Answered questions about specific movies, TV shows and more

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Question: In the opening action scene, while Bond is fighting the terrorist on the top of the train, Moneypenny says "I do not have a clean shot." She has already been communicating with him on radio, why doesn't she just tell him to get out of the bloody way?

Answer: Because Bond is fighting to the death with a man who's trying to throw him off a train. He can't exactly step out of the way.

Brian Katcher

Answer: Moneypenny is talking to M, not Bond.

Bond must be able to hear the exchange, because later in the movie he quotes M's order "Take the bloody shot!" back at her.

MedicOne

He's still in the middle of a fight with Patrice; he's probably more concerned about that than whatever M is saying to Moneypenny.

MrMovieBuff

Question: In the 1984 part of the movie the older boys who stole young Ricky's football who was the boy with the bandana that the camera focused on. It seemed that he would be important in the story later the way the camera stopped and slowly revealed his face when he caught the ball.

Answer: It symbolizes that he used to be a football player just like Rick wanted to be at that age. But probably due to the cards he was dealt he gave up on that dream. When they emphasize the man in the feel its like showing empathy to the kids because he sees himself in Ricky, thus giving the ball back.

Answer: The character is Mad Dog, played by Lexie Bigham. He was the one that gave the ball back to the boys. I haven't seen the film in a long time and don't recall if he hangs out with Doughboy in the present.

Bishop73

Question: Mel Brooks consciously and deliberately filled Blazing Saddles with anachronisms, this was part of the film's humour. But one thing has always niggled at my mind. Blazing Saddles is set in 1874. Quite early on in the film the whites ask Cleavon Little/Bart why African Americans are not singing work songs. The African Americans then begin acapella harmonised version of Cole Porters "I Get A Kick Out Of You" (written for the 1934 musical "Anything Goes"). But in October 1974, shortly after Blazing Saddles had its UK release, an otherwise unknown Australian singer called Gary Shearston had a top ten UK hit with a cover of "I Get A Kick Out Of You." Was there any connection? Did Blazing Saddles revive interest in the song?

Rob Halliday

Answer: Thank you for that. So there was no direct connection. Maybe the song was going around in "the collective consciousness" (whatever that might be) in late 1974. A small bit of extra trivia: Cleavon Little/Bart sings the line that mentions cocaine. When Cole Porter wrote "I get a kick out of you" for the 1934 stage musical "Anything Goes" he wrote the line "some get a kick from cocaine." When the musical was adapted for the 1936 movie the Production Code Administration objected to references to drug use in popular songs, so Cole Porter re-wrote the line as "some like the perfume in Spain." Cleavon Little/Bart has redressed the balance in "Blazing Saddles."

Rob Halliday

Answer: By the time "Blazing Saddles" used the song, Cole Porter's "I Get a Kick Out of You" had been covered literally dozens of times over the decades, so much so that it was a well-worn standard. In other words, it didn't really need reviving. There is no indication that Australian folk singer Gary Shearston was directly inspired by the song's use in "Blazing Saddles," or he probably would have admitted it for the sake of promotion. When asked about his eccentric cover of the Cole Porter song on the 1974 album "Dingo," Shearston simply replied that he "did it for fun," without elaborating. The acoustic guitar of Shearston's cover seemed more inspired by George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord," and Shearston's vocals were described as "laid-back," while his stage performance of the song (which was a huge hit in the UK) was notable for Shearston's "deadpan" delivery. Shearston also either bungled or deliberately altered the lyrics in places, and he ended the song muttering about his girlfriend, by name. So, Shearston very much made the song his own, and the timing of his cover following on the heels of "Blazing Saddles" would seem to be pure coincidence.

Charles Austin Miller

Question: Right in the end, before Damon enters his flat where he is shot, he tries to pet the neighbour's dog but the lady-owner moves the dog away from Damon and gives him a scornful look. Why does she do that? Damon's guilt is not known to the general public, is it?

Answer: I think it encapsulates his fall from grace.

Answer: The realtor told him he would be upper class by Tuesday, even though he is a "lowly state trooper" who can't afford that kind of place on his own. It is likely that the neighbor is just a wealthy snob and finds Sullivan beneath her.

Answer: His guilt isn't known to the general public at all. Petting a dog without first asking the owner is considered rude to some pet owners.

BaconIsMyBFF

It's also seen by some as either they never really liked him and shown as a symbol of Damon hitting rock bottom or that they fell out with him because they are nosey and didn't like that he hurt his pregnant young girl enough for her to leave him and move out. Make of it what you will. There doesn't seem to be a right answer.

Question: After Hans kills Ellis he starts shouting over the radio at McLane saying "Where are my detonators?" The Police were listening in on the radio calls so why didn't they figure out that something was going to be blown up?

Answer: Simply knowing that Hans is looking for detonators doesn't really give the police any information they don't already have. He's got hostages and is threatening to kill them if the police don't do what he wants. Knowing that Hans has explosives doesn't mean that he's planning on using them to make his escape, he could just as easily want them to threaten the hostages.

BaconIsMyBFF

Question: Why did the people on the modern side not want to cross the border?

Answer: If you mean the security staff, they were not permitted to ever enter enter the area, being told it was an experimental nature preserve. They are only employees and follow orders, which was to patrol the perimeter and keep anyone from entering. The head security man apparently knows what is inside, but his subordinate staff do not, though the one guy, after meeting Ivy, now has an idea that people are living inside. The preserve is privately owned by the Walker Corporation, and the security staff work for them.

raywest

Answer: It doesn't appear she was. Samantha was sexually adventurous and experimental to just about any type of relationship and had briefly sworn off men. She may have liked Braga, but she was too controlling and overbearing for Samantha, and ultimately, she only preferred men.

raywest

Question: Why did they transfer Jason who was put to sleep to Camp Crystal Lake? I think Lori talked about this in the van, but I'm afraid it didn't make much sense. Why was it again?

Bunch Son

Answer: Since Freddy is using Jason to bring himself back, they want to put Jason back to sleep. Since he sleeps at Crystal Lake, that is where he would go when he finally does. Bringing him there also minimizes the chance for collateral damage and deaths and puts Jason on his home turf for the fight.

LorgSkyegon

Question: Would the volcano eruption destroy the entire island, or would some buildings escape unscathed?

Answer: It would depend on the severity of the eruption. But given how it looks in the film, with large scale ash ejection and lava flows. It's probably all the buildings.

LorgSkyegon

Answer: As it's a relatively small island, it's most likely every building would, be destroyed, if not immediately. Hot lava tends to creep slowly but steadily, causing buildings and vegetation it touches to catch fire and then spread.

raywest

Question: How did the inmates on rooftops manage to get their hands on beer?

Answer: It was given to them by the guards.

lionhead

But isn't beer banned in prisons?

Guards can be bribed to bring in contraband.

raywest

Part of Andy's agreement with Hadley for helping him with his taxes is that the prisoners working on the roof are given some beer as a reward.

Phaneron

Andy gives Hadley (the head guard) financial advice on how to keep a large sum of money, which he (Hadley) received as an inheritance. Andy, being an accountant, offers to do all the necessary tax work, in exchange for three beers apiece for his fellow inmates. Hadley agrees, and arranges for the beer to be delivered and given to them. (All of this is shown in the scene immediately prior to that in which the inmates are drinking beer).

Answer: Under all but rare circumstances, alcoholic beverages are not allowed in US prisons, which was also the case in 1949, when this scene takes place; the significance of this scene is to establish that Andy began to enjoy special privileges while incarcerated, which is also how he eventually got the warden to allow him to establish the prison library.

zendaddy621

Answer: He isn't seen but given the ruckus going on at the time it's highly probable he just stepped out of the way and is hidden in among the crowd.

Ssiscool

Answer: He was probably sick of it by that point. He has complained many times about roommate agreement regulations.

Question: When Silver detonates the explosives and causes the subway train to crash through to the lower level shouldn't the lights in the train cars have gone out, as the train was no longer connected to the electric system?

Answer: They probably have emergency battery backup.

Question: Why did the grandmother get the codes if only kids will go to the new earth and not her?

Answer: She was never intended to go; she was only the messenger that the alien beings chose as a means to save the children who would one day rebuild humanity.

raywest

Question: Greg helps the Renegades. How does he learn their routine so fast? It was after midnight. The competition is the next day.

Answer: Some people have a photographic memory and can memorize instantly. Realistically, unless he had this type of ability, or had some previous knowledge of the routine, it's unlikely he could learn it so quickly.

raywest

Question: If Skynet was prevented from coming online, how did Legion develop the idea for creating terminators?

Darth Crucible

Answer: Skynet and Legion were both developed for identical purposes: defense network artificial intelligence. It stands to reason they would both evolve in similar ways. Since both Skynet and Legion were fighting a similar human resistance, they both developed similar infiltration units.

BaconIsMyBFF

Question: When marshal Ney and his troops encounter Napoleon, he tells them if they want to kill their emperor, there he is, but instead of killing him, they defect to him despite being ordered to fire. Is this a work of fiction, or did it happen in real life?

Answer: This is decidedly fiction. The historical Ney already published a boastful proclamation (that Napoleon later said disgusted him), declaring the rule of the Bourbons to be over, before he met with Napoleon (March 15). The scene where Napoleon offered himself to be shot had happened several days earlier, with the 5th regiment of the line, before Napoleon even reached Grenoble. It's an entirely different event from Ney's defection.

Answer: I think the film's dramatisation of this particular incident, when the French army defected from the restored Bourbon royal family back to the Emperor Napoleon might owe something to the painting NAPOLEON RETURNED painted in 1818 by Charles Steuben (also called Charles De Steuben and Karl Steuben) a German who became a nationalised (and patriotic) Frenchman https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Napoleon_returned.jpg.

Rob Halliday

Answer: Yes, that is pretty much what happened, so long as we allow for translation convention. (Napoleon and his armies spoke 19 century French, while the actors in the 1970 film speak 20 century English). After Napoleon's first abdication Marshall Ney submitted to the returning Bourbon monarch, Louis XVIII. When Napoleon returned to France, Marshall Ney was given command of an army to apprehend Napoleon The Emperor Napoleon with a small group of imperial guardsmen confronted Marshall Ney with a massively larger and better-equipped army. Many people expected a bloodbath. Instead, Napoleon waked out in front of his guard, confronted the French army and called out that if any soldier wished to shoot him, this would be the best chance they would ever have! The army simultaneously rushed to greet their emperor, Marshall Ney followed and submitted to Napoleon. This bit of the film is as historically accurate as can reasonably be expected and shows how Napoleon could electrify an army.

Rob Halliday

Question: If Parker was possessing Josh throughout the whole movie, why didn't he just kill Josh's family right off the bat instead of waiting until close towards the end of the movie?

Brandon York

Answer: He answered that while chasing Renai, it was because at first he didn't really want to but his mom kept planting seeds in his head and telling him that if he doesn't he's going to die and towards the end you can tell he was very close to dying so he gave in and try to kill the family. Also throughout the whole movie it talked about the fact that his mother basically forced him to kill people.

Answer: It looked like something from a lingerie store.

Question: What does the ending mean? Does Brooks kill his daughter before she kills again?

Answer: There is no clear meaning about the ending but he does not kill his daughter, Jane. When Brooks dreams that Jane murders him, it seems to indicate he fears she is destined to become a serial killer like him.

raywest

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