http://www.smh.com.au/news/film/not-the-probe-again/2006/10/18/
1160850999814.html

Not the probe again

Charles Purcell
October 20, 2006

Former X Files star David Duchovny has a theory on why aliens use
probes on humans.

"My theory," he says, "is that, much like the ship of fools - the
phenomenon where a ship would be stuffed with insane people and set
adrift on the high seas - alien civilisations also do that with
spaceships. They put all their sex offenders and dentists on spaceships
and send them out to the farthest reaches of the galaxy.

"So, when we get abducted and get probed, that's what we're dealing
with. That's why we get probed and get our teeth drilled at the same
time."

Duchovny is on the phone at the intersection of Montana and 11th Street
at Santa Monica in Los Angeles - "I've just given you these
co-ordinates in case you want to send a missile" - purportedly to talk
about his new romantic comedy, Trust the Man, but things aren't always
what they seem.

In Trust the Man, Duchovny plays Tom, a New Yorker and stay-at-home
husband married to high-profile actor Rebecca (Julianne Moore). They're
friends with layabout Tobey (Billy Crudup) and wannabe novelist Elaine
(Maggie Gyllenhaal). Both couples have problems exacerbated by their
failure to communicate. Tom and Rebecca have mismatched sex drives,
which leads Tom to consider straying; Elaine wants to be married and
have kids, but Tobey is happy with the status quo.

Trust the Man is no Woody Allen film, but it's a semi-decent chick
flick and Duchovny is likeable in his role. It reminded me a little of
the book Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus, in that its men and
women don't understand each other.

Duchovny says director Bart Freundlich wanted the tag line on the
poster to read, "Women are from Mars, men have a penis", but "[film
distributor] Fox wouldn't go for it".

This is the second movie, after 2001's Evolution, in which Duchovny has
co-starred with Moore. Does the former Agent Mulder have a thing for
redheads, after starring with Gillian Anderson in The X Files?

"If I could speak honestly with you, I don't have a redhead fetish. I'm
not sure if I ever dated a redhead. I just seem to act with them all
the time."

What was it like acting with Maggie Gyllenhaal? Did I pronounce her
surname wrong?

"Yeah, you pronounced it 'gynaecological'. I would've loved to do more
with her. She was terrific."

At the start of the movie, Duchovny and Moore are in a therapist's
office to discuss their relationship - in particular, Duchovny's
proclivity towards "doggy-style" sex and Moore's lack of sex drive.
Does Duchovny think aliens stole his wife's libido? He laughs.

"I don't know where they would take it from. I don't know where the
libido exists. Maybe it's like Austin Powers's mojo or something."

How far up does the conspiracy go? Was the X-Files' Cigarette Smoking
Man involved?

"I don't think so. I think he's retired. Or he's employed by the
Bush-Cheney administration. He may have been running the country for
the last six years."

Why didn't he ask the Lone Gunmen for help? Is it because they don't
know anything about women?

"Why didn't I ask the Lone Gunmen for help on this movie?"

Yes, on the case of his wife's missing libido. There is a stunned
silence as Duchovny realises he's dealing with an X Files nutter. Or an
alien.

"Ah ... I don't know. I can't answer that."

I should quit with the alien questions while I'm ahead. But the truth
is out there. I must know: does he believe in aliens? Are we not alone?

"I don't believe we're in contact with aliens or someone is hiding that
contact. But it seems odd to me that this planet has all the life on it
in all the universes. I would bet on there being life elsewhere."
###

Tesa
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Read my Brad Dourif interview http://tv-now.com/tesa and
my Aimee Mann interview at http://tinyurl.com/raska Check
out Tesa's Top 15 Films of All Time http://tesa.cinephiles.net
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