I’m just going to get the embarrassing truth out of the way: I was never really into The X-Files, even though the show featured the extraordinarily attractive Gillian Anderson. It took the first X-Files movie to sell me on the actress (the jury’s still out on I Want To Believe, as it’s not due out until July 25).

I don’t know what took me so long. I mean, come on:

I do, however, enjoy a good bio-pic about a historically relevant woman played by another, gorgeous female actress. So it pleases me to no end that Anderson is signed up to play the role of Martha Gellhorn in a film about the journalist’s life.

Gellhorn lived quite a dramatic life. She was a war correspondent, the third wife of Ernest Hemingway, and a novelist who killed herself at age 89 after falling so ill with cancer, she was practically blind. She reported from the field on just about every major world conflict that happened in her lifetime, including the Great Depression, the Spanish Civil War and World War II. Due to her unshakable dedication to her career, there’s even been an award for excellence in journalism created in her name. … continue reading

To further stoke fan speculation about what's going to happen in The X-Files: I Want to Believe, which opens July 25 — and to reintroduce the series to those who may not have been X-philes when it was on the air — a "new" X-Files DVD is being released today. The compilation of eight episodes is called "Revelations," and as the cover itself proclaims, this is the "Essential Guide to the X-Files movie," with "8 critical episodes handpicked by the series creator."

Does it deliver? Yes and no.

The DVD's eight episodes span the first six seasons of the television series, skipping (wisely) the last three seasons entirely. At first this seemed a little odd, because if this DVD is supposed to be the essential guide to the movie, and the movie takes place after Season 9, don't we need to know what happens in those last three seasons? A short "series trailer" included on the first disc does give a rundown of the entire nine seasons, but I'm going to guess that what happened in the last three seasons just isn't that important. (Sorry, Annabeth Gish fans, but I never could get into the character of Agent Reyes.)

Each episode is certainly a classic — "Pilot," "Beyond the Sea," "The Host," "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose," "Memento Mori," "Post-Modern Prometheus," "Bad Blood" and "Milagro" — and each one is introduced by series creator Chris Carter and executive producer Frank Spotnitz. Their commentary, though, is limited to a couple of minutes each time, so they don't provide a lot of new information.

It is amusing to see Gillian Anderson stick her head over Chris Carter's shoulder in the commentary before "Milagro," and she is wearing the tan trench coat you've seen in preview photos for the X-Files movie, but very little is revealed about what's going to happen in the film. It does seem that Carter is shooting these intros on the set of the movie, though, because at one point a man in full surgical scrubs (an actor, I'm guessing) walks right behind him. I can't believe that wasn't entirely orchestrated, so, uh, spoiler alert? Man in scrubs will be in movie! … continue reading

Somebody up there hates Gillian Anderson. Maybe it's the aliens. Maybe it's the men in black. Maybe it's legions of fangirls and boys who can't believe their skeptical goddess of geekery is now cavorting with the tea and crumpets crowd over at Masterpiece Theatre. Regardless the source, there can be no other explanation for the Photoshop of horrors that is her face on the cover of the new TV Guide magazine.

My eyes! My eyes! Great googley-moogley, what the hell happened to her face? Who is that? Because that is certainly not Gillian or even Dana Scully. Has she been abducted by the aliens? Is this a not-so-cryptic hint as to the heretofore cryptic plot for their new film X-Files: I Want to Believe? Should I have put a spoiler warning at the top of this post?

What makes the TV Guide's Photoshopped atrocity even more perplexing is that Gillian seems to be the sole target of their digital wrath. David Duchovny looks OK — a little unnaturally smooth and strangely putty-colored, but otherwise fairly Mulderesque. But Gillian is barely recognizable. If she wasn't standing next to David it might even take me a few guesses. This, folks, is what happens when overzealous photo editors try to hide all signs of aging. They strip the humanity and, as a result, beauty of of a face. It ain't pretty. … continue reading

I want to believe … in the new X-Files movie. As a fan since the early '90s (Hey, remember those? Good times.), I watched nearly religiously until 1998 when something funny happened. I went to see The X-Files movies. While I liked the film, it was my jump-the-shark moment. Afterward, I felt like all the twists and turns in its convoluted conspiracy were too much come-on, not enough pay-off.

So now, with the new The X-Files: I Want to Believe opening July 25, I'm not sure whether that old paranormal magic will work on me again. Can Scully and Mulder make me believe, one last time?

I wasn't sure. And then I saw the trailer today. (If you don't like squinting, watch it on this website and click on "View High Res.")

I'll admit it, once the show's spooky theme started to play, I was hooked. Dark hallways. Secret labs. Big needles. And, oh, what glorious flashlights. But then, after my inner geek calmed down at the sight of Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny together again, I put my analytical hat back on. (What? I can't wear the tinfoil one all the time.) … continue reading

Yes, summer doesn't officially begin until June 21, but the folks in Hollywood like to start things off early, so the summer blockbusters season is officially beginning. Last year, movies like Spider-Man 3, Shrek the Third, Transformers, Ocean's 13 (and many others) took a lot of people to the movies, with total ticket sales amounting to almost $10 billion. This year, the grand total may not be that much, but with a little help from the following movies, it's likely to come close.

Here are the blockbusters you should watch out for, starting this week:

Speed Racer (May 9)

The cartoon series Speed Racer was a very successful adaptation of a Japanese anime originally called Mach GoGoGo. Still, I wouldn't make a movie out of it, but the Wachowski brothers thought it was a good idea. I really liked watching the show when I was a kid (seriously, how gay am I?), so I'm curious as to how they're going to adapt it. I'm also curious to see Trixie (Speed's girlfriend), played by Christina Ricci. Go Speed Racer, go!

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (May 22)

Indiana Jones (and Harrison Ford) is finally back for the fourth film in the series. No, Indy doesn't have a cane yet, but we'll meet an older version of the character, obviously. However, the character I'm most looking forward to meeting (as are you, probably) is Agent Irina Spalko, the evildoer played by the lovely Cate Blanchett. Actually, she'll play a Soviet Union agent. How hot is that? Yeah, not much, I guess. But not so bad either, in a sexy dominatrix kind of way (see the pictures and you'll know what I mean.) They can certainly count on my 10 bucks! … continue reading

What do Will Smith, Meryl Streep, Gillian Anderson, Steve Carrell, Cate Blanchett, and the young girl from Akele and the Bee have in common? They're all starring in movies we want to see this summer. (Archeology! Singing! Football! Not all in the same movie, fortunately.)

In this episode of SMMWT!, Lori and I discuss which movies coming out this summer we really want to see — and which ones we definitely don't. (One word: Baghead. Yes, that's right, it's a movie about a guy wearing a paper bag over his head. 'Nuff said.)

As you can tell by my voice and vague resemblance to road kill, I'm still recovering from the cold I got at Dinah, so please bear with me if I seem a little low-key. I'll be back up to full-speed soon, so enjoy my slower pace while it lasts (I know Lori is!).

What summer movies are you most looking forward to? Chime in in the comments!

It's official: The new X-Files movie, which lands in theaters July 25, will be called I Want to Believe. As many people remember, the phrase was imprinted on a poster that Mulder (David Duchovny) had in his basement office.

Series creator Chris Carter told the AP that "It's a natural title. It's a story that involves the difficulties in mediating faith and science. 'I Want to Believe.' It really does suggest Mulder's struggle with his faith."

The movie will not deal with the series' mythology — the often convoluted plot involving a government conspiracy, little green men and alien babies — but rather will resemble the standalone episodes in which Mulder and Scully investigate a paranormal event or crime. Carter said that this movie aims to bring in both new fans (who were probably too young to watch the scary show in the '90s) and satisfy X-Philes. "The reason we're even making the movie is for the rabid fans, so we don't want to insult them by having to take them back through the concept again," he said.

Photo credit: Diyah Pera

In the past, episode titles have given clues to an episode's story line, but in keeping with the tight security surrounding leaks from this new movie (the select few who were allowed to read the script had to read it in a locked room fitted with surveillance cameras), even the title is vague. And while the phrase "I want to believe" brings back fond memories (of basking in the glow of my computer screen reading tons of fanfic — I admit it!), I'm not sure it's a title I entirely love. … continue reading

It's been ten long years since the last X-Files film, based on the hit FOX television series of the same name, came out. In that time, star Gillian Anderson got married, got divorced, had a baby and went back to being a blonde--though not necessarily in that order. (And yes, she also received a slew of award nominations for her acting on stage and screen.) David Duchovny had a couple of kids with his real-life wife, Tea Leoni, donated his movie wife's heart to Minnie Driver in Return to Me (2000) and played a hand model in Zoolander.

Yeah, they really do need to go back to their government jobs.

Below are a few sterile and redundant stills from the film:

Last summer, Dorothy Snarker gave us the preliminary scoop on the movie, and yesterday the filmmakers themselves dropped some maddeningly vague hints about the sequel.

While attending the 25th annual William S. Paley Television Festival along with co-writer Frank Spotnitz, director (and series creator) Chris Carter told reporters, "I know what I want it to be, but Fox has ideas of their own...I know what it should be." While the original film centered on the "alien mythology" storyline that came to dominate the series in later years, the sequel will reportedly be a standalone feature, like the "monster of the week" episodes that originally defined the television show. Spotnitz added, "It will not be a mythology movie, but it's true to everything that's come before."

The film, which also stars Amanda Peet and Billy Connolly, is set to hit theatres July 25. … continue reading

Last weekend at at WonderCon, a few lucky souls in San Francisco witnessed the trailer for the new X-Files movie. It remains to be seen if this is a movie that should happen — I am not a huge fan of the first — but catching a glimpse of it over at Cinematical.com, I'm sure I sat at my computer with an dorky fangirl grin on my face. Anticipation is sweet.

Retrocrush.com was on the scene to interview Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny afterward about the movie and their post-X-Files perspectives. Duchovny talks a lot (why am I not surprised?), but Anderson managed to get a few words in. Here are some highlights. And a snap judgment: Duchovny needs a haircut.

First, the news is that the movie will be a throwback to the beginning of the series; there will be mythology (as is hinted at in the trailer) but the film will be a standalone project for those who've never seen the series. And for those who stopped watching during the last two seasons, when even Annabeth Gish wasn't enough to compensate for Scully's annoyingly endless weeping. … continue reading

Sometime over the last decade or so, glasses became cool. And hot. And the world began to see what lesbians always have known: that women who wear glasses are both cool and hot. And downright sexy.

Personally, I'm glad views have changed. As a little tomboy, I resisted glasses as long as I could, to the point of memorizing the eye chart every year so I could pass the vision exam. When I finally was too blind to resist specs any longer, my family was about to move to Texas from Pittsburgh. One of my friends said, "Wow, glasses don't seem very Texan." At the time, I was devastated. Now I know better. Texans with glasses rock. … continue reading

Scully is hosting the venerable PBS series Masterpiece Theatre? Someone call Mulder; there has to be paranormal activity at work here. Gillian Anderson has signed on as one of the new hosts for the upcoming season of the newly revamped PBS mainstay. Yes, I said one of the new hosts, because the popular series will now be served three ways: Masterpiece Classic, Masterpiece Mystery! and Masterpiece Contemporary. Gillian will host Masterpiece Classic, which will feature period pieces and run January to May. The other flavors will run summer and fall, respectively. Those hosts will be announced next year.

At first glance, Gillian’s new gig might elicit a “bahwah?” But when given a couple seconds to sink in, it actually makes perfect sense. Gillian is no stranger to the Masterpiece audience. In January 2006, she was nominated for a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Lady Dedlock in the critically acclaimed BBC adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Bleak House. … continue reading

Both Amanda Peet and Angelina Jolie have new projects in the works in which they play federal agents. Peet has signed on to join the cast of the second X-Files feature, while Jolie will be starring in a film based on real-life super-spy Kathi Lynn Austin.

I miss seeing Amanda Peet on the small screen in Studio 60. So this casting news for The X-Files has made me giddy. I can't wait to see Peet get all authoritarian as an FBI agent.

According to the reports I've read, she'll be playing partner to another new agent, played by rapper Xzibit. Frankly, I don't care who she's playing, as long as they let her play with Gillian Anderson for a scene or two. … continue reading

I have vivid memories of Friday nights in the 1990s. They went a little something like this. Eat dinner. Turn on Fox. Turn off the lights. Grab something soft to throw. (TVs are expensive.) Prepare for giant doses of frustration. Then The X-Files would start.

I would watch carefully for guest stars that would give away the appearance of the Cigarette Smoking Man, Ratboy, Deep Throat or Mr. X. I would wait to see who that week's writers were so I knew how likely I was to be frustrated by plot lines and the ever-expanding conspiracy. Morgan and Wong meant twisted but brilliant humor. Chris Carter usually meant a conspiracy episode concocted in the seventh level of Dante's Inferno. Commercial breaks found me either staring blankly at the screen or attempting to analyze what the hell just happened with my over-analyzing The X-Files partner and BFF, Mo. She moved away at several points during the series' run, but that didn't stop our endless X-Files discussions. I recall some outrageous phone bills resulting from weekly 2-hour phone calls, the first hour of which involved us actually being on the phone during the course of the episode. It was several minutes of complete silence followed by intense debate during commercial breaks.

My passion for the show waned after the movie came out. Truth be told, I got bored. I lost track of the conspiracy's never-ending twists and turns. Who's Mulder's father again? What actually happened to his sister? How many types of aliens are there? Who injected what into whom? Part of me believes that Chris Carter lost track of his own conspiracy. … continue reading

That long-rumored The X-Files movie is a go. At the Television Critics Association press tour on Saturday, David Duchovny (who played believer extraordinaire Fox Mulder) confirmed the film is in the works. Can I just say, called it!

That’s right, back in April costar Gillian Anderson (who played queen of the skeptics Dana Scully) dropped some syntax-related hints in a blog post on her official site. (Cunning use of present tense, Gillian. Cunning.) Not too many people paid attention then. But now David has revealed more directly that both he and Gillian are definitely on board, with series creator Chris Carter writing and directing: … continue reading

The new issue of Entertainment Weekly, on newsstands today, includes a special pull-out list of the best (according to them) sci-fi movies and TV of the past 25 years. (Yes, that means Star Wars was ineligible, which is a nice move on the magazine's part — way to counterbalance all the hype.)

You can view the full list on the EW website. Here are some highlights of the top 25 (and by "highlights," I mean my rants and raves).

24. Galaxy Quest — I adore this movie. Not many parodies manage to be both smart-funny and stupid-funny at the same time, but this one strikes the perfect balance. Plus, how great did Sigourney Weaver look in that costume?

… continue reading