Pics of Frank Black's Yellow House in Vancouver!

[Guest tempusfugit]

Hilarious how you put that "raiding peoples picnic baskets", but that is really what it amounts to. It is a total charade, and while they look through picnic baskets and pop coolers, the people who are up to no good are sneaking across the border undetected or finding ingenious ways of concealing stuff in their cars. They are certainly not leaving stuff in their trunk at the very top or in a brown paper bag, and you can tell by watching the border guards that this is the extent of their searches. Meanwhile, my entire day is ruined, and I wish I had never even decided to go. And this is not to mention the $10 worth of gas I burned up sitting on the bridge.

It's nice that, like me, you are an avid X-files fan, and yet you are willing to freely admit that there were some episodes that were pretty bad. It would be interesting to through the episode list and pick out all the stinkers, but all in all, there were a lot more good ones.... OK, did a quick Google search, and here are some episodes I didn't like: Jersey Devil, Firewalker, Red museum, Herrenvolk, "Home" was too disgusting, was bored with "Musings of a CSM", "Never Again" wasn't so hot, "Tempus Fugit" just kidding, I liked that one, "Travelers", "The Pine Bluff Variant" was subpar, The Unnatural, & Fight Club. Just a few from the first 7 seasons off the top of my head. Seasons 8 and 9 started to lose me a little. I still watched all of them at least a couple of times, but I don't recognize many of the titles off hand.

Oh, and yes, Mapquest can be funny at times. There have been a few occasions where it has come up with some pretty strange routes. If I ever do get a chance to get out to Vancouver, which probably means that I also came across an unexpected windfall of money, I will get in touch and get some ideas from you. It sounds like you researched it extensively and maximized your trip.

Reminds me of when Conan O'Brien came up to Toronto to do a week of late night talk shows and he did a stint as a border patrolling mountie. It was pretty friggin hilarious!

Home!! Maybe I'm just a really biased Glen Morgan and James Wong fan, but Home was amazing! Disgusting factor aside, it was brilliantly written. And apart from a few season 6 episodes like Triangle, Milagro and Tithonus, I could drop everything post season 5 (after they left Vancouver) and not really miss anything. Sorry for throwing more titles at you. As for XF reruns, I think they air on Sci-Fi at 5:00pm and 2:00am (different episodes) on weeknights. Not sure if that's regular cable though...

Yeah all the planning was definitely worth it. If my friend hadn't thought of marking out the map beforehand we would have been far more lost than we already were at times.

And Janset! I knew I had seen it somewhere in a Millennium episode! I was watching Beware of the Dog the night I came back and saw it in the background and nearly slapped myself silly for not remembering. Duh is me.

[Guest tempusfugit]

I'd just like to announce that I am green with envy, tempus fugit, but also incredibly impressed with the degree of research and organisation involved in your trip.

I'm also beating myself up at the moment - my dear hubby has had to relinquish his golf holidays because his wrist is too painful to play every day on a golf holiday, so he's taken to globe-trotting. He'll be in Vancouver next month. Why am I not accompanying him? Because I can't yet get on a damn plane!!! I've been working on my travel-phobia for several months now, and have actually made some train journeys on my own, but I need to do some more work before I can get on a plane - after all, once the plane has left the ground (no, no, no, don't want to think about that!) I can't change my mind.

But, when the time comes, and I can think about getting on that plane (with probably every square inch of my body covered in nicotine patches) perhaps you would kindly give me some pointers as where I should visit. One of the ways of beating phobias like this is to have an objective that is more than just overcoming the fear, and the thought of someday standing in front of the yellow house, just like you, is a very definite motivating factor.

I'm sure all in good time, you'll be able to take that next step onto a plane. I can understand how you feel, even though I fly about 5 or 6 times a year and the rational part of my mind screams that it's the safest way to travel, I don't like the feeling of being detached from the ground. I'm not sure whether your phobia roots more in the fear of the planes or just leaving home in general, but there are books and videos about the psychology of flight anxiety that helped me rationalize my fear.

You're right about the motivating factor though because ultimately that's the biggest pull. If you'd like, I could compile a list of all the locations we went to in and around Vancouver to give you an idea. :)

And Selfosophy Psycho, the Jeep seems to have been parked in front of the neighbour's house... must have had a nice view of the filming from that house too. I should have knocked on their door while I was there. lol

[Guest MillenniumIsBliss]

Reminds me of when Conan O'Brien came up to Toronto to do a week of late night talk shows and he did a stint as a border patrolling mountie. It was pretty friggin hilarious!

Home!! Maybe I'm just a really biased Glen Morgan and James Wong fan, but Home was amazing! Disgusting factor aside, it was brilliantly written. And apart from a few season 6 episodes like Triangle, Milagro and Tithonus, I could drop everything post season 5 (after they left Vancouver) and not really miss anything. Sorry for throwing more titles at you. As for XF reruns, I think they air on Sci-Fi at 5:00pm and 2:00am (different episodes) on weeknights. Not sure if that's regular cable though...

Yeah all the planning was definitely worth it. If my friend hadn't thought of marking out the map beforehand we would have been far more lost than we already were at times.

And Janset! I knew I had seen it somewhere in a Millennium episode! I was watching Beware of the Dog the night I came back and saw it in the background and nearly slapped myself silly for not remembering. Duh is me.

You know something, with all of the time I have spent watching X-files, I think I only saw "Home" once. Maybe I should give it another try some day. I really only remember a few scenes. As I have mentioned before, I have become a little more desensitized to disturbing stuff like that, so maybe it wouldn't bother me as much these days.

I think I kind of agree with you about X-files declining after they left Vancouver, although I would probably lean towards season 7 as the point where I could take it or leave it with the exception of a few episodes, with seasons 8 and 9 intensifying that feeling, although I never did miss an episode until probably season 9. I'm sure whatever episodes I missed in season 9, I have probably sense seen in reruns.

I agree with you on Milagro, I loved that episode, and it was an example of the X-files at it's best, but S6 was definitely more inconsistent than any previous season, at least in my humble opinion. It makes me wonder if all the people involved were starting to become complacent and take the shows success for granted, including the writers.

Tithonus was also one of my all time favorites, but I have to say, I found Triangle to be only a little above average, even though I think that was the episode where they tantalized the viewers with the Scully/Mulder kiss. I don't remember the episode that well, but after all the hullabaloo about the kiss, wasn't it a dream or something like that? I also really enjoyed Dreamland, Monday, and Field Trip to name a few others. After season 6 the good ones started to get fewer and further between, a pattern that seemed to accelerate throughout the remaining 3 seasons.

Now that I think about it, I have seen X-files on Sci-fi, but I can't seem to pinpoint a specific day and time. We do get it with our basic cable out here, so I am going to have to check in at the times you mentioned. Thanks for the heads up. Sense there is no over abundance of other good programing these days, I might even give the later episodes another try. Like I mentioned before, watching as many as three episodes a day on FX for a while just caught up with me, so maybe S7 through S9 would seem better with a fresh perspective.

[Guest MillenniumIsBliss]

Home!! Maybe I'm just a really biased Glen Morgan and James Wong fan, but Home was amazing! Disgusting factor aside, it was brilliantly written. And apart from a few season 6 episodes like Triangle, Milagro and Tithonus, I could drop everything post season 5 (after they left Vancouver) and not really miss anything. Sorry for throwing more titles at you. As for XF reruns, I think they air on Sci-Fi at 5:00pm and 2:00am (different episodes) on weeknights. Not sure if that's regular cable though...

Hey, whada ya know, I was channel surfing today and ran across X-files on TNT, and the episode was "Home". I'm going to have to start buying a TV book because I swear that X-files is just popping up randomly on TNT, not at a specific time every day. Anyways, yes, I can see where you would say that "Home" was an amazing episode. It was very well done, and as good as any episode as far as being spooky, creepy and disturbing. If that was what they were trying for, then they hit a home run with that episode. It was not really as disgusting or disturbing as I remembered, and a lot of the nastiness was left to the imagination. In fact, it was so dark in the houses that many times it was hard to even follow what was going on. Still though, it was pretty creepy, and I forget the tune that was playing when the bothers were out driving in the cadillac, but I'm sure it forever ruined that song for some people, or at least changed the feeling they get when they hear it. By the way, X-files was followed by "Mothman Prophecies", so it looks like my lazy day at home will continue for a while. Then again, I am getting the laundry done, so it's not too lazy.

[Archer]

Just got back from a 9-day X-Files related trip to Vancouver and the Millennium house was on my list of things to see. I've been in love with that house since I was about 11 years old, and seeing it right in front of my eyes, well... I am short for words. It's so friggin' beautiful and it was still a light shade of yellow:

https://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i268/yvr...rHaven06121.jpg

https://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i268/yvr...rHaven06136.jpg

https://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i268/yvr...rHaven06124.jpg

Maybe just a very eerie coincidence or a strange twist of fate... but there was even a red Jeep Cherokee parked right outside LOL:

https://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i268/yvr...rHaven06123.jpg

I had just snapped some pictures from the street at first. Then this young guy came up to us as I was gawking at the house and asked what 9 of us were doing standing on this random street corner with cameras. I explained that we were fans from all over the world and that the house was a location used on TXF and Millennium and he responded with "I know. I live in that house."

So-- coolest part ever-- he invited us onto the property. I talked with his father, John, for a while about Chris Carter, the shows, the house and whatnot. And then he invited us all into the house (his wife even offered us dinner haha, but that's a lot of mouths to feed). They were so friendly and welcoming, and it made it that much more awesome to know that they are very proud of their house and love it. I was ecstatic to see that a lot of the old woodwork was still there and the staircase beside the front door was exactly the same. (I didn't take any pictures inside since they had a lot of family photos up on the walls and I didn't want to intrude too much) but I definitely took advantage when he told us to go wild on the front porch with the pictures:

https://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i268/yvr...rHaven06129.jpg

https://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i268/yvr...rHaven06134.jpg

Ooh and we were staying at the 2400 motel on Kingsway which was another common filming location and they had autographed pictures of Lance and Terry O'Quinn in the main office (among other things):

https://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i268/yvr...rHaven06002.jpg

It was nice to know that even though it's been almost 10 years since the shows were filmed in Vancouver, their essence is still there.

That's funny! The 2400 Motel is a notorious location in Vancouver for our local prostitutes / crack heads / murders and at one point some terrorists that were building a dirty bomb as they are called. I believe the terrorists were captured at the Peace Arch. There was a document about the crazy farts I think on A&E..

I used to live just down the street.... I was one of the lucky ones who was able to enjoy the filming first hand.

You were just lucky not to get mugged!!!

[Guest tempusfugit]

You know something, with all of the time I have spent watching X-files, I think I only saw "Home" once. Maybe I should give it another try some day. I really only remember a few scenes. As I have mentioned before, I have become a little more desensitized to disturbing stuff like that, so maybe it wouldn't bother me as much these days.

I think I kind of agree with you about X-files declining after they left Vancouver, although I would probably lean towards season 7 as the point where I could take it or leave it with the exception of a few episodes, with seasons 8 and 9 intensifying that feeling, although I never did miss an episode until probably season 9. I'm sure whatever episodes I missed in season 9, I have probably sense seen in reruns.

I agree with you on Milagro, I loved that episode, and it was an example of the X-files at it's best, but S6 was definitely more inconsistent than any previous season, at least in my humble opinion. It makes me wonder if all the people involved were starting to become complacent and take the shows success for granted, including the writers.

Tithonus was also one of my all time favorites, but I have to say, I found Triangle to be only a little above average, even though I think that was the episode where they tantalized the viewers with the Scully/Mulder kiss. I don't remember the episode that well, but after all the hullabaloo about the kiss, wasn't it a dream or something like that? I also really enjoyed Dreamland, Monday, and Field Trip to name a few others. After season 6 the good ones started to get fewer and further between, a pattern that seemed to accelerate throughout the remaining 3 seasons.

Now that I think about it, I have seen X-files on Sci-fi, but I can't seem to pinpoint a specific day and time. We do get it with our basic cable out here, so I am going to have to check in at the times you mentioned. Thanks for the heads up. Sense there is no over abundance of other good programing these days, I might even give the later episodes another try. Like I mentioned before, watching as many as three episodes a day on FX for a while just caught up with me, so maybe S7 through S9 would seem better with a fresh perspective.

Glad you got to see Home again. That song that's playing throughout the episode woke me up on the radio one morning. Scared the crap out of me. The one thing that upset me the most about season 6, was that the first shot of the first episode was of the scorchign desert sun. I know they were just taking advantage of their new shooting locations, but that glaring sun was just a sign that the old dark and ominous X-Files days were over.

Yeah might as well have called Seasons 8 and 9 "The Next Generation" because it wasn't the same show at all. Using Scully or mentions of Mulder as plot devices to keep the fans watching doesn't make it the same show.

Ah for what it's worth, I don't like Triangle for the kiss at all. It's just one of those episodes where Carter proved he is a mastermind. The way it was filmed and broken up into those longgggg single shots made it one of the coolest hours in television for me. And yeah the kiss ended up being Mulder with 1939!Scully... since he went back in time. I know Carter just did it because fans were in a frenzy after they were robbed of the kiss in the movie. Whatever. Crazy fan girls.

[Guest tempusfugit]

That's funny! The 2400 Motel is a notorious location in Vancouver for our local prostitutes / crack heads / murders and at one point some terrorists that were building a dirty bomb as they are called. I believe the terrorists were captured at the Peace Arch. There was a document about the crazy farts I think on A&E..

I used to live just down the street.... I was one of the lucky ones who was able to enjoy the filming first hand.

You were just lucky not to get mugged!!!

Yeah I had read up on that before going to the motel. I think it was some of the millenial bombers of all darned things who were staying there back in 99. But we took our chances... after all, being 9 of us constantly pumped on adrenaline alone, we figured we could fend for ourselves.

And lucky you on seeing the filming! If they ever make a Millennium movie or second XF movie (which they better damn well film out in Vancouver), I'll be on a flight back out there in no time.

[Guest MillenniumIsBliss]

Glad you got to see Home again. That song that's playing throughout the episode woke me up on the radio one morning. Scared the crap out of me. The one thing that upset me the most about season 6, was that the first shot of the first episode was of the scorchign desert sun. I know they were just taking advantage of their new shooting locations, but that glaring sun was just a sign that the old dark and ominous X-Files days were over.

Yeah might as well have called Seasons 8 and 9 "The Next Generation" because it wasn't the same show at all. Using Scully or mentions of Mulder as plot devices to keep the fans watching doesn't make it the same show.

Ah for what it's worth, I don't like Triangle for the kiss at all. It's just one of those episodes where Carter proved he is a mastermind. The way it was filmed and broken up into those longgggg single shots made it one of the coolest hours in television for me. And yeah the kiss ended up being Mulder with 1939!Scully... since he went back in time. I know Carter just did it because fans were in a frenzy after they were robbed of the kiss in the movie. Whatever. Crazy fan girls.

Yeah, I wasn't that excited with the kiss scene myself. I don't really remember a lot of what happened in seasons 8 & 9 (I seem to remember Mulder and Scully curled up on a bed somewhere along the line, clothed of course), but I was always one of those people who thought it was nuts to even consider having Mulder and Scully become an item. It just seemed so wrong to me, and so out of character for them. I just didn't think it was what Scully and Mulder would do, and I'm glad they didn't ever go down that road. I can't even fully explain why, but I used to cringe when people would talk about Scully and Mulder getting involved romantically, although there were hints that these feelings did exist between the two characters to some degree, and they did care deelply about each other. I just thought it would cheapen the show and the characters to turn it into some hot romance. The kiss was enough to tantalize and tease the viewers, but I'm glad that's as far as they took it.

By the way, I remember the scene you are referring to at the open of season 6. The first episode that season was not one of my favorites, and I agree, a sign of things to come.

[nothing i do is magic]

WOW

..::calms down:::..

strange, i've been off TIWWA forever, and thinking a lot about the yellow house, and suddnely the two things intersect.

I am insanely jealous of your opportunities in the yellow house! it's definitely on my list of places to experience. strage as it sounds i've been trying to see/walk through it in my head as a means getting to sleep (it's not really working, but it is leaving me with many questions and items to investigate).

- nothing, who has as an insane goal to replicate that house as much as possible

[Guest Zdenius]

excellent story, gratz