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Television

The X-Files - The Complete Seasons 1-7

The X-Files - The Complete Seasons 1-7

List Price: $1,049.86
Your Price: $734.92
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Would love to have them
Review: The X-Files is one of my all-time favorite shows. I would love to have all of the episodes on DVD but I just cannot afford such high prices. Not too many people are going to be able to shell out $150 for 6 DVDs. It's ridiculous. Not only rich people watched the show.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A solution to the price.
Review: The X-Files is THE must own TV on DVD. The series was quite possibly the best show ever on television. Every week there was something to look forward to on Friday night. Mulder and Scully's investigations into the paranormal, government conspiracies and alien abductions were always a joy to watch. Everything about the show was just golden.

That said, these DVD sets are a must have for the real fans. The picture and sound quality is way better then what it was when originally broadcast. Seasons 5-9 are also in anamorphic widescreen, a real treat.

Now on to the problem, the price. It is my understanding that Duchovny, Anderson and Carter all get a cut from the sale of these sets. With that, FOX is forced to keep the prices higher on these then other TV shows just to recover the costs and turn a profit. There are ways around this however. Buying used is a good way. I've managed to get all nine seasons for $340. You just have to wait for deals to show up. Check eBay often as someone puts up a good deal just about everyday. Another option is the Asian releases. I don't recommend these however as they are most likely bootlegs.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: THE X FILES: the greatest television show ever aired
Review: This gargantuan DVD box set features every episode from the first 7 seasons of THE X FILES. The underlying artistic point ( if one can so describe it ) behind the release would seem to be that of representing the show with its original acting team ( Gillian Anderson & David Duchovny ) in unaltered form. This reviewer is unconvinced, believing that the 9 year run has its own distinctive ( albeit, far from flawless ) shape and that only by viewing THE X FILES in the context of its full duration can one appreciate the series as a whole. Nonetheless, this release is at least an opportunity to assess what is in all probability the single greatest television show ever aired.

Although a casual awareness of the X FILES may bring to mind government conspiracy, aliens, "spooky" supernatural phenomenon, the core issues in the show are that of truth, faith, love, good and evil; those issues that have captivated mankind's imagination for as long as it has had the capacity to record its artistic, philosophical and revelatory reactions. Over the course of the series, Chris Carter and the "1013" productions team were put to the test in coming up with interesting and (somewhat) cohesive storylines that would weave the aforementioned themes in and around the practical ( business related ) realities they faced behind the scenes. Though not without missteps, the dramatic intensity of the myth arc was maintained in a slow but inexorable journey that ( bit by bit ) revealed much of Carter's culturally subversive "underground project" ( culminating in the beautifully moving final scene of the series finale ).

In so many areas, whether it be writing, acting or the sheer beauty of the production, THE X FILES was truly a miracle occurring in a medium which doesn't often rise above mediocrity. The credit for this phenomenon was shared amongst many dedicated individuals, most working behind the scenes. The "1013" production team delighted in playful, "embedded" concepts that recurred time and again in the background of the show. Without going into ridiculous detail, there was a certain archetypal X FILES "iconography" which developed more and more with each successive season: fondness for neon lights or flashing sirens of ambulances and police cars; a humorously morbid fascination with the bathroom as a crime scene ( etc. ). One of the true beauties of the X FILES was that it was so "layered" that one could appreciate it on any one of a number of levels; this is why it's possible to watch these episodes over and over again and not be bored.

Composer Mark Snow's custom tailored music was simply gold: consistently excellent, moving work ( with the occasional sly quote from classical composers woven in ).

The directors ( especially Rob Bowman and the stalwart Kim Manners ) framed their shots in very interesting ways. The lighting, sets and camera work were redolent of high quality film making ( television standards were left in the dust ).

The writers ( truly the core of the show ) created complex scripts that challenged the considerable talents of Anderson and Duchovny ( not to mention the numerous excellent guest actors chosen by superb casting agents ). And if irony constitutes one of the primary elements in the work of great authors, the core writing staff ( Frank Spotnitz, Vince Gilligan, Darin and Glen Morgan ) could at least be described as having strived for greatness. The self-reflexive humor constantly on display in FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully fleshed out the nuances appropriate to the background of these unique personalities.

Obviously, a very strong part of THE X FILES' appeal is the complex relationship between the main characters. However, one needn't be married to the notion that the show revolved completely around ( what eventually evolved into ) a romantic relationship; it's sufficient to acknowledge the respect, camaraderie and genuine love ( both in its platonic & romantic phases ) the two share. Mulder and Scully, two deeply serious ( however witty ) people helped, through trust and self-sacrifice, "ground" each other in their respective "quest" (s).

Finally, regardless of what some embittered fans may opine, Chris Carter, as the creator of the show, deserves credit for having continually guided his creation ( a labor of love ) over nine grueling years. For many seasons he maintained the integrity of an artistic vision that the Fox executives were smart enough to take a gamble on ( given the "franchise" nature of the X FILES, their gamble certainly paid off ). And, if parts of the final seasons were rough, Carter and company's overall achievement can with certainty be termed magnificent.

To conclude: in terms of a "bare bones" review, the 7 seasons of THE X FILES contained in this DVD box set can be summed up as follows:

SEASON 1: A-
SEASON 2: A
SEASON 3: A+
SEASON 4: A
SEASON 5: A

SEASON 6: B
SEASON 7: C

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Too much $$$!!!
Review: This is an amazing show that deserves 5 starts, but it's too expensive!!! I watched X Files religiously for the first several years however, the price per season is insane!!! I've already waited this long to buy any of them and i'll continue to hold out until the price is more reasonable.
There are many hours of other great shows on DVD that are way more afforable. For now i'll spend my money on shows like Buffy TVS 1-5, Angel 1-3, and heck even Babylon 5 is cheaper!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Too much $$$!!!
Review: This is an amazing show that deserves 5 starts, but it's too expensive!!! I watched X Files religiously for the first several years however, the price per season is insane!!! I've already waited this long to buy any of them and i'll continue to hold out until the price is more reasonable.
There are many hours of other great shows on DVD that are way more afforable. For now i'll spend my money on shows like Buffy TVS 1-5, Angel 1-3, and heck even Babylon 5 is cheaper!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: xfiles is great
Review: why are the xfiles so much money every one says... well lets see first off , every single show is reformated into wide screen mode making it cleaner and much more clear then you would see on tv , it also includes every single episode which is pretty much an hour per each show meaning there are like 20 hours a season , its like saying why are the sapranos seasons costs so much? you pay to get great tv shows on dvd , if you don't want to pay the price they don't buy it , these dvds are for true fans only and who don't mind paying the price to get them.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: WAY TO MUCH MONEY
Review: You can buy seasons 1-7 for under $500.00 or you can buy this one for around $800.00...not much more in the way of extras.


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