Best mystery movie questions of all time

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Minority Report picture

Question: There's a quote that I don't understand: "The fact that you prevented it from happening doesn't change the fact that it was going to happen." I immediately thought, "Yes, it does change the fact that it was going to happen." If Witwer hadn't put his hand there, it would have happened. However, he did, thus "changing the fact that it was going to happen," right? Isn't this the point of the whole movie: determinism is foolish and that different actions produce different consequences?

Answer: No, he didn't change the fact that it was going to happen. He prevented it from happening. But until he stopped it, it was going to happen. And no matter how many times you look back at that sequence, it was going to happen. Up until a point, it was going to happen. It was just prevented.

Garlonuss

Answer: The statement involves the idea of arresting people who did not commit the crime yet but are going to. Until the precogs tell someone to change things, the idea is that it will happen. If Anderton had rolled the ball and the other guy was not watching, it was going to fall. The only way to change it would have been for Anderton to say something. Things will happen unless the future is changed. Ultimately the idea is proven sketchy at the end at best.

oldbaldyone

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A Nightmare On Elm Street 5: The Dream Child picture

Question: I'm a little confused about Greta's death. Was it from eating too much or from her eating what was not good for her?

Answer: Her death was from Freddy overfeeding her while in the real world she choked to death.

Answer: In the VHS version, Freddy cut open her stomach and was feeding her own intestines. That's why when he cut open the doll on the high chair tray Greta was wincing and squirming as Freddy had just cut her stomach open. I guess you could say that that doll on the high chair tray was like a voodoo doll of Greta so whatever Freddy did to it happened to Greta too. Eventually, Freddy caused Greta to choke on her own intestines which caused her to choke to death in the real world.

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Chosen answer: Tim Curry (as Wadsworth) states he knew about the secret passages because the house belongs to a friend of his. Tim Curry (as Mr. Boddy) says at the end of the movie that they "Could stack the bodies in the cellar and could all leave one by one." Which infers that Mr. Boddy has no intention of returning to the house. Either way, there is no definite way to tell who the house belongs to considering all the lying going on.

columbonet

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Christine picture

Question: What song is playing as Christine is crushing Darnell against the steering wheel?

Answer: "I've Got A Girl Named Boney Maroney" by Larry Williams.

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Chosen answer: 'Vampires' 1998, directed by John Carpenter.

ChiChi

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Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning picture

Question: Is Tommy supposed to be the "next" Jason? I'm really confused by the ending.

Answer: Yes, originally Tommy was going to be the new Jason. But the makers decided to go in a different direction for part 6.

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Darkness picture

Question: Why does the girl cut her dad's throat, if she knew that it would fulfill the curse?

Answer: She was trying to help him breathe.

Melissa Swanger

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Taking Lives picture

Question: When Ethan Hawk takes a new life, does he have to shave his fingerprints/get plastic surgery/new teeth etc. because when he started he looked way different than the present day Ethan.

Answer: Yes, he must do this to truly feel like the different person he is trying to be. Also, so the police won't suspect anything if his traits don't match his identity.

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A Nightmare on Elm Street picture

Question: I just saw this movie for the first time and I have three questions for it. First, is Freddy supposed to be a ghost or something or did he not really die? Second, how was Nancy able to bring his hat back after her dream? Third, what was with the ending and Nancy's mom? Was it a dream or real?

Answer: 1. Freddy is the ghost of a child killer, he is very difficult to be rid of. He did not die at the end of this film. 2. It is possible to bring items and even people in and out of the dream world. Although it is never explained in detail how. 3. It was a dream, but as seen in the film, that's not a good thing.

MasterOfAll

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Answer: It was the only way out. She followed Aiden's voice to the cliff and kept hearing it from the same direction. She knew she had to jump off to get back to the real world.

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Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows picture

Question: In the scene when Moriarty is doing a book signing, his aide sits and hands him a piece of paper with what looks like some kind of grouped numbers together. What is this and does it get referenced later in the film?

Brad Barding

Chosen answer: That's the key code for his fortune concealed in his library. The one Mrs Watson uses to relay to Inspector Lestrade. Like the book reference numbers in a public library.

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Planet of the Apes picture

Question: At the end he sees the Statue of Liberty on the beach. How did the statue get there from Ellis Island?

Answer: He's in the same location as Ellis Island. Thousands of years have resulted in significant changes geographically.

Answer: The statue was destroyed during the nuclear war at some point in the past. The remnant of it had washed ashore to where Taylor finds it.

Bishop73

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Chosen answer: During the beginning interviews with the townspeople, the one guy tells how the killer, Parr, would make his victims stand in the corner as he killed the other kids. He didn't like the way they would look at him, so he made them stand in the corner.

William Bergquist

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From Hell picture

Question: In the middle of the movie, one of the doctors tells the others of John Merrick, aka The Elephant Man. They show him for a few seconds Disrobed.. What is the point of showing Merrick in the movie? This scene seems totally isolated from the rest of the plot. It almost feels like they had an extra minute to kill and decided to add it in.

Answer: In the original book, Merrick's appearance is used to show William Gull's education, expertise as an anatomist and that he recognises and respects cultural diversity - Gull assures Merrick that, had he been born in India, he would be worshipped as a descendant of the elephant-headed god, Ganesa. In this spirit, Gull even offers the victim of his first Ripper slaying to Ganesa as a sacrifice, as Indians make a sacrifice to Ganesa at the beginning of an important enterprise. Merrick is present as a vehicle to establish the rich nature of Gull's character. When it comes to the film, however, this subtlety is completely lost - it seems very much that the scriptwriter noted Merrick's appearance in the book and felt that it would be cool to include the character in his script. As such, as you point out, it does feel that Merrick's presence, stripped of the subtleties of the book, is almost entirely pointless.

Tailkinker

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Halloween picture

Question: Why was Michael killing people? There was no mention of his history, or what made him the way he was.

Answer: The only answer given in this film is that Myers is purely and simply evil. He's just doing it because he's compelled to, and doesn't seem to have any trace of humanity left inside of him. Future sequels attempted to give an explanation, but to varying degrees of success. But as far as this original film is concerned - he's just pure evil.

TedStixon

Answer: The movie doesn't require a back story, although subsequent sequels, and the Rob Zombie remake address your questions. Then again, what makes any serial killer kill? The topic has been studied by psychologists for decades. Often serial killers lead normal lives, at least in public.

rswarrior

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Friday the 13th Part 2 picture

Question: What was that first body in the woods that looked like Muffin? It couldn't have been Muffin because she shows up at the end right?

Answer: It never really says what the body is, but I'd assume it were a rabbit or some other small woodland creature. It can't be Muffin because, like you said, Muffin appears later on.

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Answer: It's when Dewey and Randy are talking about the movie Stab. Randy says to him "At least you get played by David Schwimmer, I get the guy who rode the stage coach through one episode of Dr Quinn".

Migster

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The X-Files Movie picture

Question: If the "cold drink" vending machine was unplugged and the buttons were unresponsive, WHY did the saboteurs deliberately illuminate the front of the machine? Wouldn't this ATTRACT people to the machine, only to subsequently arouse curiosity when it failed to function (as it did with Mulder)? The more logical approach would be to disable the vending machine (including the illumination) and tape an "out of order" sign on it. People would then just ignore the machine, arousing no suspicion. The illuminated vending machine gimmick looks like an illogical contrivance to advance the plot.

Charles Miller

Chosen answer: If they had put an "Out of Order" sign, or left it unilluminated, someone in charge might try to have it fixed or replaced, or could have checked to see if it's plugged in, etc. By leaving it illuminated, it doesn't look out of place and simply not taking money wouldn't arouse too much suspicion. In my own life, when I've come across a seemingly working vending machine that won't take my money or dispense drinks (but gives my money back), I just find another one instead of calling someone or reporting it. But yes, it is very convenient to the plot that Mulder just happens to try and use this particular machine.

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Time Bandits picture

Question: Evil tells of his assistants, "tell me about computers". And he later says, "show me subscriber trunk dialing". Why does such a powerful entity have an interest in technology? (01:30:45 - 01:31:35)

Chosen answer: This technology may pose a threat, as a counter, to Evil's magic, or it could be used to enhance his own powers.

Phixius

Answer: Remember his whole speech about technology being his version of the universe, while the Supreme Being concentrated on nature?

Brian Katcher

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Lady in the Water picture

Question: Why does Story's hair color change from red to blonde? Does this signify something specific?

Answer: Only that she is running out of time to return to the Blue World.

scwilliam

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