raywest

19th Jul 2009

Twilight (2008)

Question: When the Cullen family are cooking for Bella, during Rosalie's speech, we can see Esme looking at Bella and Edward, with an increasing smile on her face. Why is she smiling this way?

sebastianik

Chosen answer: There's no one particular reason. The family knows that Rosalie doesn't approve of Bella and that she's overreacting here. The Cullens, particularly Esme, the family matriarch, like Bella and are happy that Edward has found someone; they are just ignoring Rosalie's outburst.

raywest

29th Jun 2009

The Shining (1980)

Chosen answer: The ghosts are real.

raywest

Answer: Both Kubrick and King stated there were ghosts in interviews so as they are essentially the creators I would say there are.

In all fairness, Kubrick, unlike King, leaves the existence of ghosts somewhat questionable. The whole thing can just as well be just Jack succumbing to cabin fever: he loathes his family, and the long isolation just pushes him over the brink. Wendy witnesses the ghosts, too, yes, but she could also be suffering from cabin fever, not to mention the stress of her husband finally going insane, and trying to murder her and her child. In short, the whole existence of ghosts is a lot more ambiguous in the movie.

Jukka Nurmi

Chosen answer: You are no doubt referring to the old "urban legend" that a Munchkin actor who, despondent over a failed love affair with a Munchkin actress, committed suicide on the movie set, and his lifeless body can be seen hanging in the background trees. This never happened, of course, but there have been countless rumors as to just what people think they are seeing. The most plausible explanation is that this is probably one of the many live birds that were used to add realism to the set, and it may have been one of the larger birds, such as an emu or a crane, that was standing in the background. It has also been pointed out (see Snopes.com) that this particular scene was filmed "before" any of the Munchkin actors were working on the sound stage, and it would be impossible for there to have been a dead body on a movie set without the many crew noticing it. Also, the idea that the filmmakers would use a scene in which a dead body appeared in their finished film or that a suspended body could go undetected while filming is underway is beyond belief.

raywest

23rd Jun 2009

War of the Worlds (2005)

Question: How were the tripods underground for so long and no one noticed them?

Socks1000

Chosen answer: It is never explained how or why they were underground or just how long they had been thre. However, they may have been buried too deep to have been detected.

raywest

29th Jun 2009

The Shining (1980)

Chosen answer: Danny's middle name is Anthony and "Tony" is his imaginary friend. At first Danny fears Tony, but he later becomes Danny's source of strength.

raywest

Answer: Tony was a god-sent to change the course of history, which ultimately saved Danny and his mother in the 80s compared to the 20s when both of them were finally killed and eaten by Jack. Tony appeared in Danny's life when he started reading alphabets and his main message was 'REDRUM'. This was critical in the movie, as its mirror image 'MURDER' saved Wendy's life in the 80s.

Chosen answer: Yes, she slept with Christian (the blond guy).

raywest

23rd Jun 2009

War of the Worlds (2005)

Chosen answer: This has been answered before. The liquid, which is apparently a mixture containing human blood, is a defoliant that destroys Earth's foliage and replaces it with alien vegetation.

raywest

Answer: If you're referring to the liquid that pours out at the end when the alien piloting the tripod that was shot down dies, it may stand to reason that since the tripods themselves are built the same as the aliens (three legs and the same shaped head) it's a type of liquid that allows them to neurologically connect to the tripods and control it as though it's a dream. Sort of Pacific Rim-esque except no suit is needed.

General_Gigan

Answer: I believe that this orange liquid has nothing to do with the red weed or something like this. As this liquid is only visible when tripods are being attacked from inside or seriously damaged, this may hint that it is blood from the creatures or some kind of liquid flooding the whole habitable spaces inside the tripod, as the creatures look a little amphibious. Both theories fit the fact that in the last scenes, the liquid comes from the same door the alien puts his arm out.

23rd Jun 2009

War of the Worlds (2005)

Chosen answer: The aliens, who had no resistance to Earth's germs and microbes, were falling ill and dying, causing the tripods and the shields to fail.

raywest

20th Jun 2009

American Beauty (1999)

Question: Was Col. Frank Fitts really gay, or was he just testing Lester to see if he was gay? Also if he was gay, then how come he was so disgusted by it earlier in the film?

Answer: Frank was gay. As to why he was disgusted by it, he had probably been in complete denial about his true nature for years. Many gay people are torn over their sexual orientation. Adhering to a strict macho military image may have helped Frank mask his true feelings, and he probably considered gay people as being weak and loathsome, while denying he was one. When he acknowledged his own homosexuality, he, in effect, despised himself and considered his life a failure.

raywest

15th Jun 2009

A Perfect Murder (1998)

Question: Is it important for the storyline of the movie that Emily (Gwyneth Paltrow) can understand the policeman, when he is speaking Arabic to his wife on the phone?

Answer: Not really. She being a linguist and able to speak the detective's language seems to create a bond of trust and understanding between them.

raywest

14th Jun 2009

Twilight (2008)

Chosen answer: Because he is indoors and the sunlight is not directly shining on him.

raywest

Chosen answer: No more than any other adolescent. Anne Frank experienced a typical teen rebellious stage. She was close to her father, but her relationship with her mother, as with many girls, was strained, resulting in friction among the entire group. Also, being confined in such a small space with adults you are unrelated to and have little in common with while everyone's life is in constant danger created additional problems, causing her to, at times, to act out in frustration.

raywest

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?

Gavin Jackson

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.

raywest

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?

Gavin Jackson

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.

raywest

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.

lionhead

10th Apr 2009

Twilight (2008)

Answer: Vampires' eyes change color according to their state of hunger. When hungry, their eyes are black. When sated their irises turn red, or in the Cullens' case, they become golden brown because they only drink animal blood. Bella notices that Edward's eyes have changed since she first saw him. Being physically close to Bella, whose blood scent is irresistible to Edward, may have whetted his appetite, causing a color change.

raywest

10th Apr 2009

Twilight (2008)

Question: When Edward and Bella were by the lockers at school, how come Edward couldn't read Bella?

Answer: Edward is able to read anyone's mind "except" for Bella's. He cannot understand why and that confuses and frustrates him. It is learned later that Bella has an unknown ability to block any mental intrusion. That is why Aro could not see Bella's memories and why Jane was unable to mentally inflict pain on her in "Twilight: New Moon."

raywest

Answer: Edward can't read Bellas mind because of an invisible barrier that protects her from mind effects. After she became a vampire, she was actually able to transfer the barrier to protect people. However she had to train to control the power.

10th Apr 2009

Twilight (2008)

Question: Bella, Edward and her friends were getting on the bus, and one of her friends went up to her and was going to ask her to prom. After she said that she wasn't going to be in town, she started walking to get to the bus, and she passed Edward and he started to smile. Why did he smile when she passed him?

Answer: Because Edward has superhuman hearing, he could overhear Bella declining Mike's invitation. Edward is attracted to Bella, and he is pleased that she is uninterested in the other guy and probably also a bit amused over how she awkwardly handled the situation.

raywest

Question: Since Umbridge ordered the dementors to attack Harry in the opening of Order of the Phoenix, why isn't she punished or otherwise held accountable after it's revealed that she is responsible for the attack?

Blaine

Chosen answer: It was never actually proved that Umbridge ordered the attack, and it is basically her word against Harry and the other students. Also, the Slytherin students would back up Umbridge's claims. The Ministry does not believe anything Harry or Dumbledore says anyway, discounting their claims that Voldemort has returned, that Sirius Black was innocent, that Peter Pettigrew (Wormtail) is still alive, etc, so it's unlikely they'll believe that Umbridge was involved in dementor attack.

raywest

24th Mar 2009

Cast Away (2000)

Question: How does Chuck collect his supply of drinking water? We see him drinking from a coconut and a curled up leaf on the ground. We also see a small drip in his cave, but these small amounts don't seem like enough water to sustain life. We don't see how Chuck may have collected the rain water for future use.

Answer: As you pointed out, Chuck used a combination of methods to get just enough water and fluids to survive. In addition to the ones you mentioned, he was also drinking coconut milk, and he could also distill fresh water from sea water (and even urine) by using a piece of plastic, broad leaves, etc. to cover the pooled liquid and catch the evaporation. Eventually he would have enough make-shift containers to collect rain water during thunderstorms that he could store in the coconut shells for later use. Any fruits on the island would also provide fluids.

raywest

Answer: In that area they have two seasons - the dry season and the rainy season. Dry season means it doesn't rain every day. The volcanic rock will provide many pools of rain water. It should be easy to make a catch basin of some sort if necessary. The hard part is not getting sick from drinking after crabs, amoebas and what have you, but there's plenty of sand and coconut husk to make a filtration system.

21st Mar 2009

Twin Peaks (1990)

Chosen answer: Killer BOB is a demonic entity that emanates from a realm of pure evil known as the Black Lodge, a place that exists on an alternate plane of reality. BOB feeds on human pain and suffering and can travel on earth by possessing human beings and also as an owl. While possessing humans, he commits horrible acts to elicit pain, fear, and suffering from those who are around him, using that as nourishment. BOB possesses Leland Palmer, later forcing him to abuse, rape, and eventually murder his own daughter, Laura, and later to commit suicide.

raywest

Join the mailing list

Separate from membership, this is to get updates about mistakes in recent releases. Addresses are not passed on to any third party, and are used solely for direct communication from this site. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Check out the mistake & trivia books, on Kindle and in paperback.