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A hundred years later, the sequence still radiates an otherworldly aura: a man wearing a porkpie hat walks down the aisle of a movie theater, steps up onto the stage, and slips into the motion picture screen. The film we have been watching — a conventional enough story of a boy who loses his girl due to a dumb misunderstanding — flows fluidly into another cinematic realm, where the boy is a brilliant detective who outwits the bad guys, solves the crime, and gets the girl. One Hollywood fantasy is switched for a more beguiling Hollywood fantasy.

The film, of course, is Sherlock Jr. (1924), directed by and starring Buster Keaton, the greatest of all silent film comedian-auteurs. (Team Chaplin is welcome to dissent.) It is the usual Keaton concoction of ingenious gags, trick photography and jaw-dropping stunt work, but the film, true to its name, is also an investigation into the role...

The one fatal mistake that most TV shows make is using TV cameos gratuitously. If the cameo doesn't mean something to the audience and the characters in the show, it's pointless, and little more than a random Stan Lee Appears gag.

On the other hand, too many shows have fallen into the trap of celebrity worship with their cameos.

Having cast members gawk and gape at their celebrity crush as if to reinforce the celebrity's prestige while doing nothing for the universe we enjoy is a waste of talent.

For this list of the top TV cameos worth celebrating, we will focus on iconic cameo appearances that gave the show some unforgettable moments that made TV history.

Seinfeld Cast, Curb Your Enthusiasm

What better way to give Seinfeld the better ending many feel it deserved than by bringing back the cast and the original set and doing a bit of self-parody?...

Any Buster Keaton movie is a feast of visual invention and breakneck energy -- to the point of wondering if some of the performers ever broke their necks -- which is part of why they continue to hold up, even in the 21st century. To see the man in his prime is to see a true death-defier, one who braved the wilderness that was the world of early cinema and conquered it with grace and fearlessness.

In his 1926 film "The General," Keaton gave audiences what they wanted in the form of a chaotic romp and unpredictable stunts. He also delivered spectacle, with an episode of Civil War history that he could shape into a classic Buster Keaton experience. Keaton's movie was like the 19th-century equivalent of the post-apocalyptic car chase of "Mad Max: Fury Road," as director George Miller readily admits. Rather than futuristic, modded vehicles, it's a movie of trains,...

Creating timeless comedies is a truly remarkable accomplishment for filmmakers. It’s no secret that all movie genres have the potential to age poorly, but comedy, especially, has an expiration date due to its contextual and individualistic nature. What’s funny today might not make sense in the future, and what tickles some people may leave others cold.

When it comes to picking the best comedy movies of all time, durability must be taken into account. How well does this film hold up now? Will it still be hilarious years from now?

After intense research, we’ve found the ten highest-rated comedy films that represent laugh-out-loud hilarity and will stand the test of time. We can’t guarantee these will elicit uproarious laughter from everyone – then again, if they don’t…maybe you should take a step back and reassess your comedic sensibilities – or at least vote for your favorite comedy on IMDb.

"The X-Files" followed FBI Special Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully as they handled a wide range of bizarre, disturbing, and unexplained cases that often feature supernatural and otherworldly elements. So much of the strength of the show came from the perfect casting of its leads: David Duchovny is wonderful as the conspiracy theory-obsessed Mulder, always ready to attribute the mysterious cases to uncanny causes; Gillian Anderson was equally delightful as the skeptical Scully, generally fueled by her attachment to the scientific method.

"The X-Files" is one of the most defining TV shows of the 1990s, and for good reason. While much of the show was serious and suspenseful, its creators weren't afraid to take chances and incorporate more whimsical and comedic elements, often to great effect. Over the course of 11 "X-Files" seasons and two movies, the franchise has had its share of disappointing moments. However, it has had far more highs than lows,...

You’re Telling Me!/Man on the Flying Trapeze

Blu ray

Kino Lorber

1934, 1935 / 1.33 : 1 / 67, 65 Min.

Starring W.C. Fields, Kathleen Howard, Adrienne Ames

Written by W.C. Fields, Walter DeLeon, Sam Hardy

Directed by Erle C. Kenton, Clyde Bruckman

Paramount Pictures presents a grudge match for the ages, W.C. Fields vs. The World. Headlining the bill are two of the combative comedian’s most raucous comedies—as examples of the fine art of filmmaking the movies are merely serviceable, but for connoisseurs of rough and tumble humor, they’re unbeatable. In You’re Telling Me!, Fields plays Sam Bisbee, a working stiff with nearsighted visions of glory. In Man on the Flying Trapeze, Fields is Ambrose Wolfinger; timid bookkeeper and zealous wrestling fan. Both men are cut from the same cloth; small town dreamers whose bumbling behavior obscures their heroic nature—they may be down for the count but they will prevail.

The November 2020 lineup for The Criterion Channel has been unveiled, toplined by a Claire Denis retrospective, including the brand-new restoration of Beau travail, along with Chocolat, No Fear, No Die, Nenette and Boni, Towards Mathilde, 35 Shots of Rum, and White Material.

There will also be a series celebrating 30 years of The Film Foundation, featuring a new interview with Martin Scorsese by Ari Aster, as well as a number of their most essential restorations, including films by Jia Zhangke, Ritwik Ghatak, Luchino Visconti, Shirley Clarke, Med Hondo, and more.

There’s also David Lynch’s new restoration of The Elephant Man, retrospectives dedicated to Ngozi Onwurah, Nadav Lapid, and Terence Nance, a new edition of the series Queersighted titled Queer Fear, featuring a new conversation between series programmer Michael Koresky and filmmaker and critic Farihah Zaman, and much more.

See the lineup below and learn more on the official site.

October 13, 2020 marks the 25th anniversary of one of the most iconic “The X-Files” episodes of all time, “Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose.” Written by Darin Morgan and directed by David Nutter, this darkly humorous episode focuses on guest star Peter Boyle as the titular life insurance salesman who can predict how people will die. It originally aired October 13, 1995 on Fox as the fourth episode of Season 3. (See all Morgan-penned episodes below in our photo gallery.) The episode went on to win two Emmy Awards: Best Drama Guest Actor for Boyle and Best Drama Writing for Morgan.

See‘The X-Files’: We rank the Top 10 monsters from worst to best, including Flukeman and Eugene Victor Tooms

In the 45-minute entry, FBI agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) meet Bruckman during their investigation into a series of murders of fortune tellers and psychics. The lonely man eventually helps them catch the serial killer,...

Buster Keaton’s first full feature is a real accomplishment, a little masterpiece that deftly balances comedy and drama. Buster’s star appeal is on full display as an 1830 lad who returns to the hill country to resettle the old homestead and lands in the middle of a murderous feud — with the girl he loves on the other side. It’s an historically sensitive, hilarious comedy, with a hair-raising waterfall stunt set-piece for a finale.

Our Hospitality

Blu-ray

Kino Classics

1923 / B&w / 1:33 Silent Ap. / 75 min. / Street Date October 15, 2019 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95

Starring: Buster Keaton, Natalie Talmadge, Joe Roberts, Monte Collins, Kitty Bradbury, Joe Keaton.

Cinematography: Gordon Jennings, Elgin Lessley

2019 Music Score by: Robert Israel

Written by Jean C. Havez, Clyde Bruckman, Joseph A. Mitchell

Produced by Joseph M. Schenck

Directed by Jack Blystone, Buster Keaton

Our Hospitality shows Buster Keaton coming into his own, as a comic genius...

This month marks the 25th anniversary of one of the most iconic “The X-Files” episodes of all time, “Humbug.” Written by Darin Morgan and directed by the late Kim Manners, this episode about a series of murders in a circus town originally aired March 31, 1995 on Fox. It was the first hour that perfectly blended horror with comedy, a combination fans later saw in such Morgan-penned episodes as “Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose,” “War of the Coprophages” and “Jose Chung’s From Outer Space.” (See all Darin Morgan episodes below in our photo gallery.)

See‘The X-Files’: We rank the Top 10 monsters from worst to best, including Flukeman and Eugene Victor Tooms

Throughout “Humbug,” FBI agents Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) bicker about what’s really causing the murders in town. Mulder thinks it’s the fabled Fiji mermaid, which Scully believes is nothing but a hoax. Scully is eventually proven correct,...

In his day Buster Keaton’s popularity trailed that of Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd, but now those reputations have switched around. These two ‘lesser’ Keaton features generate more sheer fun than anything going. Seven Chances and Battling Butler are great on remastered Blu-ray — better materials, no missing frames — but do yourself a favor and find a way to see a Keaton picture with a big audience!

Seven Chances & Battling Butler: The Buster Keaton Collection Volume 3

Blu-ray

Cohen Film Collection

Street Date August 20, 2019 / 29.98

Original Music composed and Conducted by Robert Israel

Produced by Joseph M. Schenck

Starring, and Directed by Buster Keaton

Seven Chances

1925 / B&w + Color / 1:37 Silent Ap / 56 min.

Starring: Buster Keaton, Snitz Edwards, Ruth Dwyer, T, Roy Barnes, Jean Arthur, Constance Talmadge.

Cinematography: Elgin Lessley, Byron Houck

Art Direction: Fred Gabourie

Written by Clyde Bruckman, Jean Havez, Joseph Mitchell from a play by Roi Cooper Megrue

Directed...

The 2018 season of Fox’s “The X-Files” — the second of the revival and 11th overall — is staging a spooky Emmy campaign for five of its cast members. Leads David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are of course back on the Emmy ballot as FBI Special Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. Duchovny previously earned two nominations (1997-98) for the original run of “The X-Files,” while Anderson received four bids (1996-99) and won the 1998 Emmy for Best Drama Actress. This time around they’re joined by three of this season’s standout guest stars: Karin Konoval (“Plus One”), Haley Joel Osment (“Kitten”) and Fiona Vroom (“Nothing Lasts Forever”).

See‘The X-Files’ Season 11 finale: Are you happy with Gillian Anderson’s tearful goodbye as Scully? [Poll]

Character actress Konoval, who was one of our Emmy spotlights in January, played no less than four characters in Episode 6: Little Judy Poundstone, her twin brother Little Chucky Poundstone,...

After playing FBI Agent Dana Scully on “The X-Files” for 25 years, Gillian Anderson finally said goodbye during Wednesday’s Season 11 finale. Scully’s final scene played out on a dock with longtime partner Fox Mulder (David Duchovny). After seeing their son William (Miles Robbins) gunned down by the Cigarette-Smoking Man (William B. Davis), an emotional Scully confessed that Mulder wasn’t actually William’s father. When Mulder asked, “What am I now if I’m not a father?” Scully revealed that he still was a father … because she was pregnant. Are you happy with Anderson’s exit on “The X-Files”? Vote now in our poll below.

See ‘The X-Files’: Darin Morgan episodes through the years include ‘Clyde Bruckman,’ ‘Jose Chung’ and …

“You are a father,” Scully whispered as she held Mulder’s hand against her stomach.

“That’s impossible,” Mulder replied, no doubt referring to the fact that she was barren.

In true “The X-Files” fashion, Wednesday’s Season 11 finale is not going to be wrapped up with a pretty little bow. “Hope you tune in tonight for the cliffiest of all hangers,” cast member David Duchovny teased on Instagram. “Thank you to all the fans, old and new, for finding us, sticking by us for these 11 seasons, 2 movies, and 25 years. I don’t know what’s next, but this one’s for you.” What do You think this cliffhanger might be? Give us your theories down in the comments section.

See ‘The X-Files’: Darin Morgan episodes through the years include ‘Clyde Bruckman,’ ‘Jose Chung’ and …

Duchovny included a side-by-side photo in his post showing how his character, FBI Agent Fox Mulder, has aged over the past 25 years. (See the Instagram post below.) On the left, a picture of Mulder in the Season 11 finale. On the right, a screenshot from the pilot episode,...

Did “The X-Files” just set up Gillian Anderson‘s exit from the show she’s starred on for 11 seasons as FBI Agent Dana Scully? At the end of Wednesday’s episode, titled “Nothing Lasts Forever,” Scully whispered something to David Duchovny‘s Fox Mulder while praying in a church. “That’s my leap of faith forward,” she told him after whispering the ominous comment into his ear. “And I’d like to do it together.”

See ‘The X-Files’: Darin Morgan episodes through the years include ‘Clyde Bruckman,’ ‘Jose Chung’ and …

Mulder at first appeared caught off-guard by her words, then finally replied, “I’ve always wondered how this was gonna end.” As “Nothing Lasts Forever” was the last episode before next week’s Season 11 finale, it only makes sense that whatever Scully whispered to Mulder will be important to Scully’s endgame on the long-running series.

Earlier in the...

TV critics are so head over heels with Season 11 of “The X-Files” that it was just certified fresh at review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes. That means the season has a score of 75% or higher after a set amount of reviews, including five from their Top Critics. In fact, Season 11 has an average rating of 82% so far, eclipsing the 64% score for 2016’s uneven Season 10 revival. Among the many accolades, Gillian Anderson is being heralded for her “truly dynamite performance” as FBI Agent Dana Scully. Do you agree with critics that “The X-Files” is better than ever?

Anderson got to show her acting chops in last week’s fifth episode, titled “Ghouli,” as Scully cried over the dead body of a young man that she believed to be her son, William. Fans also saw a softer side of Anderson’s longtime partner in crime David Duchovny (FBI Agent Fox Mulder) in the...

X-Files Recap is a weekly column by Keith Uhlich covering Chris Carter's 10-episode continuation of the X-Files television series.Some late-night chatter overheard at a diner: “The world’s gone mad…” says Martin (Dan Zukovic), a man of wild stare and clammy brow. “…because Martians have invaded, but nobody seems to care!” The eatery’s owner, Buddy (Alex Diakun), tries to calm the guy down with a bit of coffee and straight talk, but Martin—convinced that these extraterrestrial invaders are using some kind of mind-erasing laser gun—isn’t having it. His paranoia is soon proven true, since Martin turns out to be one of the bulbous-headed, multi-appendage aliens and Buddy is actually Satan himself. (What a twist!) But just before the big reveal, a fearful Martin points down the counter, right at the camera—at us, the audience, watching. “There! I just saw one!” he says, “Outside through that window!

The 11th season of “The X-Files” continued Wednesday night on Fox with acclaimed Emmy-winning writer Darin Morgan‘s latest episode, titled “The Lost Art of Forehead Sweat.” In the hour, Special Agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) explored the Mandela Effect, where the memories of large groups of people inexplicably differed on certain details, like as if they were remembering an alternative history without even realizing it. They encountered hilariously sweaty Reggie (Brian Huskey) in their investigation, and in doing so, Mulder and Scully found out how the X-Files might really have originated.

What did we think of the episode overall? In our new video recap (watch above), senior editors Marcus James Dixon, Rob Licuria and Daniel Montgomery dish the highs and lows of Season 11, Episode 4, written and directed by Darin Morgan.

See ‘The X-Files’: Darin Morgan episodes through the years include ‘Clyde Bruckman,’ ‘Jose...

So far, in my opinion, The X-Files Season 11 has been awesome, but it looks like the best is yet to come! Fox has released a mid-season trailer that gives us an extended look at the upcoming episodes including the episode that aired last night. Things certainly look like they are going to get crazy!

Last night's episode was called “The Lost Art of Forehead Sweat” and it was written and directed by Darin Morgan, who also wrote fan-favorite episodes “Jose Chung’s From Outer Space” and “Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose.” Here's the description:

“Exploring the idea of The Mandela Effect, in which large groups of people remember an alternate history, Mulder and Scully learn how The X-Files themselves may have originated.”

The trailer also shows us footage from Episode 11.05, which is titled "Ghouli". It was written and directed by James Wong:

“When a pair of teenage girls attack one another,...

[Editor’s note: Spoilers follow for “The X-Files” Season 11, Episode 4, “The Lost Art of Forehead Sweat.”]

Previously, on “The X-Files”…

FBI Agents Mulder and Scully make a living investigating weird phenomena for the FBI. Sometimes, the cases they investigate are super-serious and sad. And then sometimes, they’re just a bit wackadoo.

This Week’s Dossier

Mulder and Scully, just living their lives, are confronted by a stranger (played by erstwhile TV guest star Brian Huskey) who literally likes being led off in a straightjacket because he crazy. But he also might be onto the fact that the X-Files have been a conspiracy, this whole time, to suppress the truth about…him, at least. But is Reggie Something — okay, nee Reginald Murgatroid — actually a former soldier, CIA operative, and FBI agent who worked on the X-Files in its earliest days? Or is he a crackpot who just happens to have evidence of the X-Files tapping into...

Chris Longo Jan 25, 2018

In a comedy episode of The X-Files season 11, memory is under attack. Spoilers ahead in our review...

This review contains spoilers.

See related Legends Of Tomorrow season 3 episode 8 review: Crisis On Earth-x Part 4 Legends Of Tomorrow season 3 episode 9 review: Beebo The God Of War

11.4 The Lost Art Of Forehead Sweat

For a show that spent ample time attempting to uncover the truth, the past often took a backseat to fighting the future in The X-Files. You know the drill. Evidence goes missing. Unsubstantiated reports are filed. Multiple accounts of the same event are unreliable at best. At worst? Someone or something could be running interference with a witness’s memory. If the series dwelled on unsolved phenomena instead of moving along to bigger, more important subject matter, Mulder and Scully would still be in the woods hunting for the Jersey Devil.

By definition, the truth has to be out there,...

Ladies and flukemen, The X-Files‘ Darin Morgan has done it again.

The sci-fi drama scribe/director/producer’s latest alien offering, Wednesday’s “The Lost Art of Forehead Sweat” episode, takes on the concept of manipulated memories — remember the whole Berenstein/Berenstain Bears parallel universe thing a few years back? — and skewers the existence of a post-truth society, all while managing to slot in some very funny (and wildly altered) clips from the series’ original run.

We couldn’t wait to break down the hour with the Guy man himself, but first, a brief recap:

A mysterious man contacts Mulder...

You bet your blankety-blank bleep that Wednesday’s all-new episode of “The X-Files” was written and directed by fan-favorite Darin Morgan. In honor of the occasion, it’s the perfect time to look back at all of the auteur’s episodes through the years. Morgan’s quirky style is one of a kind on the show, and he was even rewarded with an Emmy in 1996 for writing the Season 3 classic “Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose.” Despite his renowned reputation among fans, Morgan has only written six episodes of “The X-Files,” just a drop in the bucket when you consider there’s been more than 200 (and counting). Click through our photo gallery above to see all of Morgan’s “The X-Files” episodes, or read the descriptions below.

“Humbug” — Season 2, Episode 20 — March 31, 1995

Set in the world of a traveling carnival, “Humbug” was Morgan’s first solo script after previously receiving a “story...

The X-Files is going absurdly funny, again, and taking on "fake news." In "The Lost Art of Forehead Sweat," an episode written and directed by Darin Morgan, Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) explore The Mandela Effect. The Mandela Effect is when large groups of people remember an alternate history. In The X-Files' case, this involves guest star Brian Huskey (as Reggie Something) and the duo exploring the history of their investigations. It's a wonderfully bizarre tale from the man who brought you last season's "Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster" and classic episodes such as "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" and "Jose Chung's 'From...

If you’re an X-Files viewer who likes your Mulder a little goofy, your Scully a little put out and your callbacks to previous episodes plentiful, this week’s Darin Morgan-written and –directed hour is a bleepin’ dream.

“The Lost Art of Forehead Sweat” (Fox, Wednesday at 8/7c) takes the same irreverent tone as the producer’s previous X-Files eps, which include Season 3’s “Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose” and “Jose Chung’s ‘From Outer Space’,” as well as last season’s “Mulder & Scully Meet the Were-Monster.” It examines the concept of The Mandela Effect — which happens when masses...

Karin Konoval has already made her mark on “The X-Files” thanks to her iconic performances as under-the-bed villain Mrs. Peacock in “Home” and fortune teller Madame Zelma in “Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose,” but her latest role(s) in this week’s “Plus One” could make her mark on the Emmys. As twins Judy Poundstone and Chucky Poundstone and their two dopplegangers, Konoval effortlessly portrays four complicated, quirky characters who have a telepathic link. And, oh yeah, did we mention Chucky just happens to be a man?

As we know, the Emmys love when actors take on multiple roles — just ask Tatiana Maslany who prevailed for portraying all those clones in “Orphan Black” (2016). Might Konoval earn her first career nomination at the 2018 Emmys for playing this gender-bending group of doppelgangers?

See ‘The X-Files’ wanted Robert Patrick back as John Doggett for Season 11, but ‘scheduling issue’ got in the way

“The X-Files...

X-Files Recap is a weekly column by Keith Uhlich covering Chris Carter's 10-episode continuation of the X-Files television series.To know someone intimately is to risk familiarity, and we all know what that breeds. Not that FBI Special Agents and ex-flames Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) are contemptuous of each other, exactly. Their disdain is more often directed inward, at those subconscious voices that dissuade and derail, reminding them that the clock (on both their work and on life itself) is always ticking. The duo's flirty, jargon-heavy banter is, beyond its innumerable surface pleasures (could any other pair so bewitchingly debate Gastaut-Geschwind syndrome?), a defense mechanism against the devils within and without. Find that one person who you can most easily converse with, whose sentences you don’t just finish but practically prophesy, and nothing can hold you back. That’s how it should ideally work,...

After polling critics from around the world for the greatest American films of all-time, BBC has now forged ahead in the attempt to get a consensus on the best comedies of all-time. After polling 253 film critics, including 118 women and 135 men, from 52 countries and six continents a simple, the list of the 100 greatest is now here.

Featuring canonical classics such as Some Like It Hot, Dr. Strangelove, Annie Hall, Duck Soup, Playtime, and more in the top 10, there’s some interesting observations looking at the rest of the list. Toni Erdmann is the most recent inclusion, while the highest Wes Anderson pick is The Royal Tenenbaums. There’s also a healthy dose of Chaplin and Lubitsch with four films each, and the recently departed Jerry Lewis has a pair of inclusions.

Check out the list below (and my ballot) and see more on their official site.

100. (tie) The King of Comedy (Martin Scorsese,...

Each month, the fine folks at FilmStruck and the Criterion Collection spend countless hours crafting their channels to highlight the many different types of films that they have in their streaming library. This April will feature an exciting assortment of films, as noted below.

To sign up for a free two-week trial here.

Monday, April 3 The Chaos of Cool: A Tribute to Seijun Suzuki

In February, cinema lost an icon of excess, Seijun Suzuki, the Japanese master who took the art of the B movie to sublime new heights with his deliriously inventive approach to narrative and visual style. This series showcases seven of the New Wave renegade’s works from his career breakthrough in the sixties: Take Aim at the Police Van (1960), an off-kilter whodunit; Youth of the Beast (1963), an explosive yakuza thriller; Gate of Flesh (1964), a pulpy social critique; Story of a Prostitute (1965), a tragic romance; Tokyo Drifter...

Next month will mark the return of New York City’s Quad Cinema, a theater reshaped and rebranded as a proper theater via the resources of Charles S. Cohen, head of the distribution outfit Cohen Media Group. While we got a few hints of the line-up during the initial announcement, they’ve now unveiled their first full repertory calendar, running from April 14th through May 4th, and it’s an embarassment of cinematic riches.

Including the previously revealed Lina Wertmüller retrospective, one inventive series that catches our eye is First Encounters, in which an artist will get to experience a film they’ve always wanted to see, but never have, and in which you’re invited to take part. The first match-ups in the series include Kenneth Lonergan‘s first viewing Edward Yang‘s Yi Yi, Noah Baumbach‘s first viewing of Withnail and I, John Turturro‘s first viewing of Pather Panchali,...

Juliette Harrisson Mar 28, 2017

We revisit the 10 most memorable guest performances in The X-Files' long history, from Rhys Darby to Luke Wilson and beyond...

As in our previous features, in this list, we’re celebrating ten of the most effective guest performances in The X-Files over the course of its run – and yes, that includes the 2016 revival series. By ‘guest appearance’ we mean an actor who appeared as a particular character no more than twice over the course of the series (more appearances and it becomes a recurring role). As a result, this list naturally tends towards a celebration of performances during Monster of the Week episodes, since characters taking part in arc plots tend to appear more often. The show has, of course, featured impressive performances from actors in recurring roles as well – but that’s another list for another day!

See related Luc Besson interview: Valerian, sci-fi, Adele...

I’ve been back from my Oregon vacation for a couple of weeks now, and though the getaway was a good and necessary one, I’m still in the process of mentally unpacking from a week and a half of relaxing and thinking mostly only about things I wanted to think about. (I also discovered a blackberry cider brewed in the region, the source of a specific sort of relaxation that I’m still finding myself pining for.) It hasn’t helped that our time off and immediate time back coincided with the bombast and general insanity of the Republic National Convention, followed immediately by the disarray and sense of restored hope that bookended the Democrats’ week-long party. The extremity of emotions engendered by those two events, coupled with a profoundly unsettling worry over the base level of our current political discourse and where it may lead this country, hasn...

Fox

The X-Files revival rolled onward on Monday night, this time going with a lighter, comedy themed episode. If you caught it, you experienced a treat.

The third episode of 2016’s X-Files revival, Mulder And Scully Meet The Were-Monster has been called an instant classic by some critics. Penned by writer and sometimes actor Darin Morgan (he was the guy in the Flukeman suit, as well as Eddie Van Blundht in the fourth season episode Small Potatoes), it was a return to the Bad Blood, The Goldberg Variation, and Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose style of episodes that stood out from the darker, more serious outings in the original run of the series.

The type of episodes that perhaps the series invested in just a little too heavily towards the end of David Duchovny’s full-time status with the show, but that were entertaining nonetheless.

With only six episodes allotted for the current revival,...

The third episode of Fox’s rebooted The X-Files is a gift for fans of the series, a beautiful stand-alone horror-comedy written and directed by Darin Morgan, the man behind classic episodes like “Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose” and “War of the Coprophages.” In his latest, “Mulder & Scully Meet the Were-Monster,” Kumail Nanjiani of Silicon Valley and Rhys Darby of Flight of the Conchords co-star in a tongue-in-cheek send-up of Universal monster movies as Mulder and Scully are called in to investigate mysterious sightings and animal attacks in the woods. Darby took some time out from filming a future show called Wrecked (which he describes as “a comedy version of Lost”) in Puerto Rico to discuss the legacy of The X-Files, his on-set injury, and the future of Flight of the Conchords.Were you a fan of The X-Files before you signed on? Yeah, absolutely, but I only really saw...

A full moon brings out all the crazies, as proven by the opening sequence of the latest X-Files. There are the familiar pair of huffing stoners. There is the scaly monster with a seemingly murderous taste for human flesh. And behind the scenes, there is Darin Morgan one of the series' finest writers, returning after a long hiatus to give us the sublime, and aptly named, "Mulder & Scully Meet the Were-Monster."The episode fully exhibits the alternately sardonic and melancholic perspective that Morgan cultivated in such peak X-Files installments as "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" and "Jose Chung's From Outer Space." (To say nothing of his two astonishing, thematically dense writing-directing efforts — "Jose Chung's Doomsday Defense" and "Somehow, Satan Got Behind Me" — on creator Chris Carter's sister series Millennium.) This is the first time Morgan has directed one of his scripts for The X-Files, and his loping, leisurely rhythms...

A review of tonight's The X-Files coming up just as soon as the internet isn't good for me... "It's silly." -Mulder "Life's hopeless. A few fleeting moments of happiness surrounded by crushing loss and grief. Why bother?" -Guy Mann From the moment I learned that Darin Morgan would be writing a new script(*) for this X-Files revival, my attitude was, "Even if the rest of it's terrible... dayenu." I hated the premiere and had mixed feelings about last week's episode, but Morgan's "Mulder & Scully Meet the Were-Monster" lived up to every wish and hope I had for it. (*) New-ish, anyway. This was actually a modified version of "The M Word," an unproduced episode Morgan wrote for Frank Spotnitz's short-lived Night Stalker remake (and note that Guy Mann's wardrobe resembles what Kolchak wore on the original series). You can read "The M Word" script here, if you're curious...

Sunday is the day X-Files diehards have been waiting for: For the first time since 2002, we get to watch new episodes of one of the biggest cult favorite series in TV history.

And not only are David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson reprising the roles of Agents Mulder and Scully, but they're bringing with them Mitch Pileggi (Assistant FBI Director Walter Skinner), William B. Davis (the Cigarette Smoking Man), The Lone Gunmen (overcoming the notable handicap of having died in the show's final season) and even Annabeth Gish (Agent Monica Reyes).

(No word about Robert Patrick's Agent John Doggett making a surprise cameo,...

Sunday is the day X-Files diehards have been waiting for: For the first time since 2002, we get to watch new episodes of one of the biggest cult favorite series in TV history. And not only are David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson reprising the roles of Agents Mulder and Scully, but they're bringing with them Mitch Pileggi (Assistant FBI Director Walter Skinner), William B. Davis (the Cigarette Smoking Man), The Lone Gunmen (overcoming the notable handicap of having died in the show's final season) and even Annabeth Gish (Agent Monica Reyes). (No word about Robert Patrick's Agent John Doggett making a surprise cameo,...

Sunday is the day X-Files diehards have been waiting for: For the first time since 2002, we get to watch new episodes of one of the biggest cult favorite series in TV history. And not only are David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson reprising the roles of Agents Mulder and Scully, but they're bringing with them Mitch Pileggi (Assistant FBI Director Walter Skinner), William B. Davis (the Cigarette Smoking Man), The Lone Gunmen (overcoming the notable handicap of having died in the show's final season) and even Annabeth Gish (Agent Monica Reyes). (No word about Robert Patrick's Agent John Doggett making a surprise cameo,...

[Originally appeared in Deadly Magazine #5] While fans of The X-Files may have been drawn in by the conspiracy theory plots interwoven throughout the series’ nine seasons, there’s a lot to be said for Chris Carter’s “Monster-of-the-Week” approach, which gave us some of the greatest creatures and oddities to ever grace the small screen.

If you’ve ever wanted to check out The X-Files, but don’t necessarily desire the shadow government and alien cover-up mythologies, here are several great stand-alone episodes that can be enjoyed as mini-horror and/or sci-fi movies—even if you aren’t well-versed on all things Mulder and Scully.

“Humbug” (Season 2, Episode 20): In “Humbug,” FBI Special Agents Mulder and Scully are called down to a trailer park in Florida where a string of mysterious murders have targeted a community of retired freak show performers for years. What they uncover is something akin to the cult classic film Basket Case...

Psst, you — yes, you. Listen up, because I don’t have much time before this transmission is intercepted.

You might’ve heard some disappointing things about the upcoming X-Files revival, but that’s just what they want you to think. Who’s they, you ask? Men in Black, government agencies, the military-industrial-entertainment complex… to quote Scully, There’S No Time! Just trust me when I tell you that if you’ve been eagerly awaiting the return of the FBI’s Most Unwanted, Fox’s event series will not disappoint.

RelatedAsk Ausiello: Spoilers on Grey’s, X-Files, Tvd, Scandal, Flash, Once...

"Do you miss it at all? The X-Files?" This question is posed to Gillian Anderson's Dana Scully midway through Sunday night's long-awaited return of the classic sci-fi series. (It premieres at 10, or whenever Fox's NFL postgame coverage finishes.) Scully endured a lot of pain and heartbreak through her association with the X-Files — an underdog FBI unit, consisting of only her and conspiracy theorist Fox Mulder (David Duchovny), tasked to investigate, and preferably debunk, cases that seem to have extraterrestrial or supernatural elements — but admits it was some of the most intense and challenging work she's ever done. Many of Dana Scully's fans have a similarly complex relationship with "The X-Files" as a TV show. At its mid-'90s best, it was eminently worthy of its phenomenon status: an addictive and daring series that would become the new template for modern TV science fiction. ("Lost" and other series that leaned...

With the premiere of The X-Files revival almost upon us, I’ve been re-watching the series again. This is probably the fifth time in my life that I’ve gone through and watched the entire series. (Thanks for that, Netflix!) It’s the gift that keeps on giving. I have a blast watching this show, and there are always things I catch that I’ve never noticed before. As I watched it this last time, I made a list of ten of my favorite episodes that left a lasting impression on me, and I wanted to share that list with you.

There are so many great episodes in this show that it was hard to nail it down to just ten, but that's what I did. There's a good chance that all of my choices won't be in line with your choices of favorite episodes. I wanted to add as much variety as I could.

Fox

The list of guest stars appearing across nine seasons and two movies of The X-Files is long and distinguished: Aaron Paul, Dean Norris, and Bryan Cranston all appeared on the show, and would later work together under Vince Gilligan (who wrote and produced for The X-Files) on his hit AMC series Breaking Bad. Jane Lynch would appear, and later hit it big on Glee. Lucy Liu, Ryan Reynolds, Shia LeBeouf, Jack Black, and Seth Green all made appearances on the show early in their careers.

Plenty of established actors showed up as well: Peter Boyle won an Emmy for his role in Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose, while Cch Pounder was nominated for one for her appearance in Duane Barry from the show’s second season. Ed Asner, Lily Tomlin, and Gary Shandling all appeared on the series, and even Billy Connolly turned up in the show’s second feature film,...

Constance Cummings: Actress in minor Hollywood movies became major London stage star. Constance Cummings: Actress went from Harold Lloyd and Frank Capra to Noël Coward and Eugene O'Neill Actress Constance Cummings, whose career spanned more than six decades on stage, in films, and on television in both the U.S. and the U.K., died ten years ago on Nov. 23. Unlike other Broadway imports such as Ann Harding, Katharine Hepburn, Miriam Hopkins, and Claudette Colbert, the pretty, elegant Cummings – who could have been turned into a less edgy Constance Bennett had she landed at Rko or Paramount instead of Columbia – never became a Hollywood star. In fact, her most acclaimed work, whether in films or – more frequently – on stage, was almost invariably found in British productions. That's most likely why the name Constance Cummings – despite the DVD availability of several of her best-received performances – is all but forgotten.

On Friday, Oct. 13, 1995, The X-Files introduced viewers to Clyde Bruckman (Peter Boyle), a reluctant -- and depressed -- psychic in the hour, "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose." The installment would go on to become one of the beloved drama's most important episodes to date and kick off a debate about Scully's (potential) immortality — and win the Chris Carter drama its first major Emmys. During the episode, Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) attempt to help the cops figure out who attacked a woman who read tea leaves. The local cops have brought in their own psychic, Stupendous

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It was inevitable that the Fox executive session at the Television Critics Association summer tour would yield greater detail about the reboot of The X-Files that is currently in production. The event series is one of the most highly anticipated projects on the Fox Television Group slate, and fans have been poring over every snippet of preview footage already released.

Those attending the session were apparently treated to a whole scene from the first of the new episodes, with Chairman and CEO Dana Walden giving an explanatory introduction.

“You’re seeing a scene from our first episode back. As you may recall, the mix of episodes we did was mythology episodes, episodes that dug deeper into the conspiracy of The X Files, and then there were great standalone episodes. That’s still the mix we’ll be exploring in this run.”

These comments are both encouraging and intriguing. Fans of...

Over the course of its 202 episodes, The X Files attracted many notable guest stars. Some appeared before they hit the big time (Ryan Reynolds, Jack Black, Seth Green, Felicity Huffman, Shia Labeouf, James Franco, Jane Lynch, Bradley Whitford, Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Octavia Spencer, Luke Wilson, Grant Heslov, Giovanni Ribisi and Titus Welliver), while many appearances were made by people who were already legends in their own fields, with talented performers such as Lily Tomlin, Ed Asner, Michael McKean, Peter Boyle, Gary Shandling, Lance Henriksen, Roy Thinnes, Veronica Cartwright, Floyd ‘Red Crow’ Westerman, Brad Dourif, Kathy Griffin and Ricky Jay providing some of the show’s most memorable moments. With six new episodes about to shoot for a limited series event, that prestigious list of guest stars is already expanding, with Joel McHale being the latest addition.

The plot of the brief new series remains unknown, but Deadline is reporting...

If it's help navigating The X-Files' many, many episodes you're after, then you've come to the right place...

Maps To TV Shows: Is there a popular show you’d really like to watch but you just don’t have time to wade through years of it all at once? Do you just want to know why that one character keeps turning up on Tumblr? Do the fans all tell you ‘season one is a bit iffy but stick with it, it gets great!’, leaving you with absolutely zero desire ever to watch the boring/silly/just plain weird season one? Then Maps To TV Shows is for you!

In these articles, we’ll outline routes through popular TV shows focusing on particular characters, story arcs or episode types. Are you really into the Klingon episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation? Do you want to get the overall gist...

My heart nearly exploded when word leaked over the weekend that Fox was in the early stages of reviving beloved supernatural procedural "The X-Files," most likely for a limited run sometime in the next few years. While stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, who played FBI special agents Mulder and Scully, respectively, have a lot on their plates right now, with Duchovny's NBC series "Aquarius" set to air soon and Anderson bumped up to a beefier role in this summer's season of "Hannibal," that doesn't mean its return still isn't imminent. Original creator Chris Carter's most recent effort, a series for Amazon called "The After," was unceremoniously canceled even though the company had ordered an entire season of the show, so he's free, which means that the show could be incubated creatively even while waiting for its stars to become available.

It also got us thinking to what a...