X-files Surprise!
Posted by xParesh@reddit | Xennials | View on Reddit | 24 comments
So I was just getting through my X-files episodes this weekend the way God intended, on VHS cassette on my CRT when I suddenly opened up the Patient X tape to find it included an unopened pack of three special edition postcards!
Apparently they even made an X-files movie that was in cinemas from August 1998.
Was that movie any good and do you have any particular favourite X-files Season and episode yourself that I should pick up?
GetrIndia@reddit
Definitely watch the first movie if you haven't, fits between season five and six. It's solid in my opinion. The other movie is a shitshow.
xParesh@reddit (OP)
There was another movie after this? That suggest this one was at least good enough to warrant a follow up.
plac3b0guy@reddit
The second movie was putrid.. Like watching the fourth Matrix movie
cheerful_cynic@reddit
Like literally every recent "one more sequel" committee selected juice-squeeze attempt they've been fobbing off on us lately. Ghostbusters, the matrix, Indiana Jones, Beetlejuice.
Once more, xfiles way ahead of it's time
GetrIndia@reddit
The other one is from 2008. It's kinda standalone. No overarching theme, kinda boring to be honest.
jessek@reddit
Heh. I remember being pumped for a new X-Files movie thinking it would continue the plot of the tv show. Nope! It was just some crap about a serial killer.
GetrIndia@reddit
And some pedo priests.
jessek@reddit
Yeah it makes me wonder if it was a modified existing screenplay. That happens more than you’d think, Die Hard With a Vengeance was originally a Lethal Weapon sequel screenplay
xParesh@reddit (OP)
I do remember reading in magazines (because the internet wasn't really there yet) that Chris Carter was under a lot of pressure and struggling to write the show. It just took off so fast and he was pretty much overwhelmed by the demands.
I'm pretty sure me and my school buddies were just expecting these late 90s TV to theatre transitions to be just a feature length TV show with higher production values.
jessek@reddit
This one came out in 2008, years after the series ended. You’d think it’d have tried to tie up some of the plot threads from the show. But nope, totally unrelated story.
Jupitersd2017@reddit
For sure watch the movie, there are several of them.
happy_snowy_owl@reddit
The movie is a disappointment. It's like an overly long episode and the fact that it doesn't stand alone is a huge flaw.
MrThouu@reddit
Hey this guy isn't one of us! This isn't an 'apparently', this is core Xennial knowledge!
/s
xParesh@reddit (OP)
I'm still trying to find my way back to the series although my memory is misty ;(
I did love seeing Richard "Ringo" Langly's performance as one of the lone gunmen although he never quite hit his peak performance as Garth in Wayne's World.
MrThouu@reddit
CrushyOfTheSeas@reddit
Yeah, watch the movie. It fills in some answers to things that were seemingly left hanging earlier.
xParesh@reddit (OP)
Yeah, so I just started up the VHS for Patient X and it started with a trailer for the movie!
It definitely looks a lot higher budget than the TV show but a lot of TV shows were making their way from the small screen to the big screen. I wonder whether the X-Files movies managed to carry that across
anon1984@reddit
It was much higher budget and pretty good. If you like the show you’ll like the movie. If you watched the movie without watching the show a lot of it will fly over your head.
SadAcanthocephala521@reddit
How have you never seen the movies? yes, there were two. The first one was pretty good the second one was meh. The first one directly ties in with the main storyline so you have to watch it between seasons 5 and 6.
NoContextCarl@reddit
The movie was definitely worth a watch. Can't recall if I saw in theaters or not, but worth it if you enjoy the series. I think I still have my Songs In The Key of X soundtrack somewhere too.
Celestial-Spell@reddit
whoa that's like finding a hidden treasure in your own stuff!
xParesh@reddit (OP)
I know right?!
Even the tape is in absolute pristine condition like it has never actually been played and fully rewound to the beginning.
VHS tapes these days are very hit and miss but this one looks practically brand new despite being 28 years old
YourGuyK@reddit
Yes, the movie is almost required to finish the show.
That said, the way God intended X-Files to be watched is on TV live, and you'll never know what's going on if you missed a week or two in the later seasons.
xParesh@reddit (OP)
You're also in the UK and a 79'er too so you'll remember it was originally on BBC2 on a school nights super later when it was just getting started as some random American TV show. I was never allowed to stay up that late so I had to set the VCR to record it.
Then before going to school I'd check the VCR to see if it has managed to record the show.
I learnt the hard way that one must set it to record 30 mins before and 30 mins after the scheduled time because in those ungodly hours they would play the show with a huge margin of error so you might start the tape to see the whole intro section missed being recorded or the super important but at the end!
No internet to tell you what you missed. You just had to live with the pain of never knowing.