Reply #28 on:** Sep 15, 2001 at 03:17 AM »

My favorite seasons were 3 and 4. I agree with kings5504, all the Darin Morgan episodes were unforgettable: Humbug, War of the Coprophages, Jose Chung, Small Potatoes.

Kim Manners is also among my favorite directors.

Favorite mythology episodes, there are so many. Duane Barry/Ascension/One Breath, Colony/End Game, Anasazi/The Blessing Way/Paper Clip, Nisei/731 and many others. As you can probably tell, I enjoyed the mythology episodes far more than the one-shots.

kings5504 · « **Reply #29 on:** Sep 15, 2001 at 07:50 AM »

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My favorite seasons were 3 and 4. I agree with kings5504, all the Darin Morgan episodes were unforgettable: Humbug, War of the Coprophages, Jose Chung, Small Potatoes.

Kim Manners is also among my favorite directors.

Favorite mythology episodes, there are so many. Duane Barry/Ascension/One Breath, Colony/End Game, Anasazi/The Blessing Way/Paper Clip, Nisei/731 and many others. As you can probably tell, I enjoyed the mythology episodes far more than the one-shots.

Duane Barry! Oo nga pala! How could I have forgotten to mention that? That was one cool conspiracy episode...

...and Small Potatoes! That was really funny... Actually that episode wasn't written by Darin Morgan but starred Darin (he was the janitor who could morph into the faces of other guys)... at saka War of the Coprophages!!! merong nga pala akong VHS tape nun!

And I have a soft spot for the episode Aubrey, which was about this pregnant detective having nightmares about serial killings which happened some 50 years ago... It was really creepy... not really a "classic" compared to the best the X-Files can offer, but it was the very first X-Files episode that I saw (back when Cable TV was just a new concept here in the Philippines and we used to get these US channels sometimes)... Watching that episode made me wish that the show would be brought here...