Leon and his Demons: mythology

Showing posts with label mythology. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

X-Files Retro:The Truth (Series Finale)

By JULIE SALAMON,NY Times.com
May 22,2002

The television series that turned paranoid distrust of the government into a pop phenomenon ended just when paranoia might seem like a smart response to current events. But with a platitudinous final episode that was more of a tease than a conclusion, ''The X-Files'' wrapped up looking more dutiful than relevant, an acknowledgment that the show's lucrative future lies in its past.

The first commercial break drove the point home: ''The series is ended, but the conspiracy will continue forever on DVD. Own Season 5 today.'' The busy Internet chat rooms after Sunday night's two-hour finale were full of lamentations for the vigor and excitement of Seasons 1 through 6, when the show's paranormal, conspiracy-theory creepiness was fresh and fun. (Season 9 just ended.)

The show's executive producer, Chris Carter, wasted little original thinking on a final episode meant to invoke instant nostalgia in the hope of reaping future rewards. (In more reruns, perhaps another movie, the memorabilia market for ''X-Files'' lunchboxes and T-shirts.) Borrowing blatantly from the ''Seinfeld'' finale, Mr. Carter used the mechanism of a trial to remind viewers of the series's highlights in the guise of revelation.

The F.B.I. agent and U.F.O.-chasing hero Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) is captured while infiltrating the government sanctuary holding the biggest secret of all. The F.B.I. and the military join forces in a kangaroo court designed to find Mulder guilty.

In case anyone has forgotten, a military man explains Mulder's biggest crime: ''He's a crusader and a lot of people do not like crusaders.'' Fans, however, loved Mulder (and Mr. Duchovny, who left the show a year ago). So Mr. Carter brought him back to center stage one last time, to kiss Agent Scully (Gillian Anderson) and to prove beyond doubt that Robert Patrick and Annabeth Gish were doomed to remain the second team.

It turned out that the episode was called ''The Truth'' not so much for its mostly unsurprising revelations, but for its endless speechifying about the subject. ''The truth will come to you as it's come to me,'' says Mulder solemnly, ''faster than the speed of light.''

In the final episode, however, truth emerged slowly and often ponderously, through court testimony geared toward recollection of the series's weird amalgamation of alien and family mythology. It's confirmed that Mulder's sister, Samantha, was abducted by aliens and was the subject of terrible experiments; that Mulder was the father of Scully's baby, William (given up for adoption); and that aliens are indeed going to take over Earth. (There's a date: Dec. 22, 2012.) Old demons like the Smoking Man (William Davis) appeared to die yet again.

Mr. Carter stirred himself to inject some humor into the somber proceedings. When Scully visits Mulder in jail, he says, ''I thought I smelled you coming, Clarice,'' and follows the Hannibal Lecter joke with a full kiss on the mouth (a rare exhibition of physical intimacy). During Mulder's trial, as John Doggett (Mr. Patrick) testifies about the supernatural things he's seen, the prosecutor asks, ''What does this science fiction have to do with anything?''

Until the end, the series maintained its mesmerizing visual gloominess, cleverly punctuated with suggestive plays of color and light. What does it mean -- if anything -- that Mulder's orange prison uniform perfectly matches Scully's hair?

It also retained its conspiracy-theory heart that has appealed so greatly to viewers. After Mulder is captured, his military jailors torment him with beatings and doublespeak. ''You are a guilty man,'' screams a soldier. ''You entered a government facility in search of nonexistent information.''

Above all, Mr. Carter wanted to reconnect the series to Mulder and Scully. In the final confrontation in the New Mexican desert, when Doggett (Mr. Patrick) and Monica Reyes (Ms. Gish) try to save them, Mulder waves the agents away. As he and Scully jump into their own S.U.V. and drive off, the members of second team look sad, as if realizing that they never quite cut it.

As the final episode ends, Scully and Mulder are left together, alone against the world, in a burst of romance mixed with apocalyptic certainty and unconvincing religious inspiration. They hold hands and contemplate a dismal future of conquering aliens. They also talk of a greater power that may save them. Mulder touches the cross Scully wears around her neck, caresses her lips and then utters the series' final words: ''Maybe there's hope.'' At the very least, there's syndication -- and those lunchboxes.

Monday, July 21, 2008

X-Files Favorite Episodes: Season 9

Season 9

Episode 3 (185) "Dæmonicus" (Written & Directed by by Frank Spotnitz)

With Scully reassigned to the Quantico Training Academy, Doggett and Reyes investigate their first X-File together - a series of satanic ritual murders - which sees their different investigative techniques working together.

Episode 7 (189) "John Doe" (Written by Vince Gilligan, Directed by Michelle Maxwell MacLaren)

With no knowledge of his identity or his past, Doggett is found wandering a dusty Mexican town. While he struggles to piece together his memory, he finds himself embroiled in a smuggling plot, and - across the border - Scully and Reyes attempt to find him.

Episode 17 (199) "Release" (Written by John Shiban & David Amann, Directed by Kim Manners)

When one of Scully’s students displays an inordinate ability to profile serial killers, his insights reopen the murder case of Doggett’s son.

Read more!

Friday, July 18, 2008

X-Files Favorite Episodes: Season 8

Season 8

Episode 4 (165) "Roadrunners" (Written by Vince Gilligan, Directed by Rod Hardy)

Working alone, Scully pursues a cult that worship a slug-like organism; but in her efforts to save an injured stranger, she discovers she’s in over her head.

Episode 6 (167) "Redrum" (Written by Steven Maeda & Daniel Arkin, Directed by Peter Markle)

After his wife is murdered, a lawyer friend of Doggett's tries to clear his name of the crime but the days regress backwards.

Episode 18 (179) "Vienen" (Written by Steven Maeda, Directed by Rod Hardy)

Mulder and Doggett are asked to investigate several deaths aboard an oil rig, but Mulder is convinced the rig is carrying an alien black oil; meanwhile a heavily pregnant Scully attempts to protect Mulder in absentia.

Read more!

Friday, July 11, 2008

X-Files Favorite Episodes: Season 7

Two weeks are left before the release of the long awaited sequel X-Files:I Want To Believe.In order to remember some of the show's best moments,i'll post each week my favorite X-Files episodes,from season one to season nine.Each post will have plot summaries and videos (trailers and clips,except from some season 1-2 episodes).The truth is still out there!
Mulder and Scully return on July 25.

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Season 7

Episode 5 (144) "Rush" (Written by David Amann, Directed by Robert Lieberman)

When a school student becomes the prime suspect in the bizarre murder of a police officer, Mulder and Scully are sent to investigate. They discover that the boy and a couple of friends have been playing with the ability to accelerate their movements to a frequency the human eye can’t perceive.

Episode 7 (146) "Orison" (Written by Chip Johannessen, Directed by Rob Bowman)

Reverend Orison releases Donnie Pfaster, Scully’s former kidnapper ("Irresistible" Season 2), from jail in the hopes of passing judgement on him. What he discovers instead is that he has released pure evil, and it’s headed for Scully....

Episode 17 (156) "All Things" (Written & Directed by Gillian Anderson)

While Mulder is away in England, Scully is led by coincidences, chance, fate and possibly a higher power to a married man whom she had an affair with during medical school, and a look at the life she didn’t choose, forcing her to make choices about her future.

Episode 18 (157) 'Brand X" (Written by Steven Maeda & Greg Walker, Directed by Kim Manners)

While protecting a man due to testify against the Morley cigarette company, Skinner is horrified when the witness dies mysteriously. What the agents soon discover is that a new brand of cigarette has a dangerous secret...

Read more!

Sunday, July 6, 2008

X-Files Favorite Episodes: Season 6

Less than three weeks are left before the release of the long awaited sequel X-Files:I Want To Believe.In order to remember some of the show's best moments,i'll post each week my favorite X-Files episodes,from season one to season nine.Each post will have plot summaries and videos (trailers and clips,except from some season 1-2 episodes).The truth is still out there!
Mulder and Scully return on July 25.

Season 6

Episode 7 (124) "Terms of Endearment" (Written by David Amann, Directed by Rob Bowman)

When a mother is accused of killing her unborn child, Mulder and Scully discover that the father has his own secrets, and he’s not the only one.

Episode 10 (127) "Tithonus" (Written by Vince Gilligan, Directed by Michael Watkins)

Scully learns that she, but not Mulder, is being given a chance to prove her worth at the FBI, and - paired with a new partner - she investigates a crime scene photographer with an uncanny knack for arriving just in time to see his victims final moments. What she does not expect is for Death to play a role himself.

Episodes 11-12 (128-129)

"Two Fathers" (Written by Chris Carter & Frank Spotnitz, Directed by Kim Manners)
When Cassandra Spender is returned, Mulder, Scully and Agent Spender find themselves facing the exposure of the conspiracy involving extraterrestrials; while the worried Syndicate take evasive measures.

"One Son" (Written by Chris Carter & Frank Spotnitz, Directed by Rob Bowman)

While Cassandra reveals the truth about the alien conspiracy to Mulder, her ex-husband - the Cigarette Smoking Man - does the same to Agent Spender in an effort to convince him to work with the conspiracy. But even as Mulder is deceived by Agent Fowley, Scully stays true to the investigation, and the two find a surprise ally. Meanwhile, the Syndicate reach the climax of their plans, only to find that the end is not as they expected.

Episode 14 (131) "Monday" (Written by Vince Gilligan & John Shiban, Directed by Kim Manners)

The world is trapped in a time loop, and only one woman seems to know. A bank robbery is committed over and over again until Mulder and Scully can make it go right.

Episode 18 (135) "Milagro" (Written by Chris Carter, Story by John Shiban & Frank Spotnitz, Directed by Kim Manners)

A series of murders takes place where the heart has been removed from the victims. A writer that lives next door to Mulder is writing a novel about the murders before they actually happen. Scully finds herself confused and drawn to the writer, who has a romantic interest in her.

Read more!

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

X-Files Favorite Episodes: Season 5

Less than a month is left before the release of the long awaited sequel X-Files:I Want To Believe.In order to remember some of the show's best moments, i'll post each week my favorite X-Files episodes, from season one to season nine.Each post will have plot summaries and videos (trailers and clips, except from some season 1-2 episodes).The truth is still out there!
Mulder and Scully return on July 25.

Season 5
Episode 4 (101) "Detour" (Written by Frank Spotnitz, Directed by Brett Dowler)

On the way to an FBI convention, Mulder and Scully take a trip through the woods, where an ancient monster lurks.

Episode 9 (106) "Schizogeny" (Written by Jessica Scott & Mike Wollaeger, Directed by Ralph Hemecker)

When a teenager is suspected of murdering his father, Mulder and Scully become convinced that a greater evil may be lurking in the community.

Episode 15 (112) "Travelers" (Written by John Shiban & Frank Spotnitz, Directed by William Graham)

In 1990, a bizarre murder leads young agent Fox Mulder to question a former FBI Agent who investigated one of the first X-Files dating back to the 1950s - a case which may have involved Mulder’s father.

Episode 16 (113) "Mind's Eye" (Written by Tim Minear, Directed by Kim Manners)

Agents Mulder and Scully investigate a murder that seems to have been committed by a blind woman, but Mulder suspects that her involvement is not what it seems.

Read more!

Sunday, June 29, 2008

X-Files Favorite Episodes: Season 4

Less than a month is left before the release of the long awaited sequel X-Files:I Want To Believe.In order to remember some of the show's best moments,i'll post each week my favorite X-Files episodes,from season one to season nine.Each post will have plot summaries and videos (trailers and clips,except from some season 1-2 episodes).The truth is still out there!
Mulder and Scully return on July 25.

Season 4

Episode 6 (079) "Sanguinarium" (Written by Vivian Mayhew and Valerie Mayhew, Directed by Kim Manners)

Bizarre murders in a hospital’s plastic surgery unit lead Mulder and Scully to suspect a supernatural force may be responsible.

Episode 7 (080) "Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man" (Written by Glen Morgan & James Wong(uncredited), Directed by James Wong & Glen Morgan(uncredited))

Taking a page from the Superman comic “Lex Luthor: The Unauthorized Biography,” this episode details the previous exploits of the Cigarette Smoking Man. Mulder, Scully and Byers meet with Frohike, where he details what may be Cancerman’s real life.

Episode 16 (089) "Unrequited" (Written by Howard Gordon & Chris Carter,Directed by Michael Lange)

The mysterious assassination of a high-ranking military official has Mulder and Scully racing against the clock to stop a seemingly unstoppable - and invisible - assassin.

Episode 19 (092) "Synchrony" (Written by Howard Gordon & David Greenwalt, Directed by Jim Charleston)

Mulder and Scully investigate a murder for which the suspect presents an incredible alibi - that the death was foretold by an old man able to see into the future.

Read more!

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

X-Files Favorite Episodes: Season 3

A month is left before the release of the long awaited sequel X-Files:I Want To Believe.In order to remember some of the show's best moments,i'll post each week my favorite X-Files episodes, from season one to season nine.Each post will have plot summaries and videos (trailers and clips, except from some season 1-2 episodes).The truth is still out there!
Mulder and Scully return on July 25.

Season 3

Episode 2 (51) "Paper Clip" (Written by Chris Carter, Directed by Rob Bowman)
Mulder and Scully search for answers regarding the old photograph with his father and other unnamed men. Their search takes them to the abandoned Strughold Mining Facility where they uncover a dangerous secret.

Episode 9 (58) "Nisei" (Written by Chris Carter, Howard Gordon & Frank Spotnitz Directed by David Nutter)

A mail order videotape of an alien autopsy blossoms into a much more complicated investigation when Mulder and Scully find the distributor of the tape murdered in his own home apparently by a high-ranking Japanese diplomat. While Mulder’s search for the video leads him to a train car, Scully investigates a Mutual UFO Network group and discovers several women who claim to know her.

Episode 10 (59) "731" (Written by Frank Spotnitz, Directed by Rob Bowman)

Scully takes X’s advice to heart and investigates more into the implant she removed from her neck. Mulder, having ignored the advice given him, finds himself trapped on the train with a Japanese scientist and the man sent to kill him.

Episode 12 (61) "War of the Coprophages" (Written by Darin Morgan, Directed by Kim Manners)

A small town is plagued by deaths in which the bodies are found covered in cockroaches. Working from home, Scully has scientific explanations for all of them but Mulder - at the crime scene with an attractive bug expert - suspects the insects may not be organic, or earthly.

Episode 17 (66) "Pusher" (Written by Vince Gilligan, Directed by Rob Bowman)

Agents Mulder and Scully’s assistance is requested for a case involving a man seemingly capable of bending people to his will. The suspect uses his mysterious abilities to manipulate Agent Mulder into a dangerous end game.

Read more!

Sunday, June 22, 2008

X-Files Favorite Episodes: Season 2

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

X-Files Favorite Episodes: Season 1

Almost a month is left before the release of the long awaited sequel X-Files:I Want To Believe.In order to remember some of the show's best moments,i'll post each week my favorite X-Files episodes,from season one to season nine.Each post will have plot summaries and videos (trailers and clips,except from some season 1-2 episodes).The truth is still out there!
Mulder and Scully return on July 25.

Season 1

Episode 2 “Deep Throat” (Written by Chris Carter, Directed by Daniel Sackheim)

Mulder & Scully travel to Idaho in order to investigate the disappearance of a military test pilot. They observe unusual aircraft activity, prompting Mulder to proclaim the existence of a government conspiracy. Mulder sneaks onto the military base and is spotlighted by one of the craft, but is captured by soldiers and has his memory erased before he is released.

Trailer

Episode 12 "Fire" (Written by Chris Carter, Directed by Larry Shaw)
Mulder investigates the deaths of British dignitaries at the behest of an old Oxford girlfriend. Bob/Cecil L’Ively is a pyrokinetic, and he wants Sir Malcolm Marsden’s wife. Cecil attempts to kill Marsden, with his ability to make fire come out of his hands, but Mulder stops him.

Trailer

Episode 17 "E.B.E" (Written by Glen Morgan & James Wong, Directed by William Graham)
Mulder and Scully receive information from Deep Throat about a UFO that was shot down over Iraq and has been secretly transported to the US. However, Deep Throat then intentionally misleads the agents to prevent them from discovering the truth.

Episode 20 "Darkness Falls" (Written by Chris Carter, Directed by Joe Napolitano)
Mulder and Scully travel to the remote Washington State National Forest when an entire group of loggers goes missing.

Opening scene

Episode 24 "The Erlenmeyer Flask" (Written by Chris Carter, Directed by R.W. Goodwin)

A seemingly unrelated car chase leads Mulder and Scully to a scientific lab encompassing a secret which could provide proof of a government conspiracy. However, individuals involved with the scientific experiment are being murdered, and the two agents must ensure their own safety. The two come across a flask containing strange DNA particles. All living things are built up of a string of four different DNA cells, but this flask contains both a fifth and a sixth. Scully and Mulder believe that this could be firm evidence of extra-terrestrial life forms. Scully also finds a small head sized alien - which changes her beliefs completely. At the end of this episode, the X-Files project is aborted.
Read more!

Thursday, April 17, 2008

X-Files 2 news

Yesterday,the official title of the new X-Files film was announced - The X-Files: I Want to Believe.
Carter referred to the title as a "natural title," saying that it pertained to "a story that involves the difficulties in mediating faith and science. 'I Want to Believe.' It really does suggest Mulder's struggle with his faith."Carter also said that he and Spotnitz settled upon the title as soon as they started writing the screenplay.
Below,there are links to very interesting interviews of David Duchovny,Gillian Anderson,Frank Spotnitz and Chris Carter.(source:ign.com)

Gillian Anderson
http://movies.ign.com/articles/866/866697p1.html(1st of 3 pages)

David Duchovny
http://movies.ign.com/articles/866/866674p1.html(1st of 4 pages)

Frank Spotnitz
http://movies.ign.com/articles/866/866845p1.html(1st of 3 pages)

Chris Carter
http://movies.ign.com/articles/866/866837p1.html

The X-Files: I Want to Believe release date:July 25,2008

Friday, April 11, 2008

New DVD set might give hints about X-Files movie

The new X-Files sequel that is supposed to hit theaters this July 25. The movie has been pretty much under wraps, except for a snippet of film here and some behind the scenes photos there. And the cast and crew certainly aren't saying anything about the movie's plot. The only hint we've received is that this movie has more to do with a standalone mystery than the alien mythology storyline from the show (and the first film).

But now I'm slightly confused, as this press release for a new X-Files DVD set says that the set gives a hint as to what we can expect in the movie.

The set is called "Revelations" and includes eight classic episodes from the series chosen by creator Chris Carter. The thing is, it's really a mix of standalone episodes and alien mythology. The episodes are the "Pilot" and "Beyond the Sea" (from Season 1), "The Host" (from season 2), "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" (from season 3), "Memento Mori" (from season 4), "Post-Modern Prometheus" and "Bad Blood" (from season 5), and "Milagro" (from season 6). The set will also feature the trailer for the big screen adventure and that session from WonderCon, which included a teaser that made fans go wild.

I'm not sure if this info is to throw fans off the track as to what the movie is about, or the movie is about vampires, Frankenstein, aliens, psychics, the New Jersey sewers, brain cancer, and weird novel writers.

The set will be in stores on July 1, so you'll have a few weeks to watch the episodes to prepare for the movie.

Tv Squad,11/4/2008,Author:Bob Sassone

Leon and his Demons