Freak-outs and The X-Files
Okay, the new X-Files movie is not what I expected at all. First off, I've gotta say that I'm so glad that I didn't read any film reviews before seeing it as I understand that it's been universally panned. I wasn't expecting anything - hell, 6 months ago I never would have dreamed of seeing any new X-Files material ever - so this whole thing was one elongated surprise for me. That being said, it's not a great story. While I'm happy to say that this one is firmly rooted in terrestrial matters and isn't convoluted by shadow conspiracies, X-Files groupies will have a hard time wrapping their heads around earthbound evil that doesn't serve a larger meaning. No aliens, no werewolves, no mutant parasite-hybrids, no car chases by guys in black gov't. vehicles, but - strangely - plenty of this:
Yep, the whole thing plays as a big, squishy-hug, wish-fulfillment love note from Chris Carter to all of those fans who waited 9 years and through 201 episodes for Mulder and Scully to get it on. Seriously, the only thing that feels true about this film is the enduring chemistry between Anderson and Duchovney. After Carter basically laid waste to his creation at the end of the 9th season - killing off nearly EVERYONE and leaving our erstwhile duo isolated, alone and afraid for the future - he spends a lot of his time in this film trying to reignite his characters' failing partnership and give them both something new to live for. Maybe I'm a tad oversensitive at the moment, but that really struck a chord for me. Mulder's paralyzing obsession with his past and beliefs that he is no closer to proving than he was a decade ago, and Scully's enduring schism between her latent faith and the hard realities that experience and science have taught her, continue to rivet even if the plotted 'crime' that brings this snippet of their lives to the screen is forgettable and absurd. The case that they become involved in wouldn't pass muster during the series' heyday, but it was almost worth getting through in order to see these characters as the aging, neurotic people that they are (and were never allowed to be so long as they were meeting double agents in parking garages and chasing down little green men). If you aren't an X-Files fan (and a very specific kind of X-Files fan...), you won't like this film, but I enjoyed it despite my more critical self.
In other news, The Self-appointed Money Fascists the bank froze my debit card on me yesterday (after I deposited ALL of my worldly money) because it had been 'flagged' as being a security risk. Apparently, my debit card info had been scanned through a security-compromised 'portal', and as such, I had to do a whole bunch of re-arranging of my personal info with the bank this a.m. to gain access to my account again. Since I haven't used my debit at an ATM for over a week and then only at MY BANK'S ATM machines, I pointed out that if I got scanned anywhere it was at one of their machines and that they should do a little bit more to notify their clients about this sort of thing. When I got home AFTER I had cleared up the problem, I received a call from their security division informing me of the issue *rolls eyes*. Gee, guys - way to be on top of everything...
Today I also had to swing by Jay's loft (at his sister's request) to pick up some items that she had set aside for me. It turns out that this weekend his family was selling off all of his loft's contents (!) and I showed up after most of the feeding frenzy was done. His place was just a shell, as most of his personal items were gone, and the guy who's taking over his lease was there measuring the space for renovation. The whole vibe was surreal. His sister then went into her plans for a big T.O. shindig for his friends in a month or so that she wants to invite EVERYONE to. Frankly, I'm done with all of the family's memorializing and I'm seriously considering passing on the event. At one point, I was sorting through some of Jay's art books and everyone gasped when they realized that I was leaning up against a ladder in his loft: it turns out that it was the ladder that he had hung himself from. I didn't know, and after finding out, I didn't move away - giving objects that sort of power is self-defeating. He's dead; the details of his death are just minutiae. The good news is that the one thing of his that I wanted, I got and it is happily ensconced in the Hobbit Hole now. I feel better knowing that it's safe and will be treasured from now one.
Welcome home, my friend.