The X Files (1998)

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1998
Running Times: 121 mins
Format: colour     35mm      Super 35 (anamorphic)
Ratio: 2.35:1
Sound: DTS     Dolby Digital      SDDS

SELECTED CREDITS

(Full Credits)

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Twentieth Century Fox / Ten Thirteen Productions
Executive Producer: Lata Ryan
Supervising Producer: Bruce Devan (uncredited)
Producers: Chris Carter, Daniel Sackheim
Associate Producer: Mary Astadourian

SCRIPT
Script: Chris Carter
Story: Chris Carter, Frank Spotnitz

DIRECTION
Director: Rob Bowman
2nd Unit Directors: Billy Burton, Brian Spicer
Creature Unit Director: Alexander Witt
Glacier Unit Director: E.J. Foerster

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Ward Russell
2nd Unit Director of Photography: Mike Benson
Additional Photographers: Lloyd Ahern, Daryn Okada, Josh Bleibtreu
Aerial Directors of Photography: Phil Pastuhov, John Trapman (uncredited)
Glacier Unit Directors of Photography: Jan Kiesser, Jon Joffin
London Unit Director of Photography: Dick Pope

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: Stephen Mark

MUSIC
Music: Mark Snow

SOUND
Sound Designer: Paul Urmson
Sound Consultant: Thierry J. Couturier
Sound: Rodger Pardee

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up Supervisor: Michael Mills
Key Make Up: Greg Nelson
Glacier Unit Make Up Artist: Natalie Cosco
London Unit Make Up Artist: Pat Hay
Hair Supervisor: Anji Bemben-Ennis
Head Hair: Kerry Mendenhall
Glacier Unit Hair Stylist: Kandace Loewen
Costume Designer: Marlene Stewart

SPECIAL MAKE UP EFFECTS
Special Make Up Effects: Kurtzman, Nicotero and Berger Efx Group Inc, Alec Gillis, Tom Woodruff Jr

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects: Amalgamated Dynamics Inc; Hunter / Gratzer Industries Inc; O'Connor FX

VISUAL EFFECTS
Visual Effects: Amalgamated Dynamics; Blue Sky/VIFX; Digital Filmworks Inc; Full Scale Effects Inc; Hollywood Digital; Hunter/Gratzner Industries Inc; Light Matters Inc; O'Connor FX; POP Film; Pixel Envy; Todd-AO Digital Images; Trans FX

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Christopher Nowak
Supervising Art Director: Marc Fisichella
Art Directors: Gregory Bolton, Hugo Santiago
London Art Director: John Fenner

LOCATIONS
Locations: Bakersfield, California, USA; California City, California, USA; Canyon Country, California, USA; Casey's Bar, Los Angeles, California, USA; Glamis, California, USA; Long Beach, California, USA; Los Angeles, California, USA; Mira Monte Apartments, Los Angeles, California, USA; Santa Clarita, California, USA; Soledad Canyon, California, USA; St Mary's Hospital, Long Beach, California, USA; The Athenaeum, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA; UNOCAL building, Los Angeles, California, USA; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Pleasantville, New Jersey, USA; Toms River, New Jersey, USA; North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Whistler, British Columbia, Canada; London, England, UK; Somerset, England, UK

STUNTS
Stunt Coordinator: Tim Davison
Stunts: Heather Burton, Jim Halty, Nancy Lee Thurston, Steve Davison, Thomas J. Huff, Billy D. Lucas, Bob Brown, Brian Bennett, Chris Blackwood, Dale Gibson, Dane Farwell, David Schultz, Dennis Madalone, Erik Rondell, Hal Burton, James Ryan, Jimmy N. Roberts, Jimmy Romano, John Meier, Kendel McMurray, Khristian Lupo, Lisa Dempsey, Manny Perry, Michael Runyard, Mike Smith, Roberta Riordan, Roger Wells, Shawn Kautz, Steve Holladay, Troy Brown, Troy Robinson, Wendy E. Matousek, William H. Burton, Chris Palermo (uncredited)

CASTING
Casting: Ruth Hirschfeld, Sue Liberman, Liberman / Hirschfeld Casting
Additional Casting: Patrick Rush
Extras Casting: Central Casting, Franklin Warren

CAST
David Duchovny (Fox Mulder)
Gillian Anderson (Dana Scully)
John Neville (the well-manicured man)
William B. Davis (the cigarette-smoking man)
Martin Landau (Dr Alvin Kurtzweil)
Mitch Pileggi (Walter Skinner)
Jeffrey DeMunn (Dr Ben Bronschweig)
Blythe Danner (Jana Cassidy)
Terry O'Quinn (Darius Michaud)
Armin Mueller-Stahl (Conrad Strughold)
Lucas Black (Stevie)
Chris Fennell (2nd boy)
Cody Newton (3rd boy)
Blake Stokes (4th boy)
Dean Haglund (Langly)
Bruce Harwood (Byers)
Tom Braidwood (Frohike)
Don S. Williams (1st elder)
George Murdock (2nd elder)
Michael Shamus Wiles (black-haired man)
Craig Davis (primitive 1)
Carrick O'Quinn (primitive 2)
Tom Woodruff Jr (creature 1)
Gregory B. Ballora (creature 2)
Ted King (FBI agent on roof)
Luis Beckford (FBI agent)
Steve Rankin (Field agent)
Gary Grubbs (Fire Captain Miles Cooles)
Steven M. Gagnon (last agent out)
Lawrence Joshua, Glendon Rich (DC cops)
Gunther Jenson (security guard)
Scott Smith (technician)
Ian Ruskin (well-manicured man's valet)
Paul Welterlen (control room operator)
Joel Traywick (young naval guard)
Milton Johns (British valet)
Paul Tuerpé (1st Paramedic)
Michael A. Krawic (2nd paramedic)
Larry Rippenkroeger (towncar driver)
Josh McLaglen (Buzz Mibee)
Randy Hall (windbreakered agent)
T.C. Badalato (fireman)
Amine Zary (Tunisian)
David W. Paris (pilot)

PLOT SUMMARY

FBI Special Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully have been removed from the now closed X-Files division and are assigned to investigate a terrorist attack on a government building in Dallas. But their investigations once again bring them into contact with the sinister conspiracy between the US government and aliens who are planning to colonise the Earth and with the mysterious 'black oil'...

This disappointing first big screen outing for the phenomenally successful TV show is simply a two-part TV episode writ large. It concerns itself with the increasingly tedious and ill-conceived conspiracy arc but adds absolutely nothing new to the ongoing storyline. Fans will be disappointed by the fact that the film seems to be treading water while non-fans will simply be confused by it all, particularly the large and numerous plot holes. Only the lead performances, particularly Anderson's, come close to saving the day.

Argentina
Theatrical Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox de Argentina
Video Distributor: Gativideo

Finland
Theatrical Distributor: Columbia TriStar Egmont Film Distributors

Germany
DVD Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

France
Theatrical Distributor: UGC-Fox Distribution

Portugal
Theatrical Distributor: Filmes Castello Lopes

Spain
Theatrical Distributor: Hispano Foxfilms S.A.E.

UK
Theatrical Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox
DVD Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (00079DVD; extended version; includes - commentary by Chris Carter and Rob Bowman; making-of documentary)

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
Laserdisc Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (0044884; extended version; includes - interviews with Gillian Anderson and Chris Carter); Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (0044885; extended version; includes - interviews with Gillian Anderson and Chris Carter)
DVD Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (4110394; extended version; includes - commentary by Chris Carter and Rob Bowman; making-of documentary); Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2001094; extended version; includes - commentary by Chris Carter and Rob Bowman; making-of documentary)

Argentina
Rating: 13

Australia
Rating: M

Chile
Rating: 14

Finland
Rating: K-16

France
Rating: U

Germany
Rating: 12 (w)

Hong Kong
Rating: IIA

Netherlands
Rating: 12

Norway
Rating: 15

Poland
Rating: 15

Portugal
Rating: M/12

Singapore
Rating: PG

Spain
Rating: T

Sweden
Rating: 11

UK
Rating: 15

USA
Rating: PG-13 (for some intense violence and gore)

1999
ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards, USA
Top Box Office Films (Mark Snow) - winner

Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, USA
Saturn Award Best Science Fiction Film - nominated
Saturn Award Best Actor (David Duchovny) - nominated
Saturn Award Best Actress (Gillian Anderson) - nominated
Saturn Award Best Director (Rob Bowman) - nominated
Saturn Award Best Make-Up (Alec Gillis, Michael Mills, Greg Nelson, Tom Woodruff Jr) - nominated

Blockbuster Entertainment Awards, USA
Favorite Actress: Sci-Fi (Gillian Anderson) - winner

Cinema Audio Society, USA
Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Feature Film - nominated

Motion Picture Sound Editors, USA
Golden Reel Award Best Sound Editing: Sound Effects and Foley - nominated

1998
June
19: Canada, USA - theatrical release

July
9: Singapore - theatrical release
23: Australia, Netherlands - theatrical release
24: South Africa - theatrical release
30: Bolivia - theatrical release
31: Austria - theatrical release

August
1: South Korea - theatrical release
6: Germany, New Zealand - theatrical release
7: Panama, Spain, Switzerland (German speaking region) - theatrical release
12: Philippines, Venezuela - theatrical release
14: Finland, Mexico, Puerto Rico - theatrical release
20: Chile - theatrical release
21: Brazil, Ireland, Thailand, UK - theatrical release
27: Argentina, Malaysia - theatrical release
28: Colombia, Denmark, Uruguay - theatrical release
29: Taiwan - theatrical release

September
Day Unknown: Lebanon - theatrical release
3: Czech Republic, Slovakia - theatrical release
4: Iceland, Sweden - theatrical release
11: Peru - theatrical release
12: Indonesia - theatrical release in Jakarta
23: Egypt - theatrical release
24: Hong Kong - theatrical release
25: Lithuania, Poland - theatrical release

October
2: Estonia, Latvia, Russia - theatrical release
7: Switzerland (French speaking region) - theatrical release
8: Israel - theatrical release
9: Portugal, Romania - theatrical release
14: Belgium - theatrical release
16: Greece, Norway, Turkey - theatrical release
21: France - theatrical release
22: Hungary - theatrical release
29: Croatia, Slovenia, Yugoslavia - theatrical release
30: Italy, Switzerland (Italian speaking region) - theatrical release

November
6: Bulgaria - theatrical release
20: India - theatrical release

December
5: Japan - theatrical release
8: USA - laserdisc release (Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (0044885))

1999
January
12: USA - laserdisc release (Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (0044884))

May
4: USA - DVD release (Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (4110394))

2000
January
31: UK - DVD release (Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (00079DVD))

2001
January
23: USA - DVD release (Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2001094))

February
17: Germany - DVD release (Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment)

Fight the Future

Take Your Greatest Fear And Multiply It By X

Fight

Future

Discover the past, live the present, fight the future.

Cherish the past. Enjoy the present. Because the truth is coming. Fight the future.

The Truth Is Revealed

Take your greatest fear... your most paranoid suspicion... and your darkest nightmare... and multiply it-by X!

Trust in no one Mr Mulder.

One man alone can not Fight the Future.

The X-Files: Blackwood - working title
The X-Files: Fight the Future - working title
X-Files: The Movie - working title
The X-Files - end credits title
Aux frontieres du réel - French Canadian title
Akte X - Der Film - German title
Expediente X - Spanish title
X-Files - taistelu tulevaisuudesta - Finnish title
The X-files - le film - French title
X-akták - Hungarian title
X-Files - Il film - Italian title
Z archiwum X: Pokonac przyszlosc - Polish title
Arquivo X - O Filme - Brazilian title
Ficheiros Secretos - Portugese title
Arkiv X - fight the future - Swedish title

SEQUEL TO
The X Files (1993-2002)

PERIODICALS

Cinefantastique vol.30 no.1 pp.4, 12-13 (USA)
illustrated article

Ciné Live October 1998 pp.32; 72-75 (France)
review (by Marc Toullec); interview with David Duchovny (by Marc Toullec)

Dreamwatch no.38 p.5 (UK)
note

Empire September 1998 p.32 (UK)
review (by Neil Jeffries)

Entertainment Weekly no.454 (16 October 1998) p.91-92 (USA)
review (The Pod Squad by George Blooston)

Film Review September 1998 p.17 (UK)
review (by James Cameron-Wilson)

Neon September 1998 p.87 (UK)
review (by Ben Mitchell)

Total Film April 1998 pp.18-19 (UK)
review

Total Film September 1998 p.86 (UK)
review (by Dean Evans)

NEWSPAPERS

A Capital, Guia TV 17 September 1999 (Portugal)
review (by Rui Brazuna)

Correio da Manha 9 October 1998 (Portugal)
review (by Vitoriano Rosa)

Diário de Notícias 9 October 1998 (Portugal)
review (by Nuno Galopim)

Diário de Notícias, DNmais 10 October 1998 (Portugal)
review (by José De Matos-Cruz)

Expresso, Cartaz 10 October 1998 (Portugal)
review (by Manuel Cintra Ferreira)

Svenska Dagbladet 4 September 1998 (Sweden)
review (Synnerligen rörigt arkiv by Astrid Söderbergh Widding)

KEYWORDS

television series into film, aliens, fbi, conspiracies, politicians, spaceships, ufos, terrorism, bombs, deserts, antarctica, viruses, helicopters, bees, underground, the paranormal, cavemen, children, twist endings, paranoia

Last Updated: 24 August, 2009