Question: I've noticed that every episode has scenes where the camera is swaying a little, suggesting the camera was handheld or resting on the cameraman's shoulder. Is there a reason for filming this way, instead of just using a steadicam? It doesn't really add any sense of style to the show.
raywest
9th Nov 2020
Breaking Bad (2008)
Answer: It is a style of filming a scene, a style of camerawork. In your opinion it doesn't add anything, but they do it for that purpose.
9th Nov 2020
Psycho (1960)
Question: Where was Marion Crane's house?
Answer: Marion lived in Phoenix Arizona. Her boyfriend, Sam, lived in Fairvale, California, which is where she was headed when she stopped at the Bates Motel.
9th Nov 2020
Aladdin: The Return of Jafar (1994)
9th Nov 2020
Working Girl (1988)
Question: If Jack and Katherine were a couple, how is it that Jack doesn't recognize Katherine's office when he goes there to confirm him and Tess to start working on the Trask deal?
Answer: It is also stated in the movie that Katherine just transferred down from Boston, and she is staying at her parents house. She also mentions in another scene that her and Jack are now in the same city. Plus Tess helps plan her welcome party to get to know others in her department indicating that she is new there. Maybe Jack had not got a chance to visit her office yet, which would explain why he would not have known.
Answer: Unless Katherine had recently moved to a new office, which it does not appear that she did, then Jack should know this was her office. However, it is also possible that he had just never been there before and they only saw each other outside of work. When Jack went to see Tess, he had a specific business reason for going there.
7th Nov 2020
Wonder Woman (1976)
Question: If she's super strong and can control her strength, why didn't she ever hit anyone?
Answer: Probably, with her other powers, she didn't need to. This was a family show, and the producers may have been concerned about how violence was portrayed on TV and toned it down for young viewers. They may have also felt that audiences of that time period would object to seeing a woman use physical force, lessening her femininity and sex appeal. Sounds silly, but that was how women were once portrayed.
5th Nov 2020
H2O: Just Add Water (2006)
Question: Is it true that this show was originally supposed to have only two seasons but its popularity was so big that they created a third season?
5th Nov 2020
The Secret Garden (1993)
Question: Was there ever anything wrong with Colin? He seems to be in bed all the time and doesn't really do anything. Was he disabled or just kept in bed all the time for no reason?
Answer: Mary is told by Dickon that Colin was born early, and Martha even says that he was born very small and weak and no-one thought that he would survive. I think his premature birth made them believe that he was going to be a sickly child.
2nd Nov 2020
Cold Creek Manor (2003)
Question: When the girlfriend is at Dale Massey's grave at end of movie, it seems like it showed her angry face and then cut away to the credits. Were they possibly thinking of doing maybe a revenge sequel?
2nd Nov 2020
The Godfather: Part II (1974)
Question: Why are Connie and the other woman wearing black and teary-eyed when Kay visits the children before her encounter with Michael? I believe the woman by the fish tank may be Kay's mother but Connie also seems tearful and upset and dressed as if in mourning. (03:05:30)
Answer: As I recall, this scene was shortly after Mama Corleone died. Connie would still be mourning and wearing black. The other woman is not Kay's mother, but probably a random Corleone relative. Connie is grieving her mother, but also is saddened by Michael's cruelty toward Kay and at seeing Kay's emotional secret visit with her children. Michael had prevented Kay from seeing them.
26th Oct 2020
Downsizing (2017)
Question: #1 I have always wondered about this movie. The sea captain Konrad obviously had his boat either shrunk or completely rebuilt small, so why are most people in leisure land stuck with using the shared community vehicles? I wouldn't want to have to share a vehicle with all of my neighbors. #2 Why are the people from the original colony in Norway going underground long before they have to. The movie made it sound like people still had many years before the end of humanity, why not just wait till last minute?
Answer: Regarding Question #2: The Norway experiment wasn't about saving humanity at the last moment. It was taking proactive steps early on to save the planet before it reached the tipping point and minimizing humans' negative impact by reducing pollution and waste, conserving resources, etc.
28th Oct 2020
Where Eagles Dare (1968)
Question: Why did Richard Burton crash the bus through the doors of the structure it was in, instead of having one of the team quietly open the doors and slowly driving it out and away from the village? Didn't what Burton did draw unwanted attention?
Answer: Logic is seldom a factor in action movies. "Crashing the gate" has always been a popular action film gimmick, as it creates urgency and tension and elevates the audience adrenaline level, even when "crashing the gate" makes no sense. A similar scene is found in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," when Jones and his father are making their castle escape in Austria. Indiana Jones ingeniously distracts the Nazis by launching an unmanned motorboat down the canal, and the Nazi pursuers are adequately distracted. In fact, the Nazis probably would have left the scene entirely, chasing the motorboat, if Jones had just waited patiently for another minute or so. He doesn't wait. Rather, Jones bursts out of a crate on a motorcycle within feet of the Nazis, instantly giving away his true position and initiating the whole motorcycle chase scene that follows. Again, logic goes out the window, and the hero senselessly "crashes the gate" for no other reason than to drive the action.
28th Oct 2020
Three's Company (1977)
Question: Lana Shields became a regular cast member then she disappeared from show without any explanation, why?
Answer: No official explanation was given for why the Lana Shields character was abruptly written out after a handful of episodes. Ann Wedgeworth, the actress who played Lana, said she was never given a reason, but according to Wedgeworth's daughter, her late mother was unhappy playing a one-dimensional character that had little development potential. The daughter said Wedgeworth and the Three's Company producers came to a mutual agreement for her to leave the show.
Answer: John Ritter also said in interviews that there was no way that Jack would continue to resist Lana's advances since she was attractive and Jack was notoriously sex-crazed, so that could have been a factor as well.
27th Oct 2020
A Quiet Place (2018)
Question: How would a deaf person know whether they're making a noise? Was the daughter constantly monitored, so she didn't inadvertently break a branch, slap her hand on a table, do anything that makes a noise?
Answer: She's deaf but is fully cognizant, educated, and old enough to be aware. Just because she cannot hear anything does not mean she doesn't understand what makes noise and the need to be quiet at all times. She also normally uses a cochlear implant that allows some hearing, but due to the invasion, it is currently unusable.
27th Oct 2020
Beetlejuice (1988)
Question: When Beetlejuice replaces the handrail as a snake, I don't understand the line, "We've come for your daughter, Chuck." I know "Chuck" is "Charles" so who is "we" and why does he say "they" are only there for Lydia? (01:00:28)
Answer: It's a rather outdated usage. Queen Victoria was known for using the "Royal We," saying things like, "We are not amused." It was a way of saying something without being directly accountable for it. Others use it merely as an embellished speaking effect, meant as hyperbole. That is what Beetlejuice is doing to sound loftier.
Answer: In addition, it's possible that Beetlejuice was trying to rope Adam and Barbara in on the idea, since they did request for his help to get the Deetzes out of the house. He might've thought they were working together.
24th Oct 2020
Sleeping with the Enemy (1991)
Question: I don't live in the US; is it normal for a gym to contact next of kin and offer condolences when someone is believed to have died? Or is it for plot convenience? Where I come from, any cancellations of memberships, etc, would all be done in writing.
Answer: The woman did not work for the YMCA. She and Laura took swimming lessons together there and were friendly. The woman therefore felt obliged to offer her condolences. It was also, as you say, a plot convenience. There had to be some way to tip off Martin that Laura might still be alive.
23rd Oct 2020
John Q (2002)
Question: When John Q and his wife were in the meeting discussing the surgery, Rebecca Payne mentions that they had a little over $1,000 in savings. At the beginning of the movie, his wife's car was repossessed because he couldn't make the payments. Why didn't they use the money in the savings to pay for the car loan to avoid repossession?
23rd Oct 2020
Twister (1996)
Question: When Jo and Bill are in the car with Melissa in the back, Melissa is confused as to why they're chasing another storm given Jo and Bill nearly got killed in the previous tornado. Yet wouldn't Melissa already know they were chasing another tornado given they were driving as part of a 'pack' and there was another Dorothy in back of the truck? (00:34:45)
Answer: She's confused, scared, and her thinking is unclear. She wrongly assumes she knows how Bill will react. She does not really know the person Bill is, as he had put his storm chasing life behind him. Once he is thrown back in his old environment with Jo, which is where he really wants to be, Bill reverts to his old self.
23rd Oct 2020
Cinderella (1950)
Question: Near the end of the movie, the grand duke calls the footman to bring him the glass slipper, so he can try it on Cinderella. But Lady Tremaine trips the footman, causing the slipper to fly and shatter. Then Cinderella reveals she has the other slipper. The grand duke tries it on her, and find that it fits. I have a problem with that because how did he know the glass slipper Cinderella had was the same size as the one that broke?
Answer: Cinderella's entire outfit was magically created by the Fairy Godmother. Not only was the spare shoe Cinderella had in her possession identical to the other one, it likely would be charmed so that she is the only one who can wear it. It's similar to young Arthur being the only person who could pull Excalibur from the stone because he was the true king. No other woman who attended the ball wore glass slippers. If they had, they'd be able to also produce the spare shoe as proof.
Answer: Add in that how many possible glass slippers could there possibly be? It would be an incredibly uncommon type of shoe that would be amazingly difficult to make.
Answer: Probably because it looked the same to him, and he had been handling it a lot for all the trying-ons, plus how many people have glass slippers in their closet? But you are right it heavily suggests she is the person, not proves it. But then again how many women's feet would it have already fit? He should have found many matches long before getting to Cinderella. Cinderella can't be the only woman in the kingdom with her size foot.
23rd Oct 2020
Alien (1979)
Question: Why wouldn't the self-destruct system have a stop button? Presumably if you wanted to abort the procedure it should be instant and not have to go through all the rigmarole of trying to shut it down.
Answer: The Nostromo is powered by a nuclear reactor. The self-destruct system simply shuts down the cooling towers, causing the reactor to gradually rise in temperature until it reaches critical mass. The cooling system can be turned back on within the first 5 minutes but after that, the reactor is so hot the cooling liquid will evaporate once it comes into contact with the system. Ripley tries turning the cooling towers back on, and she does so right before the 5 minute failsafe timer is up, but the system was still too hot to cool the reactor. This is why Ripley curses at MUTHUR, she made it back in time but a meltdown is still inevitable. Apparently the 5 minute failsafe timer is not exact to the second and Ripley actually had slightly less than 5 minutes.
I believe she just barely misses the cutoff, rather than making it but still having it be ineffective. She curses Mother out of frustration, and perhaps fury at the computer's cold indifference to her fate.
Answer: It's pretty typical in movies that in a self-destruct situation, once it's started, it is impossible to stop, for whatever reason. It's about plotting and maintaining the tension to keep the audience on the edge of their seats to see if the hero can survive. Considering how corrupt the company was, they'd expend little effort into proper safety procedures.
23rd Oct 2020
Back to the Future Part III (1990)
Question: When Doc comes back at the end, it's to say goodbye to Marty, but what's stopping him from just staying in 1985 with Clara and their two sons? I mean, before Clara turned up at the train in 1885, Doc was all set to go to 1985 with Marty, and then when Clara showed up, Doc said that they'd have to bring her too because there wasn't much time left before the train ran out of track, and he couldn't just let her perish. So why doesn't he just stay in 1985 - that's where he was going to go before Clara turned up, and now that he has her, and a family, why not just settle down in 1985?
Answer: Because like Doc Brown, Clara has a thirst for adventure. An Old West lady being offered the chance to go back and forth in time. Also, to go to the final frontier, outer space. Besides traveling for them is like a vacation. They could settle in 1985 anytime they wanted.
Answer: Doc actually explains in Back to the Future: The Game. I recommend playing that as it continues where part 3 left off. Doc actually tells Marty that he wanted him to live his life without the complications of time travel. So he left and moved to another time period. I don't want to spoil the rest of the game if you haven't played it but it gets into most of your question in the game definitely should give it a playthrough.
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Answer: As the other answer indicated, it is a common filming technique used to achieve various visual effects. Handheld cameras can create a deliberate sense of movement that follows a movie's action. A cameraperson can physically move in much closer to an actor, creating a more intimate connection between the character and the audience. It can also reflect a character's movement from their vantage point, and can be used to create a greater sense of realism with an edgier, less-rehearsed, or a documentary-style feel.
raywest ★