Chris Carter Movies
As the creator of such popular shows as The X-Files and Millennium, writer, producer, and occasional director Chris Carter could be classified as the poster boy for paranoid, sci-fi-slanted television of the 1990s. Though Carter's material and approach may not be entirely original (as fans of Kolchak can certainly attest), his acute skill for tapping into the prevailing millennial paranoia of his generation is as patently undeniable as the public's endless fascination with the mysterious otherworldly forces on which he has built an empire. The son of a blue-collar worker, Carter was raised in the working-class suburbs of California. His early work included a stint as a writer for various surfing-oriented publications. Eager to move beyond the life of a beach-bound writer but unsure of how to make the leap to uncharted territory, Carter longed for the sort of stability that seemed to come so easily to his brother, a successful research scientist. As luck would have it, a close friend of Carter's at Surfing Magazine was the cousin of noted Hollywood screenwriter Dori Pierson -- and soon after the pair were introduced, romance began to blossom. Encouraged by his newfound muse to pursue a career in screenwriting, the ambitious and amiable young writer quickly landed a lucrative, entry-level writing position at Disney while simultaneously gaining a reputation as an arbitrator of cool among the Mouse House elite.A subsequent teaming with FOX network executive Peter Roth offered a chance for Carter to exercise his imagination on the small screen, and with a childhood fascination with Kolchak fueling his creative fire, he began researching alien abductions and other bizarre supernatural phenomenon in preparation for a show that would be something of an updated version of the popular '70s series. With Carter's limited experience and a go-for-broke attitude to propel his idea, The X-Files would be the element that could either make or break his fledgling career. Though everyone involved with The X-Files from inception to execution no doubt had faith in the series, few could have anticipated the mark that the quirky and creepy series would make on the history of television. With smart stories, a solid cast, and slick production values, The X-Files created a seductively paranoid universe all its own -- a universe that viewers simply couldn't get enough of. A successful nine-year run on FOX was only the beginning; in addition to making a successful leap to the big screen in 1998, the series inspired two spin-offs -- Millennium and The Lone Gunmen. Though neither series managed to achieve the success of The X-Files, both carried Carter's unmistakable mark and expanded his universe and influence on the small screen. In 1999, Carter returned to television for the similarly minded sci-fi drama Harsh Realm. Though the show's life on the small screen was short-lived, fans could take solace in the fact that they would be seeing more of X-Files agents Mulder and Scully when it was announced in April 2004 that a sequel to The X-Files movie was in the early stages of production. Though an X-Files movie was released four years later (The X-Files: I Want to Believe), it was not a sequel, and fared somewhat poorly among fans hoping for further insight into the show's mythology. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- 2008
- PG13
- Add The X-Files: I Want to Believe to Queue Add The X-Files: I Want to Believe to top of Queue
David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson reprise their roles as Fox Mulder and Dana Scully with this long-delayed big-screen continuation that revives the series six years after it headed off the air in 2002. Creator Chris Carter returns to direct, co-writing the script with series veteran Frank Spotnitz for 20th Century Fox. Billy Connolly, Amanda Peet and rapper Xzibit co-star in the stand-alone sequel. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
- Starring:
- David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, (more)
When Rodney Bingenheimer was just a teenager -- a diminutive, long-haired kid who was picked on a lot -- his mother, a divorced autograph hound, dropped him off in front of the home of actress Connie Stevens and essentially said, "Good luck." Stevens was on location shooting a movie and Bingenheimer says he didn't see his mother again for five or six years after that. The Mayor of the Sunset Strip, a documentary by George Hickenlooper (Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse), tracks Bingenheimer's rise from the 1960s, when he was a groupie -- eventually landing his first show-business job as a double for Davy Jones on The Monkees -- through stints as a successful club owner and influential DJ to his current status as a fading musical icon. The film takes us from the innocent pop of Brian Wilson and Sonny & Cher through the raucous heyday of L.A.'s punk scene and beyond. Hickenlooper also delves into Bingenheimer's relationships, showing him mourning his neglectful and unbalanced, but beloved, mother and visiting with his father, who never attempted to make contact with Bingenheimer after his mother abandoned him. He also pines for a close friend, Camille Chancery, and helps out a seemingly hopeless middle-aged wannabe rock star, Ronald Vaughan. While Bingenheimer used his skills as a consummate hanger-on and his genuine enthusiasm for rock & roll to become a central figure in the L.A. music scene for a couple of decades and is lauded in the film for his good taste and good nature by celebrities from Cher to David Bowie to Gwen Stefani, his current life is shown to be somewhat sad and lonely. The Mayor of the Sunset Strip is chock full of cameos and features a star-studded soundtrack. It was shown at the 2003 New York Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rodney Bingenheimer
- 2002
Realizing that her baby has telekinetic powers, Scully (Gillian Anderson) is approached by a married couple whose baby apparently has the same "gift." The husband turns out to have information relating to the "super soldiers" who have driven Scully's former partner, Mulder, into hiding. Against the warnings of Doggett (Robert Patrick) and Reyes (Annabeth Gish), not to mention her own better judgment, Scully decides to act upon this new information -- even though it may cause further harm to both the missing-in-action Mulder and herself. Its title a numeric pun on a familiar X-Files catch phrase, "Trust No 1" first aired on January 6, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2002
After nine seasons and 201 episodes, The X-Files demonstrated inarguably that "The Truth Is Out There" with its two-hour finale, appropriately titled "The Truth." Returning to the series after a year-long absence, David Duchovny re-creates his role of Agent Mulder. Accused of murder, Mulder stands before a military tribunal, ordered to justify the existence of the X-Files and to prove that aliens are among us, lest he forfeit his life. In their efforts to rescue their former comrade, agents Scully (Gillian Anderson) and Doggett (Robert Patrick) are helped and hindered by a veritable honor role of past and present recurring characters, all played by the original actors. Without giving away the ending, it should be noted that no sooner had shooting wrapped on this episode than the producers were busy at work on a second X-Files theatrical movie. "The Truth" was originally telecast on May 19, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2002
In part one of a two-part story, border patrol guards in Northern Idaho find the remnants of a spaceship similar to the one confronted by Scully (Gillian Anderson) and the missing Mulder in Africa. Investigating, agents Reyes (Annabeth Gish) and Doggett (Robert Patrick) are frustrated by the coverup tactics of the FBI. Meanwhile, sinister forces express an unhealthy interest in Scully's baby. Originally broadcast on March 3, 2002, "Provenance" was followed by its sequel, "Providence," one week later. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2002
In the conclusion of a two-part story launched by the previous week's "Provenance," Scully's baby has been kidnapped by the alien cult responsible for driving her former partner Mulder into hiding. Wondering if reports that Mulder is dead are true, Scully (Gillian Anderson) teams with the Lone Gunmen (Tom Braidwood, Dean Haglund, Bruce Harwood) to get to the facts -- and of course, to retrieve her baby. Meanwhile, the FBI continues to stonewall them; could the agency be in cahoots with the aliens? "Providence" was first broadcast on March 10, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2002
A serial killer has struck three times, whereupon Agent Reyes (Annabeth Gish) realizes that the murder sites are in a pattern that will ultimately form the number nine. In her efforts to prevent the killer from doing away with six more victims, Reyes makes a foray into the world of numerology. Meanwhile, the mysterious Mr. Burt (Burt Reynolds), who devotes all his spare time to playing cards and board games and collecting opera CDs, pops up at odd moments to dispense pearls of enigmatic wisdom -- with the killer himself as the enthralled recipient of most of these pearls. "Improbable" made its network TV debut on April 7, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2002
William, the infant son of Agent Scully (Gillian Anderson), is attacked by a strange man who injects the baby with a syringe. Rushing William to the hospital, Scully is assured that the child is unharmed -- and yet, there is considerably more iron in William's system than usual. Could all this have something to do with alien super soldiers who have driven Scully's former partner Mulder into hiding? Among the many pleasures of this X-Files episode is an oblique but pointed reference to the possibly long-dead Cigarette Smoking Man. Written and directed by former series regular David Duchovny -- who, of course, played Mulder -- "William" debuted on April 28, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2001
In the conclusion of the two-part X-Files story beginning with "Nothing Important Happened Today," the strange woman (Lucy Lawless) who caused the EPA official's death, which Doggett (Robert Patrick) is investigating, turns out to be Shannon McMahon, who claims to be one of the "super soldiers" who have driven former X-Files agent Mulder into hiding. Though no longer officially connected with the X-Files, Scully (Gillian Anderson) tries to help Doggett and Reyes (Annabeth Gish) ferret out the connection between Shannon McMahon and an attempt to contaminate the nation's water supply. As the three protagonists zero in on a secret naval laboratory, it becomes abundantly clear that Assistant Director Follmer (Cary Elwes) is not dealing from the top of the deck. "Nothing Important Happened Today II" was first telecast on November 18, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2001
The ninth and final season of X-Files opened with part one of the two-part thriller "Nothing Important Happened Today." The title was lifted from the diary entry made by England's King George III on July 4, 1776 -- and in both cases, the statement is misinformed, to say the least. Picking up where season eight left off, Scully (Gillian Anderson) is still wondering why her newborn baby was not captured by aliens. The plot proper begins when Scully's fellow agent Doggett (Robert Patrick) investigates the death of an EPA official whose car was forced off a bridge by a strange woman (Lucy Lawless) whose life he had saved. All the loose plot strands are knotted together by an apparent conspiracy involving Assistant Director Follmer (Cary Elwes), which seems to have been concocted to discredit evidence gathered by the missing-in-action Mulder. Part one of "Nothing Important Happened Today" originally aired on November 11, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2001
Having previously contacted the missing Mulder with claims that his wife had been abducted by aliens on a number of occasions, Duffy Haskell (Jay Acovone) now insists that his wife was murdered after giving birth to an alien baby, and that the infant was kidnapped. As Doggett (Robert Patrick) investigates Haskell's allegations, Scully (Gillian Anderson) follows a trail of clues to Zeus Genetics, an artificial insemination clinic in Maryland. Upon learning of the involvement of her own obstetrician, Dr. Parenti (Steven Anderson), and stumbling upon several other disturbing coincidences, Scully is faced with the horrific possibility that her own unborn baby is the product of alien fertilization. "Per Manum" made its American TV bow on February 18, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2001
In part one of a two-part story, resurrected alien abductee Billy Miles (Zachary Ansley) shows up at the Maryland genetics lab, which Scully (Gillian Anderson) suspects of being a spawning ground for alien babies. Not long afterward, Scully's obstetrician, Dr. Parenti (Steven Anderson), dies mysteriously, and the lab goes up in flames. Investigating the incident, Mulder (David Duchovny) and Doggett (Robert Patrick) unearth new evidence concerning the unknown person responsible for impregnating Scully, as well as an assassination plot against the unborn baby. Meanwhile, with her due date rapidly approaching, Scully is under the "tender" care of nurse Lizzie Gill (Frances Fisher) -- who turns out to have a hidden agenda. The penultimate episode of X-Files' eighth season, "Essence" originally aired on May 13, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2001
In the conclusion (sort of) of a two-part story, Mulder (David Duchovny) and Doggett (Robert Patrick) have dedicated themselves to protecting both Scully (Gillian Anderson) and her unborn child from a seemingly endless variety of alien antagonists. On his own, Doggett hides Scully in a filthy, primitive backwater village in Georgia, where, with the assistance of fellow agent Reyes (Annabeth Gish), she prepares to give birth. Meanwhile, habitual villain Krycek (Nicholas Lea) -- who has made no secret of his desire to murder the baby once it is born -- comes up with disturbing information regarding shadowy alien abductee Billy Miles (Zachary Ansely). The climactic "gag" involving the Lone Gunmen's (Tom Braidwood, Dean Haglund, Bruce Harwood) maternity gifts borders on sacrilege, but works well within the context of the story. "Existence" was The X-Files' traditional season-ending cliffhanger, bringing the series' eighth year on the air to a rousing conclusion -- with, of course, the promise of more thrills to come. This highly publicized episode originally aired on May 20, 2001, only to be upstaged by the series finale of Star Trek: Voyager a few days later. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2001
In the conclusion of a two-part story, it appears that the long-missing Mulder (David Duchovny) has died. Mulder's successor, Doggett (Robert Patrick), is offered a promotion out of the X-Files by the sneaky Deputy Director Kersh (James Pickens Jr.), who clearly wants all discussion of aliens and the paranormal to cease and desist. But Doggett decides to stay on when Billy Miles (Zachary Ansley) -- who was the central figure in Mulder and Scully's first X-Files case back in 1993 -- has apparently been resurrected from the dead. Holding out hope that Mulder can be likewise revived, Scully finds that she may have to enter into a unholy arrangement with the evil Krycek (Nicholas Lea), who offers to save Mulder's life if Scully will permit the murder of her unborn child. "DeadAlive" first aired on April 1, 2001, nearly two months after the telecast of its lead-up episode, "This Is Not Happening." During the hiatus, The X-Files' Sunday night time slot was filled by the short-lived spin-off series The Lone Gunmen. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2001
Having returned and (apparently) recovered from his previous ordeals, Mulder (David Duchovny) wants to return to the X-Files -- only to find that Deputy Director Kersh (James Pickens Jr.) wants Mulder out of the FBI altogether. Thus it is that Mulder unofficially attempts to solve the case of census worker Howard Salt (Gary Bristow), who apparently committed suicide after rushing onto the lawn of the White House, raving about an impending alien takeover. Found in the dead man's hand was a CD-ROM containing a three-word message: "Fight the Future." Risking arrest if he joins Scully (Gillian Anderson) in pursuing this case, Mulder nonetheless follows up whatever leads he has handy -- including the recent escape of the imprisoned Absolom (Judson Scott), the sinister UFO cultist who may have been responsible for Mulder's lengthy disappearance. "Three Words" originally aired on April 8, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2001
"Tonight the search for Mulder ends." Thus read the "teaser" for this X-Files episode, the first chapter in a two-part story. Stepping up his efforts to find the missing Mulder, Doggett (Robert Patrick) enlists the services of Special Agent Monica Reyes (Annabeth Gish, in the first of several series appearances), a specialist in the realm of ritualistic-crime investigation -- not to mention the possessor of "certain spiritual notions." The trail to Mulder heats up considerably when UFO fanatic Richie Szalay (Judd Trichter), chasing a weird-looking craft through the outskirts of Helena, MT, stumbles across one of the people who was allegedly abducted by aliens along with Mulder. Despite the preponderance of evidence, Doggett continues to be a skeptic, which irritates his partner, Scully (Gillian Anderson). Even more vexing to Scully is the ever-growing possibility that Mulder may be dead. Could the solution to the story rest with shapeshifting faith healer Jeremiah Smith (Roy Thinnes), repeating the role he'd introduced in the earlier episode "Talitha Cumi," who has rescued several other alien abductees from the brink of death? "This Is Not Happening" was first telecast on February 25, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2000
Guest star Kathy Griffin plays a dual role as two lookalike women named Betty and Lulu. Each woman periodically invades the other's "territory," leaving a trail of destruction in their respective wakes. Piecing together the evidence, Mulder and Scully conclude that the ladies are actually doppelgangers -- and that perhaps even more lookalikes exist. Former boxer Randall "Tex" Cobb appears as a professional wrestler who makes the disastrous mistake of romancing both Betty and Lulu. Written by X-Files creator Chris Carter, "Fight Club" originally aired May 7, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2000
Not unexpectedly, the seventh season of The X-Files ended with a cliffhanger on May 21, 2000. This time, however, the episode in question, "Requiem," had all the earmarks of a series finale, inasmuch as star David Duchovny's contract had ended, and co-star Gillian Anderson's commitment to the series had only one more year to go. Whatever the case, the plot found agents Mulder and Scully facing an FBI audit of expense accrued during their seven-year partnership. As Mulder was taken to task for overspending and Scully was reprimanded for not keeping her partner in check (which was her original assignment), a number of familiar characters -- the Cigarette Smoking Man (William B. Davis), Alex Krycek (Nicholas Lea), the Lone Gunmen (Tom Braidwood, Dean Haglund), and Bruce Harwood) -- make significant appearances, subtly suggesting the direction the series may or may not be taking. In true "what comes around" fashion, Mulder and Scully wind up in Bellefleur, OR, the scene of their first joint X-Files case. Ending with a burning unanswered question -- "whose baby is that?" -- "Requiem" was written by Chris Carter, the series creator. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2000
First telecast February 13, 2000, "Closure" is the conclusion of a two-part X-Files story that began with the previous week's "Sein und Zeit." Investigating the disappearance of little Amber Lynn LaPierre (Megan Corletto), Mulder and Scully capture a serial killer who admits to having murdered 24 children -- but not to the murder of the girl in question. Meanwhile, Mulder falls under the influence of a psychic who sees a connection between Amber's disappearance and the still-unsolved abduction of Mulder's own sister. As Scully worries about Mulder's fragile mental state, the story reaches a climax that fueled many a water-cooler conversation the day after the episode originally aired. The aptly titled "Closure" was written by series producers Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2000
Part one of a two-part X-Files story, "Sein und Zeit" begins with the disappearance of little Amber Lynn LaPierre (Megan Corletto), who was apparently abducted while sleeping in her own bed. The girl's father (Mark Rolston) suffered visions of the child's demise, while the mother (Shareen J. Mitchell) received a cryptic ransom note, which she well might have written herself (shades of the JonBenet Ramsey case). Investigating, Mulder and Scully follow the evidence to an imprisoned woman (Kim Darby) who'd been convicted of a child's kidnapping and murder back in 1987 -- while Mulder comes across clues that may lead to solving the long-ago disappearance of his own sister. Originally telecast February 6, 2000, "Sein und Zeit" was written by X-Files producers Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2000
A new virtual-reality video game called First Person Shooter apparently results in the death of one of the players. Because the "Lone Gunman" group has a financial interest in the game, the group's members summon Mulder and Scully to the scene of the death, hoping that the two agents will help them ward off adverse publicity. This proves impossible when Scully herself is forced to battle against a homicidal virtual-reality character in order to rescue Mulder from a horrible demise. Originally broadcast February 27, 2000, "First Person Shooter" was written by William Gibson and Tom Maddox. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2000
New special agent Doggett (Robert Patrick) tackles his first official X-Files assignment, involving a strange creature, neither man nor beast, which is implicated in a series of horrible murders. Scully (Gillian Anderson) continues to grouse that her unimaginative new partner refuses to swallow any explanation that doesn't make immediate sense to him. Still, Doggett recognizes the similarities between his present case and an earlier incident in 1956 involving a giant, voracious batlike creature. "Patience" originally aired on November 19, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2000
In the conclusion of a two-part story, missing FBI agent Mulder (David Duchovny) manages to elude those searching for him, and in the bargain is able to abduct youthful psychic Gibson Praise (Jeff Gulka). Sensing that Agent Doggett (Robert Patrick) is beginning to be persuaded by his new partner, Scully (Gillian Anderson), that "something is out there," Deputy Director Kersh (James Pickens Jr.) tries to deflect Doggett by offering him the absent Mulder's old job. And as Scully is being given false information by Gibson Praise, the Alien Bounty Hunter (Brian Thompson) continues to lurk in the shadows. "Without" made its first TV appearance on November 12, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2000
This first episode of The X-Files' eighth season addresses several questions left unanswered by the cliffhanger ending of season seven. Namely, has Special Agent Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) really been captured by aliens, or has he merely gone AWOL? Who is the father of Agent Dana Scully's (Gillian Anderson) unborn child? And how did she become pregnant in the first place? She certainly can't remember. Assigned to locate the missing Mulder, Scully has been given a new partner, Agent John Doggett (Robert Patrick). The X-Files' recently appointed deputy director Kersh (James Pickens Jr.), a "non-believer," has ordered Scully and Assistant Director Skinner (Mitch Pileggi) to stop prattling all that "alien nonsense" and to stick to the facts at hand. Likewise, Doggett is as skeptical about the existence of paranormal forces as Scully used to be. Given this setup, it won't be an easy ride for the two new partners as they follow the trail of evidence regarding Mulder's disappearance to a small school in Arizona, where enigmatic young psychic Gibson Praise (Jeff Gulka), a character introduced in the fifth-season episode "The End," has taken refuge. Part one of a two-part story, "Within" originally aired on November 5, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1999
Originally broadcast November 14, 1999, The X-Files episode "The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati" concluded a three-part story that had begun with the sixth-season cliffhanging finale "Biogenesis." Still in a drug-induced coma, Mulder is placed in a "kind of witness-protection program" because he apparently knows too much about an ancient UFO unearthed in Africa. As Mulder experiences a series of bizarre and possibly symbolic dreams, Scully picks up the UFO investigation where her partner left off. The deeper she digs, the more she realizes that the fate of the world may well rest in her hands. Meanwhile, such recurring characters as Cigarette Smoking Man (William B. Davis), rogue agent Krycek (Nicholas Lea), and the possibly duplicitous Diana Fowley (Mimi Rogers) converge upon the storyline, bringing things to a shattering climax. "The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati" was co-written by X-Files star David Duchovny and series creator Chris Carter. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Rating Systems
Blockbuster
BLOCKBUSTER name, design and related marks are trademarks of Blockbuster L.L.C.
2013 Blockbuster L.L.C. All rights reserved.
Portions of Content Provided by Rovi Corporation. 2013 Rovi Corporation.