The Bottom Line
Pros
- Good representative sample of episodes
Cons
- Pointless
Description
- Starring David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Mitch Pileggi
- Directed by various
- Not rated
- DVD Release Date: July 8, 2008
Guide Review - 'X-Files Revelations' DVD Review
The Episodes
In preparation for The X-Files: I Want to Believe, 20th Century Fox has released this collection of eight episodes of the TV show handpicked by series creator Chris Carter and executive producer Frank Spotnitz as "essential viewing" for those who want to "fully experience" the film.
To me, this implies that this DVD set includes information to help us sift through the notoriously dense plotlines that began in the show and might presumably continue in the new movie. However, when you watch the video introductions from Carter and Spotnitz, they specify that this is actually a collection that merely exemplifies the cross-section of episodes in the series. (And in fact, the movie is a one-off that doesn't tie into the ongoing plotlines.) Translation: this is a way to squeeze money out of fanboys hoping to cull some scant bit of info on the movie.
That said, Fox's ploy doesn't detract from the quality of the episodes chosen. They represent the full spectrum of the show's wonderful range, from the deadly serious pilot to comedic episodes like "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" and the hilarious "Bad Blood" to "mythology episodes" like "Memento Mori" (which delves into the show's ongoing alien conspiracy) to dramatic episodes like "Beyond the Sea" to one-off "monster episodes" like "The Host" to high-concept fare like the black-and-white Frankenstein spoof "Post-Modern Prometheus."
In the process, we get to see the elements and characters that we came to love: the alien abductions, the Deep Throat-y contacts, the deadpan deliveries, the Cigarette Smoking Man, the Lone Gunmen and the self-aware sense of humor. As entertaining as it all is, though, don't expect any real "revelations."
The DVD
Special features include video introductions, a WonderCon panel discussion and a trailer for The X-Files: I Want to Believe.
Episodes: B
DVD: D+
