...And after producing Road Trip, Ivan Reitman is back at DreamWorks, directing Evolution - with David Duchovny doing broad comedy. "But not stupidly broad," swears Duchovny. "Ivan would give me advice like, 'Don't suck.'" Now that's a tip worth spreading.

Enough about reality - let's enter the world of might-have-been via our Snub Poll, where readers selected from ourl ist of the criminally overlooked: Cameron Crowe (for Best Director) and Almost Famous (for Best Pictures) rocked to the tune of 52.1% and 40.4%, respectively, while Wonder Boys costars Michael Douglass (30.2%) and Robert Downey Jr. (32.5%) won the pot for best Actor and Best Supporting Actor. And who's laughing now, Julia? That would be The House of Mirth's Gillian Anderson, the people's pick for Best Actress (29.5%); Crouching Tiger's Michelle Yeoh stalked her with 26.5%. Traffic's Best Supporting Actress winner Catherine Zeta-Jones (35.6%) also had the Tiger by the tail, barely beating warrior Zhang Ziyi's 34.2%

"Our story is set in Kansas," Wong said. "The idea is, aliens come for three and a half hours, and they leave. ... There's a 20-mile zone where ... they hover over, [and] inside that area, everything's changed. Everything looks the same, but the physics change, and weird things are there, and there's dangerous things that people don't understand what they are. Twenty years later, ... they've left stuff that people don't know what they do--they don't know it is or how it works--and it's become ... collectible. But the zone itself is off limits to everyone. ... There's these stalkers who go in to get things to collect."

Wong added, "It's a very emotional story about a father and a daughter, and it's really wonderful. It's adventure. It's action. There's a lot of emotion. ... There's special effects." If green-lighted, Visitation will be produced by Morgan, Neal Moritz and Tom Sternberg and directed by Wong.

Wong is currently directing the SF epic movie The One, based on a Morgan and Wong script and starring Jet Li. The movie, currently shooting in the Los Angeles area, tells the story of a sheriff's deputy (Li) who must battle an evil version of himself across multiple dimensions.

This first batch is from the March 18th episode titled "Like Water For Octane." Fox describes the episode as being about an invention that could change the world.

That new mythology doesn't prevent the Gunmen from being involved in The X-Files, as Spotnitz says, "They will still pop up on X-Files. It makes it all a lot harder to do because we have to somehow get them out of their day job in Vancouver and get them down here. We managed to do it this season and I think we can continue to do it. They serve a very good function on X-Files."

The producer also revealed that Michael McKean will be reprising his X-Files "Dreamland" role of Area 51 head Morris Fletcher for a coming Gunmen episode. Read the entire interview with Spotnitz by clicking here.


03/27/01
X-Files type things were referenced many times in the April 2, 2001 issue of People magazine.

The tv show is First Years is on page 28. Samantha Mathis who played Sophie Green on Harsh Realm. I'm not watching it because, truthfully, I'm watching something else on Mondays at 9 but I strongly suggest that you watch. People says that this series has potential.

Tea Leoni ismentioned on page 96 in the cover article called Healthy Bodies Are Back. "Actress Tea Leoni, whose daughter Madelaine is 1, agrees. 'I'm much happier with my body now,' she tod the Orange County Register in December. Leoni, 35, married to actor David Duchovny, also offered a quick rebuke to potential critics. 'If I'm not rail-thin enough for Hollywood,' she added, 'I'm sure they'll let me know and I'll be glad to leave.'"

XF was also mentioned somewhere else but I forgot to bookmark it and I can't find it now.


03/27/01
This is from The OS.

On April 8th, the episode "Three Words" airs. It is written by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz and directed by Tony Wharmby.

First Assistant Director Barry Thomas moves into the director's chair when he helms "Empedocles." The episode written by Greg Walker airs April 15th.

"Vienen," written by Steve Maeda and directed by Rod Hardy, airs April 22nd.


03/27/01
This is also from the OS

But the truth is, this is the man who had his first job writing for Surfing magazine, and still brings a board to work at The X-Files. "I think it's interesting that he still surfs," actress Gillian Anderson, who plays the once-sceptical Agent Scully, comments later in a phone interview. "He's usually here [at the X-Files set] quite early and leaves quite late. He's constantly writing and re-writing, yet still comes to work with a surfboard on his car."
To read the rest of this article go here

Both the book and movie are well worth your time. The film is considered a classic. Directed by John Frankenheimer. Starring Burt Lancaster (at his broad-shouldered, four-starred best), Kirk Douglas, Martin Balsam, etc.

Steven Dunn
[email protected]


03/17/01
This is another letter to the editor.

Sandra Pittman
[email protected]


03/17/01
Its birthday day isn't it! None of these have to do with X-Files, but I thought I'd wish them a happy birthday anyway.


03/17/01
Happy 34th birthday to Billy Corgan!


03/17/01
Happy 37th birthday to Rob Lowe!


03/17/01
Happy 45th birthday to Gary Sinise!


03/17/01
Since I'm not going to be here for a week I found other birthdays. Here are this weeks birthdays.

03/20/01
Happy 54th birthday to Chip Zien!
Happy 72nd birthday to Mr. Rogers!

03/21/01
Happy 39th birthday to Rosie O'Donnell
Happy 43rd birthday to Gary Oldman

03/26/01
Happy 33 birthday to James Iha

Regarding the chances that Lone Gunmen might be picked up for a second season, which would mean focusing on two series, Carter says, "We're all hoping for the best and dreading it all the same."

In an interview with Jeff Stark for Salon, Carter gave the premise of a rumored episode that will involve a chimpanzee. Carter revealed, "When we had done the pilot, I said every episode has to have an idea, and just the suggestion of it has to make you laugh. It has to be a government program with chimpanzees, a product of the Cold War -- trying to create a smart chimpanzee, the ultimate warrior assassin...What happens is that one of these chimpanzees is smart. And now, with the Cold War over, he's a remnant and he wants out of the program."

Regarding appearances on the show by X-Files cast members, Carter reiterates, "We've already filmed one with Mitch Pileggi, as Skinner, coming to interact with the Lone Gunmen on a case." Then he adds, "And we have another one we're cooking up for the season finale."

What he says, though, may be a slight spoiler, so if you'd rather not chance knowing what may be coming, then move along to another story by using one of the links at the right.

Still there?

You were warned.

During the chat, Carter was asked if everybody's favorite Ratboy, Krycheck, would be returning to the X-Files this season. Carter answered, "Stay tuned. Krycheck returns in April in the season's fifteenth episode entitled 'DeadAlive.'"

Regarding a question of carrying on the series minus David Duchovny, Carter says, "We don't know if there will be a season 9 yet, so you are jumping the gun. My worry is always that the show would be boring or uninteresting with or without David. All we can do in either case is to continue to tell great stories."

As for rumors that Carter had another program in the works, Carter says, "I do have one more show in mind but my plate is full with The Lone Gunmen and The X-Files. That is where my focus is right now.

You can read the entire transcript of the chat on Fandom.com's X-Files Fandomain by clicking here.


03/13/01
This is also from Cinescape Online.

Writing the ensemble Gilligan says, "The more we like them, the more we realize how unique each of their voices is. Byers is the voice of reason, the moral center of the show. Frohike is a curmudgeonly man of action. Langly is kind of a smart aleck. And Jimmy is a big goofy guy with a lot of heart. Yves, on the other hand, is a bit of a mystery at first. But we learn that underneath her hard shell there's something else going on." To read the rest of the article go here.

Last week found Mr. Carter, a California-based producer, zigzagging around Manhattan, revealing bits and pieces of himself to Charlie Rose, Conan O'Brien and others as he promoted his lastest prime-time entry.
To read the rest of this article go here.
(Note from Rachael: This article isn't really worth reading. I don't know why I put it here.)

If there's a conspiracy afoot, chances are that Chris Carter is in the thick of it. From the producer's flagship series, The X-Files, to the darker depths of Millennium and the virtual reality of Harsh Realm, conspiracies and Carter go hand in hand. Even X-Files spinoff The Lone Gunmen--the latest series from Carter and his 1013 Productions--alludes to a government conspiracy. But unlike his other series, Gunmen is chock full of humor.

Humor fits the mismatched trio of The Lone Gunmen well, since theirs is a Mission Impossible-styled series of adventures and misadventures. Byers (Bruce Harwood), Frohike (Tom Braidwood) and Langly (Dean Haglund) were introduced in the first season of The X-Files by writers Glen Morgan and James Wong. Over the years, their alternative sources and hacking talents have proven a valuable asset to agents Mulder and Scully. Now they get to strike out on their own as we follow the escapades of these three geeky crusaders for the people.

Carter, who serves as one of the series' executive producers, took a few moments out from his schedule to talk about the genesis of Gunmen--and the future of The X-Files. To read the actual interview go here.


03/09/01
This is from Scifi Weekly.com

Immediately after we wrapped the film, the post production process really kicked into high gear. We are trying to get this movie into theatres on June 8th, which means little to no sleep for us from now till then.

"The show is definitely pushing humor," says Braidwood. "It's a lot more fun than The X-Files. There's lots of silly action."

"It's not joke comedy," adds executive producer Frank Spotnitz, "and there are no punchlines or laugh tracks. There's a lot of physical comedy and also a lot of situational comedy, but not like what sitcoms do. [The humor is] truly arising from the situation that the characters find themselves in and the fact that none of them know that they're funny."

Of course, the series needs more than pratfalls. There have to be plots, too. But the plots on The Lone Gunmen won't revolve around the aliens, ghosts and ghouls X-Files fans are so accustomed to.

"In The X-Files, the bad guys are government conspirators hiding the existence of extraterrestrial life. That's not the case in The Lone Gunmen," Spotnitz explains. "Often it's some shadowy conspiracy that no one else can prove. People trying to make money at the expense of privacy, abusing technology."

Spotnitz has another, pithier way to sum up the show's storylines. "It's really very much Mission: Impossible with comedy," he says.


03/06/01
This is from The Columbus Dispatch
Time Warner Communications (Note from Rachael: My cable company, the same company which has a monopoly in this area) will add FX to its standard lineup beginning April 1 - on Channel 64 for both standard- and digital-service customers. FX offers reruns such as The X-Files, NYPD Blue and Beverly Hills, 90210.
The cable network also pairs with corporate sibling Fox Sports in airing live, weekly coverage of the first half of the NASCAR season. NBC and Turner Sports will provide a weekly coverage for the second half. More information on FX is available online at www.fxnetworks.com. To accommodate the additon of FX, Time Warner will discontinue Acion Pay-Per-View (Channel 103) at the end of March and move Sneak Preview to Channel 65.
(Note from Rachael: Yes! Its been so long that we've had to wait for FX to come to this area. It used to be that I could only see it when I went to visit my grandma in Wisconsin but she's moved now and doesn't get it so I thought I'd never see it ever again but then I saw this in yesterday's morning paper and I don't think I've ever been so happy. Well, maybe I've been more happy but not about getting a tv channel. Well... then again it was great to get the Sci-Fi Channel, and I also watched that at my grandmas before we got it. Hm... Never mind. The conclusion is that we're getting FX!)


03/06/01
The Transcript for the Chris Carter chat at Yahoo is now up. You can get it here. I wasn't able to go but from reading it he seems to have gotten tired/annoyed/bored by the end. By the second half he had alot of one word answers and things like "That would be nice," "Whatever makes you tune in" and "I don't know if they're anyone else's plans." He didn't give much information but overall I think it was a good interview.


03/06/01
Be sure to check out the e-com-con site. Remember, they were the company that LGM kind of broke into in the "Pilot." Its a very entertaining site. There is a link to it on the LGM homepage under a box next to "Jimmy's Shelf." If you look closly at what comes out of the box, it says "Octium IV." Thats the chip they stole! And look at some of the names on the employee list. Dr. Daniel Pendrell, Dr. Zama Ishimaru, Giovanni Escarpa and Suzanne Modeski. Interesting.

Carter added, "I'll tell you that all of the remaining episodes, which begin in April, take place in present time, so people should not be too overly concerned, or should not expect the worst when they see Sunday night's episode."

Carter said it's been hard balancing the various old and new characters this season. "It's always difficult--even when you've got all of the elements, and you've got them all the time," he said. "This season, it was a different show in many ways with Mulder missing. We've sort of corrupted the dynamic. But bringing in someone like Robert Patrick [Agent John Doggett] actually created a new dynamic, which I think is great. Now, we're creating an even different dynamic for the show, with Mulder's return and the addition of Annabeth Gish as Agent Monica Reyes. So far our experiments have worked wonderfully. We continue to pay very careful attention to how these things are working, so that X-Files may go on to season nine, and we still maintain our ability to do what we have always hoped to do, which is feature films." (Read Carter's full interview in SFW next week.)


03/04/01

Carter added, "My preference is to do The X-Files next year, if we can find a way to do it right, to make it creatively interesting for ourselves. I think the stories are out there to be told, but when you get to the ninth year of a show, you need resources to keep doing the same good work. The costs go up. So my preference is do The X-Files next year, but there are things that need to be hammered out between all the participants in the process."


03/04/01

Braidwood is one three actors who play the show's titular conspiracy geeks; the other two are Bruce Harwood and Dean Haglund. They will be joined by two new characters played by Zuleikha Robinson and Stephen Snedden when the series premieres on Fox March 4, Carter said. "You need something to bounce the geek comedy off of, and that something is a straight man and a straight woman, if you will. But I have to say that Zuleikha and Stephen score on their own. Stephen in particular is not a straight man at all--he is becoming the fourth Gunman."

Carter hopes that fans of his other work will tune in. "I hope X-Files fans will watch it," he said. "The comic episodes we've done of The X-Files are some of the most beloved episodes of the 180 we've done so far. So I'm hoping people will come to watch The Lone Gunmen like they watched those comic episodes of The X-Files."


03/04/01

In the pilot episode, Frohike, Byers and Langly set out to steal the Octium IV processor, a revolutionary new chip that promises to make computers faster and more powerful. However, the Gunmen believe the new chip is actually designed to spy on the users and steal their personal information. Unfortunately, their heist is thwarted by the brilliant and beautiful Yves Adele Harlow (Zuleikha Robinson). To read the rest of the article go here.

Gunmen premieres on Fox March 4. "It's like the funniest episodes of The X-Files, only funnier," Haglund said.

"I'd say it's in the action-comedy genre, though the details are odd," Harwood added. "I'd put it in the same class as Wild Wild West."
To read the rest of the article go here.