Contact with Mulder

March 31, 1999

This is really brief - I didn't see much of anything.
I just kind of like the exercise of milking a moment for all it's worth. ;->
Be sure to read
Fontaine's version after mine.
Contains mild spoilers for "The Unnatural" and a possible one for the season finale.

 

From an email sent to some friends:

Went to the set of "The X-Files" again in hopes of seeing David direct his episode, "The Unnatural." Wouldn't you know it, the times I couldn't go a week or two ago are when he did shot all the exciting exterior shots. So, of course last night was all interiors. I met Fontaine there and we hung out for about an hour and half, trying to get the clueless 2nd unit to tell us if that was even the right location. Some of them were genuinely clueless - one guy even said he didn't know David was directing until a fan told him! Some were deliberately cagey. But since we were already there, it was obvious we knew something, and eventually someone broke down and said he was shooting that night, but we weren't going to be able to see anything - they were shooting on the third floor of a warehouse. We could hear David yelling "action!" and "cut!" over the walkie-talkies, but that was the extent of it. I figure this is my punishment for seeing Nick Lea on set twice in a row - it's all downhill from here. ;->

For those who have seen the episode by now, here's what Fontaine thinks was being shot inside:

<<Hmmm, let's see. Definitely the scene with Mighty Morphin Bounty Hunter killing the lab guy, since we saw both of them there that day, and later we saw people dumping out multicolored "chemicals" on the street. Blech.

It seems that most of the scenes they shot there took place in the day in the eppy, which is amazing since they shot the scenes at night. Wow, magic of TV :D Maybe some scenes where MMBH is talking on the phone, since we saw him wearing a uniform too. I suspect that they also filmed the scene where Dales and Exley get off the bus and see MMBH that day, in the morning. The exterior looked familiar...>>

Just when I was ready to give up, I started chatting with a cop, and asked him if the crew had broken for "lunch" yet. It was 7:45pm, and they were going to be breaking at 8, so I figured since I'd made the effort, I might as well hang out for 15 more minutes since the cop assured me David would have to pass by me to get to his trailer.

Around 8pm, poor Fontaine went wandering around. I was standing still, looking out into the street and turned around just in time to catch David's eye. He nodded his head.

I said "Hi."

He said "Hi." And kept walking.

David Duchovny, ladies and gentleman. ::::cue applause::::

Mind you, I'm well aware that some fans would main, pillage, and kill for that two-second interation. I think you guys know by now, however, that David's not my favorite actor on the show, so I'm starting to race through my mind about The Things I'd Want to Ask David Duchovny... and coming up blank. Autograph, no, not interested. Picture? Got that at the SAG Awards - poor guy probably recognized me as the woman with the afro trying to get his attention for the photo. What dorm were you in at Yale? Oh, wait, he was in grad school. Favorite Duran song? Uh, maybe not this time. So, I just watched him walk to his trailer and made the most of the moment by remembering what he was wearing: brown bomber jacket, blue jeans, white sneakers.

Funny thing is that David actually looks shorter in real life than I'd imagined him to look up close. Yet Nick Lea looks taller. And I'm pretty sure they're within an inch or two of each other. My sense of perspective could be a bit skewed by my bias, though. Just a bit. ;->

[Note - I've since read from set reports of extras who saw David and Nick shooting together that Nick indeed has a good two or three inches on David.]

Anyway, the cop told me that on the following Monday, they'd be shooting on Hollywood Blvd. and there'll be some exteriors... outside some "nudie bar." By then, I think it'll be the mytharc and no longer David's ep though - the season finale. ::::Keeping fingers crossed Krycek will be going undercover as a stripper. Hey, a girl can dream, can't she?::::

So, Fontaine, anything to add? I'm sure since I left and you stayed, with my luck, David probably got into an intense discussion with you and invited you to his trailer and treated you to a dramatic reading of his poetry. Upon finding out you were applying to Yale, he whipped out his masters thesis and offered to personally write a recommendation and fund your entire education, right? Or something like that. ;->

Fontaine's response:

"*Snort.* The only thing that was even remotely intense was the cold."

Quote from Freak No.2:

"Now, what did David say to you? Uh huh. And how long was this email?"

For Fontaine's persepctive about the same set visit, click here (and go to the 13th try).



Send comments to Emile.

Back to:

Emile's main X-Files page - Emile's main Contact page - Emile's Musings

1