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YOU must
remember this: A kiss is just a kiss—unless, that is,
it’s a kiss between paranormal investigators Fox Mulder
and Dana Scully projected larger than life on the giant
screen of the Cinerama Dome. That kiss—a highlight from
The X-Files—became a lightning bolt that sparked
squeals of delight from many jammed into the historic
theater for a retrospective tribute to the Fox drama,
which centered on the adventures of two FBI agents
exploring the supernatural and the unexplainable. The
series, which starred David Duchovny and Gillian
Anderson, ended in 2002 after nine seasons.
Mulder
and Scully—or rather, Duchovny and Anderson—were not
present during the fete Wednesday night, part of the
25th annual William S. Paley Television Festival
sponsored by the Paley Center for Media (formerly the
Museum of Television & Radio). But that didn’t dampen
the enthusiasm of the so-called X-Philes, sitting in
rapt attention while series creator Chris Carter,
executive producer Frank Spotnitz and other writers and
directors from the series unveiled some of the mysteries
behind the monsters, strange doings and ominous
atmosphere that distinguished the show.
Giving
the event an extra jolt was a look at the trailer for
the X-Files movie that comes out July 25. The rapid-fire
preview gave few clues to the plot or characters, except
that Mulder and Scully, who went from platonic partners
to a more romantic level in the later seasons, still
call each other Mulder and Scully (apparently intimacy
did not put them on a first-name basis). There is a lot
of running and loud music, snow and, of course, the
ghostly six-note whistle that was the core of the show’s
theme song.
The
film, a sequel of sorts to the first X-Files
movie that came out in 1998, doesn’t even have a title.
“I know what the title should be,” quipped Carter,
noting that Fox may have other ideas. The audience was
so juiced by the trailer that it was shown twice.
In
development in various degrees since the show ended, the
movie will take up six years after the conclusion of the
series, Carter said, and attempts to honor long-time
fans while reaching out to those unfamiliar with the
show. He declined to specify the nature of the
relationship between Mulder and Scully when the movie
starts.
“It’s a
stand-alone movie, but it’s not negligent or insensitive
to the fact that there is a history there, and there has
been a passage of time with Mulder and Scully,” Carter
said.
Still,
much of the focus of the event was on the past. Also
appearing on the panel were actors Mitch Pileggi, who
played FBI assistant director Walter Skinner; Nicholas
Lea, who played Agent Alex Krycek and Dean Hagland, one
of the Lone Gunmen who helped Mulder and Scully and were
the stars of their own short-lived spinoff.
“It’s
just nice to see how well the show is remembered,”
Spotnitz said. Carter, who periodically took out a
camera to take pictures of the adoring throng, added
that he “never had a good sense of how popular the show
was because I was too busy trying to make deadlines.”
At its
height, The X-Files was not merely a hit but also
a phenomenon that helped establish Fox as a credible
network. Its influence is evident in shows such as
Lost and Heroes. It made stars of Duchovny
and Anderson.
Although
the series featured more than its share of alien
stories, monsters and twisted government conspiracies,
the relationship between the agents registered a
humanity and humor that scored with a broad viewership,
particularly women. Females made up a large portion of
the audience Wednesday.
After
the series ended, Carter said he took a long break and
even avoided watching old episodes. He said the series
was “all-consuming, and getting away from it gave me a
healthy perspective on life. At the end, I found my wife
again.”
He also
pursued other interests, including getting a pilot’s
license.
“I
challenged myself artistically, physically and
intellectually. It was really great.” |
