raywest

14th Nov 2019

Robin Hood (1973)

Question: Robin Hood and Little John steal Prince John's bags of gold by a rope being pulled by Alan-a-Dale. I have a problem with that because there were a lot a bags of gold tied to the rope. Wouldn't that add a lot of pounds to the rope's weight, making it difficult to pull?

Answer: There's no way to accurately answer this because it's an animated film. The norms of real life do not apply here. The characters are cartoons, and they can do things that real humans cannot, such as easily lifting heavy loads.

raywest

Answer: I think the problem in trying to answer this question is "how much do the bags weigh?" How many coins are in there and how much do the coins weigh? Say a coin weighed 5 grams. 1,000 coins would weigh a little over 11 pounds. We see a character carrying 3 bags and a lot of other characters able to carry one bag, even while using a crutch. So I don't think the bags weighed more than 15 pounds and you never really see more than 20 bags on the rope and there's several characters pulling on the rope. To Raywest's point, too many silly things happen where the weight of the gold on the rope shouldn't be an issue, even if the bags weighed 50-100 pounds. Prince John's foot gets caught and they pull him and his bed to the edge. The Rhino's crash Prince John through the gate and brick wall and he's just fine. Robin Hood shoots an arrow that picks 3 characters up and pins them to a post.

Bishop73

10th Nov 2019

Scooby-Doo (2002)

Question: If the airport and a plane don't allow dogs, then why is a cat is allowed on a plane?

Answer: Maybe because cats are smaller than dogs and all felines are relatively the same size and fit into a small pet carrier. Dogs range in size from a few pounds to over a hundred, making crating them more difficult.

raywest

I should add that this being a movie, they make up their own rules about things to serve the plot. It's unlikely in real-life that an airline would ban dogs entirely, though there may be size limits.

raywest

Answer: Well before boarding Shaggy said they wouldn't allow large dogs on board. Implying smaller dogs would be OK.

9th Nov 2019

Dante's Peak (1997)

Question: Why exactly did Ruth jump out of the boat into the acid lake water later on in the movie? Was it to make it easier for the boat to get to the dock? If so, this doesn't make sense as they were still pretty close. Did she just make a bad decision and not think on it?

Answer: It was a deliberate act on her part. She jumped out in shallow water to help propel the boat to shore before it sank. She sacrificed herself to save the family.

raywest

Answer: She was also very adamant that she did not want to leave her home, believing that the mountain would never hurt her. She eventually realised she was wrong. She also loved the home she and her late husband built, but it was destroyed. By sacrificing herself she got her wish to stay.

dewinela

9th Nov 2019

Carrie (1976)

Question: Just before Miss Collins dies she screams "Carrie!" I interpret this as she somehow knows what's happening, what do you guys think?

Rob245

Answer: I believe she does know. Carrie is the only one in the room who remains calm and is standing still during the chaos. Based on that, Miss Collins seems to surmise that it is Carrie who is somehow manipulating the carnage.

raywest

9th Nov 2019

Dark Shadows (2012)

Question: Why is Angelique so obsessed with Barnabas?

Answer: She was obsessively and eternally in love with Barnabas, though he had spurned her.

raywest

Along with the answer by RayWest: She is in love with him. How does anyone fall in love? People usually don't choose or plan to fall in love with a certain person. Of course, as RayWest wrote, her love is obsessive in nature. Sane, rational people will try to accept rejection and move on.

Question: Carrie mentions that her longest or most serious relationship was eight-and-a-half days with an acid rock singer, that she came home and found in the shower with his mother. Wasn't she about to get married when Bandit found her? Would you not think that she actually had a relationship with him (and didn't she say she was pregnant, therefore, had to get married?).

ckbyers

Answer: She had a relationship with her fiance but in her mind it wasn't serious. She is running away because she is being pressured into marriage with a man she doesn't love. So the statement is accurate, her longest serious relationship was only 8 days.

BaconIsMyBFF

Answer: Where does she say she was pressured into marriage? - didn't have to really be snarky about it. They pick her up, she says there is a wedding in search of a bride... doesn't mean she was pressured... In fact, there is no definitive statement that she was forced to marry him or didn't love him. All she says is "I'm sorry Junior!" at the end. She just bolted from the wedding... people get cold feet all the time.

ckbyers

Answer: She is running away because she is being pressured into marriage with a man she doesn't love. That implies that there was no declining the proposal.

Answer: The "eight-and-a-half days" comment is a hyperbole - a deliberate exaggeration that is used to make a point. She was not being serious when she said that.

raywest

Answer: Then she could have said no to the proposal (just saying) when it was done (off camera).

ckbyers

So what's your point? The character agreed to the marriage under pressure, then changed her mind and decided to run. Where's the problem?

Question: Why did Christopher Reeves drive up to the Grand Hotel if cars weren't allowed on the island?

Answer: For environmental reasons, cars are not allowed on the island. The filmmakers received special permission to use autos for the movie. This was likely done for logistical reasons to simplify filming the scene. It is easier for Christopher Reeve to drive a car up to the hotel rather than using an alternative transportation mode available on the island. For example, using a horse-drawn carriage would be more complicated. It would also make little sense to most of the audience and would require plot exposition to explain the island's auto ban.

raywest

Answer: After Lou was hit in the head by the trumpet player, it's unclear what happened to him. Moses is supposed to kill Lieberman, so presumably he was eventually murdered.

raywest

3rd Nov 2019

Dallas (1978)

Answer: In real life, that might happen, but this is a fictional TV show that revolves around the characters and the dynamic interaction between them. Getting rid of JR, a main character that much of the story line revolves around, would make the show far less interesting, less melodramatic, and less intriguing. It's just an entertaining, over-the-top exaggerated soap opera.

raywest

24th Jul 2009

Twilight (2008)

Question: When they are in the garage, before they split up to throw off James, Edward tells Alice to "Please keep your thoughts to yourself". I've read the book and I'm pretty sure it explains this but I can't remember. What is Alice thinking?

Answer: Alice can see the future (She can not read minds, thoughts and intentions). She has foreseen that Bella will become a vampire and Edward does not want her to tell Bella that.

Jazaray

Answer: If Alice tells Bella that she will be a vampire she will be scared and shocked.

Bella wouldn't be shocked or scared by knowing that. Bella wants to become a vampire. Edward does not wish this for her, believing it is a cursed life. If Alice tells Bella that she foresees her becoming a vampire, Edward knows this will only encourage Bella to pressure him to change her.

raywest

Answer: I thought Alice was thinking about how tasty Bella smells because they had to wear her belongings to confuse Victoria and lead her off Bella's actual scent. If not please do reply as I am curious about this.

28th Oct 2019

Star Wars (1977)

Question: How did Owen Lars and Beru physically age by 40 years between the time of this movie and the biologically previous movie when they should've only physically aged 19, and how did Obi-Wan physically age by 30 years when he should've only aged 19 as well?

Answer: There's no "official" answer, as far as I know, but the most common explanation is simply that life on Tatooine takes a greater toll on humans than on more hospitable worlds, especially in the case of those who simply eke out an existence as did Owen, Beru, and Obi-Wan. Tatooine also has two suns, which could also account for the apparent (as opposed to actual) age of its human inhabitants; much as it is on Earth, excessive sun exposure can cause premature aging of the skin.

zendaddy621

Answer: There is no explanation other than this is about casting. When George Lucas made the first Star Wars movie in the 1970s, he never expected the phenomena it is today. Alec Guiness was cast as Obi Wan because he was a famous, well-respected actor who was perfect for the part. When Lucas made the prequel trilogy some thirty years later, there were inevitable changes, revisions, and inconsistencies about plot, characters, and so on. Obi Wan was re-imagined as a younger character when he first met Anakin. The younger actors who played Beru and Lars were probably cast because they had a similar appearance to the original actors playing the parts. Actors often play roles where they are older or younger than their actual age. This is quite noticeable in the Harry Potter films, where the actors who played Snape, Sirius, Lupin, James and Lily Potter, etc. were at least 15-20 years older than the characters they played. Audiences are expected to employ a suspension of disbelief.

raywest

22nd Oct 2019

Dante's Peak (1997)

Question: At the end of the movie when they are driving away from the dust cloud and he says don't look back, there is an image of a man in the smoke. Who was the image of?

Answer: I watched the clip on YouTube. If you're referring to when Brosnan looks in car's side mirror, there is an amorphous shape in the ash cloud that has only a vague humanoid form, but it's just a shape. If it looks like anything, it would be a sasquatch, but it's just the ash cloud. A human body would be far too small to be seen from the car's vantage point. It's like people seeing real forms in cumulus clouds on a sunny day.

raywest

Answer: No specific reason is given and any answer is speculation. My take is that it is only about plot timing and pacing to serve the story line. After Harrry and Sirius exit the tunnel, they have a short conversation in which they solidify their godfather/godson bond. Sirius also offers Harry a home, if he wants. If Lupin and Pettigrew had come out sooner, this narrative would have been interrupted. After their conversation, Lupin and Pettigrew then emerge, and the story continues, building up to Pettigrew's escape.

raywest

22nd Oct 2019

Three's Company (1977)

Answer: She was worried that Jack would come to regret his decision. She thought at some point in the future he would marry and want to have children.

LK

Answer: There could be any number of reasons. Some people believe any form of birth control (even for men) is wrong. Janet might (erroneously) think Jack is being selfish and immature by avoiding fatherhood, and so on.

raywest

22nd Oct 2019

Carrie (1976)

Question: Why do Chris and her friends bully Carrie? She's never done anything to them and I've read the book which also provides no answers.

Rob245

Answer: Bullying doesn't have anything to do with whether or not someone did anything to someone else. Bullies zero in on people they know are emotionally weaker and less able to defend themselves. Carrie was extremely shy, awkward, naive, etc. These are traits that bullies tend to exploit for their own amusement and to make themselves feel superior.

raywest

Question: Luke lost his lightsaber in Cloud City, how has it been retrieved?

Rob245

Answer: It has not yet been answered in a canon source. The novel series that continued the stories after Return of the Jedi had Luke's lightsaber being found along with his severed hand which was then used to make a clone. The new movie series has made those stories no longer canon. It is possible Rise of Skywalker will answer this question.

BaconIsMyBFF

Answer: In "Return Of The Jedi", after Luke turns himself over to Darth Vader, he is handed Luke's lightsaber to which Vader says, "I see you've constructed a new light saber." This would mean that after Luke lost his first lightsaber at Cloud City, he made himself another one.

Luke did make a new lightsaber after losing the first one, but he was the sole owner of it. In The Force Awakens, when Rey finds the lightsaber in the dungeon, Maz Kanata tells her that it once belonged to Luke Skywalker, and before him, it was his father's (Darth Vader). This would mean it is the same one that Luke lost when Vader sliced off his hand that was holding the lightsaber during their duel in Cloud City (The Empire Strikes Back). Somehow, that lightsaber was found on the planet's surface and made its way into Maz's possession. It now belongs to Rey.

raywest

Answer: When asked about how she came into possession of Luke's old lightsaber, which once belonged to Anakin Skywalker, Maz Kanata says that it's a tale for another time. Presumably it will be explained in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

raywest

It is not.

12th Oct 2019

Saw (2004)

Question: Let's say Adam did get the key and unlocked his shackle. What would he have been able to do? He could have gotten the tape recorder out of Jigsaw's hand and been able to retrieve some other stuff, but he did all of that when he was locked, so what was the point of him walking around? And the door was locked too, Dr. Gordon checked it.

Answer: He would have been able to get the tape recorder and the gun much easier and would've had free roam of the room. Adam was never meant to be locked up in his chains, else Jigsaw would've never gave him that type of power.

Answer: Any person confined in that way is going to do whatever they can to free himself. The first step would be getting the ankle shackle removed, then attempt other methods to escape. Even if he never got out of the room, it's still more comfortable and less cumbersome to not be chained to a pipe. Adam doesn't initially know the outcome, so he's not going to just lie there and wait for inevitable. Also, as he's being electrically shocked through the chain, removing it would prevent that.

raywest

17th Oct 2019

The Hunger Games (2012)

Question: How do they know when someone in the arena is dead?

Answer: The tracking chip that is inserted into their arm tracks their vital signs. From this, the control centre is able to monitor all the tributes heart rates. As such, they can see when their heart has stopped and declare them dead and fire the cannon. Plus they have got the ability to bring a camera up at any location to help visually confirm the death of a tribute.

Ssiscool

Answer: They are tracking and watching everyone. They have a whole control room to run the games.

Answer: As mentioned, the tracking devices would indicate if a person was dead. However, even if a fallen tribute was still alive when removed from the arena, the evil and inhumane capital would execute them. Up until Katniss and Peta were declared dual victors, there was always only one survivor/winner of the Hunger Games.

raywest

Would the Capitol just simply not remove the tribute if they're still alive? At least in film 1 the bodies aren't removed straight away. Take Rue for example - she was killed and Katniss had plenty of time to arrange her body.

Ssiscool

It really depended on the circumstances. If a tribute was barely alive with no hope of recovery, then the game keeper could decide when to remove them, dead or not. Other bodies may have been removed at a time that was simply convenient to do so. It did take time to remove Rue, but basically, because of Katniss arranging the flowers around Rue's body the way she did, singing, mourning her, saluting Rue's district, etc. Seneca Crane, the gamekeeper, knew it made a good show for the television viewers. He was wringing out all the drama and emotion that he could because the viewers loved seeing that. That was the way the games were operated.

raywest

16th Oct 2019

Quadrophenia (1979)

Question: Was Steph, played by Leslie Ash, supposed to be a mod girl or just a girl who hung around with with mods?because her clothes which was mainly dresses and skirts and a leather coat wasn't really mod girl clothes, her hair was long and in no particular style and wore very little eye make up.A classic mod girl would would have worn ski pants, have a short hairstyle like a bob and would wear dark eye make up like other girls in the film.

Answer: Your description of "Mod" is too limited. It included a wider range of fashion styles beyond what you've described and included mini-skirts, geometric-patterned dresses, casual hip-hugger pants, leather coats and jackets, and so on. The same with hairstyles which varied from short, angular bobs, to beehives, and long tresses with feathered bangs. The "natural" look was also in style then, along with the more extreme make-up type. Steph certainly fit into the overall Mod style and culture.

raywest

Question: One thing I've never got is why Snape is so rude to Harry when he first meets him in Potions class in this movie. I get that he hates Harry because he looks like James, and James and his friends made fun of him when they were younger, and Lily chose James over him, but if his love for Lily is so strong that he's willing to protect Harry (along with the other teachers and other people throughout the movies and books) for her, then why is he so horrid to him?

Answer: I always figured it boils down to doing the right thing in terms of the big picture, but that doesn't mean he has to like it, or be nice about it.

Jon Sandys

Answer: Snape was a complicated and conflicted man. His hatred for James Potter was so irreparably deep, it made him uncivil to Harry. Harry's strong resemblance and similar personality and temperament to his father didn't help. When Snape looked at Harry, he saw James. It wasn't fair or right, but it was a personality flaw Snape never overcame. Snape's undying love for Lily and his commitment to defeating Voldemort propelled him to protect Harry. Also, Snape's hatred toward Harry may seem extreme, but it is used as a literary device to create conflict and tension within the story. If Snape had acted kindly to Harry, it could have revealed his true intent and allegiance. Readers are deliberately kept in the dark about his motives and anti-hero character until the end.

raywest

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