Techtite's DVD Reviews!

X-Files, Season 1

To Buy The Complete First Season on DVD, Click Here

A Techtite Review

The Film : I think this is as good of a place as any, to review the first season on Fox Television's X-Files. While I had a lot to say about the series' recent, 1999-2000 season, this DVD collection is of the show at its peak; the first, '93-'94 season, in all of its inspired glory. If anything, writers for the series now should probably buy this collection themselves, to remember what made the original episodes so incredible.

I'll leave the perks of buying this DVD set, for the review of the DVD itself (see below). For now, let me just say that the series at its start was unique, inspired, and  highly entertaining. The whole saga began as of September 10th, 1993, as a wet-behind-the-ears new FBI agent, Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), is shown entering an odd office meeting. Her new FBI boss, with a mysterious man smoking a cigarette in the corner, orders her to become the partner to a man named Fox "Spooky" Mulder (David Duchovney). He's an agent whose office is in the cellar, because he insists on following all the wierder, closed FBI cases, nicknamed "the X-files." Scully is to report to them on Mulder's actions, on a regular basis.

As she goes on more and more missions with Mulder, she grows more and more respectful of him, and more suspicious of the true reason for her orders to keep tabs on him. Is he under suspicion of being too crazy...or too close? Possibly both; while the cases he insists on investigating all result in bizarre phenomena, Scully's scientific background insists that there's a logical reason for all of it. People don't just disappear before your eyes, no matter how much that's what she saw herself, in the very first episode. If only to find this truth, Scully agrees to be Mulder's partner for good, as they find more buried FBI cases of strange phenomena, potential cover-ups, and possible conspiracies. "The Truth is Out There!"

This first season is X-Files at its best, and has some of the spookiest, strangest, greatest moments of the whole series. You'll be surprised how different Anderson and Duchovney look, as little as 7 years ago. Their plain-jane looks at the start of the season really enhance the feeling that they are two novice agents, just starting out on a great adventure. Thanks must go to series creator Chris Carter, to allow us to join them. Now that its all on DVD, you can finally see these 24 episodes any time you want; to catch up on what you missed, or just to keep the best episodes for all time. Either way, it's a great purchase.

The DVD : No joke. In this collection, you will have the entire first season, on no less than 7 DVDs! These DVDs are put in a nice, fold-out booklet form of container, with a shiny, artistic slipcover to keep it from opening up on the shelf. Within these discs is, honestly, the whole season #1, and all of its 24 episodes!

Added perks are amazing to have been able to include at all, yet they're there. The pilot episode's deleted scenes are available for viewing, while watching that show. See the pilot as originally intended, when Scully was supposed to have a boyfriend at the series' beginning (this character was apparently dropped by the time the series was aired). 

In addition, there's an 11 minute documentary on the making of season one as a whole. 12 interviews with Chris Carter, salute his favorite episodes from this season. 11 "Behind the Truth" spots salute major FX moments. 47 promotional television spots are preserved within the DVD collection for posterity. Lastly, for the lucky dogs with a DVD-ROM on their computers, there's a game called "Roots of Conspiracy" to play (sadly, iMac-ers, it's PC only!).

The bottom line is, if you love the series, yes, you need to find a way to collect enough dough to buy this set of DVDs. If you came into the show late --even as early as Season Two-- you really should buy this collection of season 1, without delay. These were the original story ideas of series creator Chris Carter, as shown at the very start of the series. It's a pleasure to own them all for all time.

	Final Rating : Deep Impact. The phenomenon this series created was nothing short of spectacular. If late comers to the "X-phile" craze want to know what started the fandom, this Season 1 collection will show them why.
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