Reviews (11)

Excellent Film
I understand people have different opinions on movies, but to say this movie is 'dull' is beyond belief! I can only asume the people saying this are religious and find the movie offensive...or hate the French (American's mostly), hate reading subtitles cause they cannot read very well, or just don't understand the film and prefer Die Hard 3! All fair enough. But if you love a good erotic, mysterious, dark adventure you can't go past this movie. I adored it. Finally something intelligent. Now if you are going to anaylse it ie: how did an Indian learn kung fu etc, you need to take a breath and get a life. 'Oh, but it's a silly fable' etc. Well let me remind you, man-kind read a wee book written a long time ago that said a 'man' walked on water and we all fell for that like a tonne of bricks! Isn't THAT 'far fetched' and silly? Yet I'm refering to the bible!!

Getting back to the main topic, Brotherhood of the Wolf is an intelligent fantasy film with everything you need to love this film. The layers of the movie make it a highly enjoyable watch, and of course Mark Dacascos is brilliant yet again. * Did you know that Vincent Cassel, who plays the sly brother, is married to the beautiful Monica Belluci and they are expecting their first child! Just thought you should know that. Monica plays the mysterious sexy [woman]whore.

Nice Try, But....
Sherlock Holmes type mystery set in France during the late 18th century: a French Version of Doyle's "The Hound of the Baskerville" so to speak. Imaginative but far fetched plot that ends up being rather disappointing in the end.

The acting holds water and the characters are given depth. The main character's Indian sidekick seems a little too P.C. for my taste: a common habit in propaganda these days that achieves nothing and limits the artistic quality of a movie. The fight sequences also take away from the mood of the story with the computerized "Matrix" style flying roundhouse kicks, etc.

Although the monster of the story builds suspense and mystery which keeps the audience intrigued, the ending is almost anticlimactic by virtue of being too surreal and unbelievable: the monster should have remained a supernatural beast. The idea of the Church being against the crown during that period is equally laughable: making it seem as if the writer of the film hasn't done his history as to pre-revolutionary France.

Entertaining to watch once or every once in a while but I wouldn't buy it. For that style of movie, I would recommend watching Tim Burtons's version of "Sleepy Hollow" instead.

Bloody and boring-save your time and $$
Kind of the DaVinci Code meets James Fenimore Cooper meets the Hound of the Baskervilles. Set in early 18th century France, the only things it has going for it other than a physically attractive cast in cool costumes is great scenery and beautiful architecture. Starts out with all these frightened, dirty, ugly peasants and that's about where it ends also. In between we have an Anerican Indian who is a better martial artist than Jackie Chan (I know they came over on the land bridge and all that but its a few centuries too soon if you know what I mean), the Catholic church and the royalty as villians and more bright red blood than a Mel Gibson flick. So after watching it for way too long my question is this-Why would a virile adult male pick some milk toast virgin to moon over instead of choosing a hot blooded Italian beauty with the bedrooom skills of a courtesean, the posioning skills of Lucretia Borgia and who is a better fighter than he too boot? Oh well, I only watched it to see Jeremie Renier (La Promesse) as an adult and I am happy to report he has matured very prettily.

Not your standard fare
This is an exceptional movie. I've read some of the other reviews and I don't get it. They must have seen a different movie than I did. If you are expecting a hollywood thriller you will be disappointed. The movie has more than one plot twist. The characters are engaging. There are subplots or themes that underlay the main story which makes for much richer story telling. This is one smart and beautifully filmed movie. The scenery and colors jump out at you. It is in French unless you play the dubbed version and that will throw some people off. Excellant movie and a credit to the genre. We need more of these. If only hollywood would take notes.

The hidden meaning of The Brotherhood of the Wolf.
There are two movies going on in this film. One plot is the one you actually see. The other is the theme of hidden messages that most people will not get. If you get them then you will enjoy the movie much more. This is a Templar movie where the Beast being pursued symbolizes the Demonic world that takes over the world by using the face of religion--Roman Catholic Church. There is a secret brotherhood trying to thwart those who speak against the church have become self-serving.To punish the heretics a member uses a trained Lion costumed in armor to kill those who will not submit to his Holy Roman beliefs. The King hires Mon. Chevalier; the main protagonist -- a Naturalist, Illustrator, Warrior, and the Christ figure/hero. His best friend or blood-brother; an Iroquois named Mani--symbolizes man in general and his spiritual connection to nature or earth itself. The female protagonist characters that the Naturalist; Monsieur Chevalier falls for represent the pagan/ritual whore, and the pure virginal royal line ripe for childbearing and legacy building. The wolves represent the lambs. They are victimized by being blamed by the secret brotherhood for all the killing going on. So, they are hunted down and killed. There is a saying, beware of wolves dressed in sheeps clothing. In this film the wolves are dressed as sheep. And, evil men are blaming them for the problems their fanatic beliefs have given rise too. ... Read more

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As the fourth season of Angel starts, everything is still as we left it: Angel has been sunk to the bottom of the sea in an iron box by his inexplicable and vindictive son Connor and Cordelia has been summoned to higher realms to await orders. Gunn and Fred are left in the Hyperion Hotel, unsure about what has happened to their friends, and Lilah is working hard to seduce Wesley to the dark side. In the first few episodes, some of this is resolved but it's almost immediately replaced by far worse crises: prophesies of doom accumulate more rapidly even than usual in this wonderfully gloomy show and a horned rock-like beast rains fire on Los Angeles. This last year is Angel's most tightly dramatic season yet--with a story arc of surprising intensity punctuated by the show's usual wit and sexiness.

Season 4 is presented on DVD in Dolby 2.0 Surround Sound and anamorphic widescreen. It comes with insightful, and often hilarious, commentaries on seven of the 22 episodes as well as featurettes--a series overview, profiles of the characters of Jasmine and the Beast, a farewell to the Hyperion Hotel (the characters' base for three seasons), and a discussion of the apocalypse that Angel has to deal with from episode 7 onwards). --Roz Kaveney ... Read more

Reviews (34)

Denisof, Romanov steal the show
Picking up where its amazing 3rd Season left off, Season 4 of TV's Angel was without a doubt the most shocking, dramatic and intriguing. Despite a few creative low points, the cast and crew rose to the challenge of Angel's new full fledged story-arch format, with all 22 episodes weaving together to create one feature-length episode.
The season deals with issues such as fascism, religious persecution and world peace brilliantly, staying subtle, yet getting the message across perfectly. However, the season's real highlight is the shocking relationship between Wesley (Alexis Denisof) and Lilah (Stephanie Romanov), creating one of the series' most eerie, dysfunctional and altogether fascinating relationships.

Flawed, but still Angel
If this season were rated in the context of the show as a whole, it would receive 2 and a half stars. But independently, it deserves at least 4. It's still Angel, and chuck full of the dark comedy/action/horror/drama Whedon fans have come to depend on.

This season probably the worst of the series. Why?

-The Connor/Jasmine/Cordelia arc did not mesh well, and did not adhere to the core statement of the show. The story arc was so accomodating to Charisma Carpenter's pregnancy and suffered as a result. Forget about emotional resonance and provocative messages (when's the last time outside of Jerry Springer that a woman was having an affair with both a father and a son?).

What it comes down to is that this was a very experimental year. The writers tested what worked and when that didn't, they altered the story line accordingly. Connor and Cordelia too gross? Make Cordelia evil. Charisma Carpenter pregnant? Make her baby evil. The Jasmine story arc was fine, but very disjointed from the rest of the supposedly "tight-knit" story arc because it was originally not intended to take place.

Even the Angelus mini-arc was sadly lacking. The character never hurt anyone, merely taunted them like a high school bully. In addition, the writers really dropped the ball when they made Angel and Angelus two different characters. The reason why Angelus is so frightening is because he IS the character we know and love.

Flaws from the central arc and Angelus arc aside, it was still great television. The season premiere and finale were well thought out "Live life as it should be to show the world what it could be." Gwen Raiden was an awesome, and sadly underused, new character, Lilah, Wesley, Fred, and Gunn had some of their greatest moments on the show, and the Whedon directed "Spin the Bottle" was a fantastic romp (although very similar to a season six buffy episode).

I'd recommend you pick up this DvD only if you are a die-hard fan of the show, because you would have to own the prior seasons to make much sense of what's happening. If you are a casual fan, borrow it from a friend and wait to purchase the fantastic season 5.

Angel
I love Angel and give it a 5 cos' it is excellent but one major annoyance for me is that it kills me that we can't buy the DVD on the States but here in the UK they have all the seasons for sale so much earler on than in the States. Unfortunately even though i live here temporarily (military) i only own a US DVD player. Whats up with this!!! The shows made in the states but you have to go to the UK to pick a copy of it up.

The Best Season
Angel was always a show that should have had more recognition. I agree with a previous reviewer, every season of Angel seemed to get better and better. Season 2 stood out....But Season 4 blew all the others away. I was riveted by every episode. The way the story was executed from the first episode to the 22nd was extremely well done. I don't own the DVD set yet, as it's not available in the states but I know I will be purchasing it as soon as it is. I recommend this set because of the quality of the episodes in this season. Can't wait to exchange my home-made VCR tapes to disc!!

Season four: Points for effort, but disappointing execution
Oh, how I wish I didn't have to give this only 2 stars, as "Angel" is one of my favorite shows, ever. But this season was just a complete and utter mess, with gaping plotholes and once-loved characters that became a shadow of their former selfs.

The most obvious flaw of the season is the destruction of the character Cordelia. Now, I realize that something had to be done about her, storywise, since in real life Charisma Carpenter was pregnant, but couldn't they have come up with something not quite so cringeworthy? I fear I will never rid myself from the image of Connor and Cordelia sleeping together, even though, as we find out later on, all is not as it seems.

I actually quite enjoyed the storyline with the Beast and was intrigued by how the return of Angelus would be handled. Unfortunately, there was far to much talk and not enough bite in his return, what with him spending most of his time trapped behind bars, merely taunting the gang.

There are episodes from this season that I like (obviously, 'cause no matter how jumbled, this is still "Angel"). "Spin the Bottle", which was penned and directed by Joss Whedon, is one I enjoyed immensely. The episode sees the characters regress to younger versions of themselves due to a spell gone wrong. Enter hilarity and some really emotional scenes, as well. Alexis Denisof continues to amaze me, in a way I never thought possible judging by his "Buffy" days. Watching him become the bumbling Watcher once again and then revert to his present-day persona is a real testament to the acting skills of Denisof. Hopefully, he will get even more recognition in the future.

I liked the three-parter "Salvage"/"Release"/"Orpheus" which featured the return of Faith, the slayer who was once out to destroy herself and others, and Willow, the witch who became a lot more alike Faith, than I think she ever wanted to admit. It was interesting to see Faith fight, not only for her own redemtion, but also for Angels. I was also amused by Willows and Wesleys attempts to top each other of, by giving examples of the various evil acts they had performed.

In the end though, I just felt that the writers had no idea where they wanted to go with this season, and the appearance of Jasmine confirmed that for me. She felt entirely wrong in connection to the events that had occured earlier in the season, and I just couldn't take her character seriously.

The season ender "Home" was good, though, and the episode opened up a whole new avenue of opportunities and storylines leading into season 5, which gave me faith in the show, again. ... Read more

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House of Wax brought Vincent Price into the horror genre, where he fit as snugly as a scalpel in a mad scientist's hand. A remake of the 1933 film Mystery of the Wax Museum, this entertaining Gothic shocker casts Price as a sculptor of wax figures; his unwilling victims--er, "models"--lend their bodies to his lifelike depictions of Marie Antoinette and Joan of Arc. The film was one of the top 10 moneymakers of its year, thanks in part to the 3-D gimmick, which explains why so many things are aimed at the camera (why else would the paddleball man be there?). Footnote to history:director Andre De Toth was blind in one eye, and thus could not see in three dimensions.

Not at all a musty relic of the early-sound era, the original Mystery of the Wax Museum (shot in a soft, trial version of Technicolor) is saucy, pre-Code fun. As corpses disappear from the morgue, Lionel Atwill's wax museum adds to its displays. Coincidence, or the work of the hideously deformed fiend stalking the Manhattan night? Most of the snappy dialogue comes courtesy of reporter Glenda Farrell, a vintage wisecracking dame. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (39)

Allow me to "wax" poetic
HOUSE OF WAX was the film that, for better or worse, changed the course of Vincent Price's career. It's still one of his best starring vehicles, and gave Price a great opportunity to display his frequent characterization of a madman who evokes sympathy and chills at the same time! The 3-D effects of the original release enhance the film, instead of overwhelming it (This was probably due to the fact that director Andre de Toth had only one eye and couldn't experience the 3-D effect). As a result, the film is enjoyable even without wearing those silly cardboard glasses. The turn of the century sets and costumes look great and among the supporting cast, Carolyn Jones is a standout in a small but pivotal role.

A Classic Double - Dip
This marvelous DVD offers two versions of the same story! First, the 1953 "House of Wax" starring Vincent Price ... plus the original film on which it was based, the 1933 "Mystery of the Wax Museum" starring Lionel Atwill. Each film offered viewers a technological gimmick when first released to theatres: "House" was exhibited in 3-D, and "Museum" was filmed in early two-strip Technicolor.

The Vincent Price remake is arguably the scarier of the two versions. Although it duplicates many scenes and sections of dialogue from the earlier film, it adds a couple of effective sequences involving the villain of the piece. In one, the scarred fiend chases heroine Phyllis Kirk through dark, rain-slicked streets in the dead of night; in the other, he commits a gruesome murder. Price is deliciously hammy in the role. He constantly threatens to go over the top, but pulls back just in time (at least until the end, when he lets go with relish). Miss Kirk, with her china doll beauty and deep modulated voice makes a wonderful heroine, and Charles Buchinsky (later Bronson) stands out as a muscled and menacing deaf-mute who lurks among the shadows of the museum. The production's color and lighting are outstanding ... the viewer is often left wondering which figures are human and which are wax, and there are several shocks and surprises along the way. The DVD offers an exceptionally fine film-to-video transfer, and don't forget to watch the Original Theatrical Trailer! It's an example of Hollywood ballyhoo at its best, and features some gorgeous color graphics.

The legendary 1933 original version was believed, for decades, to be a "lost film". Film buffs all over the world rejoiced when a surviving print was finally located in the late 1970's; unfortunately, (and unsurprisingly) the actual film was unable to live up to the hype that built up around it during its absence. Despite its considerable virtues, including great performances from Lionel Atwill as the villain and Fay Wray as the gorgeous screaming heroine, "Mystery of the Wax Museum" is marred by an over-abundance of comic relief. Playing a hard-boiled newspaper "dame" who delivers her peppery dialogue in machine gun fashion, Glenda Farrell is neither comic nor a relief. She's simply obnoxious. Still, she's lovely to look at in early two-strip Technicolor. This process, which registers color most heavily in hues of blue and orange, was a crude forerunner of the three-strip "candy-box" Technicolor that made its feature-film debut two years later in the 1935 production of "Becky Sharp". It should be noted that this DVD offers the best restored version of "Wax Museum" yet seen; the color is more vivid and the sound much clearer than that featured on any TV prints or on the earlier MGM VHS version.

All in all, this is a DVD package that should please both horror buffs and film historians alike; it's certainly a great value to receive the 1933 version as a "bonus feature". Here's a double feature made to order for a chilly evening; enjoy it with a bowl of popcorn ... and maybe a burning candle.

Great flick!
Has anyone ever portrayed the Nice Man Gone Crazy as well as Vincent Price? Of course not, and in House of Wax, Price is in top form as a loving sculptor who emerges from a fire with a different, errr, method for creating his wax sculptures. I don't know about you, but just the thought of being alone in a wax museum after dark gives me the creeps. Add a dose of homicidal mania, and there's your recipe for terror.

Most people will find this movie creepy even today; those who love camp will enjoy the prolonged ping-pong paddle scene catered to the orginal 3-D audience.

All in all, one of Vincent Price's best films, proving once again that nobody goes horribly insane quite like Vincent Price.

Should have included a Field Seqential 3-D version!
Not that many people are aware of the Field Sequential 3-D.
This is a 3-D TV system that uses special shutter glasses that can be purchased here through Amazon in a set that includes 3 DVD's using this process. This system Is the only way to view a 3-D film effectively on TV to date. The result is about 90% close to the effect you will see in a theatre showing.. like IMAX and Disney and Universal.
These glasses are made of sturdy plastic and clear not these cardboard red and blue pieces of garbage, so you can view the film without constricted to seeing red and blue colors and with this system you will see more actual 3-D depth with the films true colors.. It's really amazing!
For some add reason the big studios haven't adapted to include a separate version of a 3-D title in this great format.
Films like:
"House of Wax","Kiss Me Kate","Friday the 13th Part 3", "Robot Monster, "Cat Woman on the Moon", "Creature from the Black Lagoon" and "Jaws 3" are all now in 2-D DVD, but were originally shown in 3-D and could have been included using the Field Seqential 3-D system on the same disc with the 2-D version.
In Japan in the late 80's there were a few 3-D titles released using Field Sequential and can be found on e-bay converted to DVD and VHS.
Why aren't the studios producing these now!
I boycott any film DVD release that was originally intended to be seen in 3-D that's only presented in a 2-D version or anaglyph (Red and Blue Glasses).

The studios should really be awaken to this great 3-D system.

A Great Horror Film!
I mananged to see a version of "House of Wax" on Turner Classic Movies and I thought that it was a great horror movie. Not being a big fan of horror films, I can't compare to other ones of that time, but this one was great. It stars horror movie legend Vincent Price and a young Charles Bronson who is credited as Charles Buchinsky. Having been to wax museums in the past, I can relate to the fact that after seeing the was figures for so long, you could begin to believe that all of the people around you who are not moving are actually made of wax, something that was briefly mentioned in the movie. A big problem with the movie was that it was made in 3D during its first release. This could create a problem for the present viewings because some things are pointless. They made things for the movie just so people can see the 3D effect. For example, a three minute sequence of women dancing, throwing their legs in the air. When it was made, it was cool seeing the legs come out of the screen, but while I was watching it, it was pretty much pointless.

The movie begins with Vincent Price as Professor Henry Jarrod. He takes pride in his wax figures which he often refers to as his friends. They speak to him, and he understands them well, and how they want to be made. In a way to make more money, an investor burns up the museum and flees the sight leaving Jarrod for dead. A couple of years later, people begin to disappear, kidnapped in the night. This happens at the same time that Jarrod, who is now in a wheelchair, wants to reopen his museum, with new figures that resemble some of the people that disappeared. He claims that he uses pictures of the missing people in the paper as a muse for the figures, but a women named Sue knows better. She swears that the figure of Marie Antoinette looks like her kidnapped friend Cathy Grey. Sue decides to make it her mission to find out what is going on at the house of wax.

Another great thing in "House of Wax" is the acting. In the recent Harry Potter film, the director has long takes. Scenes of about five minutes all in one take. The same happens in "House of Wax" except some scenes could be closer to eight or nine minutes. This is amazing considering some actors nowadays act for about thirty seconds before cutting away. The actors back then really had to act for many minutes at a time. "House of Wax" is a great horror film, and try and catch it on tv.

ENJOY!

Rated Approved back in 1953, but if I had to rated it probably a PG for brief violence. ... Read more

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Though season 9 may not be the best period in a long line of groundbreaking television, it is still worthy of the X-Files name. Knowing this was the last season had many fans prematurely disgruntled, and the expectation for "going out with a bang" was extremely high. Lots of longtime issues came to a head (Scully's single motherhood, new X-files agents at the helm, Agent Skinner is now a believer, Mulder MIA, etc.), and many new issues and plots arose. Learning the facts of his son's death, Agent Doggett (Robert Patrick) seeks out the missing Agent Mulder (David Duchovny) to help him expose the corrupt Deputy Director Kersh (James Pickens Jr.). Knowing that her gifted son William is a target of a religious cult, Scully (Gillian Anderson) enlists the help of the Lone Gunmen for protection. The missing Mulder is finally located. Unfortunately, he is being held in custody by the military on murder charges, which leads to the grand finale: the trial, not for a man guilty of murder, but for a man guilty of seeking the the Truth.

The naysayers have plenty of valid complaints (particularly about the "Super Soldiers" segue), and many hated that the Mulder/Scully pairing was gone, but there are a few aspects that are universally positive, and there aren't many complaints about their replacements, Agent Doggett and Agent Reyes (Annabeth Gish). In fact, many feel that the show could have easily continued if the show's writing had been better. The final episode was more or less a 90-minute recap of the X-Files phenomenon. After "The Truth" ended, disappointed hardcore fans couldn't help but feel it was a set-up for an upcoming movie, but casual fans should find the episode very helpful in linking together the mythos that entranced and confused viewers for years. It may not be up to par with the first six seasons, but season 9 is still a lot better than most television shows.If you have the nerve to revisit this season, you will be pleasantly surprised. --Rob Bracco ... Read more

Reviews (60)

Underratted
Season 9 may not be the greatest season of The X Files ever but it is by no means as bad as some make it out to be.
Alot had changed this season, as apparant by the new and very cool title sequence, namely David Duchovny would only appear in the final feature length episode and Agents Doggett and Reyes now investigated the x files cases with Scully lending a helpful hand from her new position as a forensic's teacher with the FBI. Despite these big changes it was still very much The X Files at heart, Skinner and The Lone Gunmen were present but not as much as many fans would have wished, Kersh was his usual nasty self and the inclusion of Cary Elwes as A.D. Brad Follmer was a great addition to the cast.

The mythology this year revolved around the mysteries of Scully's baby, the "super-soilders", internal politics within the FBI and the question of whether Mulder was dead or alive. While these mythology story lines were no means the best Chris Carter and co. have ever come up with the episodes themeselves were still truly excellent. The season opened with the brilliant two-parter "Nothing Important Happened Today I & II" which aroused question for the coming year. "Trust no 1" dealt with Mulders dissapearance, the mid season two-parter "Provenance" and "Providence" were amongst the best two-part episodes the show has ever made, "William" brilliantly directed by David Duchovny was a real highlight of season 9 and then the final episode ever "The Truth". This episode marked Mulders retun and while there were quite a few things I didn't like about the episode it was an amazing ending to the greatest show to ever grace our screens.

The stand-alone episodes this season were just as good as any of the previous seasons with "Deaomonicus", "4-D", "John Doe", "Hellbound", "Audrey Pauley", "Improbable"(which guest starred Burt Reynolds) and my particular favourite "Release", which gave a fantastic resolution to the question of what had actually happenend to Doggett's son, being amongst the greatest stand-alones ever made. There were a few very good episodes in the shape of "Underneath", "Scary Monsters" and "Sunshine Days" but there were also a couple of absolute stinkers, "Lord of The Flies" and "Jump The Shark" were easily two of the worst episodes ever made.

Give season 9 a chance and you may well be surprised how truly excellent this final year was. The acting is, as always, superb especially from Robert Patrick and Gillian Anderson, production values and direction were second to none and as such the show has never looked better. The stand-alones were as good as any other year, the mytholgy was still very interesting and for a show in it's ninth year it looked incredibley fresh.
Plus with two discs worth of extras this Box Set is definetly worth a buy.
Here's to nine amazing years and Bring on the movies!

Loved it
i didn't get to see any of these episodes when it aired on TV... So when I bought this I was skeptical. Would this be any good? Mulder isnt here.

That to me is what The X-Files was about. Mulder and Scullys relationship and their investigations into the paranormal.

I started watching this and to my surprise I was getting just as much enjoyment in this season as I was in the previous Seasons.

Some of my favorite episdoes were, Daemonicus, 4-D, John Doe, Trust No 1, Provenace/Providence, William (very good), and of course the finale The Truth (though I dont think much was accomplished in the finale... 1 hour of recapping the entire series, then 30 minutes of mulder showing scully the date of the final alien invasion.. Hopefully the next movie will wrap things up, though rumor has it that it will be a stand-alone story)

There is a couple that I didnt like, one being The Lord of the Flies. But there is always one or two that I didn't like very much in just about every season.

True, that the show has changed alot in the later seasons... Watch season 3 then watch season 7 or 8. Almost seems different.

In my opinion season 9 is a must-have for anyone that calls themselves an X-Files fan...

Season 9 was the beginning of a new X-Files. They could have continued with Dogget and Reyes.... Note I said that they could have, not that they should have.

Season 9 was a great season and I highly recommend it however there is one thing that should have happened...

The series should have ended after Season 7. So much happened in that season. Mulder found the truth about his sister. The syndicate was pretty much dismantled. Mulder and Scully shared their first kiss.

Then after ending season 7 they should have created one or two more movies to wrap things up. That would have been the smart thing in my opinion. I had trouble getting through Season 8, but I liked Season 9. Now that I watched Sesaon 9 just as eagerly as I did the rest of them, I may have to go back and give season 8 another chance.

Give it a try - you won't be disappointed
I wish I could say season 9 was the best of the X-Files, but sadly it was not. Was it the worst? By far no. Hindsight is 20/20 and there was a great deal CC & FOX could have done to save this series, but alas they did not.

If you simply watched The X-Files because of David Duchovny then you will not enjoy season 9 - if you're open minded, then give this season a chance. Sure there are episodes that were lacking, but every season had an episode or two that was lacking.

Robert Patrick did a fine job and while Annabeth Gish tried her best, she wasn't as strong as Patrick, but then again she wasn't given very much to work with. She and Patrick worked very well together and I would have loved to have seen their partnership/friendship explored more thoroughly. Many feel their romance was forced or rushed and that may have been the case, but CC knew the show was ending and I think he decided to throw the DRR fans a bone. I must admit I grew to dislike Scully's character and her incessant whining about her son. The pregnancy storyline in season 8 and subsequently the introduction to William in season 9 was a big mistake and dumbed down Scully in my opinion. Truth be told Gillian Anderson wanted off the show and it was evident in her acting. FOX should have let her out of her contract and bid her farewell and focused on the Doggett & Reyes characters.

Some of the strong episodes were Hellbound, 4D, John Doe, Audrey Pauley & Release. The bonus material is very interesting and worth a view as well.

For a show that was meant to open your mind, many fans chose to close their minds and abandon the show after Duchovny left. I was sad at his departure, but understood his reasons and wished him well in his new endeavors. I don't feel many fans gave this season a fair shot and reading through many of the reviews that's evident. Give it a shot, you won't be disappointed and it's a hell of a lot better than "Reality TV." If you can't see spending the money on the DVD set then rent it at Blockbuster - it's worth it.

too bad
ok I am a huge x-files fan i love the show, but season nine was by far the worst. This season lost a lot of what had made the show great in the past, and i think that it was because of the writing and because Duchovny was gone(ok so am a girl and i think he's hot but that has very little to do with this). With Duchovny gone for the second season in a row you lost a lot of the emontion that he(Molder) brought to the show we lost his passion to find the truth. so yes i did buy this but only because i love this show to much not to own every season but if you are not like me ( and lets hope you aren't) do not buy this season if you are a fan of the early ones.

The Bitter End
Season 9 was by far the least satisfying of all the X-Files seasons due to the formulaic and prosaic writing. Although Robert Patrick's Agent Doggett worked quite well in this series, I felt Annabeth Gish's Monica Reyes was very weak. She is a mediocre actress at best, insipid at worst. She served the series best as eye candy, as she was mostly seen in tight leather jackets and sleeveless blouses. She was mostly expressionless throughout the series and seems better suited to soap operas.

Some very good episodes appeared, including "Lord of the Flies," "Release," and "Sunshine Days." The final episode, "The Truth," was a let down. The set-up, in a military Kangaroo court, was preposterous. The only good thing about the episode was the summation of all the confusing "alien conspiracy/mythology" episodes.

David Duchovney was sorely missed throughout the season, but I would have preferred Doggett and Scully, as in season 8, than the insipid Reyes.

The season is worth seeing to complete all the seasons, but it's not really a keeper. ... Read more

Amazon.com

As another entry in the video-game-to-movie genre, Alone in the Dark certainly delivers in terms of its splattering gore and number of things that get shot or blown up with the kind of arsenal familiar to any fan of games that allow the player to shoot or blow things up. You could argue that some game-based movies have been big successes--gauged either by audience appeal or box office scores. Even though a lot of hardcore gamers probably won't care, Alone in the Dark is not of that ilk. At least the Resident Evil and Tomb Raider series had some interesting characters and locations (not to mention sexy stars). But Alone in the Dark is crippled from the first by a mundane setting of caves, laboratories, and street-fighting backgrounds as well as a cast (including Christian Slater, Stephen Dorff, and Tara Reid) that couldn't be less interested in the overly complex plot. The absurdity starts right away with a long expository pre-title text crawl that carries all the gravitas of a "Monty Python" sketch intro. The gist of the plot has a group of scientists, special-ops military guys, and paranormal freaks and geeks investigating evil creatures that were once harnessed by an extinct subset race of Native Americans. Unleashed again, the creatures must be destroyed, which is where the video game blasting and attendant gore comes into play. Considering the cult following the game series carries (the first installment is over a decade old), Alone in the Dark could find a nice little life on DVD, but theater-goers might discover the title's a little too literal. --Ted Fry ... Read more

Reviews (67)

crap
Things blew up, there was blood and aliens or something...fortunately, Tara Reid remained scantily clad for the majority of this film...other than that I have no idea what the point of this movie was. Plot hung on by a dangling thread, and was pretty much left unresolved, i guess. Please for the love of God, don't spend money on this, please. I'm telling you this for your own benefit. Do something more constructive with your money. Buy your girl something nice, take your mom out to lunch. Whatever you choose, i'm sure it will go towards something a little more worthwhile than this. 'Nuff said...Christ.

Great Plot - so-so acting - low budget=Coulda Been Better!
The overall plot and storyline were pretty good.Somewhat reminiscent of something like the movie Stargate or The Mummy.

The plot in a quick word, is this:In 1967, mine workers discovered artifacts attributing to an ancient Native American Civilization called the Abkani.The Abkani believed there were two worlds on this planet..one of light and one of darkness.To the darkness there was a door, and if that door was opened, something evil would slip through.

The Abkani abrubtly ceased to exist.Literally wiped off the face of the earth, overnight.

From there we have some artifact hunting that leads to clues (think National Treasure LITE) to a puzzle that when pieced together, solves the mystery of their disappearance..or very well opens a door for the disappearance of the human race!

As said before, I think the overall plotline and story are really good.I can see this movie actually being great with say, Jerry Bruckheimer directing it.Lots of action scenes and intense fighting, some histories mysteries, a little Alien/Predator feel to it as well.

Now for the cons, as other reviewers have also noted:Tara Reid did not help this movie.We needed someone who was exhilirating, realistic, and witty.For whatever reason, this role did not fit her.I could see Claire Daines in this role or perhaps Bridget Moynahan, but they probably cost to much payroll wise.

I thought Christian Slater did a decent job as well as Stephen Dorff.This movie is one of those that tried to work with the budget it had, and didn't do a terrible job.There are so many things in this movie that just didn't quite tie together, and I don't mean it didn't make sense, I mean there was a lot to the story and some better cast actors and better directing would have made it much more "solid" than "disconnected".We needed a Morgan Freeman...We needed a Donald Sutherland...

Overall it's okay, but I do feel it's much better than some of the lower budget movies out there on the shelf.The overall cinematic feel is good as well as the pace of the movie, the mystery, and the suspense.As said before, we needed Claire Daines...An Eric Bana...Perhaps Barry Pepper...

No video game story here.Only characters used.
This "Alone In The Dark" is based upon the video game series (1996-2001) beginning with "Alone In The Dark: One Eyed Jack's Revenge" (by Kokopeli) to "Alone In The Dark 4: The New Nightmare" (by Darkworks/Infogrames).
This story is meant to take place after "Alone In The Dark 4: The New Nightmare".The elements in the developing 5th game of the series were used in this film, however the video game was not ready at time of film's release. The video game, "Alone In The Dark 5" will be released in early 2006.
If you are unfamilar with "Alone In The Dark", I recommend you purchase "Alone In The Dark 4: The New Nightmare".
A stone begins to glow and a crate is opened by theives.We see some people doing very ordinary things in their home, but suddenly they drop whatever thay are doing and leave out the door.Nineteen people are now "missing" and the only clue Edward Carnby (Christian Slater) has is all the missing people were in the same orphanage he was in.Edward teams up with Aline Cedrac (Tara Reid) who works for a museum.They have teamed up bewfore during other adventures.They also have monsters to deal with.The missing people have become zombie-like and they have a larve attached to their spinal cord.Edward Carnby just found out he has a larve inside of him too, but he was electrocuted when he was young, so the larve is dead.
Easter Egg: Scroll down the "Special Features".Use the left/right button instead.As you slowly get to Trailer Gallery and then to Main Menu (may have to do this a second time), an outtake of Slater scaring Reid in bed is shown.

To make this film more fun to watch, in "Special Features", go to the "Trivia Track".You can turn this feature "On" for interesting facts while you watch the film.However, the blue seal that contains the trivia information is difficult to see.They should have used the color yellow.
Also in "Set Up", there is audio commentary with Director Uwe Boll.
You can play "Trivia Track" and audio commentary at the same time.

Alone In The Toilet
Once again the worst director in the world, Uwe Boll, delivers to us another log from the turd factory.Following up his previous crapfest 'House Of The Dead' is this film, 'Alone In The Dark'.And once again, he sodomizes us with one of the worst film ever put to celluloid.

Probably my favorite thing about Boll is his complete disregard for continuity or coherent story, and he desregards both in spades in 'Alone In The Dark'.There is no thread of a plot in this film's running time.Nothing makes any sense.People show up randomly to places that you have no idea why they are there.The special effects are marginally better than a completely low budget flick.The action scenes are absolutely pathetic.The acting is pathetic:Tara Reid is the worst scientist ever, Christian Slater is completely lame(any one who says here that he did the only good acting in this film is insane), and Stephen Dorff rocks a mullet.

Put in plain english:this movie is crap in its purest form.Now, while 'Alone In The Dark' is not quite as crappy as 'House Of The Dead', don't be fooled into thinking its better.It isn't.It just sucks in a slightly different way.Uwe Boll has tried to make a putrid pile of a film and he has truly done the job...again.Avoid this film like it is an infected turd.A little piece of you will die if you watch it.

On a sidenote, Boll is set to direct 'Bloodrayne', which be be his third straight film based on a video game.I'm sure it will suck too.

Horrible, horrible film with the most awkward sex scene ever
I remember reading all the horrible, horrible reviews for this film when it came out. I meant to go see how horrible it was but it was out of theatres in three weeks. The only other movie to manage that is Gigli.

When the movie came out on DVD, I bought it to see how awful it was. I couldn't think of the sheer horrorible attention that this film was getting was possible. After seeing it, I can understand.

First off, let me say that this film is not without some cool shots. There's a nice shot at the beginning that shows a bullet being fired from inside the gun, which I thought was neat. And the way the monsters in this movie die is sort of cool to look at; but it gets old after the first time you see it.

Let me start with the worst thing in this movie: Tara Reid. If bad acting was a sin, then Hell would've chucked Tara Reid right out since she's so unbelievably awful in this movie it's unthinkable. And of all the roles, she plays a curator. Now if she played a dumb, empty-headed sex toy then maybe I might be able to forgive her for how she treats her character. Apparently, Uwe Boll didn't realize that, although he did seem to think that if she took off her shirt in the movie, people would see it. He just didn't realize that making her do that in the middle of the film at the absolute wrong moment just made the movie even more hilariously bad. And is that a mexican song or something during the scene of dry humping? I couldn't tell.

Which brings me to my next complaint: Uwe Boll shows off some of the worst directing skills you'll ever see in a movie. I mean, I'd give House of the Dead an F (and I only do that for very few movies) but HotD would score at least a B compared to this screwed up piece of junk. The movie starts off with a very, very long narration that causes immediate confusion (and read by a horrible narrarator) and from there, the cuts are really, really dumb. There's this one point where Slater and Reid are looking around a building that's been destroyed and the screen blackens out. When it comes back, Slater and Reid are shotting everywhere and suddenly, an entire army has joined them. Huh?

And someone did NOT bother checking the mistakes in this movie. At one point, a team breaks through glass, but the glass breaks before they touch it. Tara Reid's earrings switch colors in the middle of one scene and after Slater walks away from a dead commrade, you can see her begin to get up.

As for the story... I was really lost. Something about an old tribe releasing darkness and someone "opens the path" or something and all the evil monsters pop out. It's just an excuse to have a lot of gun scenes (the technology is so advanced here that no character ever needs to reload in this film) that get, quite simply, BORING.

I bought this movie hoping to laugh at how incredibly stupid it was. I didn't laugh, but I still think it's stupid. Very, very, very stupid. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

I am so excited
I have read all the other reviews and the once that slagged sliders off are just stupid, or not sliders fans at all, every single episode is brilliant and i cant wait until it comes out in region 2!! I cant wait until season 4 and 5 too!!!
You have to buy this sliders boxset if your a fan, if not then you may not like it and you need seaon 1 and 2 so you can understand this boxset!
BUY IT!!!ITS GREAT!im 14 so it must apply to all ages!

Sliders Gain A New Ally, And Lose A Freind...And A Network..
Season Three of Sliders is a lot more uneven than the previous two efforts, most of the episodes were rip-offs of various movie plots, and used banal elements, literally, there was one episode with a TALKING FLAME.

Tracy Torme, John Rhys-Davis, and Sabrina Lloyd all departed the series under increasing tension with castmembers and general disgust with the direction the series had taken, whilst Sliders would never be graced with Davis' prescense as Arturo again, Lloyd did finally re-emerge as Wade in Season Five in a breif guest apperance (although to be honest, she only voiced a cheap looking manequin wax model of herself trapped in a tank)

Fortunatly, there are still some gems to be found among the cheap filler material designed to "spice" up the series with images of a near naked Kari Wuhrer.

"Double Cross" introduces us to the first Earth double with a variant gender: Logan Mallory St. Claire, who intends to use sliding for her own insidious ends, to raid other unsuspsecting alternate universes of thier resources.

"The Guardian", which sees the Sliders arrive on a world that develops, chronogically, slower than our own, but is more or less the exact same as our present timeline,
Quinn sees this as an oppertunity to protect a younger version of himself and prepare him against those who threatened and humiliated him, before he makes the same mistakes Quinn did...

"Exodus I and II", based on a story by Davis, is a fascinating look into the evacuation of an entire planet on the edge of destruction, betrayal, murder, conflcit, and tragedy can be found here in arguably the seasons' finest epic.

The remainder of the DVD is half-assed rubbish sadly, even the episodes mentioned above could'nt save the series from failing ratings, and FOX cancelled it, however, Sci-Fi Channel would pick it up and renew it for a stronger fourth and fifth season.

The last of Torme's Sliders
There was a great deal going on behind the scenes during this season.

Conflict between creator Tracy Torme and new executive producer David Pekinpah resulted in Torme's vision being restricted and subsequently him leaving the series.

Star John Rhys-Davies also had numerous problems with Pekinpah, and always spoke out if he thought a script was rubbish. Pekinpah didn't like him and this evidently led to him being sacked and his character killed off in two-part episode "The Exodus".

Further strain occured when his replacement, Kari Wuhrer, didn't get on with other cast member Sabrina Lloyd, which was a contributing factor in her exit from the series after season 3.

Again, the Fox Network, in all it's glory, didn't air the episodes in their correct order, although it wasn't as bad a shuffle as on the first two seasons.

Season 3 Episodes (in their correct order!)

1. Double Cross
2. Rules of the Game
3. Dead Man Sliding
4. Electric Twister Acid Test
5. The Guardian
6. The Dream Masters
7. Desert Storm
8. Dragonslide
9. The Fire Within
10. The Prince of Slides
11. State of A.R.T.
12. Season's Greedings
13. Murder Most Foul
14. Slide Like An Egyptian
15. Paradise Lost
16. The Last of Eden
17. The Exodus (Part 1)
18. The Exodus (Part 2)
19. Sole Survivors
20. The Other Slide of Darkness
21. The Breeder
22. Stoker
23. Slither
24. Dinoslide
25. This Slide of Paradise

The 25 episodes of this season are quite mixed, as other reviewers have mentioned. Most of the 'post-exodus' episodes are fairly below average, but there are some 'pre-exodus' episodes that are true to classic Sliders form.

Personal favorites include "Double Cross", "Rules of the Game", "Dead Man Sliding", "The Guardian", "The Prince of Slides", "Season's Greedings" and "Slide Like an Egyptian".

There are several movie rip-offs aswell in this season. "Electric Twister Acid Test" was made to cash-in on the movie "Twister", which had recently been released. "Desert Storm" seems to have taken several ideas from the "Mad Max" movies. "Dragonslide" seems almost a carbon copy of "Dragonslayer". "The Prince of Slides" reminds me of a sweet little movie called "Junior". "Paradise Lost" has a creature in it very similar to the one in "Tremors". "Sole Survivors" is just like any typical zombie movie. "The Breeder" is so much like "Species", that a lawsuit could have been issued against the series. Finally, "This Slide of Paradise" is again so much like "The Island of Dr Morteau", that even some of the characters have the same name.

The extras are a little thin again. We only have the gag reel for this season, plus, quite strangely, an episode of Cleopatra 2525 (or whatever year it is) and two episodes of Earth 2. These are probably to promote the recent release of the two shows.

Still, there is a lot of fun to be had with this season, and I'd recommend it to any Sliders fan, but it's just not as good as the first two seasons.

Mixed season
sliders season three

1- Rules Of The Game- 10/10
2- Double Cross- 8/10
3- Electric Twister Acid Test- 2/10
4- The Guardian- 10/10
5- The Dream Masters- 6/10
6- Desert Storm- 4/10
7- Dragonslide- 4/10
8- The Fire Within- don't remember

9- The Prince Of Slides- 7/10
10- Dead Man Sliding- 7/10
11- State Of The Art- 3/10
12- Season's Greedings- 9/10
13- Murder Most Foul- 7/10
14- Slide Like An Egyptian- 3/10
15- Paradise Lost- 5/10

16- The Exodus, part one- 8/10
17- The Exodus, part two- 8/10
18- Sole Survivors- 6/10
19- The Breeder- 1/10
20- The Last Eden- 4/10
21- The Other Slide Of Darkness- 2/10
22- Slither- 4/10
23- Stoker- 3/10

24- This Slide Of Paradise- 2/10
25- Dinoslide- 5/10
Extras

Dinoslide is the season finale of this season, some websites have this listed earlier in the season.


There are definitely: 4 discs- 3 are double-sided

the above is a guess of how many episodes are on each disc.



The best episodes of this season are: The Guardian, The Rules of The Game, Season's Greedings, The Exodus, part one, The Exodus, part two, Double Cross

The worst episodes are: The Breeder, This Slide of Paradise, The Other Slide of Darkness, State of The Art, Slide Like An Egyptian, Stoker, Electric Twister Acid Test

It all levels out.
This season, while being one of the most unoriginal of the series, featured some of the best, as well.Episodes such as "The Exodus" Part 1 & 2 and The Other Slide of Darkness, make this set easily worth the price. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

ITS ABOU TIME!!!
Finally horror fans get to own the first 8 jason movies in a exclusive paramount box set. It is a five disc set with a bonus disc that should have good extras.Thank God jason goes to hell and jason x aren't in this collection. What a disgrace! Here are the official bonus features.Cast commentary on FRIDAY THE 13th - PART 3 by author Peter Bracke and actors Larry Zerner, Paul Kratka, Dana Kimmell and Richard Brooker
Commentary on FRIDAY THE 13th - PART VI: JASON LIVES by director Tom McLouglin
Commentary on FRIDAY THE 13th - PART VII: THE NEW BLOOD by actor Kane Hodder and director John Carl Buechler
Commentary on FRIDAY THE 13th - PART VIII: JASON TAKES MANHATTAN by director Rob Hedden
A featurette "Tales From the Cutting Room," in which exclusive deleted scenes and footage is revealed for the first time.
An 8-part featurette "The Friday The 13th Chronicles," which looks at the legacy of the films throughout their history, featuring cast and crew commenting on each film and why they appeal to audiences. Includes Adrienne King, Amy Steel, Corey Feldman, Kane Hodder, Lar Park Lincoln, Betsy Palmer, Tom Savini and directors Sean Cunningham, Tom McLoughlin, Rob Heddon, Joseph Zito and John Carl Buechler.
A 3-part featurette "Secrets Galore Behind The Gore," which looks at the work of master make-up effects designer Tom Savini in Part 1 and Part IV and John Carl Buechler in Part VII. Includes rare and never-before-seen footage, drawings and stills illustrating the make-up techniques used to create Jason and achieve elaborate death scenes.
A featurette "Crystal Lake Victims Tell All!," in which cast and crew from various films share amusing anecdotes. Includes Corey Feldman, Larry Zerner, Adrienne King, Amy Steel, Lar Park Lincoln and directors.
A featurette "Friday Artifacts and Collectibles," which looks at props and collectables from the films.
The theatrical trailers from all 8 movies except Part VI, which is represented by the teaser trailer. Deff. worth buying....

Best Horror Movies Ever
It is about time that this came out in a box set. When they released the Nightmare series in a box set, i was waiting for this to do the same thing. This is a better set of movies than nightmare. It is about time.

Jason Vorees Rules
This certain selection of movies were awesome, Jason could not be any better in these movies he makes it as fun and scary as possible. it is really interesting to imagine what is going to happen next in the movie, i encourage whoever likes horror movies to buy this collection because it is awesome!

TWO THUMBS UP!

The Best Horror Series of All-Time -- Boxed
Friday the 13th is, without a doubt, the best horror series of all time. To date, the original 1980 film has spawned nine direct sequels and one horror deathmatch, Freddy vs. Jason. The franchise has grossed over $250 million worldwide. And finally, the first eight films are available on DVD in one complete, reasonably priced, box set with DVD extras. This one box set will bring you over 10 hours of non-stop gore mayhem plus a slew of extras that would make any fan drool in their seats. Here's a breakdown of the films without giving too much away:

1) Friday the 13th - 7/10 - Here's where all the mayhem begins. Camp Crystal Lake gets written into the horror books, and the murder of camp counselors begins. While Jason is not the original killer, it's still a classic, and is one of the most successful of the series.

2) Friday the 13th Part II - 7/10 - Finally we get some Jason action in here. Murders contine at Camp Crystal Lake, with a fantastic ending. A pretty solid sequel, with more of the same.

3) Friday the 13th Part III - 8/10 - Jason dons his trademark hockey mask for some great slaying. Kids make a getaway to Camp Crystal Lake only to find the manical killer waiting for them.

4) Friday the 13th Part IV: The Final Chapter - 10/10 - While not really the final chapter of the series, its arguably the best film. Don't want to spoil this one for you, so I'll shut up.

5) Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning - 5/10 - I like this film more than most reviewers do, but its still probably the weakest in the series next to Part VIII. The film has an unexpected turn, which you'll have to watch to find out. You'll then know why this film doesn't quite live up to its breathren.

6) Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives - 10/10 - The series returns from the doldrums of Part V to a fantastic film. Tommy returns to Jason's grave, only to bring him back to life... and boy is Jason pissed.

7) Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood - 9/10 - Tina is a troubled girl with strange telekinetic abilities. She accidently raises Jason from the depths of Crystal Lake to unleash the killer on a neighboring cabin full of teenagers.

8) Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan - 6/10 - Jason hops on board a boat filled with teens headed for New York City... mayhem ensues. While not the pinnacle of the series, its still good for a scare.

The Box Set That Slasher Fans Have Been Screaming For...
"He can't be alive! He can't!" - Chris can't believe Jason's stamina for staying alive in "Friday the 13th: Part III"

"Paramount" finally smartens the hell up and re-releases the first eight "Friday" films, together for the first time, in one big box set, reigniting the saga of Jason Voorhees, the mama's boy with the hockey mask fetish.

The good - all eight films together, 2 installments per disc with audio commentary on III, IV, VI,& VII. A fifth disc with a feature length documentary on the history of the franchise, a "where are they now?" style featurette on the victims from each film, a look at the props from the films, trailers, etc. The special features are what will probablly make me buy this.

The bad - deleted scenes? They will probablly be included but won't be the stuff fans have been craving for. Dolby Digital? Sure, 2.0 DD or surround, at best. If there are 2 films per disc, I hope "Paramount" doesn't go on the cheap and put one film on each side of the disc making the viewer flip the disc over to watch the other movie (flipper discs, suck big time!). Dual layered discs are the way to go.

As for the films themselves... "I" through "IV" with "Jason Lives" are a must view. "The New Blood" is o.k. (the action scenes between Jason and Tina were cool. The rest you can skip). As for "V" & "Jason Takes Manhatten"? Well, sometimes dead is better. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Following the X-Files feature film in the summer of 1998, "The Beginning" quickly crowbars an attempt at fitting the film into the TV chronology before it picks up plot points left dangling from the fifth-season finale, "The End" (note the guard asleep at the nuclear power plant console is named Homer!). Between arc threads are several pleasing excursions: time travel to a Bermuda Triangle boatload of Nazis ("Triangle"), further temporal escapades akin to Groundhog Day ("Monday"), a demonic baby case featuring genre stalwart Bruce Campbell ("Terms of Endearment"), and Duchovny being able to play someone else via personality switching ("The Dreamland, Parts 1 and 2"). Back in the real scheme of things, Mulder chases "S.R. 819," a Senate resolution tying conspiracies together. "Two Fathers" and "One Son" indicate that the abductee experiments are intended to cure the black oil disease. The year finishes with "BioGenesis," in which we're asked to ponder, are we from Mars? A beach-buried UFO leaves Scully wondering. --Paul Tonks ... Read more

Reviews (41)

Quite good, but not up to the first five seasons
For five seasons, The X-Files was one of the best shows on television, and the feature film "Fight the Future" was similarly excellent. With the sixth season and the show's move to LA, however, The X-Files became merely good, not great.

In my opinion, the chief problem with Season 6 (and 7, for that matter) is the prescence of some poorly executed "humorous" episodes. In the early seasons, there would every so often be an episode that was funny and tongue-in-cheek, without losing that X-Files feel. With Season 6, however, such episodes ceased to be genuinely funny, and became simply silly and wacky, providing little laughter that isn't forced. This season's worst offender is "How the Ghosts Stole Christmas," in which Mulder and Scully are trapped on Christmas Eve in a haunted mansion, whose ghostly residents wish to goad the FBI agents into a murder-suicide - by spouting pop psychology at them. Episodes that aren't mainly spoofs are also harmed by the silliness. "Agua Mala," in which a hurricane lets a sea monster loose in an apartment building, could have been a genuinely creepy episode, except for the fact that the building's tenants are all trite stereotypes.

While there were problems, the good outweighed the bad in this season. The mythology episodes continued to be superb, especially "Two Fathers"/"One Son," a two-parter which essentially brings closure to the "Mytharc" running through the past five seasons. The season's only successfully humorous episodes are also mythology-related, namely the two-part "Dreamland," in which Mulder and an Area 51 operative switch bodies, and "The Unnatural," which tells the story of a star baseball player who is in fact an alien. The season finale "Biogenesis," which introduces a new stage of the mythology, is an intriguing episode, but its continuation in Season 7 is sadly disappointing.

This season also featured some excellent stand-alone episodes. Especially good are "Drive," in which a mysteriously ailing man must keep driving - or his head will explode, "Alpha," a werewolf story with a twist, and "Field Trip," in which Mulder and Scully are trapped by a hallucinogenic giant fungus.

Casual viewers may wish to stick with the first five seasons, which constitute the best of the series. Season 6 does, however, contain some really excellent episodes, and true fans will find plenty to enjoy. For the X-Files, "not quite as good" is still most definitely good enough.

Passed the Threshold
I am not going to elaborate on the technical details of the DVD collection of Season Six, since more nit-picky people have already gone in depth into that area. My review is going to focus solely on the episode quality in terms of characters and plot. This season really marked a turning point in the X-Files series. Notably, the filming had been moved from Vancouver to California, which removed some of the dark grittiness that fans had come to expect and love.

Following the success of the movie and presumably an influx of new fans that had not followed the previous five seasons, the writers/producers opted to wrap up the conspiracy mythology (episodes "Two Fathers" and "One Son") and replace it with a more ambiguous plot ("Biogenesis"). We bid farewell to the members of the Syndicate and the "human controlled" government subterfuge. This sudden change of track upset many hardcore followers of the series.

As far as the recurring characters go, we see surprisingly little of the fan-favorite Cigarette Smoking Man. The character of Mulder's informant Marita Covarrubias continues to atrophy with only one appearance this season. We also see little development of the newly introduced FBI Agents Diana Fowley and Jeffrey Spender who succeed Mulder and Scully at the X-Files. Alex Krycek makes a few appearances, but little is done with his character. The only shining point is the introduction of the character of Assistant Director Kersh, who will continue to be a thorn in the sides of Mulder, Scully, and Assistant Director Skinner until the last episodes of Season Nine.

In this season, the groundwork is being layed for the eventual departure of Fox Mulder (most notably "Biogenesis"), that will continue to build throughout Season Seven until it culminates in Season Eight. Scully's character is paid tribute in many episodes including "Milagro" and "Tithonus".

The weakest aspect of this season is the downturn in writing quality. The gritty tension and suspense of former seasons seem to be almost gone in the episodes of this season. We see the writers turning away from scary and often thought-provoking plots to the most inelaborate forms of humor. Stemming from this comes the WORST X-FILES EPISODE EVER: "The Rain King". This is the perhaps the first time that I could not wait for commercials simply because they were more entertaining than the episode itself. The writing quality also changed in presenting stories with a modicum of credibility. That was what made the X-Files great...just enough reality to make an otherwise preposterous story believable. And scary things that are somewhat believable are almost always ten times more frightening. That philosophy departs the series towards the beginning of the season with "Dreamland I" and "Dreamland II" that, although amusing, are nothing more than a rehash of a plot twist that has been used time and time again in science fiction.

Despite its shortcomings, this is still the X-Files and I love it for its good and its bad. Well, maybe I don't love "The Rain King" episode. The episode "The Beginning" does well transitioning from the X-Files movie and the Season Five finale. "S.R. 819" builds an interesting Skinner subplot with technology that few realize exists. "Two Fathers" and "One Son" do a tidy wrap up of the former mythology episodes with a satisfying conclusion. Fans of the Lone Gunmen will adore "Three of a Kind". And "Biogenesis" does an adequate job initiating the new mythology episodes and sparking the beginning of Mulder's departure.

As a fan, I believe that all the DVD box sets are a "must own", but bare in mind that this season definitely marks the "passing of the threshold".

Even better than season five...
Up until a few months ago, I never watched a single episode of the X-Files. However, now that the DVD sets have been reduced in price, I had the opportunity to start watching the show. Right off the bat, I was hooked immediately and with each passing season the show became established in my eyes as one of the best and most addictive sci-fi shows ever created. After seeing the first five seasons, I didn't think that season five could be topped, because it did not have one bad episode. I was also somewhat skeptical about season six, because of how many fans that said the show went downhill after the show left Vancouver to be shot in Los Angeles. I just finished with the sixth season, and it feels like the move to L.A. was a blessing in disguise. The sixth season is without a doubt the best season I have seen so far.

The thing that suprised me the most about season six, was the fact that there were only three mythology episodes in "Two Fathers", "One Son", and "Biogenesis". Season six was the first season to be built almost solely upon stand alone episodes. However, the three episodes did such a wonderful job with the mythology of the show, that three episodes was all that season six needed. In fact, a season that was mainly comprised of stand alone episodes was definately a nice change of pace. Season six is filled with some of the best episodes of the entire show like "Triangle", "Dreamland" pts 1&2, "Monday" and "The Unnatural". Other episodes worth mentioning are "How the Ghosts Stole Christmas" in which two ghosts try and convince Mulder and Scully to kill each other, "Arcadia" in which Mulder and Scully pose as a newly married couple, and "Drive" in which Mulder is trapped in a car with a man who forces Mulder to drive at high speeds to suppress a fatal ear condition.

Overall, season six of the X-Files managed to be even better than the fifth season and is now my favorite season. With top notch mythology episodes and fantastic stand alone episodes, this DVD set would be worth owning just for the season itself. However, the extras are also great as well. You get two featurettes, deleted scenes, commentary on "Triangle" and "Milagro", and more.

A solid 5 stars...

Oh I know what it is
Mulder's short hair cut made this season!

Sixth season has some outstanding episodes
A strong sixth season as "The X-Files" continued to stroll along in top form. Chris Carter, Frank Spotnitz, Vince Gilligan and the rest of the writing/directing/producing crew created a number of strong memorable episodes during season six. While the mythlogy episodes are pretty terrific, the ones that stand out in my mind are the individual stand alone episodes.

Among my favorites this season included "Bad Blood", "Christmas Carol", "Travelers" the marvelous and touching "Mind's Eye", "All Souls", "The Pine Bluff Variant" and the suspenseful "The End". The mythlogy episoes varied a bit in quality this season. Eschewing the detour into Indian mythology was a wise move after the disasterous two parter from the previous season. The mythlogy episodes here focused as much on character as plot which was to their advantage. "Patient X" featuring the wonderful Veronica Cartwright ("Alien", "Invasion of the Body Snatchers") gives a multi-layered, emotionally powerful performance. Carter's decision to shift Scully into the role of "believer" and Mulder into "doubter" brings added tension and an unpredictable element to this season that kept the characters fresh.

We get a number of extras although not quite as generous as other seasons. In addition to the 22 episodes we get 8 special effects sequences with commentary, commentary tracks on two episodes including "The Post-Modern Prometheus" and "The Pine Bluff Variant" by their writers (Carter and Shiban), 11 behind-the scenes spots, a DVD-ROM game "Earthbound" plus a documentary, 6 deleted scenes. Luckily for those of us who can't remember the titles of various episodes we also get a nice episode guide as well.

All in all, a great season that continued to keep audiences spellbound. ... Read more

Description

Rod Serling's classic TV exploration of the uncanny, the unknown, and the unforgettable takes you beyond the deepest realms of imagination! Filled with twists, turns, and compelling characters, this legendary series has remained continuously on the air since its initial run and remains as fascinating, frightening, and thoroughly entertaining for viewers today. Each set contains nine DVDs; Collection #4 features Volumes 28-36, 28 episodes to tingle your spine including "Little Girl Lost," "Jess-Belle," "Miniature" and "A Penny for Your Thoughts." So pull up a seat and brace yourself for a fantastic voyage into...The Twilight Zone! ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Twilight Zone - One Of My Favorite Shows
If you buy one of these TZ Box Sets, you might as well buy the other four. Each set has nine volumes (sans the documentary Rod Serling - Submitted For Your Approval). My favorite episodes deal with Time Travel (No Time Like The Past, Back There, Walking Distance, Static, The Seventh Is Made Up Of Phantoms), Old Age (Kick The Can, Nothing In The Dark, The Trade-Ins, One For The Angels), The Civil War (The Passerby, An Occurrance At Owl Creek Bridge, Still Valley), and Paranoia (The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street, The Shelter, 4:00). My other favorites are the four by Jack Klugman (A Passage For Trumpet, A Game Of Pool, In Praise Of Pip, Death Ship) and Burgess Meredith (Time Enough At Last, Mr Dingle Mr Strong, The Obsolete Man, Printer's Devil). If you are new to the show, watch these episodes first. They are the creme de la creme of the show.

The series is excellent. However, it's deliberate attempts at humor are often misfires (The Whole Truth, The Bewitching Pool, I Dream Of Genie). The episode A Short Drink From A Certain Fountain is the "Spock's Brain" on the series, meaning it's the worst. The ending is bad; what were they thinking??? No wonder it didn't make the syndication package.

The Sound Quality varies from each DVD. Some have two channel mono while others have HIFI mono. Closed Captioned doesn't work for any of the DVD's. There's usually only 3 or 4 episodes per DVD, unlike other Box Sets that fit 8 per DVD, thus lowering the price. This is a minor beef, because the show is worth the money.

You will also notice that 3 episodes (Where Is Everybody, The Encounter, The Eye Of The Beholder) appear twice if you buy all five. Again, a minor beef since The Encounter is the only one of the three to be exactly the same on both separate DVD's.

These Box Sets are now a bargain compared to when each volume is sold separately. I never tire of watching the episodes and reading the notes. I also recommend Rod Serling's Submitted For Your Approval. It gives insight to Rod Serling and his creation as told by friends, relatives and co-workers.

Excellent as always, though oriented toward die-hard fans
Like the first 3 collections, this one has a great variety of episodes, and its fair share of A+ ones which are as fine as anything that has ever been shown on TV. Unlike the first 3 collections, this one has several rarely seen and/or double length episodes, and is even more of an acquired taste. Die-hard fans and collectors will want to own this set. Those exploring TZ might try one of the other 3 collections first. If you like, read my reviews of those as well.

The best show, now on DVD
This is hands-down my favorite television series, and now it's on DVD in superlative form. You can't go wrong with any of the five collections.

Now Entering...The Nostalgia Zone
Having had a partial collection on video for many years now, I anxiously awaited the release on DVD. Finally! The complete series (156 episodes) has finally received the treatment it truly deserves. This series has held up well for 40+ years, and I have no doubt it will make it for at least another half century. Television writing was at its peak with this show, and the evolution of television filming (and videotaping) techniques is obvious over the course of this series. And the trademark twists at the end of each episode still take me by surprise!

Technically, the digital remastering to DVD has brought new life to Rod Serling's brainchild. The video presentation is crisp and well defined, bringing out the subtle details so well, that you will find yourself completely absorbed in the nuances of Serling's vision, and the outstanding production values for this early 60's series (just keep in mind that this is pre-Computer Generation era). The audio was clear, and blissfully noise free, but a bit low on the volume when compared to the title and menu audio tracks (both on the geyeballh version of the earlier disks, and the intro sequences on the later disks). The shows are presented in their original format, so no widescreen version is necessary. And television always translates well to...well, television. Although the extras include a Rod Serling bio, a brief synopsis of each of the 5 seasons that the series ran, and a Twilight Zone history, these features are identical on each disc. The true gem of the extra features is the episode synopsis and review. Each disc is unique in this respect, with a plot summary and some background "inside info". Although mostly taken from the book "The Twilight Zone Companion," I found this feature to be the most interesting.

Each collection has its ghitsh and gmissesh, but the series is, overall, a rewarding experience. The only "disappointments" that I found were the collection's lack of a subtitles option (which I really would have appreciated), and the fact that the episodes are not in order (which slightly detracts from observing the actual progression of growth within the series). That makes this more of a 4 1/2 star rating (but you can't do that, can you?). If you have ever enjoyed even one episode of this legendary series, you will not regret buying these collections. And if you've never seen it, give it a try...you'll be hooked.

Sound Problems from Collections 2-5
I am the world's biggest Twighlight Zone fan. Therefore, when the opportunity arrived to purchase all of the classic footage of this great series, I didn't hesitate. The problem that I'm having is that from Volume 13 on, which corresponds to the time Image Entertainment completely took over the DVD production, I am unable to play the sound from these DVD's through my TV or auxilliary speakers. The sound only comes through the speakers on the DVD itself. There weren't any sound difficulties with the first 12 Volumes. I don't believe it's the DVD player either, (portable Panasonic LTV175). Has anyone else had this problem? ... Read more

Description

The complete third season of Rod Serling’s classic, groundbreaking series exploring the fantastic and the frightening. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

5 for the boxset, 4 for the eps.
Season 3 and the episodes from this classic series have once again been given the whole super-duper treatment. Good work guys!!

By now the Zone's quality had slipped a little. Still,eps like "Nothing in the Dark", "The Dummy", "To Serve Man" and "Five Characters in Search of an Exit" remain unforgettable and still influence tv/ movies today.

Features in this package include:
-commentaries from William Windom, Leonard Nimoy, Cliff Robertson, Lois Nettleton, and Billy Mumy.
- teasers for next week's shows
- isolated soundtracks
- audio recollections from a bunch of contributors
- Serling's Night Gallery previews for next week's eps

It's all good and dare I say it...gets better with Season 4 and the hour long episodes.

RELEASE DATES FOR SEASONS 4 AND 5 OF THE ORIGINAL SERIES
Season 4 - 10/18/2005
Season 5 - 12/27/2005

Another Exciting TZ Season!
I'm totally enjoying the remastered "Definitive Season" releases with all the included bonus features.#3 here looks like another winner!I believe the remaining seasons will be out by years end.Meanwhile, I've got a stack of 3-4 episode DVD's and 2 episode VHS copies looking mighty lonely.For everyone in this situation, I think a good home might be a local library or even better a senior living centre.That would be a good demographic to donate to. ... Read more