Slitterhead offers something unique. It’s an indie horror game focusing on body horror and possession but with far more action-combat than most horror titles, making it easily accessible and approachable for those who don’t often lean into the genre. It’s not altogether terrifying, thanks to the ability to…
So it’s spooky time, and instead of doing something productive like making a Flukeman costume, we’ve taken a dive back into The X-Files—specifically the ‘Monsters of the Week’ episodes. Sure, everyone talks about the alien conspiracy, and don’t get me wrong, I love digging into the mythology arc as much as anyone. But what about the ones that still keep us up at night? Whether it’s from the hellish nightmares or those 3 a.m. ‘what is my existence?’ thoughts, these episodes have a way of sticking with you. You’ve been waiting for more so let’s go reignite those childhood fears…or joys.
Bad Blood- Season 5, ep 12: I’ve got a thing for unreliable narrators, especially when both Mulder and Scully are on storytelling duty. Bad Blood is classic Vince Gilligan, mixing absurdity with just enough Halloween flavor to make the list. And it kicks off with one of the best openings in the series: Mulder stakes what he’s sure is a vampire, only for Scully to poke around, reveal the fake fangs, and leave Mulder mid-“Oh shi…”—an unforgettable start to a totally bonkers episode. Originally, Gilligan had planned for an Unsolved Mysteries crossover featuring Robert Stack and two no-name Mulder and Scully stand-ins, but when that idea got shelved, he turned to The Dick Van Dyke Show’s “The Night the Roof Fell” for inspiration, delivering the classic “two sides of the story”—X-Files style.
Every scene is packed with comedy: Mulder kicking a trashcan, Scully craving pizza mid-autopsy, Mulder fumbling with slides and making priceless expressions, and that memorable back-and-forth on the magic fingers motel bed. And we can’t skip Mulder’s insistence he did not sing the Shaft theme (even though we know better). Mulder’s convinced he’s chasing a real vampire, while Scully’s version has her watching Mulder trip over his own biases at every turn. Then we have Luke Wilson’s Sheriff Hartwell full of true Texas twang, who’s either impossibly smooth or a bucktoothed bumpkin, depending on whose story you believe.
In Mulder’s account, he’s all charm and quiet reserve, while Scully comes across as the hardcore, no-nonsense one—like she’s the one packing all the machismo. But at its core, Bad Blood isn’t about vampires; it’s about Mulder and Scully’s partnership and how they each view each other—and their bizarre world—in very different, yet very telling, ways.
Field Trip- Season 6, ep 21: There’s a heightened anxiety in Field Trip that messes with your sense of reality. When the Lone Gunmen start acting sketchy and Scully’s suddenly filling Mulder’s shoes in the conspiracy theory department, you know something’s gone seriously sideways. I was transfixed the entire time, even though I felt like my brain needed a break from the mental gymnastics.
We’ve got everything: tripping in a field, yellow digestive goo, hallucinogenic mushrooms—Mother Nature at her best. The whole episode feels like one long fever dream, complete with Mulder and Scully questioning their own sanity. And just when you think they’ve escaped the madness, holding hands as they drive away, you remember: humongous fungus among us. Yep, that’s a true story. Look up an old Popular Science article titled “Humungous Fungus Among Us”—it’s about a mushroom that covers about a third of Oregon.
What really makes this episode stand out is Scully pulling a Mulder move with some next-level abductive reasoning. Usually, it’s Mulder making the wild connections, but this time, Scully pieces together the facts—giant mushrooms, hallucinogenic fungi, and plants with a taste for human snacks—leading her to a nightmare conclusion: they’re trapped underground, tripping hard, and slowly being digested. Written by John Shiban and Vince Gilligan from a story by Frank Spotnitz, it’s got everything—tension, unpredictability, and a creeping sense of ‘what is real anymore?’
For some fans, this episode is the last truly great X-Files installment, marking the end of an era. This is also a reminder that I really don’t think mushrooms would be a good trip for me.
Clyde Buckman’s Final Repose- Season 3, ep 4: This should have been on our first list. This is one of those episodes that messes with you in all the right ways, blending the bleakness of fate with the grim comedy only Darin Morgan could pull off. When Clyde, a life insurance salesman who can predict how people will die, reluctantly lets Mulder and Scully into his world, it’s like stepping into an even darker corner of The X-Files. Peter Boyle’s portrayal nails the quiet exhaustion of a man resigned to his fate—someone who’s using his “gift” not to help but to scrape by, selling life insurance, of all things. He’s not here to outwit death; he’s just trying to keep himself sane. And in one of the most memorable moments with Mulder, he deadpans, “You know, there are worse ways to go, but I can’t think of a more undignified one than autoerotic asphyxiation.” We’ve seen Mulder’s closet.
The episode throws us everything from Mulder’s misplaced excitement about Clyde’s abilities to Scully’s struggle to rationalize the whole ordeal. It’s unsettling to watch Mulder so eager for supernatural proof while Clyde’s “gift” is an anchor, pulling him deeper into cynicism and despair. And then, of course, there’s Yappi, the “celebrity psychic” who brings the whole theme of truth and spectacle into focus. Yappi’s antics are absurd, but next to Clyde, he highlights just how little people want to face reality. I’ve never been more frustrated watching these so-called detectives fall for it, no matter how desperate they are for answers. I was right there with Mulder.
Watching Clyde drift along with this so-called gift, it’s easy to see why his story ends the way it does. He’s burdened by seeing the end of everyone’s story—over and over—until it becomes too much. Boyle’s performance captures the inevitability, a quiet peace in Clyde’s final choice, as if to say that not all answers are wrapped in meaning; some are just… sad truths, plain and simple. The episode’s mix of tragedy and dark comedy leaves you wondering about fate, free will, and, for just a moment, if you’d even want to know how you’re going to go.
Humbug- Season 2, ep 20: What happens in Florida stays in Florida, especially in the very real town of Gibsonton—a place where freak shows go to retire. If you grew up watching MTV in the ‘90s, you might remember the Jim Rose Circus, the eccentric sideshow that opened for bands like NIN and Lollapalooza. Rose even made his way to Ozzfest ‘99, though I didn’t make it until 2001. When Darin Morgan joined The X-Files writing team, his brother Glen told him to write an episode about sideshow performers, and that’s where Humbug was born. Morgan watched a tape of the Jim Rose Circus and cast Rose and The Enigma. Rose himself makes an appearance, and honestly, the guy looks and sounds a lot like John Darnielle—who, coincidentally, has become one of my personal inspirations as a Horror writer and lyricist for The Mountain Goats. It gets better though. They brought in Michael J. Anderson from Twin Peaks and Vincent Schiavelli, one of the best character actors of all time. Rose is pretty badass in this as well which makes me wonder why we didn’t cast him in anything else.
As Mulder and Scully navigate the strange world of sideshow performers, you get all the creepy bits you’d expect: The Enigma devouring a live fish (yes, that really happened), the funhouse scene that still haunts me, and Scully’s memorable tour of the Museum of Oddities. Not to mention the fact that “Humbug” literally means trick, which feels fitting for an episode where nothing is quite what it seems. And then there’s Gillian Anderson, who actually ate a real cricket on set.
The blend of humor and horror here is peak Darin Morgan. Mulder and Scully are the real outsiders in this episode, wandering through a world as foreign to them as it is to us. With lines like “Imagine going your whole life looking like that,” Morgan takes what could have been a simple freak show episode and turns it into something far more introspective, all while keeping us on edge with eerie moments like that funhouse scene. In the end, Humbug isn’t just about sideshow performers—it’s about how we define normalcy and the lines society draws between the “freaks” and the rest of us.
The Host- Season 2, ep 2: This episode doesn’t crack my top ten, but let’s be real—the nightmare factor is still burned in our brains. If you were a kid watching The Host, midnight bathroom trips turned into full on panic attacks, and porta-potties? Nope.
Even though it’s not my favorite episode, this thing had a hold on every 10-12-year-old who dared to watch. Squeeze and Home might be at the top of my scared the shit out of me list, but ask any fan what messed with them, and Flukeman’s name pops up without fail. This monster was just terrifying. It took six hours initially to get Darin Morgan in the Flukeman suit, and at one point he had to wear it for 20 hours straight. Because of this Morgan would have to just relieve himself in the costume—like an astronaut. It’s a rite of passage for all X-Files writers.
Now, let’s add to the horror: you’ve got the construction worker puking up a flatworm in the shower—a scene that leaves you with a phantom lump in your own throat. And Mulder? He’s back on his existential rant, talking about quitting, which, knowing Skinner’s true allegiance, is a little maddening in retrospect. Quitting the X-Files or closing down the X-Files becomes routine as well. Skinner’s the “friend in the FBI,” but he’s not that friend…yet. And let’s not forget Mulder’s suspect briefing—let’s tell Skinner about the giant blood sucking worm. Not to mention the Flukeman itself is basically a Chernobyl soup experiment gone wrong.
And also, what’s with the whole “institutionalize Flukeman” plan? As Mulder put it, “It’s not a man; it’s a monster.” This episode tried to handle the impossible, from arrest warrants to institutions, as if a radioactive sewer mutant has a social security number.
So here we are, we’ve reached the end. There’s something special about Monsters of the Week episodes. They let us take a break from the sprawling conspiracies and just bask in the thrill (or horror) of the unknown, reminding us why we fell for this show in the first place. So who knows? Maybe we’ll revisit a few more of these cases in the new year. Until then, just remember—trust no one.
A couple previous episodes of Horror TV Shows We Miss can be seen below. If you’d like to see more, and check out the other shows we have to offer, head over to the JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channel – and subscribe while you’re there!
The post The X-Files: Monster of the Week Episodes – Horror TV Shows We Miss appeared first on JoBlo.
Denzel Washington is joining the MCU. The veteran Hollywood star said Black Panther 3 is one of his upcoming projects, with director Ryan Coogler currently writing his role for the sequel to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. “At this point in my career, I’m only interested in working with the best,” he said in a recent…
Denzel Washington is joining the MCU. The veteran Hollywood star said Black Panther 3 is one of his upcoming projects, with director Ryan Coogler currently writing his role for the sequel to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. “At this point in my career, I’m only interested in working with the best,” he said in a recent…
Denzel Washington is jumping into more franchises these days. He would complete his trilogy of Equalizer films, which would feature the first sequels of his career and he will be starring in the upcoming Gladiator II, which is being hyped up as a grand-scale action epic. In his review of the film, our Chris Bumbray said, “Washington, playing a rare villain, seems like he’s having the time of his life as the constantly scheming former slave. Yet, Washington never makes him a cartoon character, with him kind of the other side of the coin compared to Richard Harris’s Marcus Areulius in the first film, with the two sharing a vision for a new Rome, even if the latter’s is more apocalyptic.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Washington casually dropped that he is also planning to join the MCU for Black Panther 3. While doing press for Gladiator II, Washington told the Today Show in Australia that “at this point in my career, I’m only interested in working with the best, I don’t know how many more films I will make, probably not that many. I want to do things that I haven’t done.” He, then, continued to mention the projects he has on his waiting list, including returning to the theatre for Othello,
I played Othello at 22, I’m now going to play it at 70. After that, I’m playing Hannibal. After that, I’ve been talking with Steve McQueen about a film. After that, Ryan Coogler is writing a part for me in the next Black Panther.”
Marvel has not yet confirmed when they will move forward with the third film in the Black Panther series, and according to Denzel, that movie comes after three other projects. MCU head Kevin Feige hadn’t revealed anything about that film, but recently teased that Blade is still being worked on at Marvel Studios as he explained, “We love the character, we love Mahershala’s version of him. And rest assured: whenever we change direction with a project, or are still trying to figure out how it fits into our schedule, we let the public know. You’re up to date on what’s going on. But I can tell you that the character will be coming to the MCU.”
The post Denzel Washington teases that Ryan Coogler is writing a part for him in the next Black Panther appeared first on JoBlo.
Plot: Moon is a curious young owl who unexpectedly finds himself stuck in a Christmas tree destined for Rockefeller Plaza. In his attempts to escape the bustling city, Moon befriends a lost little girl named Luna. Together, they embark on a heartwarming adventure, discovering the magic of the holiday season and forming an unlikely bond as they journey back home to their parents.
Review: Alfonso Cuaron is as adventurous a director as a producer. While his name has been big this year thanks to the masterpiece that is the Apple TV+ series Disclaimer, Cuaron has lent his backing to the third short film in a trilogy for Disney+. Following 2022’s Le Pupille and last year’s The Shepherd, Cuaron enlists director David Lowery to wrap the Christmas-themed collection of shorts with An Almost Christmas Story. Boasting a distinct look and the vocal talents of John C. Reilly, Natasha Lyonne, and Jim Gaffigan, An Almost Christmas Story is a beautiful fable that clocks in at less than thirty minutes but is packed with enough heart to fill a full-length feature.
Based on a story by Alfonso Cuaron and Jack Thorne, An Almost Christmas Story follows a young owl named Moon, a troublemaking little bird. Voiced by Cary Christopher, Moon is an impressionable youngster who causes mischief despite his best intentions, much to the chagrin of his father, Papa Owl (Jim Gaffigan). When Moon causes damage to their home in the forest, Papa goes off to find a new nest, leaving Moon to look after his little sister. But, when Moon gets stuck in a tree headed to New York City, he must figure out how to get home. While in the city, Moon meets a dog named Dave (Alex Ross Perry), a pigeon named Pat (Natasha Lyonne), and some others voiced by Phil Rosenthal, Mamoudou Athie, and Gianna Joseph.
Moon also meets a young girl named Luna (Estrella Madrigal) with whom he forges a bond. The two explore some of New York and try to help each other find their way home. Along the way, they encounter a folk singer, voiced by John C. Reilly, who imparts a message for the holidays that connects directly with Moon and Luna. Over a very short time, the owl and child realize something about what Christmas means with a message that is less tied to the titular holiday than it is to the entirety of the Yuletide season. Some beautiful moments showcasing an animated New York landscape and a couple of intriguing sequences give this short a boost of action.
John C. Reilly performs the songs in the short as his folk singer character works as both a part of the story and a narrator. The songs written for An Almost Christmas Story are called “It’s Christmas Today” and “The Spirit of Christmas” and both are traditional sounding while also feeling new. Reilly has always been passionate about music, and his voice adds a nice touch to the already sweet short film. Reilly’s songs are accented by a nice score by Daniel Hart. It helps that all voice actors here deliver subdued performances without one going too broad. Jim Gaffigan is subtle as the concerned father owl, while Natasha Lyonne and Phil Rosenthal have their trademark New York accents on full display without venturing into being too cliche.
What stands out in this twenty-one-minute short is the unique animation style that looks like wood carvings come to life. The close-ups of the various animals appear almost to be homemade decorations that come to life, with the background characters looking like two-dimensional cutouts used to fill in the scenery. Jack Thorne (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Enola Holmes) and director David Lowery wrote the script. Lowery has made some films for Disney, including 2016’s Pete’s Dragon and 2023’s Peter Pan & Wendy. The filmmaker has also created unique films ranging from Ain’t Them Bodies Saints and A Ghost Story to the acclaimed The Green Knight. Lowery has an eye for ethereal and haunting visuals, which in An Almost Christmas Story gives the film an other-worldly feel that is also very familiar and comforting.
An Almost Christmas Story is a beautiful little film that feels like a hand-carved ornament you would put on your tree this December. It is intricate and delicate but rich with emotion and feeling. Many feature-length films struggle to imbue the audience with the warmth I felt watching An Almost Christmas Story. As a companion to Le Pupille and The Shepherd, An Almost Christmas Story is my favorite of the three and a shoo-in for consideration during the award season. It’s worth checking out even if you are not in the holiday spirit.
An Almost Christmas Story premieres on November 15th on Disney+.
The post An Almost Christmas Story Review: David Lowery and Alfonso Cuaron deliver a beautiful animated holiday fable appeared first on JoBlo.
Plot: Moon is a curious young owl who unexpectedly finds himself stuck in a Christmas tree destined for Rockefeller Plaza. In his attempts to escape the bustling city, Moon befriends a lost little girl named Luna. Together, they embark on a heartwarming adventure, discovering the magic of the holiday season and forming an unlikely bond as they journey back home to their parents.
Review: Alfonso Cuaron is as adventurous a director as a producer. While his name has been big this year thanks to the masterpiece that is the Apple TV+ series Disclaimer, Cuaron has lent his backing to the third short film in a trilogy for Disney+. Following 2022’s Le Pupille and last year’s The Shepherd, Cuaron enlists director David Lowery to wrap the Christmas-themed collection of shorts with An Almost Christmas Story. Boasting a distinct look and the vocal talents of John C. Reilly, Natasha Lyonne, and Jim Gaffigan, An Almost Christmas Story is a beautiful fable that clocks in at less than thirty minutes but is packed with enough heart to fill a full-length feature.
Based on a story by Alfonso Cuaron and Jack Thorne, An Almost Christmas Story follows a young owl named Moon, a troublemaking little bird. Voiced by Cary Christopher, Moon is an impressionable youngster who causes mischief despite his best intentions, much to the chagrin of his father, Papa Owl (Jim Gaffigan). When Moon causes damage to their home in the forest, Papa goes off to find a new nest, leaving Moon to look after his little sister. But, when Moon gets stuck in a tree headed to New York City, he must figure out how to get home. While in the city, Moon meets a dog named Dave (Alex Ross Perry), a pigeon named Pat (Natasha Lyonne), and some others voiced by Phil Rosenthal, Mamoudou Athie, and Gianna Joseph.
Moon also meets a young girl named Luna (Estrella Madrigal) with whom he forges a bond. The two explore some of New York and try to help each other find their way home. Along the way, they encounter a folk singer, voiced by John C. Reilly, who imparts a message for the holidays that connects directly with Moon and Luna. Over a very short time, the owl and child realize something about what Christmas means with a message that is less tied to the titular holiday than it is to the entirety of the Yuletide season. Some beautiful moments showcasing an animated New York landscape and a couple of intriguing sequences give this short a boost of action.
John C. Reilly performs the songs in the short as his folk singer character works as both a part of the story and a narrator. The songs written for An Almost Christmas Story are called “It’s Christmas Today” and “The Spirit of Christmas” and both are traditional sounding while also feeling new. Reilly has always been passionate about music, and his voice adds a nice touch to the already sweet short film. Reilly’s songs are accented by a nice score by Daniel Hart. It helps that all voice actors here deliver subdued performances without one going too broad. Jim Gaffigan is subtle as the concerned father owl, while Natasha Lyonne and Phil Rosenthal have their trademark New York accents on full display without venturing into being too cliche.
What stands out in this twenty-one-minute short is the unique animation style that looks like wood carvings come to life. The close-ups of the various animals appear almost to be homemade decorations that come to life, with the background characters looking like two-dimensional cutouts used to fill in the scenery. Jack Thorne (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Enola Holmes) and director David Lowery wrote the script. Lowery has made some films for Disney, including 2016’s Pete’s Dragon and 2023’s Peter Pan & Wendy. The filmmaker has also created unique films ranging from Ain’t Them Bodies Saints and A Ghost Story to the acclaimed The Green Knight. Lowery has an eye for ethereal and haunting visuals, which in An Almost Christmas Story gives the film an other-worldly feel that is also very familiar and comforting.
An Almost Christmas Story is a beautiful little film that feels like a hand-carved ornament you would put on your tree this December. It is intricate and delicate but rich with emotion and feeling. Many feature-length films struggle to imbue the audience with the warmth I felt watching An Almost Christmas Story. As a companion to Le Pupille and The Shepherd, An Almost Christmas Story is my favorite of the three and a shoo-in for consideration during the award season. It’s worth checking out even if you are not in the holiday spirit.
An Almost Christmas Story premieres on November 15th on Disney+.
The post An Almost Christmas Story Review: David Lowery and Alfonso Cuaron deliver a beautiful animated holiday fable appeared first on JoBlo.
Poetry Comics Month, Day 12: Repetition
The Alien franchise is set to continue on the small screen with an “FX on Hulu” TV series called Alien: Earth, from Fargo creator Noah Hawley. The show began filming in Thailand last year, then had to halt production after a month due to the actors strike. Filming resumed earlier this year and wrapped a few months ago – and now the first footage has been unveiled! This footage can be seen in the embed above, a video Disney+ released to celebrate five years of their streaming service and to give a preview of the shows that will be reaching Disney+ and “Hulu on Disney+” in the next year (so Alien: Earth could be described as an “FX on Hulu on Disney+” project), as Hulu is streaming in the Disney+ app for Bundle subscribers in the United States.
Of course, Alien: Earth isn’t the only show featured in this promo video. We also get a look at FX’s The Bear (Season 4), Andor (Season 2, streaming April 22nd), Hulu’s Chad Powers, Marvel Television’s Daredevil: Born Again (streaming March 4th), Hulu’s Good American Family (formerly known as Orphan), Goosebumps: The Vanishing (streaming January 10th on Disney+ and Hulu), Marvel Television’s Ironheart (streaming June 24th), Hulu’s Paradise, Percy Jackson and the Olympians (Season 2), Star Wars: Skeleton Crew (streaming December 3, 2024), and Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale (Season 6).
One of the first things we heard about the Alien TV series – and one of the most surprising things about it – is that it will be set on Earth (thus the title), a couple of decades before the events of the first movie. FX chairman John Landgraf has said the show will take place “right near the end of this century.” According to Deadline, the setting puts it “a few years before Prometheus,” which Hawley has previously said he has chosen not to acknowledge. Hawley decided to set the show on Earth because “The alien stories are always trapped… Trapped in a prison, trapped in a space ship. I thought it would be interesting to open it up a little bit so that the stakes of ‘What happens if you can’t contain it?’ are more immediate.“ Variety noted that the Alien TV series will “explore the formation of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation and the race to create android life.”
Alien: Earth has the following synopsis: When a mysterious space vessel crash-lands on Earth, a young woman (Sydney Chandler) and a ragtag group of tactical soldiers make a fateful discovery that puts them face-to-face with the planet’s greatest threat.
Chandler’s Alien character is the meta-human Wendy, who has the body of an adult, but the brain and consciousness of a child. Her co-stars include Essie Davis (The Babadook) as Dame Silvia, Alex Lawther (The End of the F*cking World) as a soldier named CJ, Samuel Blenkin (Black Mirror) as a CEO named Boy Kavalier, Adarsh Gourav (The White Tiger) as a character named Slightly, Kit Young (Shadow and Bone) as a character called Tootles, and Timothy Olyphant (Justified) Kirsh, a synth who acts as a mentor and trainer for Wendy. Babou Ceesay (Guerrilla), Jonathan Ajayi (Wonder Woman 1984), Erana James (The Wilds), Lily Newmark (Sex Education), Diêm Camille (Washington Black), Adrian Edmondson (The Young Ones), Moe Bar-El (The Peripheral), and David Rysdahl (Fargo season 5) are in the cast as well, but no details have been revealed about their characters. Sandra Yi Sencindiver of Foundation will be playing “a senior member of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation” in multiple episodes, and her role could be expanded as the series continues.
What did you think of the Alien: Earth footage featured in the Disney+ promo, and of the footage from other shows? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
The post Disney unveils the first Alien: Earth footage in 2025 promo video that also features Marvel, Star Wars, & more appeared first on JoBlo.
Another new showreel of Disney Plus’s upcoming shows has appeared, and alongside new glimpses of Daredevil, Ironheart and Alien: Earth, the first ever footage of Andor season 2 can be seen.