Rant: 5 Reasons No One Cares About The New X-Files Movie

By Josh Tyler: 2008-07-22 02:47:53

Rant: 5 Reasons No One Cares About The New X-Files Movie

The title of this story is of course, a gross generalization. There are indeed people out there who do care about the new X-Files movie. In fact all ten or twenty of them are rushing to this website right now and plotting ways to send me death threats.

Yes it’s a generalization to say no one cares about the X-Files movie, but like all good generalizations, it's one that rather accurately reflects the sort of non-buzz there is out there for this movie. X-Files: I Want To Believe opens this very weekend, and it currently has the kind of pre-opening excitement around it that’s usually reserved only for should-have-been direct-to-DVD movies like Space Chimps. It’s a shocking state of affairs for a franchise that a mere decade ago completely ruled the geek world. Maybe things will turn around, maybe audiences will show up in droves this weekend and somehow knock The Dark Knight out of the top spot, but a long slow look around right now reveals a world in which no one seems to remember X-Files even exists, much less care enough about it to see Mulder and Scully’s new outing.

Why are things going wrong? Where’s the interest? It’s simple really. I’ve broken it down into five easily digested reasons:

5. The Dark Knight
It’s the same reason Hellboy 2 only made around $30 million opening weekend, even though it received stellar reviews and a monster marketing blitz. People have one movie and one movie only on their brains right now, and it’s about a guy who likes to dress up as a flying rat. Those who haven’t been able to see it because of sold out showings are planning to see it this weekend. Those who have already seen it are planning their second, third, and fourth sojourn into The Dark Knight world. Yes, the hype really is that out of control. Opening a movie in any sort of proximity to this sort of record-breaking phenomenon is suicide. Here comes X-Files, ready to commit hara-kiri. The Dark Knight is officially the biggest movie of all time, and for the next couple of weeks everything else will be stuck living in its shadow.

4. Bad Marketing
We’ve started seeing a few advertisements over the last week or so, but it was too little too late. By the time Fox got around to really trying to raise awareness on this thing, most potential moviegoers were already focused on something else. Meanwhile, the marketing they have done hasn’t been particularly exciting. The little plot nuggets they’ve dropped all seem to revolve around Mulder and Scully kissing or getting all romantic, a plotline that the X-Files series laid to rest years ago. It’s a dead subject. Hey moviegoers! Who wants to buy a ticket to see a tired old will-they-won’t they gimmick rehashed?

3. Stifling Secrecy
The production of X-Files: I Want To Believe has been wrapped in utter and total secrecy. Even now, a mere few days before the movie is released, 20th Century Fox still hasn’t handed out a proper plot synopsis. Worse, during the production they put out fake news items to trick whatever fans they have into thinking the movie was something it wasn’t, and then pulled the rug out from under them over and over and over again. I know a lot of the most hardcore X-Files fans are still excited to see this thing, but it’s hard to imagine a world in which at least a few of them might not feel a little burned by the mess. For the more casual fans, at some point they got tired of the bait and switch game and simply started ignoring not only whatever X-Files news has been floating around out there, but by extension the existence of the movie itself. I understand the need to keep the specifics of a plot on a movie like this under wraps, but there’s a way to do that without lying to and shutting out your supporters. X-Files: I Want To Believe never seemed to figure that out.

2. No One Cared About The First Movie
Even the first movie was met with somewhat lukewarm reception, and it was released a full decade closer to the epicenter of X-Files popularity. It made money, but it never really burned up the box office and people seemed to forget it as soon as it was gone. A mediocre, moderately well received film is hardly the sort of launching point to carry a fandom through a decade dry spell and keep them energized enough to support a new entry in the franchise when it finally pops up ten years later. The whole franchise has already been wrapped up pretty tightly. Fans haven’t spent the last 10 years wondering what if. They’ve moved on. Which brings me to number one….

1. The World Has Outgrown The X-Files
We’ve outgrown The X-Files. All of us. That includes the cast. David Duchovny has gone on to more interesting projects which allow him to hang around beautiful naked women on cable television, and Gillian Anderson went where all overrated geek obsessions eventually go: out of sight out of mind. As for the X-Files faithful, well they’ve moved on to better shows which have arrived to fill The X-Files void. People like JJ Abrams have stepped in to do what Chris Carter once did, and done it even better. The whole mystery thing has turned mainstream, and at best Chris Carter’s tired old show is retro. It was great in its time, but its time is long past. The world has changed, we’ve changed, and the creepy mystery of the X-Files world is nothing more than old hat. Been there done that.

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July 29, 2008 at 23:23

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Megan
July 27, 2008 at 17:44

I'll just say this - though the first four points are unfortunately true - #1 is insanely incorrect.

The line "People like JJ Abrams have stepped in to do what Chris Carter once did, and done it even better," is hilarious in that JJ Abram's plots are hopelessly more befuddling than Chris Carter's ever were.

Thanks for the chuckle.

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Diego
July 27, 2008 at 17:42

While I agree that time has done its thing, and the X-Files's height of quality and popularity was around 12 years ago; i believe that franchises of this caliber have long legs and a lot of potential for many (more) great things.

This series premiered when i was starting high school, and i became a loyal fan for the first seven seasons (after which it should have ended). And i think a lot of people shouldn't be so quick to dismiss a possible strong comeback or to compare this series with others that came after; in my opinion no other series has captured paranoia and conspiracies better.

Yes, the release date is the worst the could possibly find, but thats life in the theaters for the last 30 years or so; there is always the big summer flick that eclipses a lot of the competition.

It will all boil down to the quality: If the movie is good, it will be a moderate hit, if not well we can forget about the X-Files for many years to come.

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Dave
July 27, 2008 at 01:20

"The Truth is Out There!"

Meaning: you won't find it in the show.

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Eth
July 27, 2008 at 01:20

I don't agree with you.

I am one of the few who thought Dark Knight was just ok... its another batman movie in a series of batman movies... Nothing really new.

I have always loved the x-files, I grew up watching it and it is a part of who I am today... so I can't truly outgrow it.

I cared about the first movie, I liked it. Thought it was cool in the x-files kind of way.

And I liked the new movie. I knew it was coming out forever ago when hints of it arose, and was excited about it. I did not place any preconceived notions into my head about what it was going to be about. I let the movie tell me what it was about. I really enjoyed catching up on what has been going on for the two of them FM and DS. It was a good standalone movie where you can really see how the characters have really matured.

Just because you don't like something or you are not interested in something does not suddenly make you an expert into what everyone likes or cares about. You assume that everyone seems to share your opinions, well I hate to tell you. You are wrong. Everyone is entitled to their own view and opinions. Don't make broad sweeping judgments about everyone else. You can only observe yourself and the small amount of people you interact with on a daily basis. That hardly qualifies you to know what everyone else is thinking, or is interested in.

Just my 2 cents.

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Vic
July 27, 2008 at 01:19

Yeah Yeah, "the world has overcome the creepy mystery of the x-files for bettter things", come on don't be such an hypocrite the series rocked the nineties, and if by better things you mean the apology of nonsense violence and special effects of Dark Knight, well that`s sad.

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Kyzzyxx
July 25, 2008 at 22:25

I wont see it just cause its done by Fox

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buzz
July 25, 2008 at 22:25

It also doesn't help that David Duchovney and Gillian Anderson exude 0 excitement about the movie. Has anyone seen them being interviewed? They all but say "yea, we're not sure about this" and "ya, we did it for a paycheck."

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Fanboy all grown-up
July 25, 2008 at 22:25

meh, a big who cares to X-Files. VR5 or Automan movies based on the TV series would probably get more views.

Heck The Greatest American Hero (with or without William Katt) and Airwolf would bring tons more interest and money than X-Files. That show died with the first movie nobody liked. That's the truth and after this weekend it's out there for all to know.

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J
July 25, 2008 at 22:25

Funny, I was just looking up the showtimes for this afternoon when I came across your blog. I think you're going to be surprised at how many of us diehards are out there.

Anyone who was addicted to X-Files is going to be happy for another trickle of a dose. Who cares if the movie rivals The Dark Knight? (which was awesome BTW). Who cares if it's not much better than a typical episode?

It's the fricking X-Files. We'll take what we can get.

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eric Reckling
July 25, 2008 at 22:25

100%

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Phibody
July 25, 2008 at 22:25

I completely agree with all the above reasons. It truly saddens me to see a movie as hyped as Hellboy II get killed by the Dark Knight. I loved that movie and after its first week, no will care to see it. The same is about to happen to X-Files, just in reverse. Not to say it will be bad, but you gotta wonder what studio heads are thinking sometimes with their release dates.

Also, to the previous poster knocking on JJ Abrams...Lost is a better show than X-Files ever was, and it's a testament to it's greatness that so many people have stayed true to it through all its twists, turns and non-answers.

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J
July 25, 2008 at 22:25

So you have decided the movie blows without even seeing it. Clairvoyance must run in your family.
I liked the first movie. I plan on seeing this one. How can you say it is stupid when you have not seen it? Oh I get it, in order for a movie to be good, it has to have the same buzz the dark knight did right? Well then I guess Ironman sucked then. All the spiderman movies sucked to as well.
Maybe you should actually wait AND SEE the movie first. I am sure you will download it though right?

Just because a movie does not make a big buzz does not mean it is bad,

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Bill
July 25, 2008 at 22:25

Biggest reason for me:

They ended the series years ago. Gave us a lame ending that satisfied no one, with a fixed date for the end of the world and apparently no one qualified to contest it is alive anymore. Fans are all just waiting for the big beat down to come. Why is it relevant what happens in-between? It's over. Give it a rest.

The one exception to this would be if a new movie introduced a new dimension to the mythology, offering some degree of hope for resistance. Alas, they announced up front that it's going to be a "movie of the week" format. Who cares what monster pops up in that universe if it's all coming to an end in a few years anyway?

What they should have done is did a movie released at the time of the invasion where the agents lead a brave resistance with some newly discovered advantage and gain a foothold in the world. Then they could have spun off a new series involving the ongoing resistance in the style of a Gears of War sort of thing. That would have made it relevant to a new generation of 20s while cashing in on the previous generation of fans.

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Nerd
July 25, 2008 at 22:25

I beg to differ, I can't wait to see it tonight, but then again I'm a computer engineer, and have been watching since I was a kid, but whatever dis a movie that was from one of the greatest sci-fi series ever.

My 2 cents

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1oddmanout
July 25, 2008 at 22:25

Will probably see the movie, but I lost interest when the actors lost interest (the missing David/Fox).

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Michael Delly
July 25, 2008 at 22:25

Now if Gillian Andersson showed some boobs in the movie, I'd consider going. Otherwise I'll probably forget to rent it on DVD when it finally comes out and live happily ever after.

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TimB
July 25, 2008 at 22:25

For those of use who enjoyed a TV show that you actually couldn't predict what was going to happen, therefore kept us entertained, I look forward to this movie. I will be attending the day it opens. What I liked about the show is still what I like about the movie. The theme, the actors and the concept. I'll watch "The X Files, I Want to Retire" when it comes out. Chris Carter thinks so far out of the box, you can't even see the box. The concept is strong enough to keep is going for a long, long time.

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Matt
July 25, 2008 at 22:25

Think your a bit off on that one! Yes the X-Files is of a different generation but I believe it will do well in the cinema. I will be there to see it anyway! I bet the government has paid you to say those things to keep us away from the truth!!!

The Truth Is Out There!

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K
July 25, 2008 at 22:25

I'm still a pretty big fan of the series, regularly watching Tivo'd reruns on SciFi. And I can say that I did care about and ike the first movie. I can also say that I've been excited about it since I heard that the next one was in production.
All respect intended, and certanly not a flame, but why do movies have to fit into archetypes of what people enjoy? Can't people just enjoy whatever they want and not be critisized by some blogger because of it? I agree with a poster above. It does sound like you're trying out for a job at VH1. "X-Files was like, so 5 years ago!"

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Jacob
July 25, 2008 at 22:25

What ever happend to that 9.11 X Files movie? I wanted to see that...maybe it was a fake....

Movies like this shouldn't be made unless they are gonna turn over stones from the series that they never had enough special effects, money, or freedom to reveal before...and if I remember correctly they turned them all over and made up a lot of bullshit rocks....

so what iam saying is that I want to see what is hiding under rocks.....

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JImmy Crack Corn
July 25, 2008 at 22:24

I dunno, I never liked the TV show so I doubt I will liek the movie.

JT
www.FireMe.To/udi

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rgb
July 25, 2008 at 22:24

I was never a big fan of the show (although I did enjoy it when I caught it), but I loved the movie and I look forward to seeing this one as well.

So it isn't only fanboys who are interested in this movie. I think the reason most people want to see it is to catch up with old friends. Nothing wrong with that.

But I agree that it probably won't do that well at the box office. Which is a shame.

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Ad Manager
July 25, 2008 at 22:24

I saw the trailer several times and it's indeed weak and not very interesting. I doubt I'll go watch in the theater

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