Certificate: 15
Starring: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Mitch Pileggi, William B. Davis
Directed By: Various, 1993-1999
Reviewed By: Tom Leins
Price: £19.99

[ratings]

Chris Carter’s seminal X-Files TV series may have been overtaken in the public’s affections by new-fangled mystery shows like ‘Lost’, but the unexpected arrival of a long-rumoured new movie has definitely set tongues wagging and reignited interest in the long-dormant franchise. This two-disc package features eight episodes that have been handpicked by creator Carter and producer Frank Spotnitz.

Condensing the magic of a show like the X-Files into just eight episodes is a tough call for anyone. It kicks off with the dated but undeniably absorbing ‘Pilot’ episode, offering a chance to trace the show right back to its roots when Scully first met ‘spooky’ Mulder. Next up is ‘Beyond The Sea’ (Series 1, Episode 13) which sees Scully tangle with Luther Lee Boggs, a death row inmate who claims that he is psychic. ‘The Host’ (Series 2, Episode 2) was penned by Carter himself and concerns a decomposing corpse inhabited by a deadly parasite! Disc one is rounded off with ‘Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose’ (Series 3, Episode 4) an Emmy-winning episode which ‘TV Guide’ proclaimed “the 10th greatest episode in TV history”!

The second batch of episodes begins with ‘Memento Mori’ (Season 4, Episode 14), which probes Scully’s ailing health. Carter’s black and white ‘The Post-Modern Prometheus’ (Series 5, Episode 5) retells the story of Frankenstein’s monster in a small mid-western town, while ‘Bad Blood’ (Series 5, Episode 12) sees Mulder kill a Texan teenager whom he mistakes for a vampire. The final episode is ‘Milagro’ (Series 6, Episode 18), which concerns a writer who becomes the prime suspect in a grisly murder case. The arrival of X-Files Essentials offers a timely reminder of the show’s remarkable gifts, and as such is well worth checking out.

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