Sun, 16 Jul 2000

'The X-Files' thrills its fans with sci-fi speculation

By Sri Ramadani

JAKARTA (JP): Do you believe in Extra-Terrestrial (ET)? That human beings live side by side with other creatures in the universe?

Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, both agents of America's Federal Bureau Investigation (FBI), really believe there is a world outside the earth that cannot be explained by rational thought.

The investigative efforts by Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) is the focal theme of the popular TV series The X-Files created by Chris Carter.

Every Wednesday night (10 p.m.), SCTV airs The X-Files, which centers around the search for an alien life-form and the U.S. government conspiracy to cover-up information of ET existence, with Mulder and Scully trapped in the middle.

Fox 'Spooky' Mulder believes the government conspires to cover the truth about the existence of alien life forms. Mulder's partner Scully, a doctor turned an FBI agent, remains skeptical of Mulder's theory.

The X-Files' creator Chris Carter cleverly develops mystery and atmosphere in each episode by insinuating supernatural power, virulent viruses, voodoo, evil spirits, and a plethora of extra- terrestrial creatures into a dazzling plot.

SCTV has been screening the series since l993 (now the seventh season) and like the rest of the world, the show has found a growing colony of avid fans in Indonesia.

The series had its silver screen debut two years ago after completing its fifth season on the tube. The movie storyline features Mulder and Scully investigating a mysterious bombing of a skyscraper in Dallas.

It was not a big hit compared to Mission Impossible, The X- Files movie only ended up decently in the world cinema.

Last week's episode The Goldberg Variation told the story of Henry Weems who was thrown from the roof of a multi-storied building by gangsters after winning $100,000 in a card game. Surprisingly, the man survived with no bruises. Agent Mulder theorizes that the man has a special healing power, but Scully insists he is just a lucky guy who fell in a carry all filled with heaps of towels.

This week's episode (July 19), Orison, directed by Rob Bowman and written by Chip Johannessen, focuses on Reverend Orison (Scott Wilson) who wants to free his friend Donnie Pfaster (Nick Chinlund) from prison. But Pfaster only wants to meet the person who saved his life -- Scully.

SCTV will broadcast 22 episodes of the seventh season of The X-Files including Sixth Extinction, Sixth Extinction II: Armor Fati, Hungry, The Amazing Maleeni, Signs and Wonders, Sein Und Zeit, Brand X, Hollywood A.D, Fight Club, Je Souhaite, Requiem.

It is a pity, Duchovny has decided to quit the series after finishing the 8th episode.

If you want to know more about The X-Files, you can surf www.geocities.com/CollegePark/Quad/4303xftable.html, www.interalpha.net/customer/tim/xfiles.htm, www.eonline.com/Facts/People/0,12,86,00.html. www.scifi.com/xfiles, and www.darkhorizons.com/TV/xf-s7.html.