And Our Number One Spot Goes To

Today is the day I have been waiting for since the announced they were beginning filming in October. I will be at the cinema this evening. With a large smile in my face.

#1
"Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose"
Season 3, Episode 4

In the midst of a psychic sideshow while on a murder case. Mulder and Scully enlist the help of a man who may have a true psychic ability to foresee how people will die. Mulder hopes to use this ability to help catch a man killing fortune tellers. (from tv.com)

Why I love it: It's perfect. Humorous and touching, like Jose Chung's it loops back upon itself, as it ties up the loose ends. Like Beyond the Sea, Peter Boyle is a perfect guest star. You laugh and at the same time you're touched by his tragic hero. The script itself it witty, and some of the sublime humor is bar none. Like Boyle's character guessing that a scrap or fabric is from Mulder's NY knicks t-shirt. (from Beyond the Sea) Also like Jose Chung's, this episode really deserves multiple viewing, just to lap up all the details. I always play this episode for X Files newbies, not only to prove how great the show really is. But to prove that great television is out there. I want to believe. (*wink* groan...)

PS: This is also one of the most well done pieces I've ever read or heard, about fate and chance. It really makes you think.

Quotable Quotes:
Yappi: Skeptics like you make me sick.
Mulder: Mr.Yappi, read this thought.
(Yappi concentrates for a moment)
Yappi: So's your old man!

Clyde: What is this?
Mulder: The only evidence recovered from Claude Duckenfield's body. That fiber may have come from something the killer was wearing at the time of the crime.
Clyde: Don't you have crime labs that could analyze these things for you?
Scully: (meaningful look at Mulder) Yes! Yes, we do.
Clyde: Look, I've got my own work to do. I'm not a crime fighter by trade.
Mulder: Mr. Bruckman. I can't speak for my partner. But I'm desperate. For some insurance.
Clyde: General Mutual has some very comprehensive coverage...
(Mulder waves the evidence bag in front of Clyde's face)
Clyde: Oh I can't tell you where this is from, but the killer is going to kill more people before you catch him.
Scully: Can you see him physically yet?
Clyde: No. No, just more insight into his character which I know you hate.

Clyde: I'd like to see both of your badges again. Right now?
(Mulder and Scully take out their badges)
Scully: I don't blame you, Mr. Bruckman.
Clyde: (scoffs at Mulder's badge): I'm supposed to believe that's a real name? ... What is this all about? I found a dead body in my dumpster and I reported it to the police. Now suddenly I'm accused of doing things or being able to do things I couldn't possibly-- (Breaks off and walks slowly over to table, which is spattered with blood. Runs for the bathroom and vomits.)
Mulder: (To Scully) Pinch me.

(At the crime scene where the victim's eyes and entrails have been left on the table)
Photographer: They say the eyes capture the last image the murder victim sees before they get killed.
Detective Cline: What do they say about the entrails?
Photographer: "Yuck."


Clyde: We're almost there.
Mulder: Now how are you receiving this information about the body's location?
Clyde: How should I know?
Mulder: I mean are you seeing it in a vision or is it a sensation? How do you know where to go?
Clyde: I just know.
Mulder: But how do you know?
Clyde: I don't know!! (Mulder leans into the back seat and sulks) Look it's just up ahead. There are worse ways to go, but I can't think of a more undignified one than autoerotic asphyxiation.
Mulder: (Leans forward) And why are you telling me that?
Clyde: Look, forget I mentioned it. It's none of my business.


































And here's a great retrospective by Lylexf on YouTube here.

Go See X-Files I Want to Believe in cinemas now!

A Psychic Connection

Tomorrow is the day!

#2
"Beyond the Sea"
Season 1, Episode 12

Two college students are kidnapped and the only lead is an inmate named Luther Boggs, who claims to have information he's picked up through psychic transmissions. Mulder is sceptical; his profile put Boggs on Death Row and the man has reason to seek revenge. But Scully, who has seemingly just experienced a psychic vision after the death of her father, is suddenly open to extreme possibilities. Yet even she can't be sure if Boggs is telling the truth, or if she's being used as a tool by the desperate psychopath. (from the VHS tape)

Why I love it: It's a well written piece, and an acting tour de force. Brad Dourif is utterly convincing as Boggs, and I can see why some people joke about hiring real killers to play these parts. Dourif is chilling. Not to mention Gillian Anderson who's really truly shines here. In one scene where Scully confronts Boggs, I was screaming right along with her. I can't say enough good things about Anderson's performance in this one, it's remarkable. This episode is a stunner.

Quotable Quotes:
Scully: Did Boggs confess?
Mulder: No, no, it was five hours of Boggs' "channeling". After three hours I asked him to summon up the soul of Jimi Hendrix and requested "All Along the Watchtower." You know, the guy's been dead twenty years, but he still hasn't lost his edge.

(Boggs is supposable channeling visions from a piece of evidence)
Mulder: I tore this off my New York Knicks t-shirt. It has nothing to do with the crime.

Scully: You set us up. You're in on this with Lucas Henry. This was a trap for Mulder because he helped put you away. Well, I came here to tell you that if he dies because of what you've done, four days from now nobody will stop me from being the one that'll throw the switch and gas you out of this life for good, you son of a bitch!!!
Boggs: Dana... (in Mulder's voice) You're the one who believed me.
Scully: No! No, I do not believe you!
Boggs: If you don't believe me, maybe you'll believe yourself.

Boggs: There was that one time when I was fourteen and my parents had gone to bed and I snuck downstairs all alone. Got one of my mom's cigarettes and went out onto the porch in the dark. I was so scared. My heart was beating, I mean, they would have killed me if they knew. But I was so excited. Not 'cause of the cigarette, I mean, it was gross, but because I wasn't supposed to.

Dana Scully talking about what she misses in Mulder, extra audio from the promo here.

I Learned a Little Something About Courage

Tell me are you excited yet?!

#3
"Jose Chung's From Outer Space"
Season 3, Episode 20

No one really knows what happened that fated night on a country road in Klass County - including Agents Mulder and Scully. So when famous novelist Jose Chung decides to document the incident once and for all, he discovers that it could have been an alien abduction, a government conspiracy -- or an alien abduction of government conspiracists. (from the VHS tape)

Why I love it: It's bleepin' awesome! It's a great comedy piece, every time I watch it I laugh. The story has a strange structure, but it works. It's kinda a study on the nature of truth, and reality, and the way all the little pieces fit together is genus. Also every time I watch it I realize a new twist. This episode is crazy good, and it's a wonderful jab at the complicated X Files alien mythology. The actor who plays Jose Chung cracks me up. Plus the cameos for the men in black, I won't spoiler it for people who haven't seen it, but...HAHAHAHAHAHA!

Quotable Quotes:
(Mulder screams a very high-pitched scream)
Detective Manners: That's a bleepin' dead alien body if I ever bleepin' saw one.

Blaine: (to Jose Chung) Well, hey... I didn't spend all those years playing Dungeons And Dragons and not learn a little something about courage.

Scully: (Hanging up the phone) That was Detective Manners. He said they just found your bleepin' UFO.

Here's Gillian Anderson last night on Leno: Part I, Part II.

In the Final Moments

†˜*Three Days!*˜†

#4
"One Breath"
Season 2, Episode 8

Scully mysteriously appears in a Washington hospital, alive but in a coma, and Mulder must fight to keep her alive in order to find out what happened to her and who did it to her. Meanwhile, Scully fights her own personal battle as she decides whether to stay or go on to the next world. (from tv.com)

Why I love it: It's does in forty-five minutes, what most epic movies try to do in two hours and forty-five minutes. It tells an involving and touching story, that muses on life and death, love and family, justice and revenge. Not to mention it's the 3rd set piece in a story arch, that not only will have a lasting effect on the characters, but the entire show as well. A must see!

Quotable Quotes:
Byers: Good work, sneaking out those charts.
Frohike: Tucked 'em in my pants.
Mulder: Plenty of room down there.

Mulder: Him! That's what happened. Cancer Man! He's responsible for what's happened to Scully.
Skinner: How do you know that?
Mulder: It's a rumor... Who is he?
Skinner: It's not your-
Mulder: Oh, you can have it all, my badge, you can have the X-Files. Just tell me where he is.
Skinner: And then what? He sleeps with the fishes? We're not the Mafia, Agent Mulder. I know it's easy to forget it, but we work for the Department of Justice.
Mulder: THAT'S what I want.

Mulder: Sit down!
CSM: How'd you find me?
Mulder: Shut up! Tonight, I ask the questions! You're going to answer me, you son of a bitch!
CSM: Don't try and threaten me, Mulder. I've watched presidents die.
Mulder: Why her? Why her and not me? . . . Answer me!
CSM: I like you. I like her too. That's why she was returned to you.
Mulder: You should be the one to die.
CSM: Why? Look at me. No wife, no family, some power. I'm in the game because I believe what I'm doing is right.
Mulder: Right? Who are you to decide what's right?
CSM: Who are you? If people were to know the things I know, they would all fall apart. I told Skinner you shot the man in the hospital, but I didn't really believe it. And here you are with a gun to my head. I have more respect for you, Mulder. You're becoming a player. You can kill me now, but you'll never know the truth. (Mulder wants to shoot, but doesn't) . . . and that's why I'll win. Don't worry. This'll be our secret. We wouldn't want others to . . . start rumors.

William Scully: Hello Starbuck. It's Ahab. People would say to me. 'Life is short. Kids, they grow up fast. Before you know it, it's over.' I never listened. To me, life went at a proper pace of many rewards. Until the moment that I knew, I understood, I would never see you again, my little girl. Then my life felt as if it had been the length of one breath, one heartbeat. I never knew how much I loved my daughter until I could never tell her. In that moment I would have traded every medal, every commendation, every promotion, for one more second with you. We'll be together again, Starbuck. But not now. Soon.

Here's a totally lovely video shared by flipflopgirl1985 0n YouTube:

Try Saying it Ten Times Fast

Gahhh! I hate oversleeping, and I hate reading bad reviews of the things I love. X Files: I Want to Believe got bad reviews. Curses you critics, I want this film to do well!

#5
"Bad Blood"
Season 5, Episode 12

While exploring the deaths of cattle killed by a series of blood extractions, the agents uncover a cult of vampires residing in a small Texas town.

Why I love it: It's hilarious! The funniest X-File of them all, and everyone usually has this one as a favorite, including Gillian Anderson! I saw this episode for the first time when I was twelve, and it scared the pants of me, but made me laugh as well. I remember I decided to watch an episode of the Brady Bunch afterwards just to bring my pulse down. (remember I was twelve) I love this one, Anderson is ace, Duchovny's dry wit is on display, and the story flows very well. Plus Duchovny's rendition of the Shaft theme song, is one of televisions finest moments.

Quotable Quotes:
Mulder: C'mon, Scully, get those little legs moving! C'mon!

(Fantasy sequence)
Hartwell: You really know your stuff, Dana.
(Mulder interrupts the fantasy sequence)
Mulder: DANA?! He never even knew your first name!
Scully: You gonna interrupt me or what?
Mulder: No. You go ahead. (Mockingly) Dana...
(Fantasy sequence)
Hartwell: Agent Scully, you really know your stuff.

Scully: You're saying that I actually hit him... two times?
Mulder: Square in the chest. No effect.
Scully: And then he sort of flew at me like a flying squirrel?
Mulder: Well, I don't think I'll use the term flying squirrel when I talk to Skinner, but yeah... that's what happened.

Mulder: Oh, shi-... (Theme tune)

Here's the Sneek Peek, of The X Files: I Want to Believe that was aired during The Deadliest Catch:

Sweetheart, bitter heart

I saw The Dark Knight, it was really good. I hope that X Files: I Want to Believe lives up to it's hype as well.

#7
"Milagro"
Season 6, Episode 18

A writer living next to Mulder becomes obsessed with Scully and confesses to her that he is using her for a character in his novel. Scully finds herself strangely drawn to him even though he is now the prime suspect in the murder case that she and Mulder are investigating. (from tv.com)

Why I love it: This piece remind me of drama classes I had about breaking down the fourth wall. The fourth wall being, what separates the characters in a play from the audience. All this meaning it's when characters in a play forget that they're actually figments of someone's imagination. It's ironic for the X Files to take on this subject matter, seeing that Chris Carter invented these characters, and once the phenomenon struck, Mulder and Scully took on a life of their own. The Milagro story is commentary on the power of art and imagination, inside the already established universe of the X Files. A picture within picture. Plus it's just a really cool hour of television.

Quotable Quotes:
Padgett: (To Scully) I have to admit, I noticed you. I do that - notice people. I saw that you wear a gold cross around your neck so I was taking a chance with the painting - explaining something you may have already known. I saw Georgetown parking permits on your car dating from 1993 and a government exempt sticker that lets you park anywhere you like. You don't live in this area, but as a federal employee you have reason to frequent it. You're fit, with muscular calves, so you must exercise or run. There's a popular running route right nearby that you might use at lunch or after work. You'd have noticed this church in passing, and though parking is always a problem in this part of town, your special privileges would make it easy to visit. Not as a place of worship, but beacuse you have an appreciation for architecture and the arts. And while the grandeur is what you take away when you visit, this painting's religious symbolism would have left its impression, jogged by the gift you received this morning.
Scully: That was from you?
Padgett: I have to admit to a secret attraction. I'm sorry I didn't include a note explaining that, but you didn't know me then.
Scully: Yeah and I don't know you now. And I don't care to.
Padgett: I see this is making you uncomfortable and I'm sorry. It's just that I'm taken with you. That never happens to me. We're alike that way.

Scully: Mulder, you are making critical assumptions without any facts. What about time of death, what about- what-
(Mulder stops, grabs Scully, and spins around so she's standing in his place and he's taken her spot) Mulder, what are you doing?
Mulder: Well, you're about to argue my usual side, aren't you?
Scully: Why couldn't he have imagined it? Why couldn't he just be in the killer's head?
Mulder: You read his book. You read what he wrote about you. [He wrote about Scully and "the stranger" having sex] Are you trying to tell me he got inside your head? That what I read is true?
Scully: (Doesn't meet his eyes) Mulder, of course not.

Really beautiful written, insightful X-Files reviews, by Sarah Stegall. Here

Ice Ice Baby...

I'm sorry to make everyone's ears bleed, and reference that awful song in the title. But I just couldn't help myself! Oh and we have less then a week for the "X-Files I Want to Believe."

#7
"Ice"
Season 1, Episode 7

A group of scientists in the Arctic all die in a grisly murder-suicide, explained only by their mysterious warning. "We are not who we are." Scully and Mulder head north to investigate with a new team of scientists, discovering that the source of the homicides is a worm-like parasite pulled up from deep in the arctic ice core. Stranded by a snow storm, members of the group began to die - leading even Scully to suspect that Mulder is now infected with the deadly parasite. (from the VHS tape)

Why I love it: It's a thrill ride, scary and suspenseful, you don't know who to trust. It's like a mini movie the way it plays out. Duchovny has called this "The [X Files'] first rocking episode." I concur! Like "EBE" all the parts are in place, the scene with the dog barking when Mulder's checking stuff out, will always make me jump. I'm always paranoid that Mulder really did kill that scientist, even though I've seen it twenty times. Plus the heat when Mulder and Scully check each other for bumps, makes my dog blush. This makes me want to see the two movies that inspired it. John Carpenter's The Thing, (1982) and The Thing from Another World. (1951)

Quotable Quotes:
Murphy: Maybe the organism in the ice core somehow got into the men.
Dasilva: Come on, nothing can survive in sub-zero temperatures for a quarter of a million years.
Mulder: Unless that's how it lives.

Mulder: Now, I don't trust them. I want to trust you.

Mulder: Scully! For God sakes, it's me!
Scully: Mulder... you may not be who you are.

Materia Primoris: The X Files Main Theme by Mark Snow

The Conspiracy

Ooo I picked up the latest issue of TV guide last night. "The Secrets of the X Files" It does look liked they've been out clubbing, with the way the stylist dressed them on the cover. But the article is really nice, as well as some of the pictures inside. I love the table read photo with Duchovny, Anderson, Carter & Spotnitz!

#8
"E.B.E."
Season 1, Episode 16

Scully and Mulder trace a mysterious truck across the country, a truck they have reason to believe is transporting an alien being -- an Extraterrestrial Biological Entity. It's the best chance they've ever had to get hard evidence of an alien presence on Earth. But as they investigate, they begin to suspect that no one wants them to learn the truth - not even their allies. Trapped in a maze of carefully prepared lies and hard-found truths, the agents must confront the unknown with just one thing they can be sure of: they can only trust each other. (from the VHS tape)

Why I love it: The X Files involving aliens and government conspiracies my have gotten out of control by the ninth season. But is season one it was simple. Something bad was happening, and the government was hiding it. Because it's so simple in premise and relatively easy to follow, it's one of my favorite alien mythology episodes. It's all here, from government lies, to unresolved sexual tension. It's chalk full of paranoia, and there are some strange scares. The lab in the back of the truck anyone? Plus we get or first introduction to the Lone Gunmen. Oh Hurrah! I've read that some people consider this episode to be the beginning of the Mulder and Scully versus the world mentality that we see so often in later mythology shows. I'd buy that, and I'd also say they have good reason. As The Man is being shady. If I had to pick a good introduction to the alien myth arch, for a newbie. I pretty sure it would be this one.

Quotable Quotes:
Byers: Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the leader of the Russian Social Democrats, is being put into power by the most heinous and evil force in the 20th century.
Mulder: Barney?

Scully: I think you give the government too much credit. I mean, they can't control the deficit or manage crime. What makes you think they could plan and execute such an elaborate conspiracy?
Frohike: She is hot.
Mulder: Settle down, Frohike.

Scully: Those were the most paranoid people I have ever met. I don't know how you could think that what they say is even remotely plausible.
Mulder: I think it's remotely plausible that someone might think you're hot.


Warning: this game is addictive, and may drive you insane!

Wearing Your Heart On Your Sleeve

Yesterday this blog had twenty-five total posts on my birthday, seeing that the X Files: I Want to Believe opens on the 25th I'm taking that as a good sign.

#9
"Paper Hearts"
Season 4, Episode 8

Seemingly prophetic dreams send Mulder on a search for the undiscovered victims of a serial killer, only to discover that one of them may be his missing sister, Samantha. (from the DVD slim pack)

Why I love it: It's a great piece of character work for Duchovny. I was sort of on the fence about his acting abilities, till I saw this episode. Why he didn't win an Emmy for this one, I don't know. I will say that this episode was hard for me to pick as a favorite, not because of anything wrong with the episode, but because the subject matter is so dark. The actor who plays John Lee Roche is so convincing, your stomach will turn. You as well as Mulder become so convinced that Roche may have taken Samantha, and that is far more horrifying than any alien abduction. This episode is horrifying, but it's also well done. Just make sure you watch it with the lights on, and then refrain from watching the news.

Quotable Quotes:
John Roche: This man... this man hit me. (indicates Mulder)
Guard: I didn't see it.
Scully: (entering room) I did.

Mulder: That's exactly how it happened? Right here in this room?
Roche: Yeah.
Mulder: Wrong house.

John Roche: Mulder. Long time no see. Got a new partner.

Here's a link to the X Files Forum I hang out at. Here.

Oh Hurrah!

It's my birthday. Oh Hurrah! and X-Files: I Want to Believe is in nine days. I couldn't ask for a better present! Plus now that we've made it to the top ten, there will be goodies with every post!

#10

"Humbug"
Season 2, Episode 20

Mulder and Scully travel to Gibsonton, Florida, a town built and populated by circus and sideshow performers to investigate the death of Jerald Glazebrook, The Alligator Man. While searching for leads on the killer, the agents come across many bizarre characters including the local sheriff who was once known as Jim Jim, the Dog-Faced Boy. (from tv.com)

Why I love it: It's Darin Morgan's first script. It's also the first time X Files went into comedy. It's a wonderful premise. I have to admit that I find the treatment of the populous to be pretty sensitive. Which I find rather touching. The hotel manager little speeches to Mulder have plenty of zing. Doctor Blockhead and the Enigma are just off the wall. And the town of Gibsonton becomes a strange little world of it's own, by episodes end. One that's goofy, and spooky enough so your sad to leave by the end.

Quotable Quotes:
Sheriff Hamilton: This is Hepcat Helm. He operates a carnival funhouse.
Hepcat: Oh man, how many times have I told you not to call it that?! It's not some rinky-dink carnie ride! People go through it, they don't have FUN, they get the hell scared out of 'em! ... It's not a funhouse. It's a Tabernacle of Terror!

Lanny: Mister Nutt, the kindhearted manager here, convinced me that to make a living by publicly displaying my deformity lacked dignity... so now I carry other people's luggage.

Mr Nutt: Just because I'm not of so-called average height does not mean I must receive my thrills vicariously. Not all women are attracted to overly tall, lanky men such as yourself. You'd be surprised how many women find my size intriguingly alluring.
Mulder: You'd be surprised how many men do as well.

Check out the journal that inspiried my countdown here.

The Scientific Nature of the Whammy...

It's birthday season here, at This Side Up! one has to wonder why most babies are born in July. Most of my friends were born in either July or January, with a few smatterings, in those other months.

#11
"Pusher"
Season 3, Episode 17

Mulder and Scully pursue a terminally-ill psychopath who possesses the extraordinary ability to force his deadly will on others. With nothing to lose, the man makes a demented game out of his final days -- and the object of his last diversion is Mulder. (from the VHS tape)

Why I love it: This is a classic X File. It's got it all, a great baddie, suspense, mystery, and Mulder and Scully being kick ass investigators. I've been known to watch this one over and over again. Also the actor playing our psycho is so good, you want to spend the episode punching him in the face. Mulder and Scully are at their peak, a little flirty, with a whole lot of intellect. Plus they work so well with each other on this case. But the real reason I love this one so much. It's that stand-off at the end. I still freak out, even though I know how it ends. Turns out Fox (the broadcaster, not our beloved G-man) had told Carter that a stand off like that had never been done on TV before, thank god they kept it in. It scares me still.

Best Friends

Before we begin, I'd like to wish my friend Andrew a very happy birthday! There's been a tie here, I knew I couldn't leave either of these choices of the list, and I've got the top ten blocked out. So with out further ado...

#12
"Irresistible/Post-Modern Prometheus"
Season 2, Episode 13 & Season 5, Episode 6

"Irresistible": A mortuary worker who gets his thrills from collecting hair and fingernails from the dead begins killing people to expand his collection sets his seriously disturbed sights on Scully. (from tv.com)

"Post-Modern Prometheus": Filmed in glorious black and white with a comic book feel to it, this is a modern retelling of Frankenstein as Mulder and Scully get caught up in a town where the residents live on Jerry Springer episodes and fear a two-faced monster who has been impregnating their women. (also from tv.com)

Why I love "Irresistible": Donnie Phaster, has to be the scariest villain in the X Files universe, and this episode never fails to give me the heebie jeebies. The actor is way, way, way, too convincing as a death fetishist. (read: necrophiliac) That ending sequence with Scully still makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Plus seeing the character development, by the way Mulder and Scully both view the case, is an added bonus. Well done X-Files team, this is one episode viewers never forget.

Why I love "PMP": This one was just too quirky to leave off the list. Any episode that throws together "Frankenstein," Jerry Springer, Mulder, Scully and Cher. Gets major props in my book. I love that Chris Carter decided to film it in black and white, it looks beautiful. The episode is funny, and even a little touching, but it's mostly just weird. And I love it.

P.S. Both these episodes show the Mulder and Scully relationship at it's finest.

Poop Eaters Unite

Last night I had an Irish coffee, and a brownie sundae. Does this make me a bad person? I guess I believe in living large.

#13
"War of the Coprophages"
Season 3, Episode 12

Mulder while on vacation in the Vineyard finds the town on the brink of insanity due to killer cockroaches, he also finds a government experiment run a beautiful etymologist named Bambi.

Why I love it: Wow my description, makes it out to be way more serious then it actually is. A funny send up of our heroes, as well as Orison Wells's 'War of the Worlds." As only Darin Morgan could write it. I love the flashlight joke, the numerous phone calls. I love that the mystery of the cockroaches is never solved. Were they visitors from space, or was it just a series of eerie coincidences? I love that Scully's cool medical rationalizations or on display here, and Mulder is curious, and excitable, as all ways. I will admit the one thing that I don't love is the tension between Mulder and Scully. There was a lot bad vibes going between them at the beginning of season three, and this episode is no different. When Mulder tells Scully she smells bad at the end of the episode, I know it's mend to come off as a joke, but I cringe every time.

The Silent 'H'

Greetings readers, This Side Up! is coming at you from the wilds of New Hampshire. I'm here in tiny cottage, with a set of twins and a funnel faced dog. A situation comedy if I ever heard one. Speaking of which...

#14

"Small Potatoes"
Season 4, Episode 20

The true birth father of small-town babies born with vestigial tails turns out to be a chameleon-like man capable of impersonating anyone - including Mulder. (from the DVD slim pack)

Why I love it: It's a breath of fresh air. Season four is dark, there's an impending sense of death and doom in almost every episode; except for this one. A light hearted romp with Darin Morgan, (X Files writer extraordinaire) in a lead role. I'm sure David Duchovny loved playing Eddie VanBlundht, (the father of the tailed children, and the 'H' is silent) who in turn is trying to steal Mulder's identity. Play with his gun, fool around in the office, hook up with Scully. You know all the cool stuff that Mulder never does. It's a rather charming look at our two heroes, and it's fun. It's my father's favorite episode, thus far, and one that always gives me the giggles.

P.S. Does anyone else think the Silent H's would be an awesome band name?

P.P.S. Amanda Peet's hat & expression in that picture, makes me laugh really hard.

Roswell, 1947

True to form around here, you can never trust the weather, but yesterday was beautiful. And oh yeah...TWO WEEKS.

#15
"The Unnatural"
Season 6, Episode 20

Mulder meets with Agent Arthur Dales' brother also named Arthur! Who tells him a tale of a talented black baseball player from 1940's Roswell, New Mexico, an alien that ran away from his colony because of his love of the game. (from tv.com)

Why I love it: There are plenty of significant, nostalgic baseball flicks. But when you drop that formula into the X Files universe, and let David Duchovny take the reins, you've got something unique. This episode is fun and touching. Duchovny, not only directed but wrote the episode as well. I love the first scene between Mulder and Scully, their exchange is pure wit. And I can't help remembering, this is why I fell in love with these characters in the first place. The story is not a typical x file, there is no investigation, and Scully only appears at the beginning and end of the episode. The viewer and Mulder are being told a story, (yay story time!) So it's a totally different construction from other episodes. Musically the same is true, Mr. Mark Snow plays the blues, and at the end there's a spiritual playing. This is a big shake up from the usual avant-garde electronica. I'm trying not to get too attached to it. Plus who doesn't love the ending? Be still my shippy heart. My only sadness with this episode is the original actor Darren McGavin (who played Arthur Dales in previous episodes of the X Files) could not complete his role in this episode, due to illness. You can see the two scenes he did complete, on the Season six DVD set. It's a great performance, and I have to say McGavin does a much better job then his replacement.

God is in My Head

Today is one of those beautiful days of epic proportions, I need to rush this entry so I can go lay in the grass.

#16

"All Souls"
Season 5, Episode 17

Mulder and Scully investigate a girls death, who seems to have been struck down by the hand of God.

Why I love it: It's another Scully-centric episode for one. It's also like the twenty-fifth entry of the countdown, a story that is based on a cultural source. A little book called the bible, you may have heard of it. Now there a plenty of biblical stories, that need to be to be taken with a pillar of salt, my mother is sceptical about turning water into wine, while my father always wonders how Jesus could have addressed crowds of ten thousand people, without some kind of PA system, (oh microphone salesman, of little faith). This episode highlights Scully's own scepticism with her faith, after the loss of her daughter Emily. I remember watching this episode, at a friends house right before we had to go to our high school graduation rehearsal. You can picture my friend and I parked in front of the TV, in our caps and gowns, with her mother calling it us that we should be thinking of leaving. We eventually did, after the episode was over. This episode works well in a lot of different ways. Gillian Anderson is great. (as always!) I really like the confession booth scenes. (maybe I'm just a sucker for those kind of character expositions) The case is also cool, and I like that twist at the end. You maybe a little at sea if you haven't seen other episodes in season five, but i don't think that should stop you from seeing this little gem.

P.S. Does anyone know if Mulder is mispronouncing Schizophrenia when interrogating Father McCue? That's always bugged me, because he an Oxford educated psychologist, so maybe it's the scientific pronunciation? Does anyone know?

Into Darkness

Wow I way over-slept this morning, I usually like to post early so I am sorry for the lateness.

#17
"Unruhe"
Season 4, Episode 2

To catch a twisted killer, Mulder and Scully attempt to decipher the clues he unwittingly leaves behind - psychic photographs revealing his darkest fantasies and fears. (from the DVD slim pack)

Why I love it: Short answer it's freakin' scary. The case definitely feels like something you could have read in the newspaper at one time. Another reason Pruitt Taylor Vince who plays our killer, is way too convincing in his role. I think that the Emmys should have made a category "Actors who play killers on the X Files and are way too convincing" Trust me there would have been a huge pool of eligible performers.

P.S. If anyone can tell me what other X Files Episode(s) the actor who plays Officer Trott is in, I will love you forever. It's been driving me up the wall!

Lovers

Yesterday was beautiful, today is gray and icky. Go figure! But at least today I'll have less distraction from the blog, and from reading. I should probably clean too, but I think that's asking too much. Maybe the sun will come back out...

#18
"all things"
Season 7, Episode 17

A series of coincidences puts Scully in contact with someone from her past, causing her to question her romantic and professional choices. (From the DVD slim pack)

Why I love it: Let me say I don't love it just because of something that is implied in the very beginning of the episode. But now is a good time to say the Mulder and Scully relationship is what makes the X Files so interesting to me. Sure everything the writing, stories, and production are all top notch. But Mulder and Scully are what make it special. So yes, I'm announcing here on my blog, I am an avid shipper! Anywho back to "all things." This one is Gillian Anderson's (Scully) writing and direction debut, and I think it's nice. I love the percussive beat that, manifests through-out the episode. It's a nice effect. Also the richness, and colour in the picture also a plus. Plot wise it's slow, but it's all based on Scully, so I like that. I will say that after Chris Carter who invented the character, I would trust Anderson to to write something that stayed true to Scully. After all she's only played her for seven years. So yes, I found the story both interesting and believable. I liked the Buddhist undertones, and of course I also loved Mulder and Scully together. ;-)

Woohoo! I just got the "X-Files Revelations" DVD in the mail today! Excuse me while I go watch.

The Hand That Wounds

Yesterday, I was with an old friend, and his vast collection of very old things. He loves 60's garage and psych as he calls it, so I spend the day watching "Vertigo," and playing electric guitars that look like they could short circuit at any moment. Good times, good times.

#19
"Die Hand Die Verletzt"
Episode 14, Season 2

The ritualistic murder of a teenager in a small town gets Mulder and Scully caught up in a secret occult practice within the local school's PTA, and a substitute teacher with strange powers. (From tv.com)

Why I love it: I think this is one of the first X Files VHS tapes I took out of the library, that really got me started. This episode is sort of tongue and cheek, but still manages to have some good scares as well. Some parts make you laugh, (frogs w/o parachutes) while others make you really upset (a girl recalling abuse at the hands of her step-father). It sort of runs the gamut, of emotion, and at times your not sure if it is comedy or tragedy. All and all, it's not the most greatest of x files, (it doesn't quite stick with you, like the best of them do) but I enjoy it for sentimental reasons.

My Hippie Half's, Favorite Episode

It's a beautiful morning here at This Side Up! hq. Just thought I would mention that.

#20
"Field Trip"
Season 6, Episode 21

A mystery involving two skeletons leads our agents on a journey, in which nothing is quite as it seems. (from the DVD slim pack)

Why I love it: This one's far out there, even by X Files standards. If you thought it couldn't get any weirder, then say, aliens playing for minor league baseball teams, or escaped convicts that can nakedly, pass through solid objects; think again. This story takes so many, crazy turns you don't know what to think, until the very end. Now I've always had a fascination with mind altering substances that is, purely academic. (Scout's honour!) So I love it when they get treatment in film, and they work so well in the X-Files universe. (hmmm I wonder why...) This one's a good one, three cheers to the X-Files writing staff on this one. Who knows what they were smoking.

Natural Born Killers

Twenty more days till X Files: I Want to Believe...Are you excited yet?

#21
"Aubrey"
Season 2, Episode 12

Mulder and Scully question a detective who discovered the forty year old skeleton of an FBI agent, in a dream. Finding that the agent's remains fit the profile of a recent homicide. Mulder and Scully are drawn further into the case, and make an incredible discovery.

Why I love it: It's a great X-File. The acting is well done, and the questions the episode raises, are very interesting. It certainly takes the argument of nature, versus nurture to a whole new level. It also it more sensitive then most, focusing less on the gore, and more on the the psychology of the story. There's no bang, bang shoot 'um scenes, no explosions, it's a lot of character study, and the mystery with it's twists, and turns, is awesome. I loved watching Scully and BJ's (the mentioned detective) interactions. I feel like they made a connection, two women in law enforcement, and this makes the ending, for me, all the more tragic. This one's a must see of season two.


I did not make that ürber cool X-Files poster. It was found by Frankburnsflagg on xfilesultimate.com. If anybody has any information on the maker, I'd be glad to post it.

Happy 4th Everybody

It's an Independence day here in the states, and you know what that means. Time to eat barbecue till you explode, and drink beer till you pass out. It's the American way! No, that's not what it's all about. Just eighty-five percent of it, the other fifteen is celebrating freedom, fireworks, and our heroes. Which brings us to three of my favorite heroes from the X-Files universe.

#22
"Three of a Kind"
Episode 19, Season, 6

The Lone Gunmen infiltrate a defence contractors' conference in Las Vegas. There they encounter Susanne Modeski a scientist who was kidnapped by government operatives ten years ago; and was responsible for bringing the Gunmen together.

Why I love it: WOOHOOO! The Lone Gunmen, and an episode all about them. I'm a big fan, and although these episodes signify that one of our principle actors with be missing, in this case Duchovny. They're usually pretty fun, and this one's just plain crazy. There's no real X-file here, but TLG call Scully in anyway, as to have their own government badass to go against those surrounding Modeski, and also to autopsy a fellow nerd who got hit by a bus. Scully while working is injected with AH gas, (developed by Modeski, and stolen, unbeknownst to her) after she discovers something about said nerd. The gas isn't without it's side effects, and in Scully's case they're hilarious. She acts like she's on some combo of ether, and speed, and Gillian Anderson looks like she's having way too much fun with it. High Scully is my favorite part, but the friendship between our three heroes, and the suspense of the story are highlights as well. There's also a plot here, that makes the whole story fall together. But I can't really recall it, due to intense laughter.

A New Beginning

Before we get to the countdown, I'd like to give a big hearty thank you to xfilesnews.com. These guys have been keeping Philes, in the know for months now. They've also totally revamped their website, and it looks great. Some body's been working awfully hard, I for one, am totally grateful. I love you XFN...and I also love you...

#23
"Requiem"
Season 7, Episode 22

Mulder and Scully head to Bellefleur, Oregon. The site of their very first x-file seven years ago. Scully's health begins to go south, and Mulder makes a discovery, that may end their partnership, for good.

Why I love it: Because it's great! Thanks for reading! No, I kid. The mythology (alien) episodes have lost a lot of ground since season five. "Requiem" is an attempt to bring mythology back to the foreground and it works. Taking Mulder and Scully back to the location of the "Pilot" episode, with all the original actors it a stroke of genius on Chris Carter's part. Not only is it a big wink to the long term fans, but it also adds realism to the show, which heightens the scare. This piece is a good set-up for season eight. It puts all the pieces in place, staying true to all the character building, we've seen in the latest non-mythology episodes. Scully's more willing to believe, Mulder is no longer blinded by his quest, and...are they opening up to each other?! Cuddling?! Unbelievable! We've come a long way baby! Speaking of babies...the ending of this episode, always makes my chin quiver. Which is just another reason it's on the list.

Partners

It's a beautiful sunny day here, which is a welcome break from all the thunder storms we've been having here as of late. And this will segue way into are gray and rainy pick for...

#24

"Elegy"
Season 4, Episode 22

Mulder and Scully investigate a visionary encounter with a murder victim's ghost. Soon coming to suspect a severely autistic man named Harold Spüller. When the murder becomes a serial incident, and Spüller connection becomes less insidious. Scully sees a victim's ghost, causing a horrifying personal revelation.

Why I love it: It's an often forgotten, but important piece in the forth season story arch. Dealing directly with Dana Scully cancer. It also delves into her relationship with Mulder by exploring her loyalty to his cause, despite her illness. The plot sets up an atmosphere of dread. When Mulder theorizes that these encounters with ghosts, maybe because the seers themselves are terminally ill. I yelled at Mulder, (with an intensity, I usually reserve for slasher movie victims who beeline into the woods,) because of what that means for Scully. She is seriously shaken up, and so am I. Also ending the episode with Scully still telling Mulder about her vision, and him getting so upset, about her hiding it from him. This shows what is so compelling and at the same time, so frustrating about their relationship. She will die for Mulder, but she won't let him care for her. This episode packs a bigger wallop with each viewing, making me wonder why it doesn't get more recognition.

P.S. I also love that this episode goes behind the alleys at the bowlerama, haven't you always wondered what's back there?

The Countdown Begins

In honour of the July 25th release date of the X-Files: I Want to Believe, I'm counting down my top twenty-five episodes, with mini reviews form the nine year run of the television series. Starting with...

25

"The Gift"
Season 8, Episode 11

I'm probably going to catch a little hell, from other Philes, for promoting this one; but I'll give you my reasons. The plot involves newly assigned X-Files agent John Doggett discovering Mulder's involvement in a case, that Mulder has kept hidden from Scully, (gasp!) and also possibly indicts Mulder as a murderer (mon dieu!) Further investigation by Doggett, leads him out of his comfort zone, and up to his tushy in paranormal alligators, so to speak.

Why I love it: I loved it from the moment I saw the bloody circle with the cross though it, and instantly recognized the Lakota medicine wheel. (And I'm sure that pointing out this detail, has elevated me, from the run of the mill X-Phile nerd, to the know it all dork, who keeps wondering where all those "kick me" signs are coming from.) Maybe this is because I've spent sometime on the Lakota Sioux, Rez and and am familiar with the story. Which makes me love the fact that it was given an X-Files treatment. I adore it when fiction borrows from culture sources, the more obscure, and quirky the better. Especially if I get it.
I love the visual treatment our healer is given, and I won't give away the plot details, for those who haven't seen it. But be warned, it's not for the squeamish. I also love the added mystery, of trying to figure out what kind of trouble Mulder's gotten himself into this time, told partly through flashbacks. It's a risky move, and despite some problems, (mostly with the long term story arch, and mostly this is a problem only for the Philes) I think it's pulled off well. It's of course, not without it's flaws, but if you don't worry too much about the details, and take it as a stand alone story. It's definitely worth a gander.

And just for clarification an X-Phile or Phile is a fan of the highest classification. Someone who knows all the characters names, birthdays, and SSI numbers. We are often characterized by are bad hair, and willingness to believe.