Question: Why does Maris keep Niles' last name after they divorce? She has more wealth and social connections than him, so she doesn't seem to have anything to gain.
Answered questions about specific movies, TV shows and more
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Question: What is the meaning of the symbols on Little Jack's blue T-shirt when he first appears in Jack's learning lab?
Answer: They are the mathematical symbols of pi, infinity, and square root. I'm not a math person, and this is only what I read regarding calculating the square root of pi: "Pi is the constant equal to the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. The number (3.14) has been calculated to over one trillion digits beyond its decimal point. Calculations can continue infinitely without repetition or pattern, because Pi is an irrational number." I'm sure the more scientifically-minded members here can provide a better explanation. I interpreted the symbols on Little Jack's T-shirt as meaning his future has infinite possibilities.
Question: The police were called after killing his family; his mom returning shortly before they arrive. Did Michael call them?
Answer: Most likely his mom called them. She could sense something was wrong, and then the scene transitions, and the police are already there, so some time has passed. She probably went inside, found all the bodies, and called the police.
Question: Sharon Stone is mentioned a couple of times. Is it simply coincidence, or is there a joke behind it?
Answer: Apparently not coincidence. Sharon Stone starred in an early Wes Craven film called "Deadly Blessing". She is also a close friend of Craven's former wife, Mimi.
Answer: Probably a coincidence, Sharon Stone was a major star at the time. Years later, at a Q&A after a special screening of the film, writer Kevin Williamson remarked that he hadn't realized just how many Sharon Stone references were in the film, and they all stuck out to him while watching.
Question: How would killing Emily have helped Steven right away? He needed money quickly, and her hundreds of millions were in a trust fund. Could he even receive all the money right after she died?
Answer: He wouldn't be able to access it immediately, but if his creditors knew he was inheriting a large fortune, they'd likely be willing to work out a deal. Also, as Steven said, he would just go onto to something else to make more money.
Another thing, there was probably a life insurance policy on Emily.
Question: Near the beginning of the movie, why does Steven call the museum event an "inbred" soiree?
Answer: The way I always thought that it was Steven's way of putting David at ease, by making a joke.
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.
Question: After 400 days, the stranded astronaut's original, on-board, food ran out. After that, he lived on just potatoes for two or three more years (or something like that). He says, himself, "I have to grow three years' worth of food." The only food he grew was potatoes. Starch only - no lipids and no protein. For two or three years, to live on just potatoes? Is that even physically possible?
Answer: I've seen the movie a few times, but did some additional Internet research. Watney was spreading out his 400 days of rations with the potatoes. I seem to recall him opening a small packet of a powdery substance and putting it on his food. Presumably it was vitamins, minerals, or other supplements. Of course, he was still severely malnourished when rescued.
Question: For the memories that show young Lily, why did the filmmakers not use an actress with the same eye color as Harry, nor edit the eye color afterward? Multiple people note that his eyes are like his mother's.
Answer: In the movie, it was never mentioned that Lily and Harry had the same eye colour. It was instead implied that Harry's eyes had a similar shape and look to Lily's. Ultimately, it's more important to cast an actor who best suits the part, rather than matching the eye colour.
Also, they tried using green contacts, but Daniel was allergic to them.
Question: In this movie, the Colonel says the following to Swaggart: 'You've done your country a great service, son. On the day..." What does the expression "On the day" mean, and what is its origin?
Answer: To me, it just sounds like he got interrupted. Like he was going to say, on the day of the shooting, he needs Swagger there. Swagger interrupts him by saying "look," as if he knows what Johnson is going to ask and he doesn't want to be a part of it. Then Johnson continues, saying Swagger knows what to look for and he could use a spotter.
Question: Why does Roz have to screen people's calls before Frasier talks to them? We see in some episodes that he can answer calls directly if he chooses, so why doesn't he do it all the time?
Answer: Most, if not all, radio call-in shows like Frasier's have someone (usually a producer) who screens calls. Sometimes it's to maintain a queue, sometimes it's to filter out the boring/crazy/uninteresting ones (it is radio, after all...the problems have to have entertainment value). Mostly, though, it's so that Roz can get some basic information from them (i.e. their name and the general nature of their problem) before putting them on the air. It's basically quality control. Yes, Frasier can take calls directly, but like most radio hosts, he relies on his call screener to make a decision about which ones he addresses.
Question: After the battle on Mustafar, does Vader realise that he was wrong to accuse Padme on Mustafar (of bringing Obi-Wan to kill him)? I thought he obviously did, because he asks Palpatine if she is all right. However, some fans seem to think that he still believes he was betrayed. He only asked due to his remaining love for her. Is this clarified anywhere?
Answer: He hopes she is all right, mostly because of the baby(s) in her belly. He is the father after all. His anger caused him to hurt her, but he did not intend to kill her, since she is pregnant with his child. He says to Obi-Wan, "you will not turn her against me." So he believes she is misguided by his "enemies." Of course, he is really confused, angry, and traumatized at this point, so not much rationale can be expected of him. I don't think there was much of Anakin left at that point already.
Answer: My interpretation is: he "woke up" after the procedure with his new armour and realised that he should have listened to her. I don't know which books and graphic novels are still canon, but some show him reflecting on Padme, imagining conversations with her spirit, and visiting her grave. Some images will come up in a Google search.
Question: Why does Herbert Landon hate mutants so much? Why is he so prejudiced towards them?
Question: Did Evie and Javi actually do something in the change rooms, or did Javi actually spill coke on his pants? I also thought it was odd Evie insisted she give Javi her number instead of Tracey. Why? (00:42:50 - 01:00:13)
Answer: I think Evie and Javi probably "did something." My interpretation is that Evie uses people/freeloads until they stop allowing it. So, Evie is willing to have an "encounter" with Javi, and lie to Tracy about it because she is not a true friend. It's also possible that Javi offered her money or drugs. As for the phone number, Evie wants Javi to contact her because Tracy's mom does not control her phone. Easier for the girls to hide their activities.
Question: When Gandalf remarks that there are older and fouler things than orcs in the deep places of the world, is he referring specifically to the Balrog? If not, what are some other monsters he could be referring to?
Answer: Yes, he is referring to the Balrog. Though, he doesn't know for sure, he has been suspicious that there was a Balrog awakened in Moria.
Question: How did Willie Mays Hayes end up arriving at camp? Was there simply a mistake on the invite list, or did Hayes end up knowingly crashing camp on his own?
Answer: He just shows up, uninvited. When he first arrives, they can't find his name on the list; he's later (comedically) removed from camp in the middle of the night when security carries him out on his bed (while commenting "This is the guy who wasn't invited to camp"). So, he's relying on his speed and charm to get him a spot on the team... which, of course, ultimately works.
Question: Were the terrorists intending to blow up the entire building, as opposed to just the roof, to fake their deaths? If that's the case, then how can they continue with the plan to fake their deaths if McClane already took some of the explosives on the lower floor?
Answer: They were planning to blow up just the roof, with the hostages on it, while they (Hans and crew) were safely below, to make law enforcement, the FBI, etc. think they'd been killed along with everyone else in the roof explosion. The plan was to then escape with the loot in the ambulance that Theo was driving and flee the country before anyone could discover their bodies were not among the scores of others. The former element was foiled by McClane's intervention on the roof, leading Hans to activate the explosives prematurely, while the latter was stopped by Argyle when he t-boned the ambulance and punched Theo unconscious in the parking garage.
But what would cause the authorities to think that the terrorists would be on the roof when it blew up? They could have been on the bottom floor for all they knew. I remember the movie quite well, but may have missed a line that clarifies to the authorities that they were going to be on or close to the roof.
As Hans says: "When they touch down, we’ll blow the roof. They’ll spend a month sifting through rubble, and by the time they figure out what went wrong, we’ll be sitting on a beach, earning twenty percent." I don't think Hans was expecting the authorities to assume they were all dead forever, just cause enough carnage and confusion that they can escape. The FBI might think they were dead, or if nothing else not know where they went. The bodies McClane had left behind might even help muddy the waters. They could then escape to a non-extradition country and live in peace, no matter if anyone figured out they were alive or not.
Shortly after he kills Ellis, Hans radios Deputy Chief of police Dwayne T. Robison. He tells him to get his "comrades" released. He lists off several actual terrorists, then tells Dwayne that after those people are released, the hostages will be taken to the roof and accompany them by helicopter to the airport. Later, Agent Johnson of the FBI tells Hans that his demands have been met and that helicopters are en route as requested. That's why the Feds think the bad guys will be on the roof.
Question: If Mitch set up a custody battle for Gracie while Slim was hiding, then why doesn't he file a missing persons report for them as well? Surely he would have figured the law would be on his side as she would seem completely unreliable for "kidnapping" his child and disappearing, and that there would have been some kind of manhunt or tracking done to find her? So why waste his own time into searching when he could just have the authorities do the work for him?
Answer: Mitch is trying to control the situation completely. Yes, he could have filed a missing persons report, but he would prefer to get Slim and Gracie back in his own way. He wants Slim to respect his dominance.
Question: Was any reason ever given as to why Bond's gadget-filled car was barely used in this film? It seems odd to give the series a fresh start in many ways, make a big deal about his car with missiles inside the lights, and then he drives it for 30 seconds and gives it away. Why bother giving him a car at all?
Chosen answer: There hadn't been a Bond film for seven years, and it was a new Bond. They wanted to get away from the gadgets and show him at his best. It was a way to let people accept Pierce Bronsan, watching what he can do. He put a lot of Sean Connery into it.
I can see that, but it just seems weird to highlight the features the car has and then not use them. Would have been simpler to omit it entirely, but presumably BMW wanted some product placement.
According to Wikipedia, the deal with BMW came at the last stage in production, so they were only able to put the car in the movie but not make scenes where the gadgets are actually used. I can imagine they'd have to rewrite parts of the script and take more time filming to do that.
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Answer: One could say force of habit and all the years, but also because she is clingy and incapable, and may be hanging on to her whipping-boy/servant if only psychologically (furthermore, she gets into legal trouble and may wish to spread the stain and disgrace onto the Cranes out of vengeance).
dizzyd
I think she always wanted Niles to "come crawling back."