Answered questions about specific movies, TV shows and more

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Question: In the mall, the Bluesmobile is going toward the Jewel store. As it does, there is a ball flying in from off camera. Trouble is, it was moving too slowly to have been launched by the car. Was it thrown from off camera by the crew for comic effect? The camera was at or near ceiling level l.

Movie Nut

Answer: Yes.

Question: In the beginning, there is a watchman that announces "Another minute closer to Christmas!" as each minute ticks off a countdown clock. Assuming that each panel (days, hours minutes) is on a revolving wheel of some sort, how can the three wheels work correctly in such close proximity to each other? Granted, only the minutes part moves for the sake of the story, but it still begs the question.

Movie Nut

Answer: By machine.

The clock in "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" is designed for cinematic effect; a real-world counterpart would rely on precise gearing and engineering to allow three separate wheels to operate in close proximity without interfering with each other. The key would be in the gear ratios and the alignment of the gears to ensure smooth operation of each panel.

Question: How did Anna get into Neville's house after she rescued him? I understand how she got to the house, but if he was unconscious or delirious how was she able to enter the premises with the locks and traps all set up?

Answer: The easy answer is that it's a plot hole. We can, however, speculate that Robert Neville himself guided Anna and Ethan inside the fortified home; but Neville just doesn't remember it because he was, as you mentioned, injured and delirious. The progression of the film from his rescue until he regains consciousness is solely from Neville's point of view, and he obviously had a memory lapse.

Charles Austin Miller

Answer: It's quite possible Neville didn't bother locking up after himself. He appears to be on a suicide mission. Anna even makes a mention of it, and Robert does not refute it. There would be no need to lock up if you did not intend to return.

jshy7979

Answer: As mentioned previously Anna parallels the Ruth character in the source novel. These plot holes left for us by sceenwriter Protosevich are ingenious...I am truly surprised that so few people have noticed these parallels. Anna gets in because she is a vampire herself albeit she has changed and is part of a new society - perhaps the one in Vermont.

Question: What exactly is Preacher's role in the group? He only has a few lines and never appears to be really doing anything of use.

Kyle G.

Answer: Based on his scenes, he seems to be a photographer for the team. He was taking pictures of Jo, showing how Dorothy worked, and was setting up a camera when Bill and Jo were going after the F5 at the end.

Answer: He's one of the scientists who works with Jo tracking tornadoes, gathering data, etc. He's a minor character, and therefore plays a lesser part in the story but is a part of the scientific team.

raywest

Question: If the children had run after the kite, and were on the other side of the park, how did they know that Katie Nanna was gone?

Movie Nut

Answer: It wasn't exactly specified exactly how far they ran, so they could have been very far away from her. Also, she probably saw them run away but didn't care too much about it, or at least didn't notice their kite, and just left.

Answer: Because he was holding the most powerful object in the world, the one ring. Even when he only just got it, its powers are not something to take lightly. If Isildur decides not to destroy it, there is nothing Elrond could do to stop him.

lionhead

Answer: The reason the Crouches gave for her being fired was for something that was a relatively minor offense, not normally warranting dismissal. Sirius suspects that Winky was actually fired for having done something more serious and that the Crouch family was covering it up. He was correct because Winky was fired because she had failed to keep Barty Crouch, Jr. (who was kept hidden under an invisibility cloak) under her control while at the Quidditch World Cup. Barty got away from her and was the one who cast the Dark Mark in the night sky with Harry's stolen wand.

raywest

Question: In the sixth book Dumbledore says that Voldemort has never wanted a friend, so why does he keep referring to the death eaters and Nagini as his friends?

THE GAMER NEXT DOOR

Answer: He falsely calls them "friends" only to flatter them and maintain their loyalty and servitude. He cares nothing about them or anyone except for what they can do for him.

raywest

Answer: Yes. It was Isildur's by right, having been the one to shear it from Sauron's hand and thus defeat him in combat.

Phixius

Answer: Most likely soliciting a prostitute. Will took Phil to a massage parlor to help with Phil's back pain, but instead of being a reputable business, it was run by prostitutes and the police raided it during a sting operation.

Bishop73

Question: Are the other kids who are floating dead? We know Bev isn't and she is floating, what about the rest? Are they dead, if so why hasn't Pennywise eaten them? And if not, why kill Patrick but don't make him float too? He isn't part of the Losers club.

Answer: The other kids are dead. Beverly is likely being used as bait. Pennywise is saving them to eat later. We don't get a clear look a the other kids, so Patrick may very well be among them.

Question: Why doesn't Pennywise kill any other children during his hunt for the Losers? There is that one boy whose arm we see being eaten by Pennywise when Mike is being beaten up, but is that the only death while the Losers have known about him? There must be hundreds of kids in Derry, was there really no one else for him to kill in this time?

Answer: Several times during the film they mention other children who have gone missing. It is still hunting in the meantime.

Answer: Also, even though we never meet her, Betty Ripsom, a girl who lived in Derry, is mentioned by Bill, and he knows she is missing because he wants to save her too.

Question: If Rose is recalling her story on the Titanic to everyone, it's one thing where the scenes involving Rose herself or anything she witnessed could be retold... but how is it all the rest of the scenes (not involving Rose) be shown accurately in her story when she was not there (other passengers, crewmen conversations, etc.)?

Answer: Of course, Rose couldn't possibly relate incidents and conversations that she didn't personally witness. Rose's story merely serves as a dramatic conduit by which the audience is transported back in time to experience the last days of the Titanic.

Charles Austin Miller

I read somewhere that the scenes that Rose didn't specifically witness may have been filled by other eye witnesses and recorded in the inquiry after the sinking. Eg: when the Captain is told by Ismay to light the remaining boilers to get into New York on Tuesday and surprise the press there is a women in the background drinking tea who glances up and towards the Captain and Ismay apparently over hearing the conversation. She could have survived and told the inquiry what she overheard.

Answer: While we can accept that the scenes involving Rose are accurate (or as accurate as can be after 85 years) the rest is just shown to be for entertainment purposes.

Ssiscool

While parts are fictionalized, much of what was depicted in the movie was based on the recorded narratives of the Titanic survivors, both crew and passengers.

raywest

And some of what was fictionalized was done so in bad taste. Mr. Murdoch's passing is one such example. To the point James Cameron made a donation to the foundation set up by Murdoch's family.

Ssiscool

Answer: Her foot was hurting. She had her shoes on for a long time. Or maybe Krum stepped on her toes a lot and it hurt.

Answer: She had been dancing for a long time and her foot hurt, so she took her shoe off to rub her foot.

Answer: Because she had been standing on them for hours and her foot hurt.

lionhead

Answer: Because her feet hurt after dancing in her shoes for hours. Even though some pairs may hurt their feet, many women will tolerate the pain and getting blisters in order to wear them for as long as they can.

raywest

Answer: Because she was angry and her leg hurt.

Answer: He says "Counsellor, do you have a minute."

Question: Why does Krall believe that the Federation abandoned him and his crew? The Federation wouldn't know where to look when The Franklin was declared MIA.

Darth Crucible

Answer: To start, Edison (who became Krall) was part of maco (Military Assault Command Operations). When the Federation was created, maco was disbanded and Edison became a Starfleet officer. When he was put in command of the Franklin, he had already begun to resent the Federation for being "put out to pasture" and felt obsolete as a soldier in an organization that promoted diplomacy, peace, and tolerance. When the Franklin crashed, he sent out a distress signal that was suppose to tell the Federation where they were at. He had no way of knowing they didn't get his distress call. Already resenting the Federation, Edison's anger grew and he simply felt they abandoned him and saw it as the Federation trying to get rid of former soldiers.

Bishop73

Question: How was Burke able to get the two facehuggers out of their stasis chambers into the the same room as Riply and Newt without becoming a host himself?

Darth Crucible

Answer: Burke could have left the lids on the storage chambers that the creatures were in slightly loose. The creatures would have to work their way out, giving him enough time to leave the room safely.

raywest

Question: How did they clone David's mother by using a hair sample? Hair doesn't contain DNA. Secondly, if they wanted to make David happy by bringing his mother back, why not recreate her in a simulation instead of creating a clone of her? Then David would be able to spend as much time with her as he wants.

Answer: This is a 2 part question and the second part may be speculation since the film doesn't really discuss why she couldn't be a simulation nor do I have a viable theory. Regarding DNA though. Cut hair can contain DNA. Without getting too much into it, it's not that hair inherently does not contain DNA, the formation of hair destroys cells, and thus nuclear DNA is destroyed. But nucleated corneocytes are intact cells that for some reason aren't damaged and they do contain DNA. The less available DNA there is in a sample, the more advanced and expensive techniques are required to extract it. With 2,000 years of technological advancements, it would be easy to extract the needed DNA.

Bishop73

Question: How did the north manage to defeat the south in the battle of Gettysburg despite a spy providing the south with information about the north during that battle?

Answer: In short, the Federal forces (who fought for the North) outlasted the Confederate army. Since it was a 3 day battle, a full explanation can not really be given here, but Lee did not actually have an accurate understanding of the Union's strength and position. While successful on Day 1, by the start of Day 2 more Federal forces arrived and the Union army had taken defensive position on the high ground. On Day 3, there was mixed communications with Confederate commanders and they did not attack as Lee had planned. The Union army was supplied with fresh forces that allowed them to hold the line. On Day 4, Lee did not attack and formed a defensive line, waiting for Meade to attack, so the Confederates could do what the Union had just done to them. But Meade never attacked and that night Lee and the Confederate troops left.

Bishop73

Question: Where did all of the kids' parents go that required babysitters for the entire night? Seems like a small town such as Haddonfield would not have many options.

Answer: There are only two families that hire babysitters in the film, the Doyle and Wallace families. Where they went is never explained, but it could be potentially anywhere. They could have gone on a trip out of town for the night, they don't have to be in Haddonfield.

BaconIsMyBFF

Where did it state this was all night? It could have been a few hours. Remember that in the next one, it is still the same night and stays night through the entire movie.

Answer: Annual Halloween party as evidenced in the following instalment. Dr Mixtner was drunk and was at a party. The Strodes were also at a party, the same one if I recall correctly as the doctor.

Alan Keddie

Also we only SEE two families have babysitters. Other families could have had babysitters. We just don't see this. (I'm not sure if this adds anything additionally to the question asked, tho).

Alan Keddie

And why did Laurie's parents not come to the hospital? Did they not know she was there, even after the news release about the attack?

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