raywest

21st Mar 2020

King of the Hill (1997)

Answer: No, he does not know or suspect he has a different biological father.

raywest

Question: Will Renesmee ever die of old age? And would it be possible for her die from something a regular human could die from?

MikeH

Answer: Renesmee is not immortal, but will live an extraordinary long life and she will age slowly. It was never revealed if half-breeds can succumb to human ailments. Considering half-breeds are extremely rare, it's unlikely anyone knows.

raywest

Question: Jacob almost murdered a baby. He only decided against it when he involuntarily imprinted. Why would the Cullens still welcome him in their house after that?

MikeH

Answer: It was never shown that the Cullens knew Jacob intended to kill Renesmee, only that he imprinted on her. Edward may have read his thoughts later, but kept this to himself after realizing Jacob would be forever bound to Renesmee as her protector.

raywest

Question: In the end credits scene, what is it that the Volturi wanted? If it was Renesmee, is that a mistake, since they were informed about it in part 2?

MikeH

Answer: They want Alice because she can see into the future, which would be a significant advantage to the Volturi. Aro destroys other covens, sparing the one member who has some special ability.

raywest

Question: What would Jacob have done if Renesmee left? Would he have followed her? Wouldn't it be emotionally painful for him to be away from her?

MikeH

Answer: If, in the future, Renesmee left, Jacob would have to accept that, regardless of whether or not he was emotionally hurt by it. Because he imprinted on her, he is bound to abide by her needs and decisions.

raywest

Question: If Edward had successfully revealed himself, would the Volturi have killed everyone who saw?

MikeH

Answer: It's unlikely they would do that. People may claim to have witnessed some strange event, but unless there's tangible rather than anecdotal evidence, this usually, over time, is dismissed. Killing the witnesses would garner unwanted attention on the Volturi.

raywest

17th Mar 2020

Die Hard (1988)

Question: While running away from the bad guys, John McClane severely wounds feet by stepping on broken glass. Wouldn't his feet be at risk of infections if they were as severely wounded as shown in the movie? He's feet don't appear to have any infections.

Answer: Infections take time to set in. The whole events of this film take place over 1 evening. Not long enough for an infection to set in. Especially since he receives medical attention at the end.

Ssiscool

How long would John have to go without getting medical for his feet to get infected?

Per a google search: "An infection can develop any time between two or three days after the cut occurred until it's healed."

TedStixon

Answer: Infections take a while to develop - the events of Die Hard are borderline real time, and given the injuries happen towards the end of the film, that's way too soon for any significant side effects.

Answer: As mentioned, it would take time for an infection to set in. Also, even though John had some nasty cuts, it doesn't necessarily mean they will become infected and could heal without any complications as long as the feet are cleaned and bandaged.

raywest

17th Mar 2020

Donovan's Reef (1963)

Question: This is regarding the scene in Boston. Why was that one gal smiling? Why did Amelia turn the lights out? Who were the three men Amelia told "You can go in now?

Answer: The lady smiling is one of Amelia's relatives who sits on the company board of directors. Being as she is elderly, she appears to be somewhat unaware of what exactly is going on and just sits there, apparently amused by the proceedings. The men were just waiting their turn to meet with the board, and of no significance to the story. Amelia's turning off the lights is just an exaggerated comedic gesture to show that she is on her way out and heading to Hawaii, that really makes no sense.

raywest

Answer: I think Amelia shutting off the lights was meant to imply she is extremely frugal and cautious with money, indicating she would more than likely scrutinize over judgment of her father (Doc Dedham).

jenlib11

Answer: I think it's her Irish frugality.

17th Mar 2020

Flightplan (2005)

Question: Surely military people and special needs people would have gone first before her and her daughter? If that's the case there's no way no-one would have seen the daughter. Or are there different policies in Berlin?

Answer: It's unlikely it's different in Berlin, and it would be an airline policy, not a government one. The fact that no-one else was on the plane when Kyle boarded with her daughter or was not seen by one of the flight crew is simply an implausible plot device. This would never happen that way in real life.

raywest

Question: Why after receiving a phone call from Laura's friend at the YMCA does her husband go looking through all her stuff on the bed? Then he finds the ring in the toilet. It just makes no sense why he's tearing through her stuff.

Answer: As that was the last place Laura was before disappearing, he is just looking for anything that could provide a clue that she might actually be alive. He was not sure until he found the wedding ring in the toilet.

raywest

Question: When they walk down to Hagrid's why does Hermione have her mouth open then have her arms folded and glare at the executioner right after that?

Questionasker340

Answer: All of her actions and expressions are a result of her being angry, disgusted, and defiant that Buckbeak is to be unfairly executed. She is specifically directing her anger at the executioner as he gleefully sharpens his huge ax.

raywest

Question: Do hospitals have devices for women with asthma so they can breathe while in labor and can a baby really be breastfed by another woman as done here?

Rob245

Answer: As far as breastfeeding, yes, a woman can breastfeed another woman's infant. Historically, wet nurses (lactating women who were not a child's mother) were used when a woman produced too little milk or was otherwise unable to breastfeed her own child. Today, commercial formula is used to fully supply or supplement a baby's diet.

raywest

17th Mar 2020

A Christmas Story (1983)

Question: Given Ralphie's mother said no to the gun then why would his father give him one? Surely this would start an argument between them.

Rob245

Answer: This was more in the past than in today's culture, but it wasn't all that atypical for a husband to simply ignore his wife's opinions and wishes in many matters, including what would be an appropriate present for their children, particularly a boy.

raywest

Answer: Even though she was probably still against it, it was Christmas and most likely didn't want to upset Ralphie by taking the Red Ryder BB gun away from him so she let him keep it.

Question: When Davy Jones summons the Kraken after Will escapes with the key, why does Bootstrap Bill not scream "No" until after Davy Jones announces what he's doing (..."and let this day be cursed by we who are ready to wake... The Kraken")... He must know what the Kraken hammer does, why doesn't he react when they first start charging it up?

Answer: I would say it was about timing and building up to the dramatic effect so the audience knows why Bootstrap is reacting that way. If he screamed out too soon, it would be confusing about what he was upset about.

raywest

Question: Why did Will specifically need the Black Pearl to free his father? The only thing the Pearl had going for it was the speed. Wouldn't a ship fitted with more firepower be better suited for taking down the Dutchman?

Answer: The Black Pearl is the only ship that can catch up to the Flying Dutchman.

lionhead

Answer: As you mentioned it is the fastest ship. Other reasons, it's a ship Will knows it is one that he has an opportunity to bargain for by betraying Jack Sparrow to his enemies.

raywest

Also, Will would have very little opportunity or the means to acquire another ship.

raywest

15th Mar 2020

Murder, She Wrote (1984)

Track of a Soldier - S12-E18

Question: When we figure out at the end that Juan was Lloyd's killer, how come it didn't show a flashback of him stabbing Lloyd? Like the other scene where it shows Peter discovering his dead body and picks up the knife, and also at the end it shows Greta discovered his body too and turned his body around to look for the diamond, but didn't show Juan murdering him.

Trainman

Answer: It may simply have been a matter of time, as this was a one-hour show. The murderer is always revealed at the end, though it is not necessary to show the actual murder. Also, at that that time, it may have been considered too graphic to show someone being stabbed on a family TV show.

raywest

15th Mar 2020

Three's Company (1977)

Show generally

Question: Who decided to make Chrissy stupid? Watch an early episode like "Roper's Niece" then a later one like "Jack's Pie", So who decided to make her stupid? Some network executive?

Rob245

Answer: It's also likely a case of "Flanderization", where as the show progresses, the writers zero in on a single aspect of a character that they get the most material out of, and think is the funniest, and expand it at the expense of realism or development, to the point where it is the character's entire personality.

Answer: It was likely a group of male executives who decided the show's format. The sexy, ditzy/dumb blonde was an over-used and cliched trope in an era when women were blatantly objectified.

raywest

15th Mar 2020

After Earth (2013)

Question: The alien predators are blind and hunt by pheromones. Why don't humans just wear hermetically sealed suits to block the pheromones, or use false pheromones as decoys?

Answer: Probably because it wouldn't work. On "Mythbusters," Adam and Jamie tested whether a tracking dog could still trace a human clad in a hermetically-sealed suit to contain the scent. The dog easily tracked Jamie.

raywest

Question: After Seabourn Legend is way past the oil tanker, it heads straight for the island. There were sailboats all around. So why didn't the other half of the passengers just jump off the back of the ship away from the propellers? That way they can be saved by the sailboats.

Answer: Jumping off a large cruise ship, even from the lowest deck, hitting the water from that height, would result in many fatalities or severe injuries.

raywest

13th Mar 2020

Gattaca (1997)

Question: In the film, the way the actors and actresses are dressed refers to the late thirties (rain coats, Panama hats, sophisticated dresses), why?

Answer: No reason. It is simply retro-fashion. Fashion trends go in cycles. In the 1960s, the film "Bonnie and Clyde" led to a popularity in '30s style fashion. In the 1990s, fashion trends from the '70s was revived. It's also an artistic choice. The costume designer on this movie likely was inspired by vintage styles that he/she incorporated into a futuristic film.

raywest

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