Question: Why was Boromir allowed to join the Fellowship of the Ring? Since he is vulnerable to the Ring's corruption.
Charles Austin Miller
13th Aug 2017
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
26th Dec 2003
Kiss of the Dragon (2001)
Question: Is it really possible to stop blood flowing from the brain with a pin stuck in the neck? Also, why does the blood not flow again after Jet Li has removed the pin?
Answer: 1). Yes it is possible. 2) If you listened while Li told the dying man what was happening, he said that when he pulled the pin out, the blood WOULD flow again, except: because of the empty blood vessels, there would be a vacuum effect that would suck too much blood too fast... therefore the guy dies.
Answer: The acupuncture point known as "Point 15" is in a delicate area of the spinal column, a little below the second cervical vertebra. It's a definite knock-out target in fighting, and it can even be a lethal target. But Jet Li's explanation that it somehow prevents blood from flowing away from the brain is pure nonsense.
1st Aug 2017
Men in Black 3 (2012)
Question: Was J lying when he said that Boris kills K at the Apollo launch? If not, how did he know he died there?
Chosen answer: This can be a little confusing, but here goes: Early in the film, Boris escapes from the lunar prison and returns to Earth, confronting both agents K and J and telling Agent K that he's "already dead" (Boris was implying that he was going back to 1969 to kill K at the Apollo launch site, thus preventing K from deploying the ArcNet). When Boris does kill K in 1969, it changes the timeline, so only Agent J can remember K's existence in 2012. When Agent J goes to MIB headquarters the next day, he is baffled that nobody remembers K, and Agent J has to convince Chief Agent O that K was alive just the day prior. It is Chief Agent O who deduces the timeline fracture, and J suddenly understands that Boris killed Agent K in 1969 at the Apollo launch, preventing K from deploying the ArcNet (which necessitates J going back in time to save Agent K). Although J tried to keep all of this a secret from 1969 Agent K, he eventually admits to K that Boris killed K at the Apollo launch.
18th Jul 2017
John Wick (2014)
Question: Why accept Viggo's contract if he was just going to help John anyway?
Answer: Marcus may have had a change of heart after the fact; but it's more likely that, knowing John Wick's fearsome capabilities, Marcus believed John Wick was going to slaughter every one of the Russians (including Viggo), thereby erasing every reason for the contract. Marcus didn't want to be on the wrong side of John Wick's wrath if John actually did annihilate everyone. So, Marcus may have accepted the contract to lull Viggo into a false sense of security, thereby giving John Wick a further surprise advantage.
13th Jul 2017
The Fifth Element (1997)
Question: Who is the voice of Mr. Shadow?
Answer: Nobody is credited with the voice of Mr. Shadow, nor with the voice of Korben Dallas' mother. There's only speculation.
Answer: I bet money it was Tom Lister Jr. under voice altering. He plays the president in the movie.
27th Jun 2017
The Sound of Music (1965)
Question: Who was the actress who played the servant who cleared the patio table of dirty dishes? She asked Uncle Max if he wanted more strudel. When Uncle Max asked how much strudel he had eaten, she replied he had eaten two.
Answer: There were several uncredited roles in 1965's "Sound of Music, " and the role of the maid on the terrace appears to be one of them. A search of the Internet Movie Database (IMDB), as well as a search of the original Lehman screenplay and production notes, reveals no clue as to the character's name or the identity of the actress.
23rd Jun 2017
General questions
I have a memory of one great movie I really liked when I was a kid (during the 90s). Unfortunately, I have never again bumped into it, so till this day I have now idea what film was it. I don't remember much of it; I would say it was filmed during the 70s or 80s, but don't know for sure. I think it was kind of those rockabilly movies, there were some cars and some dancing involved. The main character is a young man, I even think he is an outsider and gets in conflict with some popular clique. I remember that one girl gets her hair on fire (no idea how). Anyway, what I do remember are bloopers after the end. It was the first time I saw bloopers and I'm guessing that is why I liked the movie so much. The scene I particularly remember from bloopers is when the main character is sitting on the car hood holding pack of cigarettes. He takes one cigarette and throws it in the air, toward his mouth, and is supposed to catch it with his lips. But he fails. And fails again. And again. Finally, he manages to do that, so he takes a lighter from the pockets and tries to light it, but it doesn't work. He smiles and says something like: "It's hard to be cool." So, if anyone has an idea what movie is that, I would really appreciate the information. Thank you! P.S. It is not Footloose, Crybaby, Cannonball Run, Smokey and the Bandit.
Answer: The movie you are describing is a 1994 made-for-TV rockabilly film called "Roadracers" by Robert Rodriguez (it was only his second film, following his 1992 film "El Mariachi"). "Roadracers" originally aired on the Showtime cable network. It was a 1950's retro action/drama full of cliches such as hot-rod racing, rockabilly music, dirty dancing, and trouble with authority figures (very much like the plots of Grease and Crybaby). During a drag race, the lead character ("Dude") flicks a lit cigarette into the hair of his rival's girlfriend, setting her hair aflame.
12th Jun 2017
Fury (2014)
Question: What exactly did it take to get Norman to become brave and more willing to fight?
Answer: Although he starts out afraid, awkward and hesitant, Norman gradually becomes battle-hardened throughout the film. But there is one event that probably changes Norman more than anything: When his one-night love interest, Emma, is killed during a German attack. After that, the tank crew realises that Norman has changed, become harder and more focused, and they finally accept him as a team member with the nickname "Machine."
7th Jun 2017
Gone in 60 Seconds (2000)
Question: In the scene leading up to where the mirror is knocked off and the car stalls, there appears to be a billboard in the background with a cowboy with his head in profile. In large letters above it is what appears to be the word "Impotent." (Not "Important"). Does anyone know what is with that?
Answer: That billboard was part of an anti-smoking campaign from about 18 years ago. The image mocks the iconic Marlboro Man, with the cigarette in his mouth flaccid and drooping. The word "Impotent" is rendered large in the same type style as the old Marlboro logo. In much smaller text (not visible in the film), the sign reads, "WARNING: Smoking Causes Impotence."
30th May 2017
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)
Question: As Data says his line about hydrogen collectors, does his left contact seem to be out of place?
Chosen answer: Yes, Data's contacts did noticeably drift on occasion, which was a source of angst for Brent Spiner (who played Data and Lore). Spiner never had anything good to say about his yellow contact lenses, as they were his least favorite part of the lengthy makeup process. Rather than further discomfort Spiner by constantly adjusting the contacts, they would often just continue shooting in spite of this minor makeup malfunction, unless he looked positively cockeyed.
19th May 2017
The Green Hornet (2011)
Question: So, just to make this clear, neither Britt nor Kato win Lenore's heart by the end?
Answer: Any romantic tangent between Lenore, Britt or Kato was derailed when she discovered their true identities. Lenore was furious with both of them. By the end of the film, we only get the impression that she is joining the Green Hornet team, presumably to return as a trio in any sequels. Which, due to low boxoffice and poor reviews, never happened.
19th May 2017
The Great Race (1965)
Question: How exactly did Leslie initially intend on crossing the Bering or Chukchi Sea from Alaska into Russia? I know he and Professor Fate end up floating on a large mass of ice to do so, but that's not exactly something you can plan for.
Chosen answer: The cars and drivers were supposed to make the trip by ship from North America across the Bering Strait to a Russian port, where they would resume the race. As it happened, Leslie and Fate were stranded in a blizzard on the North American side before they reached the ship. The ice beneath their cars unexpectedly broke away and drifted across the Bering Strait, improbably arriving at the intended destination port in Russia. As they drift into port, we see Leslie's right-hand man, Hezekiah, waving at them from the Russian dock, which is only possible if Hezekiah made the journey by the very ship that Leslie and Fate missed.
12th May 2017
Alien 3 (1992)
Question: Why is the ox/dog xenomorph born complete (smaller, but with arms, legs etc) and not as a classic chestburster?
Chosen answer: While no official explanation is ever given in the films, Alien canon suggests that the quadrupedal "Runner" Aliens (sometimes called "Dog-Aliens" or "Ox-Aliens" because of their animal hosts) are a weaker xenomorph variant that are physically unable to chest-burst and instead mature inside the host, eventually killing their hosts as they emerge later. This weaker xenomorph variant relies on four-legged speed, sneak attacks and the ability to spit acid at a distance, rather than on brute-force confrontations.
3rd May 2017
The Transporter (2002)
Question: Frank is fighting a lot of bad men in oil, so everything is slippery. My question is: What are the things Frank puts on the front of his feet, to fight the slippery oil, they are like half-rollerskates?
Chosen answer: You notice that Frank removes those items from a bicycle frame. Those are stirrup-style rat trap bicycle pedals. They have serrated metallic edges which supposedly give Frank traction on the concrete floor, despite the oily mess.
24th Apr 2017
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Question: How did Lex Luther find Superman's lair? I thought his lair was in the fortress of solitude in the Arctic Circle.
Chosen answer: Lex Luthor didn't find Superman's lair. Rather, he entered a crashed Kryptonian vessel that still had a functional computer database. Luthor used Zod's amputated fingertips to activate the database, which told him how to make the hybrid-clone monster, Doomsday.
19th Apr 2017
Sherlock Holmes (2009)
Question: Near the beginning, Holmes tells Watson not to shoot Lord Blackwood because there is a piece of glass between Holmes and Watson, and Lord Blackwood. But Holmes breaks the glass easily. So why did Holmes tell Watson not to shoot?
Answer: Sherlock Holmes does not tell Watson not to shoot (there is no such dialogue). Holmes and Watson incapacitate Blackwood's henchmen, and Watson is behind Blackwood, holding him at gunpoint with the revolver in his left hand. Blackwood then provokes Watson, who lunges forward, about to strike with the baton in his right hand. Holmes rushes forward and stops Watson just before he makes a fatal mistake. If Watson had taken one more step, the nearly invisible glass spike in Blackwood's hands would have impaled Watson through his eye and into his brain.
3rd Apr 2017
The Mummy (1999)
Question: Anyone know what Beni said to Rick? I'm referring to what he said (I'm assuming Hebrew) before Rick said "What did you say?!" followed by "I'm not gonna tell you" by Beni.
Answer: Beni: As long as I serve him, I am immune. Rick: Immune from what? Beni: Piszkos állat [this is Hungarian for "filthy animal," an insult directed at Rick]. Rick: What did you say? Beni: I don't want to tell you. You'll just hurt me some more.
3rd Apr 2017
Jaws (1975)
Question: When Alex Kintner (the boy on the raft) gets eaten by the shark, I distinctly remember a shot right after the shark rolls over the raft, that the inflatable raft pops with a loud "POP", then there were two streams of blood coming out of the water almost 5 feet in the air, in a V-type pattern. Nobody remembers it. Nobody knows. It was only in the cinema in its original release. It's never made it to any re-release or home video media version or TV broadcast. This scene was forever etched in my memory because I knew the shark had punctured the boy's back and severed the two arteries/veins that are as thick as garden hoses. Please somebody, does anyone remember this scene?
Answer: While there was an alternate (and more gruesome) Kintner-boy attack scene that was filmed late in production, Spielberg chose not to use it, and it never made it into the film. The only released Kintner-boy attack scene shows the shark roll the boy's raft, then the boy is seen lifted out of the water (by a film crew scuba diver) as fountains of bloody water appear several feet in front of the boy.
31st Dec 2016
Star Wars (1977)
Question: I would appreciate sincere opinions of the following: I watched the original Star Wars movie when it came out in the 80's. Now I want to catch up and watch all of them to get ready for the next. In what order do you think it is best to watch all the episodes now available?
Answer: The first Star Wars film came out in 1977. The best way to watch Star Wars is in the original order that the films were released: Episodes 4 through 6 first, then Episodes 1 through 3, then Episode 7 and Rogue One. If you watch the episodes in sequential order (1,2,3,4,5,6,7), then you will be disappointed with the lower quality of the early special effects in Episodes 4 through 6. Some aspects of the prequels also depend on, or are at least enhanced by having seen the original three movies.
Answer: My advice when it comes to films like these (sequels and prequels, trilogy form, etc); if you have a basic understanding of the entire series or you know the basic plot of each film, but just want to refresh, watch them in chronological order. (I'd also suggest watching the stand alone films, like Solo and Rogue One, after you finish the series). If you've never seen them all, or forgot what's going on, I'd suggest watching in order of release. Often the sequels and prequels don't have the same character development like the original film because it's assumed you know enough of the character's background. And in the original films, there's often key reveals or plot twists that add more suspense to the story line and can make the film more enjoyable.
Answer: This boils down to personal taste and there are advantages as well as drawbacks to each. If you only care about all the flashy special effects, then you should watch in order of release dates as the cinema quality has gotten better with time (Episodes 4, 5, 6, 1, 2, 3, 7, Rogue One). You will have questions surrounding the plot as the events of Episodes 4, 5, 6 occur 18-20 years after the events of Episodes 1, 2, 3. However if you care more about story telling, plot development and general acting ability then you should watch in sequential order (Episodes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, Rogue One). OR you can watch in chronological order (Episode 1, 2, 3, Rogue One, 4, 5, 6, 7) and get the best of both worlds. The down side here is that there are discontinuities in lore due to the fact that Episodes 1, 2, 3 were written 20 years after Episodes 4, 5, 6. Like I said, it's all personal taste. May the Force be with you.
23rd Nov 2016
Star Trek Beyond (2016)
Question: On the way to Starbase Yorktown, McCoy joins Kirk for a drink; Kirk is already drinking something illegal. McCoy shows him something he found in Chekov's locker, and they both enjoy it tremendously. Exactly what was McCoy doing rummaging around in Chekov's locker? Was it some sort of contraband check?
Chosen answer: This scene from "Star Trek: Beyond" is an alternate-timeline version of the scene from "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" in which McCoy brings Kirk an illegal bottle of Romulan Ale as a birthday gift (so we know that McCoy isn't above bending or breaking the law a little in obtaining a gift for Kirk). In "Beyond," this scene was re-imagined with Kirk already drinking illegal Saurian Brandy for his birthday, and McCoy surprises him with a very old bottle of Scotch Whisky from Chekov's locker. More than likely, McCoy knew very well that Chekov kept a prized bottle of Scotch in his locker, and McCoy simply took the bottle. What was Chekov going to do, report the Chief Medical Officer to the Captain?
Or in the future it is not above humanity to be willing to share things more than now. Maybe Chekov had given his approval for anyone to partake in a drink that he may possess, as it is no big deal.
The point is made in Beyond that McCoy "took" the scotch from Chekov's locker. If Chekov freely shared his prized bottle of scotch, McCoy should have said, "Here's a gift from Mr. Chekov, and he sends best wishes." To me, the larger question is why was Chekov hiding a bottle of liquor in a "locker" when he could have more easily kept it in his personal quarters? Perhaps because the contents of personal quarters were easily monitored, so Chekov had to HIDE it in a less conspicuous area.
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Chosen answer: Virtually everyone was vulnerable to the Ring's power to some extent, even Frodo Baggins. Frodo's purity of heart and incorruptibility made him the least affected by the Ring and made him the only logical choice to actually carry it for the duration of the mission; but EVERYBODY was vulnerable to its seductive power, some just more so than others.
Charles Austin Miller
But prior when the Fellowship was formed, he was tempted by the ring. He even tried to convince the council that bring the ring to Gondor would destroy Sauron. So why did Gandalf or Elrond accepts Boromir as a member of the Fellowship?
DFirst1
Well, Boromir's younger brother, Faramir, would probably have been a better choice for the Fellowship, if he had been available. But Faramir wasn't available and Boromir was. Boromir also wasn't actually "chosen" for the Fellowship, he simply went along out of loyalty to Aragorn. Gandalf and Elrond may have suspected Boromir's weakness (possibly even as a threat to the Fellowship), but Boromir was a seasoned warrior whose skills in battle would be valuable on this incredibly dangerous mission. Also, you may recall that Boromir wasn't even nearly as weak or unbalanced in the actual Tolkein story; rather, director Peter Jackson made Boromir more of a loose cannon in the film, which is not how he was portrayed in the book. In other words, Jackson wanted an even more unbalanced element threatening the Fellowship from within, so he amplified Boromir's weaknesses.
Charles Austin Miller