News
Writers’ Picks: Our Favorite Episodes of The X-Files
I know I have mentioned it in past articles but I LOVE The X-Files. My dad got me hooked to aliens by playing XCOM UFO Defense and my curiosity has only increased (see People of Earth). As soon as I saw even the very first episode of The X-Files, I was in love, and not just with Agent Mulder.
This show had everything: aliens, conspiracies, supernatural creatures, ghosts, serial killers and comedy. I think every actor popular today had a cameo on that show. When I heard they were coming back with a six-episode season 10, I became a kid on Christmas. It was everything we hoped and it ended on an insane cliffhanger.
There are rumors floating everywhere of an 11th season and I am crossing my fingers so hard, they may very well snap off. You can imagine how difficult it is to type this with my fingers like that. I WANT TO BELIEVE! So, in the spirit of hope and celebration of the premier of season 10 on this day last year, I’ve gathered some of my fellow X-Philes to present some of our favorite go-to episodes from all 10 seasons.
The Host S02E02
One of the most memorable episodes, to me, is “The Host”. You may not remember the name, but I’ll bet you remember the Flukeman. That creature design was… something else. Pair that slimy terror with an open-ended conclusion and my 7-year-old self was scared shitless. The Flukeman haunted my dreams and made every trip to the washroom absolutely terrifying. So, basically, I love it. –Kelly McNeely
Blood S02E03
Some of the best X-Files episodes are the ones that don’t have a clear conclusion. Be it supernatural or government conspiracy, there’s a special kind of fear to seeing Mulder and Scully being so powerless in the face of one of their cases. Such as this one in Franklin, Pennsylvania where ordinary citizens are suddenly going berserk and engaging in killing sprees.
As Mulder digs deeper, he discovers a link between a new pesticide and electronics that seems to play on people’s fears until they’re pushed to the breaking point. All while following one nebbish postal worker named Edward Funsch (played by William Sanderson of BLADE RUNNER) who repeatedly resists the push by the strange electronic force trying to get his to kill.
An unsettling episode about government experimentation (citing DDT use being hailed as harmless in the 50’s) and people going “postal” which is sadly as relevant as ever. –Jacob Davison
Paper Clip S03E02
I have always been partial to the conspiracy episodes, and “Paper Clip” may have been the mother lode. Beyond powerful men meeting in darkened rooms while Mulder and Scully pour over hordes of secret medical files in a West Virginia mountain, nothing was more delicious than the showdowns between The Smoking Man (William B. Davis) and Skinner (Mitch Pileggi).
Davis’ calm, threatening arrogance mixed with Pileggi’s seething disdain created an intensity that lept off the screen. “This is where you pucker up and kiss my ass.” To call it pure magic would not be inaccurate. – Landon Evanson
Check out Landon’s article on an interview with The Smoking Man.
Home S04E02
For The X-Files, my favorite episode is “Home”. As the first episode to receive a viewer discretion warning for graphic content, it’s pretty shocking. It’s brutally violent with horrific content, but on a lighter note, there are some really lovely Mulder and Scully moments! –Kelly McNeely
Bad Blood S05E12
My favorite is a “monster of the week” episode, but not for the monster. This episode captures everything we love about Mulder and Scully’s dynamic as polar opposites. Seeing how they view each other through their own lens is hilarious as they each tell their own recollections of the same situation. Not to mention a drugged Mulder makes a very memorable Shaft reference! –Piper Minear
X-Cops S07E12
One of my absolute favorites is “X-Cops”, a delightful “monster of the week” episode. Mulder and Scully get caught up in an episode of Cops after a cop being filmed gets a call about a giant animal running loose. Obviously, when Mulder and Scully are on the case, it’s not your run of the mill dog, cat, or grizzly bear running around.
Besides how different from other episodes it is, this one is great because it’s just so damn funny. There’s a scene involving a 911 call from a couple who’s seen a possible attack and as our favorite agents are leaving the house, a laugh escapes Mulder that you can FEEL is real. When you know the actors had fun recording an episode, it really shows. Amid the story lines of conspiracy, aliens and illness, this one is lighthearted and entertaining. –D.D. Crowley
Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster S10E03
This episode is from the all-too-short release of episodes last year. It includes some of my favorite people along side Mulder and Scully: Kumail Nanjiani (superfan of the show, The X-Files Files) and Rhys Darby (What We Do in the Shadows). After finding a body, the dynamic duo is looking for the strange creature attributed for the crime.
However, things are not what they seem. It’s a vague description, but trust me, you don’t want this spoiled. It has a great twist ending and is THE funniest episode I have ever seen of this show. Even though its placement is odd in the theme of season ten, it was a wonderful little break in the drama. –D.D. Crowley
Now go, binge and find the episodes that speak to you. Seasons 1-9 of The X-Files are available on Netflix right now. Afterward, you too will know that “the truth is out there.”
Featured image courtesy of screenrant.com
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Movies
Trailer for ‘The Exorcism’ Has Russell Crowe Possessed
The latest exorcism movie is about to drop this summer. It’s aptly titled The Exorcism and it stars Academy Award winner turned B-movie savant Russell Crowe. The trailer dropped today and by the looks of it, we are getting a possession movie that takes place on a movie set.
Just like this year’s recent demon-in-media-space film Late Night With the Devil, The Exorcism happens during a production. Although the former takes place on a live network talk show, the latter is on an active sound stage. Hopefully, it won’t be entirely serious and we’ll get some meta chuckles out of it.
The film will open in theaters on June 7, but since Shudder also acquired it, it probably won’t be long after that until it finds a home on the streaming service.
Crowe plays, “Anthony Miller, a troubled actor who begins to unravel while shooting a supernatural horror film. His estranged daughter, Lee (Ryan Simpkins), wonders if he’s slipping back into his past addictions or if there’s something more sinister at play. The film also stars Sam Worthington, Chloe Bailey, Adam Goldberg and David Hyde Pierce.”
Crowe did see some success in last year’s The Pope’s Exorcist mostly because his character was so over-the-top and infused with such comical hubris it bordered on parody. We will see if that is the route actor-turned-director Joshua John Miller takes with The Exorcism.
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News
Win a Stay at The Lizzie Borden House From Spirit Halloween
Spirit Halloween has declared that this week marks the start of spooky season and to celebrate they are offering fans a chance to stay at the Lizzie Borden House with so many perks Lizzie herself would approve.
The Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, MA is claimed to be one of the most haunted houses in America. Of course one lucky winner and up to 12 of their friends will find out if the rumors are true if they win the grand prize: A private stay in the notorious house.
“We are delighted to work with Spirit Halloween to roll out the red carpet and offer the public a chance to win a one-of-a-kind experience at the infamous Lizzie Borden House, which also includes additional haunted experiences and merchandise,” said Lance Zaal, President & Founder of US Ghost Adventures.
Fans can enter to win by following Spirit Halloween‘s Instagram and leaving a comment on the contest post from now through April 28.
The prize also includes:
An exclusive guided house tour, including insider insight around the murder, the trial, and commonly reported hauntings
A late-night ghost tour, complete with professional ghost-hunting gear
A private breakfast in the Borden family dining room
A ghost hunting starter kit with two pieces of Ghost Daddy Ghost Hunting Gear and a lesson for two at US Ghost Adventures Ghost Hunting Course
The ultimate Lizzie Borden gift package, featuring an official hatchet, the Lizzie Borden board game, Lily the Haunted Doll, and America’s Most Haunted Volume II
Winner’s choice of a Ghost Tour experience in Salem or a True Crime experience in Boston for two
“Our Halfway to Halloween celebration provides fans an exhilarating taste of what’s to come this fall and empowers them to start planning for their favorite season as early as they please,” said Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spirit Halloween. “We have cultivated an incredible following of enthusiasts who embody the Halloween lifestyle, and we’re thrilled to bring the fun back to life.”
Spirit Halloween is also preparing for their retail haunted houses. On Thursday, August 1 their flagship store in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. will officially open to start off the season. That event usually draws in hordes of people eager to see what new merch, animatronics, and exclusive IP goods will be trending this year.
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Movies
’28 Years Later’ Trilogy Taking Shape With Serious Star Power
Danny Boyle is revisiting his 28 Days Later universe with three new films. He will direct the first, 28 Years Later, with two more to follow. Deadline is reporting that sources say Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes have been cast for the first entry, a sequel to the original. Details are being kept under wraps so we don’t know how or if the first original sequel 28 Weeks Later fits into the project.
Boyle will direct the first movie but it’s unclear which role he will take on in the subsequent films. What is known is Candyman (2021) director Nia DaCosta is scheduled to direct the second film in this trilogy and that the third will be filmed immediately afterward. Whether DaCosta will direct both is still unclear.
Alex Garland is writing the scripts. Garland is having a successful time at the box office right now. He wrote and directed the current action/thriller Civil War which was just knocked out of the theatrical top spot by Radio Silence’s Abigail.
There is no word yet on when, or where, 28 Years Later will start production.
The original film followed Jim (Cillian Murphy) who wakes from a coma to find that London is currently dealing with a zombie outbreak.
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