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I want to believe in the new “X-Files” trailer

I want to believe … in the new X-Files movie. As a fan since the early ’90s (Hey, remember those? Good times.), I watched nearly religiously until 1998 when something funny happened. I went to see The X-Files movies. While I liked the film, it was my jump-the-shark moment. Afterward, I felt like all the twists and turns in its convoluted conspiracy were too much come-on, not enough pay-off.

So now, with the new The X-Files: I Want to Believe opening July 25, I’m not sure whether that old paranormal magic will work on me again. Can Scully and Mulder make me believe, one last time? I wasn’t sure. And then I saw the trailer today. (If you don’t like squinting, watch it on this website and click on “View High Res.”) I’ll admit it, once the show’s spooky theme started to play, I was hooked. Dark hallways. Secret labs. Big needles. And, oh, what glorious flashlights. But then, after my inner geek calmed down at the sight of Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny together again, I put my analytical hat back on. (What? I can’t wear the tinfoil one all the time.)

What’s good? The creepiness. The vagueness. The Scully-Mulderness. What’s not so good? The creepiness. The vagueness. The Scully-Mulderness. Let’s take them one at a time.

The creepiness. I love that the sequel’s much-guarded plot is a stand-alone monster-of-the-week type story instead of part of the series’ larger mythology arc. But why do the brief glimpses we see remind me of every other horror movie where a young woman is being held captive by a psycho killer? I want have to believe they’ll do more with the story than the standard girl-in-peril plot. On the plus side, who knew that charming Scot Billy Connolly could be so creepy as a gray-haired psychic? The vagueness. Of course it’s vague. This is The X-Files. It’s all vague and darkly lit and just short of confusing. That’s what we love/hate about the series. Go with it. The Scully-Mulderness. We want them to get together; we don’t want them to get together. It’s one of this generation’s great debates, ranking just below “Paper or plastic?” and “Chicken or egg?” Tantalizing us even further are two viral video shorts (really short, like 10 seconds each) of Scully and Mulder talking about what they miss about each other. If the clips are any indication, the film will treat their re-teaming as a reunion. They also play up the couple angle. So, what do you think of the trailer. And the viral clips? Are they out there? Are they the truth? Do you believe? Discuss.

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