The X-Files Movie on DVD

Video

The transfer is presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and it is 16x9 enhanced. The packaging claims an aspect ratio of 2.40:1and letterbox formatting, which would indicate non-16x9 enhancement, though it also labels the transfer as being 16x9.

This transfer is wonderfully sharp and detailed, breathtaking at times and very film-like, which is a trait of Fox transfers. Also a trait is the shadow detail quality. A lot of this movie takes place in the dark, you know, to increase the tension and intrigue... Well, it is probably intentional but many of these scenes are a tad too dark, and sometimes suffer from a lack of shadow detail. I feel that the scenes do not suffer from badly from it, but they are not handled as well as Courage Under Fire, which is reference for shadow detail by itself in my book. But I will give this transfer the benefit of the doubt given the movie's inherent dark nature. Of particular note is the complete lack of low-level noise - the image is smooth and clean, and there is no edge enhancement visible.

The colour palette was slightly red biased, with skin tones being too warm at times towards the start of the movie. Whether I got used to it, or the situation improved I am not sure, but it did improve as the movie progressed. Many of the darker scenes were handled exceptionally well in terms of colours. At all times, there was no chroma noise or edge bleed, giving the movie a very clean and tight look.

Probably the most striking aspect of this transfer, especially given its sharpness and clarity, was the total and utter absence of any artefacting of any kind. The MPEG encoding was transparent to the point of bringing a tear of pride to the eye that this type of compression can work at all, yet alone this well. Aliasing was simply non existent; film artefacts were non existent; film-to-video artefacts were non existent. Brilliant stuff.

This disc is RSDL formatted, with the layer change occurring at 41:56 during chapter 7. Its placement is not the best, as there is a pause in the soundtrack, and a slight shudder from the image, and so it is mildly disruptive.

Audio

Dialogue was always clear and well recorded, with no lip-sync problems at all.

The score by Mark Snow (who also writes music for the series) is purposefully non-melodic, and generally atmospheric in nature. It is heavily orchestral, and the documentary reveals Mark's delight in being able to work with an orchestra instead of a bank of synthesizers. It certainly sounds grand and fitting for a movie, and whilst it never really calls attention to itself, it was strong, and very well reproduced. The soundstage is wide and open, though not particularly detailed given that it is predominantly strings and other non-localizable instruments. The frequency response is full, with clear highs and a nice weight from the lower frequencies. Very nice, certainly.

Maybe it's just me, but the opening 20th Century Fox logo always has given me a thrill as a movie begins, and its aggressive surround usage carries on into the movie proper. This soundtrack makes superb use of the surrounds, which sound full and nicely discrete. You simply can't ask for more than is given from this movie, and I dips me lid to the audio engineers who produce stunning soundtracks like this one.

A high-quality soundtrack cannot be without good integration of the subwoofer, and here it is used with precision and skill. Explosions are suitably energetic, and the score also benefits from an active lower register.

Menu

English Audio Commentary - Chris Carter (Writer) & Rob Bowman (Director)

The two collaborators of this commentary do not seem to be together, and we basically go from person to person in a round-robin fashion. Sometimes it is hard to tell who is speaking, as they both are so relaxed and have a monotonic droll which at times is quite dull to listen to, and are both placed dead centre. Whilst they do impart some good info, it is a bit on the tedious side. However, fans will, I am sure, benefit from this greatly and enjoy it. It should also be noted that the mono soundtrack spills into the mains and surrounds slightly and has the movie soundtrack behind the vocals.

Featurette - The Truth Behind The Making Of The X-Files (26:54)

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, non 16x9 enhanced and in Dolby Digital 2.0 mono, this is an old documentary which has been shown on television and is actually quite good. It goes into some fair detail of key production aspects, and is a nice addition to the package. The quality is okay, but it is clearly running at a low bit-rate as MPEG artefacting becomes apparent but not too distracting. This is fine, as the movie must and should be given full priority on any disc.

Theatrical Trailer (1:20)

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, non 16x9 enhanced and in Dolby Digital 2.0 mono, which also appears to be standard fare from Fox.

• Deleted footage
• 8-page booklet

• 16x9 enhancement

The video is superb, and is another reference title from Fox.

The audio is also excellent, and is of reference quality.

The extras department is a little bit tight for a Special Edition, since the featurette is nothing special, and the commentary is a bit on the dull side.