School Days - S2-E14
Question: Who are the two baseball players that walk up to the nurses' station to talk about their teammate and discuss his relationship status with his girlfriend to Dixie?
Super Grover
17th Apr 2024
Emergency! (1972)
Answer: The guy on the right is actor, Rod Perry. He played Deacon on the '70s TV show S.W.A.T., two years later (and now I'm humming its theme song). As for the actor on the left, I recognize his face and voice, but I can't recall from which TV show, movie, or perhaps a soap opera.
21st Mar 2024
S.W.A.T. (2003)
Question: When they were hanging out in the empty swimming pool just before the sniper card game challenge, Hondo sings something. What were the words?
Answer: Hondo was (and always will be) a United States Marine, and served in Vietnam (late '60s, early '70s). I believe what we hear Hondo sing is just a snippet of Hondo's old marching cadence, "Hambone, hambone, have you heard?" (00:42:25) which itself is taken from songs with different variations of Hambone lyrics.
1st Feb 2024
General questions
What are some movies that took an unusually long time to film and release?
Answer: "Roar," written and directed by Noel Marshall, took five years to film. It wasn't worth the effort.
Answer: Boyhood from Richard Linklater comes to mind, which was filmed over 11 years from 2002 to 2013, so a child growing up could be depicted accurately with his own and parents' aging, etc.
Answer: The movie "The Plot Against Harry" was shot and completed in the late '60s. It didn't get a proper release until 1989.
Answer: The Outlaw. It was made in 1941 but was not released because the Hollywood Production Code didn't like the way it featured Jane Russell's breasts. It was released for seven weeks in San Francisco in 1943, but pulled because of complaints from the Legion of Decency. It was released in 1946, in Chicago, Georgia and Virginia, with six minutes of footage cut from the film. They had trouble advertising it so it ran in a limited number of theaters. However, it sold out all showings making a tidy profit. It was released again at the beginning of 1947, in one theater by the end of the year it made $2 million. It was released again in 1950 in 25 theaters. There was a release in 1952. By 1968 it had grossed over $20 million.
Answer: The film "The Other Side of the Wind" by Orson Welles, currently available on Netflix. It was shot between 1970 and 1976, then only partially edited by Orson Welles (due to many complications) before his sudden death in 1985. His final film was completed and released in 2018.
Answer: Castaway. They filmed Tom Hanks' scenes as a chunky, middle-aged executive, then paused for a year while he lost weight and got buff for the scenes where he had been stranded on the island for a while.
Answer: There is a movie called "Dark Blood". It was released in 2012, but they started making it in 1993. Unfortunately, the star of the movie River Phoenix (older brother of Joaquin Phoenix) died due to a drug overdose when the movie was 80% finished, and the movie was shelved for 19 years. They eventually finished the movie when the director pulled the negatives out of storage to prevent them from being destroyed because the insurance company refused to keep paying for the storage.
20th Dec 2023
Superman (1978)
Question: What did the man that Lois interviewed mean when he said that he hoped Custer paid for the land?
Answer: The Indian Chief sold the "worthless piece of desert" for a "stupid high price" to an unknown buyer, and the Indian Chief made an earnest sarcastic joke that he hopes it's Custer, as in George Armstrong Custer, who had been a Cavalry Commander during the Indian Wars.
20th Dec 2023
The Karate Kid (1984)
17th Dec 2023
General questions
What soap opera (or maybe another type of show) had a young woman character called "Mouse" in the early 90s? I know someone who went to high school with the actress. She got the role shortly before graduation.
Answer: On General Hospital, in 1989, when the character of Frisco Jones returned to the show, there was a new teenaged character named Mouse who slept inside the catacombs in Port Charles. Mouse and Frisco had numerous scenes together for about a year on GH. Perhaps this is the young woman.
Thank you. I spoke to the person who knew her, and they do think it was "General Hospital".
10th Oct 2023
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
Question: Isn't it weird that during the duelling match between Snape and Lockhart, Snape executes a perfect "Expelliarmus" spell on Lockhart, knocking him off his feet but doesn't disarm him? He is still holding his wand as he falls to the ground. Isn't the Expelliarmus spell a disarming spell?
Chosen answer: Yes, it's a disarming charm. Rewatch this scene. Snape intently casts Expelliarmus at the blustering fool, and at first Lockhart has the wand in hand. Then, it cuts to a wide shot just as Lockhart lands, and note the wand is twirling in midair at the top center of the screen, so he has been disarmed. It then cuts to a shot from behind Lockhart's head, and the wand is back in his hand. But as he gets up, the wand is not in his hand. This is listed as a continuity mistake on this website.
4th Oct 2023
Are We There Yet? (2005)
Question: What is the name of the superhero toy that Kevin carries around during the movie? My son desperately wants that toy, but I have no idea what it's called. It's a red superhero with a yellow cape.
Answer: The superhero action figure is named Galaktico (sp?), and the bottom of both of its feet open up to store Kevin's inhalers. Within the story, I got the impression that his mom (or both parents) had this toy custom made for asthmatic Kevin.
4th Oct 2023
Cabin Fever (2002)
Question: It's so obvious that the cop's name tag says R. Olsen, but everyone calls him Winston in both films. Is there a reason for this that I'm missing, or is it a mistake?
Answer: It shows "W. Olsen" on the uniform name patch. If you really do see R. Olsen in a specific scene, please provide a timecode.
22nd Sep 2023
Casper (1995)
Question: What kind of hairstyle is Fatso wearing when he pretends to be Amelia?
Answer: The style looks similar to an updo with the Rockabilly Curl or Victory Roll at the top.
It doesn't look like any pompadour I've seen.
3rd Jun 2016
The Andy Griffith Show (1960)
Question: Beginning with the "Convicts at Large" episode in season 3, full width window boxes appear at the bottom of both front windows on the inside of the Sheriff's Office. Prior to this episode, they did not exist. Window boxes are often used to display decorative plants but I don't see any plants. And if they were supposed to partially block the background, the blinds were long enough to accomplish that. I find it hard to believe that the producers would spend additional money (for material and labor) for something that seems to serve no purpose. So why were they added?
Answer: Those "boxes" are valences that used to be very common, before air conditioning. They allow for windows to be open during rain storms. They permit air circulation, without letting the rain in.
Answer: As noted in the previous answers, in real life, things like this provided wind and/or rain deflection, and also maintained a bit of privacy when blinds were raised somewhat. The interior courthouse set was located in the studio, so the "outside" Main Street didn't exist. I believe these things were added to the courthouse windows for practicality, to avoid some crew movement being visible on the opposite side of those windows. These are not "window boxes" to hold anything, as they're actually bottomless; we can see the Venetian blind's long pull cords under them. They're made of plywood and simple to build, so the "material and labor" was inexpensive. Similar variations made of different materials are in other movies/shows. In 1957's "12 Angry Men," textured chicken wire glass panels are in the jury room windows, and in "Jesse Stone: Night Passage" another type is in Jesse's office windows.
Answer: I suspect these were common, as to block the wind from blowing the blinds and papers on the desk.
26th Aug 2023
Cheers (1982)
Question: In season 2, why does Norm's employment status change between episodes several times? One episode he is an accountant, Sam's to be specific, and then the next episode he is unemployed. But the episode after that, he is employed again as an accountant.
Answer: Early in the first season, Norm originally had a steady job as an accountant at an accounting firm, and then he was fired. From then on, he worked for himself as an independent accountant, which results in Norm being unemployed much of the time. Hence, Norm's employment status can change between episodes.
26th Aug 2023
1923 (2022)
Question: In the opening sequence, Elsa narrates that violence "stranded us on the beaches of New Jersey." What happened in New Jersey that she was referring to?
Answer: Elsa's narration is a loose timeline, before 1883 (the origin story show). Elsa states "violence has always haunted" her family. They, who travelled, suffered on the overcrowded immigrant "coffin ships" (called this because so many died) sailing to North America. Upon their arrival in the new country, they were "stranded" when the ship landed in New Jersey, at one of the immigrant landing depots on the Northeastern shores. (Then, they served in the armies during the American Civil War, "devoured" at the bloody Shiloh and Antietam battlefields.)
26th Aug 2023
Sneakers (1992)
Question: At the bank, near the beginning, what was the security guard watching on the TV?
Answer: The film is Touch of Evil (1958), directed by Orson Welles. *SPOILER* Within the specific scene that the guard is watching, Quinlan (played by Welles) is holding a box with dynamite sticks inside, with Vargas (played by Charlton Heston) contending, "I looked in that box, just now, there wasn't anything there" (the box had been empty when Vargas was in the bathroom). This scene in Touch of Evil is foreshadowing the end with Cosmo in Sneakers.
10th Aug 2023
Coming to America (1988)
Question: When Akeem tells the taxi to halt at the airport, there's something red on the hood. What is it? It looks like something to mount a camera on that was left on, but I'm not sure. Is it something taxi/NYC related?
Answer: That is the taxi medallion, a license for the driver to operate the yellow cab. All NYC yellow taxi cabs must have one of these metal plates (there are different types) affixed to the hood of their NYC yellow taxi. This particular type is the red apple medallion.
18th May 2023
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)
Question: What's the name and race of the alien with six arms in one episode? They were a bartender on an alien world.
Answer: That sounds like it's from a Farscape episode.
Answer: Supplementing the other answer, in Farscape S3 "Suns and Lovers" there's Moordil, the bartender, who has multiple arms.
12th Jul 2023
ALF (1986)
Question: When Al is holding a stack of towels, the Tanners say that he is "carrying towels through the damp." What does that mean?
Answer: Mr Tanner actually asks Alf, "Why are you carrying our towels through the den?" The streaming subtitles are wrong when it substitutes "damp" for "den" twice. It's possible the error originated from the VHS or DVD, which occurs often.
Yes, I was re-watching episodes, and I heard "den" the next time. Thank you for answering, though.
2nd Sep 2022
Grease (1978)
Question: I had a Grease Novelbook in 1979 (a book version with movie pictures and most of the script from the full movie popular shortly after the movie's release) and in that, during the end of the pep rally scene (before Frenchie's house where Sandy is crying and talking with Frenchie about Danny), the line Frenchie says ("The only man a girl can depend on is her daddy") has the added line "if he doesn't drink." I then noticed the movie didn't have that last line added. Did the play version ever have that line in it?
Answer: The original Broadway show (early-mid 70s) did not have those lines, and it didn't have that early pep rally scene. Also, in the Broadway play, the sleepover pajama party scene was at Marty's house, not Frenchy's. For the film version of Grease (1978), there were many changes, omissions, and additions. As for the book versions (novelization, storybook, fotobook) based on the 1978 film, there can also be some minor discrepancies between them and the film, regarding deleted dialogue or production photos from cut scenes.
20th Jun 2023
Ever After (1998)
Question: According to the Baroness, Henry was planning to choose Marguerite as his bride before Danielle arrived at the ball. If it's true, why does he almost marry the Spanish princess instead of Marguerite?
Answer: Rodmilla is an untrustworthy source of information. Rodmilla arrogantly tells Danielle, "I have it on good authority that before your rather embarrassing debut, the prince was about to choose Marguerite to be his bride." I believe Rodmilla is lying to Danielle only to further torment her. Rodmilla plunges the figurative knife into Danielle by declaring her a "pebble in her shoe" step-daughter, before she's taken away by the repulsive Le Pieu. When Henry made the deal with his father, he was given the choice of finding "love" or to marry Spain's Princess due to the marriage treaty. Right before the ball, Henry in despair, thinks he failed at finding love, and King Francis tells him it may have been unfair to put so much pressure on him about Spain's marriage contract. Francis says, "We don't have to announce anything tonight," and Henry replies, "I've made my decision." Their conversation implies Henry agreed to marry the Princess of Spain, and the announcement was to be made at the ball.
Answer: The Baroness says, "I have it on good authority," about Henry almost choosing Marguerite. Her source could be wrong, but if it's true, he was probably so upset about Danielle deceiving him that he wanted nothing to do with anyone from her home anymore. Especially if Marguerite planned to bring Danielle and other servants to the palace with her. Danielle might have hoped to stay at her father's property and manage the place herself, but Marguerite could probably arrange for her to work in the palace.
Answer: Henry was to be betrothed to Princess Gabriella of Spain, though he did not love her. When Henry's father said he could choose his own bride, the Baroness then lied to Danielle, saying the Prince intended to choose Marguerite, and also falsely told the Prince that Danielle was already engaged, all to put Marguerite into a prominent position to be chosen. After discovering the Baroness' deception, Henry would not have chosen Marguerite. Henry would still have married Princess Gabriella, but after learning she loved another, he freed her from their engagement. He later chose Danielle.
No offence, but this is not answering the question. You're re-hashing half the plot.
22nd Jul 2022
Independence Day (1996)
Question: At the beginning, when the mothership is first photographed with the infrared and the sheet is laid out on the table, there are four distinct objects that can be seen. The mothership, the moon, and two other objects. One is smaller and to the right of the moon, and there is a kind of swirl directly below both the moon and mothership. Any ideas on what these two other objects could be?
Answer: Have a closer look at the two infrared photos of the Mothership (at 00:04:25 and 00:13:40). It's not "four distinct objects" that we see, it's actually only one image of the massive Mothership. The round bit is not the "moon" it's part of the dome portion of the Mothership. The "kind of swirl" directly below is one of appendages (it has 2) that hang underneath the irregular dome. Compare those infrared photos to the images of the actual Mothership (at 02:02:40 and 02:03:10). At the Pentagon's Space Command, the first infrared photo is only the Mothership (00:04:25). At the White House, the second infrared photo shows the Mothership and numerous Destroyer ships (00:13:40). I can't upload a screenshot here, but here's the link to a screenshot showing the infrared photo and the actual Mothership: https://i.imgur.com/W6wRv8G.jpg.
Answer: It might be an impaired image of the radar, which would indicate why an incomplete image is the only one available. It might not show the full image due to radar interference, much like the television signals are affected due to the satellites being used by the Aliens.
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Answer: I took a screenshot of the two actors, with Rod Perry on the right. Hopefully someone will know the name of the actor on the left. Both actors are uncredited in the episode's credits. Screenshot.
Super Grover ★