Chris Knowles

The Complete X-Files: Revised and Updated Edition by Chris Knowles, Matt Hurwitz, Frank Spotnitz (Foreword) is the authorized "debriefing" of the series to include this summer's season 10. Having an advance e-copy of the book I did not have access to high-quality photos or information past season six.

The X-Files can be traced back to Darren McGavin's Kolchak: The Night Stalker. A supernatural show I enjoyed as a child. However, nothing since the Rockford Files has caught my attention like the X-Files. It was a show I waited for every week and even watched the returns hoping to catch something I might have missed in the original run. It is also the only television series I bought on DVD and I have watched it over and over again. I have even read a few X-Files novels.

The Complete X-Files is filled with photographs of from behind the scenes of the cast and support. Each episode gets at least a short paragraph as a synopsis or a back story. A few had what was new information to me like in the episode called "Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man". Frohike was originally supposed to die while in the Cigarette Smoking Man's gun sight. The bits and pieces on episodes are interesting. Some the background on the making of the episode or how well the episode fared. "Home" starring the Peacock family was barred from re-airing because it was so disturbing. Entertainment Weekly gave the "The Field Where I Died" an "F" despite the outstanding acting of Kristen Cloke.

The Complete X-Files will give the reader an inside pictorial look at the series as well background on the show, the actors, the writers, and Chris Carter. This will make a nice coffee table book for any X-Files fan as well as a quick reference guide. Nicely done and will serve any fan well.… (más)

THE COMPLETE X-FILES (Revised and updated edition) by Chris Knowles and Matt Hurwitz is a comprehensive history of the X-files show, from its influences and origins all the way up to 2016 revival of the show. Lots of pictures and unique stories provide a great book for the X-files fan and those wanting to learn more about the TV series.
Knowles and Hurwitz walk the readers through the beginnings of the show, with some stories and insights I've never heard before. They were able to do extensive interviews with the actors, directors, writers, and producers to paint the picture of what it is like working not just on a TV show, but on such a unique one as the X-Files. As the book walks through the seasons, some episodes get a glancing look, while others are really delved into, either because it is now considered on of the best episodes of X-Files ever, or it carries a lot of weight in the grand scheme of what the X-Files are and what they meant to the entertainment world. I also enjoyed reading about all of the guest stars and they were even some anecdotal stories from them that made me laugh.
I can't say that someone who dislikes the X-files would enjoy this book, but even if someone has a minor interest, this book is a lot of fun.
Thank you to Insight Editions, Chris Knowles and Matt Hurwitz, and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!… (más)

The first half of the book attempts to link ancient religious rites with the modern day music arena. The book does exemplify how the power of myth has been transferred to human figures, like movie and rock stars. But, the myths used to support the idea weren't common or wide-spread and were, occasionally, taken out of context while disregarding a substantial portion of the myths surrounding the rites or religious figures.

The author uses the phrase "renegade scholars" (page 33) to describe scholars trying to interpret ancient art as drug symbolism. The phrase stuck out as an apt description for this book.

The second half of the book reads like an encyclopedia of artist biographies, arranged by archetype - earth mothers, witchy women, princes of darkness, and so forth. I admit, I skimmed through them; they just couldn't hold my attention.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review.… (más)