raywest

Question: When Elizabeth and her crew are crawling the ropes back to their ship, why does Norrington care about Bootstrap shouting "Prisoners escaping" and ask him to belay that? I thought the EITC are in control of the Dutchman so even if the rest of Davy Jones' crew are alerted they can't really do much since Norrington is EITC.

Answer: Davy Jones and his crew know that Elizabeth and the others should not be escaping, regardless of what Norrington says. Beckett is running things, and Bootstrap knows Norrington is betraying him. Bootstrap's mind is addled, and his understanding is that no-one leaves the ship.

raywest

Question: Why does the queen, when she's an old hag, walk all the way to the dwarves' cottage? Why doesn't she have her servants transport her there?

Answer: Probably because she is doing everything in secret. Servants have a tendency to talk to others.

raywest

Question: How come at the end, in the department of mysteries, there was blood at the end of Luna's mouth?

Answer: After the kids use the Stupefying Spell in unison on Lucius and the other Death Eaters, a few shots later Lucius apparates and holds out his hand. Three shots later (01:51:00) there's a closeup of Luna as she turns to face the masked Death Eater, then at the start of the next shot Luna is hit in the face and she falls backward onto the floor. It's here we see the bit of blood at the corner of Luna's mouth.

Super Grover

Answer: Probably from the glass shards that were flying through the air when all the glass orbs were broken.

raywest

Question: I'm really confused by Eddie's behaviour. Why did he suddenly decide to abandon Vincent and Carmen. And why couldn't he just take the money at the end (and maybe give it to charity if he didn't want it as Carmen suggested). Why did he unnecessarily have to turn it into an issue with Vincent?

Gavin Jackson

Answer: Because it wasn't about the money or a personal issue with Vincent. Eddie had a sudden realization about his own integrity and what he was doing (helping to rig games' outcome to skew betting odds). He wanted to win legitimately against Vincent. Earlier, he had become rather fed up with Vincent's egotistical nature and arrogance, which led to them parting ways.

raywest

12th May 2023

Noah (2014)

Answer: As I remember it, and also checking Wikipedia's plot summary, Ham left at the end and there was no further explanation about what happened to him.

raywest

Question: This question might be more for the book, but Mad Eye said they would have to transport in ways the trace can't detect. But the trace would only detect magic used near an underage person. Harry is the only one who is underage. So they could have used a portkey. I understand that they need to cast a spell to make a portkey but they could have cast the spell before they were near Harry and then transported to the burrow. Or have I made a mistake?

THE GAMER NEXT DOOR

Answer: The trace detects when an underaged wizard casts a magic spell whenever they are away from Hogwarts. It doesn't detect adult wizards using magic near a minor. If a portkey was used to transport Harry, it could have been detected when he touched it because he would be using magic. The safest and least detectable way to move him from point A to B, was to fly him there.

raywest

Answer: Two things. 1. You are not allowed to create an unauthorized portkey. The ministry must be aware of it. I think the incantation (portus) is traced. 2. Using a portkey is magical use, so the moment Harry touches it, the ministry would be alerted and possibly know where the portkey transported to.

lionhead

Then how did Dumbledore get away with it in Order of the Phoenix when he made a portkey to get the children to Grimmauld Place?

Well he is an extremely powerful wizard and the headmaster of Hogwarts. I think he made it at Hogwarts yes? He could have had a trick up his sleeve to do it. Might be a bit more tricky for Mad-Eye and the rest whilst the Ministry is under control of deatheaters. Just too risky.

lionhead

Also, using magic near an underage wizard isn't traced. Just when it is used by an underage wizard.

No, the trace is meant to detect magic used near an underaged wizard.

lionhead

No, the trace is to detect if any underage wizard is using magic outside of school.

raywest

The wiki specifically says it's a trace of magic in the vicinity of an underage wizard, not the underage wizard him/herself. It's mentioned working like that by Alastair Moody in the books too.

lionhead

When Harry used magic to repel the dementors that attacked him and Dudley in Order of the Phoenix, the Ministry of Magic instantly detected that he cast a patronus spell. He was immediately "charged" for using underage magic. What would happen when a young wizard was at home for the summer and holidays and is around adult wizards using magic all the time? The trace would be going off continually for every underaged magic person. It was mentioned in the books that if an underaged wizard did use magic at home, it could be confused with the adults who were casting spells.

raywest

Harry once got a warning from the "improper use of magic office" for casting a hover charm, even though it was Dobby who did it. I don't know where you get your information from, but it is wrong. The trace can only detect magic has been used, not who used it. This is explained by Alastair Moody in Deathly Hallows Chapter 4.

lionhead

27th Apr 2023

Unlawful Entry (1992)

Question: Why did Pete keep insisting that Michael beat up the burglar, instead of listening to him and simply hauling him away? Surely he would have still got on Michael's good side just to take him in, so why not just do want Michael wants, rather than complicate matters, which leads to Michael cutting ties off with Pete for good?

Movielover1996

Answer: Pete was a psychopath and a murderer who did not think or act in a logical, reasonable, or restrained manner. He had become so enamored of Michael and Karen and their affluent lifestyle, that he went to extreme and dangerous lengths to ingratiate himself with them. He was not at all rational.

raywest

And also, his years of being a patrol cop and seeing the brutality of society on different calls may have made him snap. I mean, look how heartless he was-he throws a naked woman out into the street in a dark alley and leaves her there after having sex with her in his patrol unit, no regards for anything or anyone at all.

Question: Tod is only a cub the first time he encounters Amos Slade. Amos swears to shoot Tod the next time he sees the latter on his property. Amos leaves for a long hunting trip the next day and doesn't see Tod again until after he returns home. Tod is full grown before Amos returns. When Amos sees a full-grown Tod in his yard during the night, he yells, "It's that fox again." How does he know it's Tod?

Johman

Answer: As there're no obvious markings on Tod that Amos could recognize, it seems it's just an assumption on his part that it's the same fox he previously chased off his property. He probably says the same thing to any fox he sees.

raywest

Question: Regarding the scene where people catch fire after John Wick shoots them with a particular gun, what exactly is causing them to catch fire? I recall an earlier scene showed men carving lines into the tips of their bullets, though I don't remember if the two things are related. If so, is there something about carving the bullet that causes it, or is it the particular gun?

Phaneron

Answer: These are dragon's breath shotgun shells. The shells are filled with magnesium pellets and ignite when fired. The film seems to exaggerate the stopping power, making it seem almost like an explosive round rather than incendiary. These are not the same rounds that we see the men carving into. Carving grooves into a bullet is done so the bullet expands upon impact and causes more damage similar to a hollow-point round, though the effectiveness of this method is debated.

BaconIsMyBFF

Answer: It may be incendiary ammunition (not to be confused with tracer bullets). The bullets have a hollow head containing a flammable mixture that ignites upon being fired.

raywest

13th Apr 2023

Basic Instinct (1992)

Question: Why did Catherine change her mind about killing Nick at the end? Obviously she was planning on killing him anyway, but she changed her mind only hours after ending their relationship when her book was finished and was of no further use. So why did she spare him? Was it because she fell in "love" with him?

Movielover1996

Answer: There's no definitive answer to this and the ending is deliberately ambiguous and open to interpretation. The audience is left to speculate whether or not Catherine kills Nick, or if she intended to kill him but changes her mind because she loves him, or intends to kill him at a much later time, and so on.

raywest

30th Mar 2023

Bewitched (1964)

Answer: This may be a plot inconsistency but probably a scene was shortened or edited out completely from the original episode that explained this. This is typical for syndicated reruns so that cable stations can air more commercials. The result is plot inconsistencies. Most likely Aunt Clara or another relative was summoned to watch Tabitha.

raywest

Question: Rambo takes the jacket from the policeman who fell from the helicopter. Why doesn't he wear it, because we see him make a "jacket" earlier on, because of the cold? We never see the jacket again, so why take it? (00:28:49)

Answer: Rambo uses Galt's jacket as the "scarecrow" later. During the flashes of lightening, the wet sagging jacket is visible hanging from its hood over the propped up wood branches. Galt's jacket has a fur collar that's actually a hood that zips up (my brother had a similar jacket). I remember an interview from many years ago, where it was mentioned that a number of things had been omitted or revised in the screenplay, during filming. One such revision was Rambo wearing Galt's jacket, but Stallone thought it was too ludicrous, so they had Rambo just use it as the "scarecrow" to draw Orval's dogs.

Super Grover

Answer: It's possible a scene involving what happened to the jacket was edited out. That often happens in movies, leaving minor inconsistencies that do no affect the overall plot.

raywest

10th Apr 2023

Anastasia (1997)

Answer: Because she is an old lady, the last of the Romanov line. She was no threat to him, when she died, it would be over.

Answer: As I recall it, Anastasia and her grandmother escaped through a secret passageway when revolutionaries invaded the palace. After the two got separated, the grandmother lived in exile in Paris, where she and Anastasia are eventually reunited. If the grandmother had not escaped, she likely would have been executed. Rasputin probably realised her being a prominent Romanov, as well as a grieving mother/grandmother, could garner public sympathy and outrage over the royal family's brutal deaths.

raywest

Question: Why is Ron so shocked by Scabbers running away after Buckbeak's execution? He's run away before.

Answer: Don't disagree with the other answer, but would add that Ron was initially confused about why Scabbers had previously disappeared and was now struggling so hard to escape while he held him. He was shocked that Scabbers bit his hand to get loose and run off again. After so many years as a contented "family pet" it was uncharacteristic behavior. Of course, it's soon learned why Scabbers (Pettigrew) was so desperate to get away.

raywest

Answer: I think he was upset rather than shocked. He is frustrated any time that his pet runs away. Also, he, Harry, and Hermione were already upset by the situation with Hagrid and Buckbeak. Scabbers running away again, on top of everything else, was extra trouble.

10th Apr 2023

Grease (1978)

Question: The "girl in the purple sweater" is a stone-cold beauty. She overacts madly when on-screen. Does anyone know who she is?

Answer: You might be referring to Stockard Channing, who played "Rizzo." She wore a purple sweater in some scenes.

raywest

Question: How come Ron needed a walking stick when he was out of the hospital wing at the end if Madam Pomfrey can mend bones in a heartbeat?

Answer: Madam Pomfrey may be able to mend bones, but that doesn't mean there isn't some residual healing and treatment needed for a full recovery. The fact that there is a school infirmary and also St. Mungo's Hospital shows that witches and wizards are not always instantly healed. From a filmmaking perspective, Ron using a cane reminds the audience his injuries were serious, so it's partly for dramatic effect.

raywest

Yes, it's like Harry needing to wear glasses. Wizards have many abilities that Muggles do not, but they are not all-powerful.

Another example from the book, after George lost his ear during the attack on Harry, it could never be fully healed because it was injured with dark magic.

raywest

2nd Apr 2023

The Witches (1990)

Question: Do the witches go after teenagers as well? What is the age that they stop hunting the kids? (04:41:03)

Answer: There does not appear to be a specific mention of what the age limit is. It's only said that the witches hunt children, which is a broad term and can include teenagers. Younger children are easier to dupe, capture, and control, however.

raywest

1st Apr 2023

Total Recall (1990)

Question: In the opening scene in the bedroom, after Doug wakes up, there's a poster over the bed. Where is it from? Or what does it mean? It looks like 160+ eggs with small markings on them, and some with no markings.

Bishop73

Answer: It's not a poster. It looks to be an original abstract piece of sculptural art. I tried to find out who the artist was, but couldn't find any online information. The piece may have been created for the movie. Artists usually convey some theme or concept in their work, but whatever it is in this piece is unknown. Of course, non-objective abstract art is also subjective to the viewer's own interpretation. I'm going to keep looking for more info, as I'm curious.

raywest

26th Mar 2023

Full House (1987)

Answer: You remembered that episode incorrectly. Stan asks the guys who Sally Struthers is, as they watch her in a TV commercial. Kyle tells him "Sally Struthers, dude. She used to be on Full House." I think it's a joke about her no longer being successful and popular - the kids are totally unfamiliar with her work.

Answer: No she wasn't. Either it was a joke or a mistake. If it was a joke, I never figured it out or read an explanation about it.

Bishop73

It's probably the show's private "in-joke" rather than one the audience is supposed to understand.

raywest

30th Mar 2023

Virus (1999)

Answer: She considered it to be a badly written and poorly made movie, stating that it was "dreadful." Critics panned the movie as being "predictable," though its special effects were praised. The movie received a 12% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and was a huge commercial flop that made about half of its production costs. Curtis said she tried to get director John Bruno fired during the filming because she thought the movie was so bad.

raywest

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