Question: Can someone please tell me why Kurt Russell is playing his own father in the flashback scenes. I just don't understand why.
Gavin Jackson
9th Nov 2009
Backdraft (1991)
20th Oct 2009
Mad Max 2 (1981)
Question: Where exactly are Humungous and his men getting their gas from? Given the amount of vehicles they have, it would take a fair amount of fuel to run them. But there is no explanation as to where they are getting it.
Answer: The answer could be referenced to the first movie "Mad Max." In that film it shows some members of the outlaw gang, though not necessarily the ones in "Road Warrior" stealing gas from a tanker by jumping onto the back of it and filling cans; apparently the driver of the tanker unaware. "Road Warrior" was a continuation of "Mad Max."
13th Oct 2009
Halloween (1978)
Question: I have wondered this for ages. Laurie went over to the Wallace house because she thought they were all playing a prank on her. So when she found the bodies in the bedroom, why did she never assume that this could all just be a practical joke set-up? How did she know straight away that it was the real thing?
Chosen answer: Because it was too graphic and elaborate for her to think it might be a prank. Not to mention that there was probably a very distinctive smell to the room.
7th Sep 2009
General questions
I am trying to find the name of a TV movie that I saw back in the 80's. It featured Ken Berry and Sean Marshall (who starred in Pete's Dragon). In the film, Ken's character sees Sean fishing on a beach and they strike up a friendship. Sean lives with his brother and divorced mum who works in a bank. Ken eventually becomes close to the family. At the end whilst in the bank, Sean's little brother dares him to step into the open safe and as a joke promptly closes it, locking him in. They are told that the safe is on a timelock and can't be reopened until the next morning. With no other option, Ken Berry attempts to open it with some tools and is successful. I remember that Max Showalter played the bank manager. I have been unable to find anything on IMDB that links all 3 actors but I know that the film exists. Has anyone else seen this film and knows which one I am talking about?
Chosen answer: It's Valentine's Second Chance (1977). It was an ABC Short Story Special. It's based off the O. Henry story "A Retrieved Reformation. See http://www.hollywood.com/tv/Valentines_Second_Chance/5194277.
11th Aug 2009
Public Enemies (2009)
Question: I must have missed something, but when Dillinger and his accomplice (can't remember his name) are escaping from the lodge, they both hitch a ride with Baby Face Nelson on the dirt road. Later Purvis and his men run Nelson's car off the road and kill him and another guy. Then we see Dillinger and his wounded accomplice with a car in town getting medical supplies. How's that possible?
Chosen answer: Baby Face Nelson doesn't pick up Dillinger. He picks up the characters played by Stephen Dorf and another associate. Dillinger and Hamilton escape through the woods and steal a car from an older man they come across in the forest. After the shootout, Dillinger and Nelson are never in the car together.
8th Jun 2009
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
Question: Was the scene of a naked Wolverine arriving at the elderly couple's farmhouse supposed to be some kind of a reference to Superman? The couple seemed to resemble Ma and Pa Kent, the house and farm looked identical to the ones in the Superman films and Logan turning up naked seemed to mirror the fact that baby Clark was naked when he first arrived. So was it intentional?
Chosen answer: There is nothing that the filmakers have said to indicate that this is a reference to Superman. In addition, since this is a Marvel comic, and Superman was was/is a DC comic, it's unlikely.
5th Jun 2009
Terminator Salvation (2009)
Question: Was Bryce Dallas Howard actually pregnant when this film was made, or was she just wearing some kind of a cushion under her shirt? Just asking cause no one in the film seems to mention it.
Chosen answer: She wasn't pregnant, no. Her pregnancy, while unremarked upon in this film, will presumably assume greater significance in subsequent films.
Question: Could someone please explain to me exactly how the Millennium Falcon is being flown. It appears to swoop in such a way like someone is steering it, but no one on board seems to be doing much more than pressing the odd button here or there. And it can't be autopilot because it seems to be doing exactly what those on board want. So does anyone know?
Chosen answer: Han has the control board in front of him - he has everything he needs to fly the ship to hand. We never get a particularly good look at the console, so we don't know precisely what format the controls are presented in, but that's what he's using.
19th May 2009
Maximum Overdrive (1986)
Question: One of the early posters of this film shows a bearded guy (who is not in the film) coming through a wall crack and holding puppet strings with one hand. Who is this guy supposed to be and what does he represent?
Chosen answer: He does bear a striking resemblance to Stephen King. King was both the writer and director of this movie, and as such, was certainly the guy in charge of all the character's fates and pulling all the strings.
Answer: It is Stephen King.
17th May 2009
Back to the Future (1985)
Question: What did the cafe server mean when he said to Marty "I can't give you a tab unless you buy something"? I know that Marty was referring to the Tab soda (which didn't exist then), but what was the other guy talking about?
Chosen answer: A tab is the same as a bill. The server guy thinks Marty wants a bill for whatever he's ordered, although because Marty hasn't eaten or drunk anything yet, he can't give him one. Even though a bill for a restaurant meal can be referred to as a "tab", this term is more commonly used in bars. When someone "runs a tab," it means they pay the total cost as they're about to leave, rather than pay for each drink separately.
12th May 2009
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Question: I don't understand why Alex waits until Mrs. Alexander has unchained the opened front door and fully opened it, before he and his droogs break in. I'm sure the four of them could easily have broken the chain off with a bit of force. Is it simply part of Alex's nature to be invited in, before he starts his attack?
Chosen answer: It's part of the "fun element" of the crime to get the victim to open the door themselves.
2nd May 2009
Jurassic Park (1993)
Question: Was there any truth to Hammond's comment that none of the rides at Disneyland worked when the park first opened? I just find that a little hard to believe.
Chosen answer: Yes. The first opening day of Disneyland in California was catastrophic. The pavement was fresh and the sun was so hot high-heeled shoes actually sunk into the walkways. Counterfeit tickets were made, resulting in more people than the park had room for. They ran out of food and drinks. Bathrooms clogged and shut down. Many of the rides broke down on opening day. The Storybook Land Canal Boats had to be pulled by cast members in rubber boots. At the time, there were no guide rails for Autopia; some of the cars crashed into each other, making them inoperable. A gas leak in Fantasyland lead to the land being temporarily closed for part of the day.
2nd May 2009
Jurassic Park (1993)
Question: Does anyone know what exactly what the meal was that was served in the conference room? The look on Ellie's face suggests something bad, but does anyone know for sure?
Chosen answer: It was Chilean sea bass; Ellie went a little green around the gills because she had just watched velociraptors tear a cow apart. I don't think I'd want to eat after that.
27th Apr 2009
The Breakfast Club (1985)
Question: This has baffled me for ages. Instead of tolerating John Bender, why doesn't Richard Vernon simply get him expelled? Vernon must have realised that Bender was not only uncontrollable and a potential threat to him, but also someone who didn't care about his education and was disruptive to others. So why didn't he take the simpler option of getting him out of the school, as opposed to giving him countless detentions?
Chosen answer: Vernon secretly cares about the kids. Pay attention to the scene where he talks to the janitor. He would rather see Bender stay in school and learn something instead of ending up in prison.
23rd Apr 2009
Jurassic Park (1993)
Question: Wouldn't John Hammond be just a little bit worried at how animal rights activists may react to his park feeding live animals (like goats and cows) to the dinosaurs, and the damage it could do to the park's future?
Chosen answer: There are several factors to consider. First, zoos do feed live food to some exhibit animals that will not otherwise eat, like feeding live mice to some types of reptiles. Also, Jurassic Park is still top secret and is not yet open to the public, and therefore Hammond and the staff are, at this point, unconcerned about that and may change their practices later. Another consideration is that the park is in a foreign country that may have less stringent rules and regulations regarding zoo and aquarium practices; Hammond is likely paying them well to establish his park there and is bringing in tourism dollars. Finally, Hammond simply may be unconcerned about it, convinced that his fantastic park will be such a huge success and public demand to see the dinosaurs so great that it will overrule objections by animal rights groups.
Answer: In Jurassic World they still use animals so this isn't a concern.
What happens in a later movie is irrelevant to the question.
13th Apr 2009
Octopussy (1983)
Question: Why is someone as wealthy as Kamal Khan using loaded dice in the casino? I mean, what does he actually gain from cheating?
Chosen answer: The satisfaction of knowing he'll win, the thrill of pulling one over on someone; maybe like Goldfinger, he just doesn't like to lose under any circumstances.
10th Apr 2009
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
Question: I realise this has been brought up many times, but can it be considered a definite continuity error in the whole series that Obiwan Kenobi is trained by Qui Gon Jinn in this film, despite saying in Empire Strikes Back that it was Yoda who trained him? Some have argued that Qui was working under Yoda, but in Empire, Obiwan said to Yoda, "Was I any different when you taught me?" which to me pretty much says that Yoda was his direct teacher. I'm guessing that Lucas changed the background stories a bit, but I would like to know for sure.
Chosen answer: No, it can't. As we see in Attack of the Clones, Yoda is in charge of training the younglings, the Jedi hopefuls, the ones too young to have been selected as a Padawan. Yoda trained Obi-Wan when he was a child, then Qui-Gon selected him as a Padawan as he reached the proper age. They both trained him, taking responsibility for different stages of his education. It is entirely possible, of course, that Lucas did originally intend Yoda to have been Obi-Wan's sole master when he made The Empire Strikes Back and thus your guess that he changed the background stories may well be accurate, however, if this is the case, then he made the alterations in such a fashion that no continuity error exists, because it all fits together.
Also, most Jedi probably had friendships with older Jedi who were not their masters. They could think of any Knight/Master as a teacher, despite not being the official apprentice of that Jedi.
8th Apr 2009
Commando (1985)
Question: When Matrix says to his captors "Why not have Bennett do it, looks like something he will get off on"; did he mean it was something Bennett wouldn't go to jail for (considering he was psychotic), or was it some kind of sexual implication?
Chosen answer: A sexual implication, suggesting that it's something Bennett would find exciting.
Answer: Not sexual but something that he (Bennet) would find immense joy in doing due to his unstable mental nature akin to a sociopathic tendency.
5th Apr 2009
Earthquake (1974)
Question: What was the point of the crazy soldier who shoots the black thieves and later gets shot dead by George Kennedy? Why was he so nutty, and quite frankly what purpose did he even serve in the film?
Chosen answer: Before he put the uniform on, he was a complete nobody, having the respect of no-one. Now that he's in uniform, he demands that people should respect him, and coupled with the powers of Martial Law (where looters can be shot on sight), takes the lack of respect too far and shoots them.
23rd Mar 2009
For Your Eyes Only (1981)
Question: Why does Bond go to Bibi to try and get information about Eric Kriegler? Couldn't he have simply contacted his own department to get a background check on him. After all, it's not like she would have had anything very informative (considering that she had previously stated that he never talks to girls).
Chosen answer: Whether he talked to her or not, Bibi would have inside information simply by being around him so much. She would have overheard things that a background check wouldn't reveal, like planned criminal activity.
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Chosen answer: Why not? There's no reason why an actor couldn't play his own father at the same age - indeed, it can serve to emphasise a family resemblence between father and son. It can also serve as a swift way of letting the audience know that this is the father, rather than having a different actor come in and have to have the relationship established through dialogue.
Tailkinker ★