Answered questions about specific movies, TV shows and more

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Question: Is there any indication as to where the aliens come from and what exactly they want?

MovieBuff09

Chosen answer: In the original George Pal version they were Martians and the reasoning for what they were doing was never explained. In this version, it's never explained where they come from, but their mission is simple, to eradicate human life from Earth, and use our bodies to fertilise the planet, probably so that they can colonise the planet for themselves.

GalahadFairlight

If it was to eradicate us they could have done that millions of years back, why now, so that doesn't add up.

You want to grow the substance (people) that grows your food source before using it. If they waited too much longer, they'd have a harder time because we'd have the technology to fight them back.

The reason which was apparently provided by Wells was that Mars was dying by lack of natural resources and that Martians needed a new home and food source.

They were waiting until the population grew large enough to sustain terraforming efforts. As they used our bodily fluids seemingly as a primary material for their terraforming.

It's an assumption that they could have eradicated us millions of years ago (which by the way would be long before we even existed). Maybe they didn't have the ability to transport themselves, only the machines. Maybe the original aliens all died. Lots of other options why they couldn't have done it.

They probably needed to wait for us to produce enough humans to use as fertilizer. Doesn't make sense to try to use several million bodies as fertilizer back then vs now with billions of people.

Answer: Maybe they were waiting for use to get up to very high number in population. Before we didn't have over 7 billion people in the world. More people more food.

Answer: All versions of "War of the Worlds" are based on the novel of the same name written by H.G. Wells and published in 1897. Wells explained that the aliens are from the planet Mars, and they came to Earth for the natural resources.

Charles Austin Miller

But that still doesn't answer why did they wait till then to attack when they could have done it years ago with less resistance. The natural resources were still here.

Perhaps the Martians considered the technological advances of Mankind as "resources," also. The prologue states that the Martians had been observing humanity on Earth for a long time before they chose to attack. Why? Possibly observing our advances in engineering (dam building, for one example, mining for another). It could be viewed that the Martians allowed us to perform the hard work of making natural resources more accessible and consolidating those resources. Personally, I always thought the Martians intended to come exploit the fruits of our labor, allowing us to advance as far as we could without becoming a physical threat to them. If the Martians had waited a few decades more, they could be dealing with a technologically-dangerous human species.

Charles Austin Miller

Answer: The alien homeland is never described in the film, but is described in the script as a lifeless, barren place, unfit for life.

Question: I don't get the whole "you look just like him" conversation that John has with that woman in the corridor. Could someone please tell me what it's all about?

MovieBuff09

Chosen answer: John is just messing with her. She recognizes him as being one of the famous Beatles, but he tells her that he's "not" John Lennon, to which she responds that "you look just like him." He finally convinces her that he is not John Lennon, and she tells him, "Actually, you don't look like him at all," to which the now-insulted John puts on his hat and leaves.

raywest

Question: I've just finished reading the Graphic Novel and I was just wondering, since Synder did such a faithful adaption why did he include super-powers to the heroes in the film, since the heroes in the comic don't have any.

Answer: What makes you think he did? None of them display any more powers or special abilities than what is shown in the graphic novel. Some of these might be exaggerated (Rorschach walking in the Arctic wearing only his trenchcoat, for instance), but as this is shown in the novel as well, you can not say that Snyder changed this in his adaptation.

Twotall

Chosen answer: They cross the streams to cause a reversal in the particle flow in Gozer's dimensional gate, shutting it down and causing a massive explosion. Gozer, having taken the form of the Stay Puft mascot, subsequently burns up in the explosion as the marshmallow he now is.

Garlonuss

Question: Even with Diplomatic Immunity surely the cops aren't just going to stand back and let their colleagues die? is Diplomatic Immunity REALLY that infallible?

MovieBuff09

Chosen answer: Not in this case. This movie is notable for taking extreme liberties with the concept of diplomatic immunity. For one thing, the character was the head of a consulate, and would have had the much more limited 'consular immunity'. Generally, diplomatic immunity covers things like parking tickets, but even in cases of car injury and death, diplomats are not prosecuted in the host country, but can be expelled. In any case, diplomats cannot simply commit brazen crimes and get away with it.

wizard_of_gore

Answer: It all depends on the level of immunity and who the person is. If the Diplomat commits a serious crime, there are a few courses of actions. They can ask the Diplomat to leave the country, they can ask the foreign country's government to recall the Diplomat, they can expel the Diplomat, or they can request the government of the Diplomat's country to waive Diplomatic Immunity. https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/2018-DipConImm_v5_Web.pdf.

Chosen answer: He is saying that when Silver thinks about using the wheel kick, it is revealed by something in his stance or technique beforehand, so his opponent will have plenty of time to block, evade or counter-attack the kick. It is a fairly common expression in sports, but particularly in martial arts.

Twotall

Question: I have a question regarding the looks of Mulder and Scully. In the movie they looked very old. Was this purposely done to age the characters in the movie because it's suppose to take place in the future or did the actors just age horribly in real life?

SAZOO1975

Chosen answer: They have hardly aged "horribly" in real life. Both Scully and Mulder are now middle-aged, and a significant amount of time has passed since we first met them. The movie picks up some years later, and therefore there was no attempt to make them look like their younger selves. Mulder, who is now nearly 50 years old, has undergone the most significant change since leaving the FBI under less than amicable circumstances, and his appearance (unkempt beard, casual clothing) reflects his more solitary life. Scully is focused on her demanding career as a doctor, not her looks.

raywest

Question: Since the probability of having three children is greater than the probability of having two children, shouldn't Marty (as the youngest) disappear from the photograph first rather than last?

kingjames

Chosen answer: Probability has nothing to do with it. The changes in the timeline are rippling out from the initial point of disruption. As Marty's brother and sister were born before him, their respective births are closer to the point where the alteration happened. As such, they're erased from the timeline first, so they fade out before he does.

Tailkinker

Chosen answer: He's asking how many kills she's made. It's just worded such that there's an edge of innuendo to it.

Garlonuss

Question: I don't know if this is a urban myth or what, but didn't the real Rocky Dennis like Bruce Springsteen, but "The Boss" or his manager/lawyer, etc refused to allow the music to be used in the movie and that is why Bob Seger's tunes were used instead?

Answer: According to the IMDb, so take with a degree of scepticism, Rocky's favourite music was indeed Springsteen and the Boss himself was happy for it to be used, but, at the time of the original release, an agreement regarding royalty rates could not be reached with the rights owner. A director's cut was released a while later with seven minute of additional footage and the Springsteen songs used instead, after Springsteen pushed for an agreement to be made.

Tailkinker

Question: What song does Kate play in the bedroom when she is trying to seduce Jack after the kids are asleep? I just can't put my finger on it, and looking up the soundtrack hasn't helped.

Answer: 'Wicked Game' by Chris Isaak.

ChiChi

Question: Okay, so this is sort of a book question, but I guess you could apply it to the movie. What do the covers of the books have to do with the stories within the books? Is there any real importance to them? And, why wasn't the book cover used for the cover of the DVD?

padfootrocksmysocks

Chosen answer: The publishers had the ultimate control over the books' cover designs, but according to Stephanie Meyer, the author, the apple on the first book represents the "forbidden fruit" which Bella and Edward's love would certainly be. Meyer is unsure just what the ruffled tulip on Book Two represents (it was the publisher's choice), but it could be about Bella's blossoming from a girl into woman. The red on white color may symbolize the blood vampires need to survive and how that is tied to Bella. The broken ribbon on Book Three represents the choices Bella must make between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob, and her ties to both the mortal and immortal worlds. Book Four's cover is a metaphor for Bella's progression throughout the entire saga. She began as the weakest (at least physically, when compared to vampires and werewolves) player on the board: the pawn. She eventually becomes the strongest: the queen. In the end, it's Bella who leads the Cullens to victory.

raywest

Question: How does the public know they are called "Watchmen"? Was information slipped from the 1966 meeting when Ozymandias calls the group "Watchmen"? I wonder this because I don't know why the public would spray paint, "Who Watches the Watchmen?"

Answer: The phrase "Who Watches the Watchmen" comes from "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?", a Latin phrase from the Roman poet Juvenal, and refers to any group of people who polices the public (especially vigilantes). Basically, it means "they are watching us, but who is watching them?"

wizard_of_gore

Question: When Bob Morton is giving his speech just before Robocop is introduced, he touts one of Robocop's advantages as "A lifetime of law enforcement experience." But Murphy's memory was wiped before he was completed. Wouldn't this effectively remove all of his law enforcement experience?

Chosen answer: This can depend on two things: the nature of the memory wipe and what is meant by the term "experience". It is possible that they were able to wipe only those memories pertaining to personal identification and specific case memories. In which case the basic understanding of law and law enforcement could have been left intact. And the "experience" referred to could be referring to instinct. His mind has been working the streets for a long time. That can cause the brain to wire itself more specifically to think in certain ways that help that kind of activity. Even if the memory wipe were complete, it is possible that those rewirings in his brain were left intact, thus giving him a brain already designed for law enforcement. I admit, though, that the statement can appear, on the surface, to be at odds with the methods used to create him.

Garlonuss

Question: I never understood why Peter wanted to avoid a relationship with Mary Jane in order to keep her safe from his enemies. Doc Octopus and the Green Goblin already found out about her and captured her before she was his girlfriend, so why avoid being with her if his enemies were finding out about her anyway?

Answer: The Goblin grabbed her only after he figured out that Spider-Man was Peter Parker. Doc Oc grabbed her because she was with Peter and he needed to send Peter to get Spider-Man, since he knew that Peter had some kind of working relationship with Spider-Man. In other words, her relationship with Peter puts her in danger because Peter already has a direct connection to Spider-Man through his pictures. If he were able to distance himself from her as both Peter Parker and Spider-Man, it would reduce the chances of her being specifically targeted, especially if the villain figures out that Spider-Man is Peter Parker to begin with, which seems to happen at an alarming rate. When Eddie figures it out in the third movie, he grabs her again because he knows Peter cares about her. And Harry used her as a pawn to get his revenge on Peter. Clearly, her relationship with Peter puts her in danger.

Garlonuss

Answer: There doesn't appear to be any evidence for that. The names are vaguely similar, but, other than that, there's nothing to link the two.

Tailkinker

Question: I recognize one of the paintings parodied in Other Spink and Forcible's show as Botticelli's "Birth of Venus". What is the other one?

Answer: It is probably the painting of the scene where a sea-siren (mermaid) tries to lure the Greek hero Odysseus and his men into the water to eat their bodies and souls.

Answer: It's Van Gogh's Starry Sky.

Question: Why, at the end of the film, doesn't Jamal simply call Latika on the mobile phone instead of hanging around the station looking desperate the following day? (I assume the following day, since Latika has changed her clothes, although she took no spare clothes with her when she escaped).

Answer: Jamal never had Latika's phone number. The whole reason he found her at the end was because Latika had Salim's phone. Jamal called the number expecting to get Salim, but got Latika instead.

Brad

Question: I can see at the end of the movie that it tries to convey a message, but what is it?

Answer: It can mean 2 things. 1) It can mean that they were wishing they can turn back time that's why the clock was going counterclockwise. 2) It can also mean that they were talking about Benjamin because the clock was going counterclockwise.

Question: When Coraline comes back to save her parents, why is the other mother's face all cracked looking, and her body taller and thinner?

Answer: Throughout the movie, she starts looking less like Coraline's mother and more like the creature she really is. This is never explained, but it could mean her powers are weakening, she is putting less effort into them, or that Coraline is getting better at seeing the truth.

Answer: It's because the other mother feeds off the childrens souls, without Coraline's soul, she'll die of starvation so because she is so hungry, she is cracking up and falling apart.

Answer: At the end of the movie when Coraline is crawling in the tunnel the Baldam yells "I'll die without you..." The dolls lure the children in, the children have fun, and then they let her see the buttons. This allows the Beldam life and continues to find her next victim, Coraline. Without Coraline, the Beldam really is left to die.

Answer: This happens because the Beldam (Coraline's other mother) feeds off souls as seen when she gets trapped in that room for not listening to her mother she can see the other soul of a little boy and 2 little girls. Those souls are souls the Beldam has already eaten, so from there we know that those souls had a doll that looked like them too. Now the Beldam is after Coraline's soul because she needs food, and so by not being able to get Coraline to sew buttons in her eyes or stay in the world with the other mother her powers start to fade, and everything goes back to what it was before. So it's clear that Coraline's other mother was the Beldam all along and that's what the Beldam looks like at the end of the movie.

Answer: The first we see of the "Other Mother", is when Coraline enters the other world. This is the Beldam taking the form of Coraline's mother. As the movie progresses, the Beldam is losing energy without food, and by that, she is losing her powers too. Without powers, she can't shapeshift into Coraline's mother, so you see as she becomes grimmer, skinnier, and overall more broken. This mortified look might as well be her original form.

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