Hollywood AD

A researcher follows Mulder and Scully to gather information for his forthcoming X Files based movie.

I don't think I have anything negative to say about Hollywood AD. And as much as I love this series, it's quite rare for me to say that about any particular episode. I loved it. It was very, very funny, and yet it also encompassed issues of faith, made the viewer genuinely feel for the characters (and not just Mulder and Scully), and produced some wonderful Mulder-Scully scenes. In style, it was very similar to The Unnatural (hmm, I wonder why that could be? J )

The teaser was great, I loved the cheesy dialogue (think "sniper zombies"), and Téa Leoni's "Mulder!" was remarkably similar to Gillian Anderson's. Leoni also looked a lot like Scully, and I was impressed by her performance. It certainly taught me never to judge an actor on a single performance - having seen Leoni in Deep Impact, I'd written her off as not particularly talented. Hollywood AD proved me wrong on that one J. I think my problem with Deep Impact was as much (or more) due to the writing and the character as to the acting. Mulder and Scully's pained expressions as they sat cringing in the cinema were played to perfection by Duchovny and Anderson, who, it seemed, had a ball with the entire episode, and who I can't fault at all. I also loved Skinner's beaming smile as Mulder and Scully sank back despairingly into their seats.

I found Wayne Federman very amusing. His speaking into his dictaphone, his vocal inflections ("myopic") and his calling Skinner "The Skinman" all cracked me up. So did a lot of the dialogue (and I do mean a lot), see the end of the review for the best lines. But while it was funny, there were also a few genuinely creepy bits. The first of these was the skull moving across the floor in the catacomb, although the effect was deadened by the music when the other bones began to move. Despite that, the "choreography" of the animation was wonderful to watch, both because of the technical wizardry and because of the wittiness of the poses the hands adopted, but then maybe I just have a thing about bones J. The other seriously tense moment came when the corpse sat up in the autopsy bay, but again the light-hearted tone was only broken for a second as the zombie's line "I'm gonna need that when you're done with it" (referring to his heart) was more amusing than scary. Still, the flap of skin flopping over the empty chest cavity was cool, and an example of the kind of little things which made Hollywood AD so good.

One of the most memorable scenes in this episode was probably the one where Scully taught Téa Leoni how to run in high heels. As well as being an astute observation of what fans have been wondering for seven years, this was a great piece of visual humour. Showing it in the background was inspired and somehow made it even funnier, perhaps because, if it had been the main focus of the scene, it would have seemed slightly forced. Whatever, I'm smiling just thinking about it J. Scully's assertion that Leoni had a crush on Mulder was just slightly too cute for my liking (I found my criticism! But it's a tiny one), but her suspicion that Shandling also did was funnier, especially having seen the Larry Sanders episode in which David Duchovny has a very obvious crush on Larry. Just out of interest, who did the Mulder character get "amalgamated" with? J

Just a quick mention of the split screens during the phone conversations in the bath - I liked them, they made me laugh, especially when Skinner was revealed. OK, I've just realized how bad that sounds……but can't think how to rephrase it. Any Freudians out there can have fun with that one J.

I enjoyed Scully's recounting of "Sister Spooky's" tales, and Mulder's line "That is a very cool story coming from you, Scully." It struck me (and I'm sure Duchovny meant it to) that it says a lot about those people who gave Mulder his nickname that they came up with the same one as a bunch of schoolgirls.

Was it just me, or did the hum of the TV suddenly seem very loud after Chuck Burke (a great supporting character who gets a little internal cheer every time I see him) finished talking about the ambient sound that we learn to tune out?

So it was funny. Very funny. Yet it also covered some real issues about faith - and managed not to be a "hey, did you know Scully's a Catholic, and Mulder has some religion issues?" episode. Having said that, it was appropriate to have Scully kneel before the crucifix and cross herself. But the faith storyline was more concerned with Father O'Fallon, and wasn't just about religion, but applies to all relationships, not just those between an individual and their god. If you discover something unfavourable about a person, does that undermine all their good qualities? Are they not the person you thought they were? And do you have the right to hide this information from others? One thing I really liked was the fact that no judgements were made, certainly no judgements along the lines of "this is what a good individual would do in any situation bearing any resemblance to this one." O'Fallon's regret was obvious, but his actions were presented honestly in the script, leaving the viewer to judge him themselves if they felt the need.

Also on the profound side, I enjoyed Mulder and Scully's discussion in his apartment. The dialogue was wonderful (based on this and on The Unnatural, Duchovny has a definite flair for writing sweet, funny Mulder-Scully scenes), again, see the end of the review for the best extracts. Mulder reciting Plan Nine From Outer Space was amusing (I'd imagine that most people reading this have done the same thing with a few X Files episodes J) and I liked his analysis of how the film helped him think. And when Scully questioned him about the possibility of Hoffman being Christ, he responded just as he should have done: he was honest but tactful, stating his views without being offensive. Which makes a nice change, after the number of times we've seen Mulder insult religion.

I think that's everything I had to say. I was almost right - I only came up with one tiny negative comment. Final point - the dancing corpses right at the end. They were fantastic. The scene was just so wonderfully weird, with a perfect Bolero accompanying the oddly romantic dancing. And you know the worst thing? I actually really want to see that movie….

Best Lines

"Mulder": How about this deal? You give me Scully, I don't smash the Lazarus Bowl and shove the pieces where the Son of God don't shine."

"Scully": Is that your flashlight, Mulder, or are you just happy to be lying on top of me?

Mulder: Sir, have I pissed you off in a way that's more than normal?

Scully: Mulder, we should have a warrant.

Federman: Hey, it's only the Constitution. No big deal

Mulder: One more pun and I pull out my gun.

Federman: I like the way you guys work. No warrants, no permission, no research. You're like studio executives with guns.

Federman: I didn't hallucinate, that was mechanical or CGI.

Mulder: Federman, that wasn't a movie, it was real life.

Federman: The difference being…?

Mulder: You see, it's just not true that you can't get good science at Catholic school, it's a lie.

O'Fallon: The Christ that I'd loved was not the Christ of these texts.

O'Fallon: Is being made a fool of a crime, Agent Mulder?

Mulder: I'd be doing life if it were, Sir.

Skinner: If I am carrying Marilyn Monroe's purse, do you assume that I slept with JFK?

Burke: The first part roughly translates as "I am the walrus, I am the walrus, Paul is dead, coo-coo-ca-choo." Although there is no Aramaic word for walrus, so it literally says "I am the bearded cow-like sea beast."

Hoffman: But then, something truly weird came over me.

Scully: Remorse?

Scully: Mulder - do you think it's at all possible that Hoffman is really Jesus Christ?

Mulder: Are you making fun of me?

Scully: No.

Mulder: Well, no I don't, but crazy people can be very persuasive.

Scully: Well, yes, I know that.

Mulder: The character based on O'Fallon is listed in the credits as Cigarette Smoking Pontiff - how silly is that?

"Mulder": What's he got that I haven't?

"Scully": A bigger flashlight.

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