ROTTEN TOMATOES: RT Interview: David Duchovny on The X-Files, Californication and Directing Comments

RT Interview: David Duchovny on The X-Files, Californication and Directing

by Joe Utichi | August 01, 2008

Summary

It's been six years since we last saw Mulder and Scully together on screen, and with the release of The X-Files: Fight the Future, David Duchovny sits down to tell us what the agents have been up to in the interrim and tease us on the next season of his other hit show, Californication. Back to Article

(1-11 of 11 posts) | Reply

Jack Waters writes:
on Aug 01 2008 08:54 AM

Duchovny is a really talented guy and the chemistry him and gillian anderson have is a testatment to good acting. It's also amazing how easily he has fallen into his role on Californication which is so different from x files. Anyway can't wait to go out and see Mulder and Scully on the big screen together again! Hope the great Chris Carter can feed us a nice thriller and another sick x- file.

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impfromhell writes:
on Aug 01 2008 10:00 AM

I hear the new x-files movie was sucky. Seems like that's the last of Mulder and Skully. You know, given the scene after the credits and all.

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jokerboy1991 writes:
on Aug 01 2008 10:12 AM

Duchovny is awesome! Californication is great and so was the X-Files, I cant say that about the new movie though :(...

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reapermad writes:
on Aug 01 2008 11:18 AM

The X Files movie was freaking great! I don't know why so many people are bitching about it. The only complaint I had was that it wasn't a true x file in the sense that it wasn't about something unexplainable. The only x file part was the psychic Billy Connolly played. It was still a great experience. I'd pay to see Gillian and Duchovny reading from the yellow pages. It's just too bad it got released after the almighty Dark Knight. They should have placed it in the winter. So, shut up you haters! The movie was fantastic.

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Kudos Mooney writes:
on Aug 01 2008 11:57 AM

This response may contain spoilers.

I didn't care too much for the new film, although in retrospect the parts I sorta liked at the end of it I really like now. As reapermad has pointed out, it really doesn't have anything to do with the X-Files other than it stars Mulder and Scully (in fact, if they had just changed the title to something that didn't include the word "X-File", maybe I wouldn't be so let down). The chemistry between Mulder and Scully is fantastic, and Mrs. Anderson is getting better and better the more I see her. Billy Connolly is absolutely fantastic as the pedopheliac psychic. This movie does a great job of tackling modern as well as deep existential issues (belief in God and in forgiveness). I just think the whole Russian black market organ donor plotline fell completely flat for me, and I couldn't care about Xzibit or Amanda Peet whatsoever. There were also way too many coincidences and strict plot-progressors that the film ultimately fell flat for me. I am a relatively loyal X-Files fan, and have no problem whatsoever with them descending into more intellectual stuff. But besides the overt relationship growth between Mulder and Scully, as a film, it was as cold as the Virginian setting. I felt nothing for it. As far as Scully and the young boy she was taking care of, that felt a little too contrived for me, even though the scenes where she fought for stem-cell research were rather good.

On the flipside, I forced my fiancee to sit down and watch the original 1998 film, and it was absolutely fantastic, holding up extremely well. In fact, I had more fun in the first 10 minutes of that film than I did in all of the new one. Sure, Mulder and Scully hadn't progressed as far as they have in the new film, and I can respect that, but I still had a lot of fun with it. The soundtrack was just as good as I remember as well.

All that said, I disagree with Duchovny about the decision to try and reach more of an audience. It's too late. Congratulations on "Californication" but if you're going to do an X-files movie, do an X-FILES movie. Not a CSI movie. It was a poor choice on Carter's behalf. I don't mean that you should cater to just the fans, but pushing Mulder and Scully's stories further doesn't mean you have to sacrifice the whole point of the X-Files in the first place. I want to care about those two characters just as much as you guys want everyone else to who may not know them, but don't "Law and Order"/"CSI" the whole thing just to reach those people. You just lower yourselves to another level.

I do hope they get their act together and make a third one. The potential is there, and it can be absolutely fantastic, but don't let Carter direct. Hell, at least bring back Lucas Black.

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DivineCC writes:
on Aug 01 2008 03:42 PM

X-Files is my favorite show and Duchovny is good in everything he does. I liked the new film but I wasn't blown away by it. I think like most people I wanted it to be more about the actual X-File than Mulder and Scully's relationship. I hope they get to do at least one more film about the alien invasion in 2012. I know fans won't be happy until we see Mulder and Scully save the world.

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Spike1967 writes:
on Aug 01 2008 04:10 PM

Fox should never have released the film in the summer because it's not a summer blockbuster and it was even marketed as one. The acting and writing were outstanding and the film probably should have been released in the fall

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Tuscanite writes:
on Aug 01 2008 05:26 PM

In reply to this comment (#1943211)
I left during the credits (!) What scene did I miss?

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Jack'sSmirkingRevenge writes:
on Aug 01 2008 06:03 PM

*** SPOILER (?) ***

^During the credits, the camera shows ocean as the credits roll. Eventually, you see a tropical island and (in the distance from a God's-eye angle) you see Mulder and Scully rowing toward the shore without a care in the world. They look up at the camera, wave, and continue on (presumably) away from the darkness.

*** END OF SPOILER ***

By the way, the title of the new movie is "The X-Files: I Want to Believe". The movie "The X-Files: Fight the Future" was the one released between seasons five and six of the television series just over ten years ago.

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headmonkeys writes:
on Aug 02 2008 09:21 AM

"All that said, I disagree with Duchovny about the decision to try and reach more of an audience. It's too late. Congratulations on "Californication" but if you're going to do an X-files movie, do an X-FILES movie. Not a CSI movie. It was a poor choice on Carter's behalf. "

I completely agree with that comment from Kudos Mooney. While I did still enjoy the film, it felt very schizophrenic in terms of who it was made for, not to mention the awful marketing. There wasn't enough backstory to really let new people know these characters, and for fans, we wanted to know whats been going on for the last 6 years. Also I think people are right when they say the story wasn't 'X-Files' enough. I didn't think it had a big 'wow' factor, nor did it play out all that interestingly. Not to mention I wasn't a fan of Scully's side story or her constant crying/bitching.

Although, the final wrap up conversation had in this film was far better than the one at the end of 'The Truth'.

Anyways, I would love to see a third film where, as people have said, the team gets their act together. It's too late to bring in new fans, and a direct to DVD film featuring mythology and popular characters would be a dream come true for me.

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EXECUTIVE-BOSS writes:
on Aug 03 2008 06:39 PM

Maybe David Duchovny aka Mulder's next big screen movie will be about his show Kalifornication...LOL

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