Question: In flashbacks, Dougray Scott looks noticeably younger than present-day scenes. Is he digitally de-aged, or is it just makeup and soft focus? Or indeed is he just made a bit older and more "grizzled" in the present day scenes?
Jon Sandys
14th Oct 2019
Batwoman (2019)
7th Oct 2019
Joker (2019)
Question: Spoiler! The scene at the very end, with Arthur locked up talking to the doctor/social worker - is that meant to be later, after he's been captured again, or is it a flashback to when he was hospitalised before, as was referenced earlier in the movie?
1st Oct 2019
Preacher (2016)
Question: I missed something somewhere. The whole way through, Humperdoo is viewed as the "real" son of God, whereas Jesus seems like an afterthought. What's the difference? Why is everyone obsessed with Humperdoo being more important than the original Jesus?
Chosen answer: God made Humperdoo part of his apocalypse plan, whilst Jesus is left out. Jesus died on the cross and went to heaven, Humperdoo is the descendant of Jesus and is actually alive. Thats why he is more important, a living heir of God.
Answer: God was disappointed in Jesus, and chose to favour Humperdoo. Jesus initially wanted to be part of God's plan, but came to the realisation that it was wrong. He turned on Hitler and by the time God came back to Jesus, no longer wanted any part in it.
9th Aug 2019
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Question: Spider-Man: Far From Home shows that people snapped back after the "blip" come back in exactly the same place they disappeared from - mid-band performance, for example, and getting a basketball to the head as a result. Have the makers of either movie expanded on the ramifications of this? Because people snapped off a flight for example, might reappear mid-air...but with no plane, so plummet to their deaths.
Answer: Kevin Feige said in a Reddit thread that Hulk specifically brought everyone back in a safe place.
Chosen answer: The makers haven't said anything that I have heard, but we can see and deduce a couple things. First, if you watch the band members disappear, then the reappearance, those that reappear are not at the locations of those that disappeared (note the two videos are 90° off from each other), meaning either some compensation happened in Stark's invocation, or the filmmakers made a mistake in their portrayal. Second, we don't hear anyone in the movie make any comment about such problems so that implies the blip-ending had a compensation for such events so they didn't happen, though to prevent calamity, not simple harm. If you take this issue to the extreme, the planet is no longer where it was, plus has spun on its axis, so if no compensation occurred, everyone would have reappeared in space millions of miles away from the planet's new location, which they didn't.
6th Jul 2019
White House Down (2013)
Question: Tyler triggers the explosives in the tunnel and dies - how does that happen? Is it literally just coincidence/hubris that he made a mistake/the card didn't work?
Chosen answer: The card didn't work.
6th Jul 2019
White House Down (2013)
Question: At least a couple of times the grenades make a clear "clockwork" noise before going off, which I don't recall happening in many other films. Do any grenades actually make a noise like that? Or is it actually accurate, and silent grenades are the inaccurate "movie" versions?
Chosen answer: Grenades generally do not make any sound until they detonate. When you release the spoon (lever) as you throw it, it can make a "ping" sound as its separates from the grenade. No clockwork noises. (I'm ex Army).
26th May 2019
Star Trek: Discovery (2017)
Such Sweet Sorrow: Part 2 - S2-E14
Question: Jumping to the future to preserve the sphere data was meant to be so that Control couldn't get hold of it. But Control is neutralised before the jump, drones all dead in the water, it's utterly destroyed. So what's the threat? Why jump at all?
Answer: Perhaps they didn't want to take the risk that Control - a tactical and strategic analysis program - would choose to place its entire core programming into a single fragile human body (Leland), despite previously demonstrating the ability to decentralise, duplicate and transfer itself to numerous computer, cybernetic and organic systems. If any trace of the Control program still existed, it could make another attempt to seize the sphere data.
30th Apr 2019
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Question: Spoiler! Given Gamora is brought to 2019 from 2014 with no ill effects, presumably just spinning off a new timeline with no Gamora in it (or Thanos for that matter, making that new timeline pretty peaceful), why can't the Avengers just go and "retrieve" alternate-timeline versions of the other people they've lost? They don't seem too worried about the timelines that have branched off due to their actions, eg. Cap going back in time (a whole other issue), Loki stealing the Tesseract, etc. They could hop back to a day earlier and basically get their friends back.
Answer: They actually do have some concern for the alternate/branched off timelines - that's the whole reason Hulk proposes returning the stones (after they're done with them) to the point they were stolen from, so that those branched off timelines won't be royally screwed with a stone (or 2) missing from their timeline (i.e. The Ancient One telling Hulk that the sorcerers need the stone in order to combat the forces of darkness). Granted, some of the changes they've made they can't do much about - not without spending more time and further interfering (Loki escaping with the Tesseract in the alternate 2012 timeline, or the alternate 2014 timeline's Thanos and co. Traveling to main-timeline 2023 - leaving alt-2014 without a Thanos, which as you say, may not be too bad). With all that in mind, I think they would be hesitant to 'steal' their friends from the past because think about what they were doing just a few days ago... trying to figure out how to unsnap the 50% of the universe that Thanos dusted. If they take their friends, who were pretty integral to figuring out how to/and carrying out the undoing of that, they would be dooming that new alternate 2023 timeline to failure in their endeavors.
Since Thanos coming from the past didn't change 2023, I don't think taking their friends from the past would change anything either. They are constantly creating new time lines/universes. However, the only people they lost were Black Widow and Vision, and Hulk tried to bring Black Widow back and failed with the stones whilst Vision lived on the mind stone, which is gone (brought back to it's own timeline). So bringing those 2 back isn't going to be happening. Who else did they lose?
Chosen answer: There's really no reason that they couldn't. Probably an oversight by the writers. I think an easy fix could maybe have been the Ancient One or Doctor Strange warning the heroes that continually altering the space-time continuum could potentially lead to paradoxes that threaten the existence of the multiverse and it's better to just let sleeping dogs lie. It would have been somewhat of a cop-out, but it would have at least addressed it.
Answer: That would be kidnapping. Also, you would be killing someone else who would need to take their spot. Either way someone dies. Are you going to keep going back and saving a fallen comrade?
Not kidnapping if they agree to it.
You assume they would agree to it. Why would they agree to it?
Because of their imminent death in their own timeline. If they get told they're going to die if they stay, but hop over to our timeline where they can still do some good, that may well persuade people. And yes it makes their timeline more uncertain, it's not guaranteed they'd choose to leave, but they may well be willing to. Regardless, "kidnapping" is a stretch.
Gamora - she's not going to die in her own timeline. Her timeline's Thanos is dead. He's not going to be there to throw her off the cliff. Black Widow - you have to explain to her that her being alive can kill countless others. If you remove her from anytime line she doesn't do the good that she has in the last Avengers movies and as a Shield agent or Hawkeye (or another Avenger) has to take her place for the soul stone. That's counter to her sacrifice. Vision - You remove him, you remove the mind stone from that timeline. Which isn't good. If you remove them from their timeline without telling them all of this, yes that would amount to kidnapping.
25th Feb 2019
Counterpart (2017)
Question: Why are the computers in the office on "our" side so outdated? Phones aren't, and we see computers elsewhere that are modern. People get visas to come through into the world as a whole, so they'll see technological differences there - why keep the office so behind the times?
Answer: Great question, this bothered me too. Throughout the series, both sides take extraordinary measures to protect their technologies, but several times allow people to enter on official visas with unsupervised access. This is a plot mistake.
26th Jan 2019
Punisher: War Zone (2008)
Question: This gets described as a reboot rather than a sequel, but why? Nothing directly contradicts the original, as far as I'm aware, the only real change is the title character being recast - hardly unusual for a franchise.
Chosen answer: I haven't seen this movie in several years, but one contradiction I distinctly remember is the Punisher having a deceased daughter in this film, whereas in the 2004 film, he only had a son. The 2004 film had the Punisher's wife and son (named Will here) murdered in Puerto Rico and buried and Tampa. This film takes place in New York, and the cemetery the Punisher goes to has a gravestone for his wife, daughter and son (named Frank, Jr. here). There is also a brief flashback in this scene of the Punisher sitting on a picnic blanket with his dead family around him, which is closer to the comics origin where his family were collateral damage in a gang crossfire. The 2004 film depicted his family as being the deliberate targets of a mob hit and were run over by a truck on a pier.
4th Jan 2019
General questions
Do most movie and TV studios have a team of mechanics constantly repairing vehicles? It seems that whenever minor/medium car crashes are filmed the cars are far from written off, but they also must need a lot of work done to make them driveable again, or even just look good enough to be reused on film.
Answer: They would have mechanics and/or film crew with mechanical expertise on hand to perform repairs as needed, but they also use multiples of the same makes and models of vehicles used in a movie, particularly cars that are being used in crashes or stunts. This is something that occasionally shows up as a movie mistake where viewers notice a slight variation on what is supposed to be the same car in a scene.
27th Dec 2018
Ready Player One (2018)
Question: In the final battle, as the IOI people are killed by Chucky, their pods turn red, they bail out, run to different red pods, which turn white again, and they're back in the fight. Why can't they just stay in their initial pods and re-enter the fight?
Chosen answer: As I understand it, when players are "killed" in the Oasis, they lose their points and possessions (are zeroed out). The players for IOI corp probably have to go through some re initialization procedure where they get a set of weapons and tools so they can be useful doing things for IOI. (Maybe coins too, but maybe IOI players at lower levels don't need to be buying anything they are not issued by IOI).
Answer: The red pods probably need to be reset for a new player first, which takes longer than going into a new pod.
30th Oct 2018
Den of Thieves (2018)
Question: Early on we see the crooks put wet cash in a microwave, presumably to dry it. Would that work? I just assume you'd end up with hot wet cash - I would have thought an oven or hairdryer or something would be a better bet.
Answer: Considering how microwave ovens work, it seems it would. Microwaves work by bombarding whatever is inside with actual 'microwaves' which works to excite the water molecules within. Paper, and in the case of cash, cotton, wouldn't be affected on its own but the water inside would be. Ever had something wrapped in a paper towel when you microwave it? The cash is not metal, and the water content is what gets heated up inside and evaporated, so I believe it would work.
Answer: There are videos of people drying money in microwaves, but it was a single layer of bills. But it can be tricky because, like wet clothes, it can catch on fire in the microwave if let in too long.
24th Oct 2018
Daredevil (2015)
Question: The burial vault which Matt and Karen hide in has the name "Edmond Cleary Cass" on the front of it, shown pretty. Does that name have any significance to the show or Marvel?
Chosen answer: After some research, I can say that no, Cass is not a character of Marvel, nor is he present in the Netflix show. As far as I can tell, it's either a real person, or a random name chosen for the coffin, most likely the former. In another season of Daredevil, the show utilized a real cemetery displaying real names in the tombstones.
Answer: I did a little research too. Interestingly enough I found a Friar named "Edmund Cass" who as far as I could tell is still alive and well. I wonder if that was just a coincidence.
12th Oct 2018
General questions
A random movie or TV quote has occurred to me and I can't place it. It's delivered in a faintly Al Pacino way, but I don't think it's him, saying "I will not let...these animals...", then something like "ruin my city", but I only remember the first part. Any clue what it's from?
Chosen answer: That's from the movie Bad Boys II (2003), Captain Howard played by Joe Pantoliano says it at the end of this scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aw6WIbR1eQw.
Thank you! Not seen that in far too long.
23rd Sep 2018
Iron Fist (2017)
Citadel on the Edge of Vengeance - S2-E8
Question: Mary talks about her time in Sokovia, a country which featured heavily in Avengers: Age of Ultron. But as far as the MCU has covered, it was only the Avengers who fought there, against Ultron and his army. Mary talks about being special forces and how "Sokovians like knives." What were US troops doing there, and why were they fighting the Sokovians? The altercation with Ultron seemed like everyone would be on the same side, trying to save lives.
Answer: Sokovia is a nation in the Iron Curtain. It is just as likely for a US operative to end up there as any of the other former Soviet nations. There is no reason to believe she was there at the same time as the Avengers. It was likely some form of covert mission there years beforehand.
23rd Sep 2018
Iron Fist (2017)
Question: How come Davos has two iron fists? The power transfer shouldn't have doubled it.
Answer: In the comics Iron Fist is able to use the power on both hands. There is no reason why Danny shouldn't be able to. Presumably he chooses to only use the one fist at a time, focusing all his power into one hand rather than distributing it between 2.
13th May 2018
Logan Lucky (2017)
Question: At the end, how does Joe know where to dig?
Chosen answer: Earlier in the film, it's mentioned that he had some money buried in a special spot in his yard, but that it had been dug up. When he saw the shovel at the end (which indicates that something was buried that he should did up), he realised that the new money stash had been buried in the same spot as his old stash. They basically gave him the clue, and he put two-and-two together on his own.
23rd Dec 2017
The Orville (2017)
Question: I get that this may be an involved answer! They say the 2D beings are likely unaware of their presence, "because the cross-section is so small." But surely that doesn't really matter - a 3D person could be sliced in half by a wire the thickness of a hair, and they'd still be killed, so doesn't that apply to 2D being as well? They'll be leaving a trail of destruction in their wake, cutting buildings in half, etc., and none of them seem to care.
Answer: The book "Flatland", which is mentioned in the show, is a real book that may answer your questions in full (it's the story of a 3-D being experiencing the 2-D world and the 1-D world). In the 2-D world, there is no height, so there's no way to slice anything in half (horizontally). A being living in the 2-D world sees any object or being as a line (it's messy, but the lines have thickness, just not height, but all thickness is the same). So if the Orville was seen, it would only be seen 2 dimensionally and be seen as a line and others beings could just move out of the way. While there were buildings in "Flatland", perhaps this world doesn't have any, or the Orville didn't bump into any. There is death in "Flatland" when a being isn't careful and is poked, but these are usually by lines and triangles and the Orville would more like the circles and not in danger of poking anything.
6th Jan 2017
Tango & Cash (1989)
Question: At the start, why does Tango empty his gun (of unused cartridges) and reload with different bullets before shooting the tanker? Unless I missed something, it's never explained.
Answer: He was doing a combat reload, where you eject all the rounds, spent or not and fill the revolver with new ones. It guarantees six shots, rather than relying on "indexing" where you count every round fired.
That doesn't make any sense since he hadn't fired a single round and the gun was fully loaded.
It's hard to tell, but it does look like there were at least some empty shells that land on the ground. A revolver isn't going to eject spent shells, so there's no way to say it was fully loaded.
Answer: It's not specified, but I would suspect that he changed from a .38 Special to a .357 round or something. You can shoot a .38 Special out of a .357 Magnum gun and maybe for the movie they wanted to add a shot of him doing a reload to a higher power cartridge for the effect. Why anyone with a .357 Magnum gun would routinely carry a .38 Special round is beyond me.
It is common to carry .38 special rounds in a .357 carry revolver to reduce the risk of over penetration and target reacquisition. In a nutshell, .38 is a self defense round while .357 is a hunting or combat round.
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Answer: This is later, as the building appears to be Arkham. He's committed there instead of going to jail based on his insanity. It appears he is laughing about the death of Thomas Wayne, we see a flash of that scene again for a reason.
lionhead