Questions about specific movies, TV shows and more

These are questions relating to specific titles. General questions for movies and TV shows are here. Members get e-mailed when any of their questions are answered.

Question: Why the fear of extinction because of the volcanic eruption? Weren't there still dinosaurs on Isla Sorna?

Answer: It wasn't about saving species from extinction as there was the technology to create more dinosaurs. It was a humanitarian effort to save the animals' lives. However, there were divided opinions on whether it was morally right to expend the money and resources to save and house animals that nature had already selected to become extinct and no longer had a place in the modern world.

raywest

Question: Why is there is such an absence of love in this film? Two birthdays are observed. Dr. Haywood Floyd calls his little 5-year-old daughter on Earth, wishes her happy birthday, but never once says "I love you," which seems only a natural thing for a father to tell his child. Later, astronaut Frank Poole's parents wish him happy birthday, but never once say "I love you"; rather, his father says, "Give our love to Dave (Bowman). " Nobody ever says "I love you," despite the dire circumstances.

Charles Austin Miller

Answer: I love this question, and I think the answer will vary, perhaps wildly, depending on who answers it. Here's mine: one of the themes of the film is that, despite these amazing leaps in technology, colonising the moon, and manned travel to distant planets, humanity has gradually become more and more like the machines we create: cold, emotionless, unfeeling. In other words, we've lost our capacity for human connection. This is why Kubrick shoots these scenes you mention in such a cold, distant way. It asks us to consider the cost that comes with technological advances that outpace our emotional development.

Good reply. Yeah, all the human dialogue in this film seems purely information-driven, if not outright expository. Cold, humorless, oddly devoid of emotion. Especially the dialogue and character of Frank Poole (played by Gary Lockwood); he shows no emotion or affection for his parents, as if only just tolerating their birthday greetings. For me, this made it difficult to feel any sense of loss when Frank Poole was later murdered by HAL. Maybe most oddly, the computer HAL seems to speak with the most emotion (desperation and fear) when Dave Bowman finally disconnects HAL's higher brain functions. I mean, that's the most poignant dialogue in the film, when the computer pleads for its life.

Charles Austin Miller

Question: After the inevitable disaster had begun, Owen, Claire and Maisie became hunted by the indoraptor. Why did Owen turn off all the lights when making their escape?

Answer: It makes it harder for the Indoraptor to navigate and to see them as they attempt to hide and escape.

raywest

Question: After Rex finds out the key to the Judge is missing, he goes back home on a motorbike. He pulls up the garage door and finds the Judge is not there. He snaps and begins to punch, kick and swear. Breaks down the door, has stuff sprawled out all over the ground, and smokes a cigarette. In both versions of the movie including the deleted scenes, it never shows how Rex was able to find Ian at the motel. How was Rex able to find Ian at a motel in Knoxville, Tennessee?

Answer: LoJack.

Question: Was Jack talking to himself in the past as well? When Jack attacks John he says "Watch me steal your life away" and then young Jack attacks Frank. Young Jack also knows John by name as he says hello to him when he walks in to find his mom being attacked.

Answer: During that scene the radio was like an" open 2 way line" that everyone could hear. Frank heard John and future Jack fighting. John heard his dad fighting Jack. Jack heard Frank yelling John's name. The shot gun blast was echoed in both times. It is filmed in a way that the sounds from each time could be heard.

Question: Why did the driver flip the hillbillies off after saying "Nice wheels"?

Trainman

Answer: He was being sarcastic. A beat up, broken down old truck driving through Beverly Hills. The guy considered it an insult.

Question: Why does Angelique curse Barnabas and kill his parents and Josette?

Answer: In the 1700s, Angelique, a witch, was romantically spurned by Barnabas. Out of jealousy, spite, and revenge, Angelique cursed him, killed his parents, and caused Barnabas' betrothed, Josette, to fall off a cliff to her death.

raywest

Question: Why is Peter smiling when Sarah was crying and frightening after Alan tricked her to roll the dice?

Trainman

Answer: He found the trick amusing. It caused her to continue playing the game and that means finishing the game so their problems would go away. Or so he thought at that time.

lionhead

Answer: Earlier in the film Peter uses "reserve psychology" to trick Alan into continuing the game. He then finds it funny when Alan pulls a similar trick on Sarah to force her to play.

Prints Charming - S5-E14

Question: When Carrie points out the photo of Mr. Hofferman playing guitar on a mountain, Doug jokes about him being gay. I don't understand - is this a reference to something?

Answer: While Disney did buy the rights to Star Wars before this episode aired, Kylo Ren was introduced after this episode, so it can't be intentional he looked like Ren. Siths often wore helmets and his helmet bears more resemblance to something a Sith Acolyte would wear, or even Darth Revan's helmet. Which were introduced before Kylo Ren.

Bishop73

Question: What is Brock doing with those guys in the banquet hall before Kara tries to kill Einon?

Question: Why weren't scenes of this movie filmed in chronological order? It is evident when Vernon grabs Harry who wanted to escape into his cupboard with his letter. When Harry shouted at Vernon, his voice sounded much deeper than in all other scenes, indicating that Daniel Radcliffe's voice started changing, thus confirming it to be one of the last, possibly the last scene to be shot. But this scene happens early in the movie, it is one of the first scenes. So why was it shot as one of the last scenes?

Answer: Because almost every film is shot entirely out of order, depending on schedules, availability, efficiency, etc. No point setting up a classroom set for one scene, then taking it all down, then a week later setting it all up again. All related scenes will likely be filmed at the same time. No doubt the likelihood of voices changes wasn't deemed as important as other factors, not least because lines could always be re-recorded and dubbed later.

Jon Sandys

Question: I'm just curious but is it possible to actually kill a member of the Addams family? Fester survives both the bathtub electrocution and the bomb explosion, Pubert can stop the guillotine blade with his bare hand, and in the first film Pugsley willingly lets Wednesday electrocute him with no apparent ill-effects.

Answer: They can be killed. In the first movie, Morticia talks about several relatives who were murdered, and the whole family seems pretty scared when they're strapped in the electric chairs. They're hard core and lucky, but not immortal.

Brian Katcher

Answer: They originate as a cartoon (1938). So they are basically immortal cartoon characters like the Looney Tunes.

lionhead

Answer: I believe it was mentioned in an issue of Wizard Magazine that the show was cancelled because of low ratings, and reportedly the show's creative shift in the second season had a part to play in the low ratings, as the changes alienated fans.

Phaneron

Question: When Eli pushes his sword into the main hijacker in the road (the one whose hand he cut off), it looks like he whispers something into his ear. The hijacker had just asked Eli who he was. Anyone have any ideas?

Answer: He prays for him.

Answer: He was intelligent enough to find good spot to shoot him, not to mention that everybody was focused on something else.

Question: Why did Gandalf beat Denethor with his staff after Denethor told the troops to flee for their lives?

Answer: Because Denethor had lost his mind and the defenders of the city needed to prepare for battle, not be convinced by the steward to leave their posts.

lionhead

Question: Who was the person on the YouTube video crying and why did the individual say to leave Britney alone?

Answer: He's Chris Crocker. In 2007, he made the YouTube video talking about everything Britney Spears had gone through, and he felt the media and people were ganging up on her and making fun of her, and he ended up breaking down and crying "leave Britney alone." It was thrown in the movie since the movie was making fun of Spears.

Bishop73

Question: Why can't Mr Potato Head just bring back Woody anyway Instead of leaving him at Sid's when he refuses after what he did to Buzz? Didn't he even notice that Andy was upset and wanted Woody back too?

Trainman

Answer: When Buzz was given to Andy, this made Woody jealous as at the time he was Andy's favorite toy. Then Buzz shows up with pop out wings, karate action, a helmet that opens while making a whoosh sound and a light that made a noise like a laser going off and Andy was spending more time with him and even redecorating his room with Buzz Lightyear stuff. Even the other toys grew to like Buzz quickly. After pushing Buzz out the window in a jealous rage, the others got angry at Woody. When Mr. Potato Head saw Woody over at Sid's house, he felt that Woody deserved it for his horrible treatment of Buzz and hoped that Sid would do something evil to Woody as he does to all toys. At that point, we don't know if we ever see Mr. Potato Head realizing how upset Andy is over losing Woody. The only one who recognizes this is Bo Peep when she sees Andy's mom giving Andy the cowboy hat he always wears.

But Woody also DIDN'T push Buzz out the window; it was an accident and nobody believed him. He's not evil.

Question: When Grey questions Walker about calling children services, why did she keep asking Walker if he did call them? Grey wanted a yes or no from him but, every answer Walker gave was pretty much his way of saying yes.

Answer: He knew if he said, no, it would have been a lie. He tried to answer in a way that would not make him sound like a villain.

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