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"The Post-Modern Prometheus" is the fifth episode of season 5 of television series The X-Files. Filmed in black-and-white, "The Post-Modern Prometheus" chronicles Mulder and Scully's investigation when a letter from a single mother leads them to a small mid-Western town where a modern-day version of Frankenstein's monster lurks, Jerry Springer is an obsession, and Cher plays a significant part.
[edit] Awards
The episode was nominated for seven 1998 Emmy awards by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences: Outstanding Writing, Directing, Art Direction, Cinematography, Single-Picture Editing, Makeup and Music Composition. It won the award for Outstanding Art Direction.[1][2]
[edit] Trivia
- The name of John O'Hurley's character, Dr. Pollidori, is an homage to Dr. John Polidori, one of the writers on vacation in Switzerland who challenged each other to a scary-story writing contest. Byron's tale was eventually abandoned, "The Vampyre", Polidori's story, is considered the foundation of the modern vampire tale, and, of course, Mary Shelley produced the most famous work of the three, Frankenstein, or, the Modern Prometheus.
- Dr. Pollidori's wife is named Elizabeth. Presumably, she is named after Victor's wife from Shelley's "Frankenstein".
- This episode features three Cher songs: "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore", "Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves" and "Walking in Memphis" as The Great Mutato character is a big Cher fan.
- In similarity to the story Frankenstein, the professor at one point leaves for Ingolstadt.
- The University of Ingolstadt, where Dr Pollidori is to deliver his lecture, was disbanded in 1800. The university is frequently mentioned in The Illuminatus! Trilogy by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson.
- The title is a reference to Frankenstein, which had the subtitle "The Modern Prometheus."
- This episode appears to be heavily influenced by The Elephant Man. The episode's score is similar to the music during the film's opening and closing credits, and The Great Mutato shares obvious characteristics with the film's title character. This episode also contains a scene in a building overlooking the street below, mirroring the style of a similar scene in the film. The mob psychology exhibited in this episode mirrors the famous scene in The Elephant Man in which a mob chases after the film's title character. In addition, some of the dialog in The Post-Modern Prometheus is from The Elephant Man: "Do you think he understands?" "I hope not."
- This episode is similar in style to Tim Burton's Frankenweenie. Both present a Frankenstein like story that takes place in a small American town. They are also both filmed in a similar black-and-white style and deal with easily swayed townspeople that could almost be considered caricatures of old-fashioned Americans.
[edit] References and external links
- ^ The Post-Modern Prometheus - Awards, accessed October 16, 2007
- ^ Emmy Awards History, accessed October 16, 2007
