Question: What are the differences (specific scenes/shots) in the Japanese version of the movie that were left out or changed in the American release?
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Question: Was Legolas at the Battle of the Last Alliance with Elrond and Co? He is old enough, and a good enough fighter.
Answer: No one actually knows how old Legolas is, but if he is as old as Peter Jackson says (2,963 yrs I think) then that would mean Legolas would have been born in the beginning of the Third Age; years after the Last Alliance took place. His father, Thranduil, however, did fight in that battle.
Question: The guy who played Livingston (surveillance) in Ocean's Eleven gives Jack a sandwich which is the 'Cadillac of all bolognas'. It doesn't really fit with the rest of the film and has no significance, the character isn't even credited so why is it shown?
Answer: There is an unusual explanation. In the original script, he was Bobby, an yammering snack cart guy that made multiple appearances. He liked to talk about food a lot and pressured people to buy his unusual creations. Eventually, he annoys Bruce to the point where he accidentally turns Bobby into a demon. However, Bruce changes him back after Bruce learns to be more modest. This subplot was considered to be too irrelevant, so it was scrapped later on. They gave Eddie the single line as a consolation prize, basically.
Question: I really don't get the whole five point exploding heart thing. How does that work? I know it's not supposed to be realistic. But if your heart really explodes after five steps, could you not just stand still? Or get a wheelchair? Can anyone explain what it's supposed to do, its origins (or just Tarantino's reason behind it) and if it is logical in any way?
Answer: There are an infinite stories about ancient martial artists who can kill in unique ways, particularly with light touches or pressure points - Tarantino is just playing off these legends. As Bill proves, it is possible to survive for a while by not taking steps (he doesn't die until he stands up and walks away) but the strain of rolling a wheelchair under one's own power would probably serve the same result, so one would be forced to rely on others for any kind of movement. The strain of maintaining such minimal action for a any period of time would also be telling on a person, and it would still perform the function that the attacker wanted: to stop the person from fighting. Tarantino is using it to show that the Bride knows some things that Bill does not, probably because she was a better/more respectful student, and this strike represents the ultimate in Pai Mei's knowledge. As to the logical aspect, there is a window of a fraction of a second in every heartbeat: if one strikes in that window, one can stop the heart. So, theoretically, it's possible, and who can say?
Question: This is something that covers the whole of the Star Wars films, but is most noticeable on this film. There is life on Endor, which means there is an atmosphere. Why then, do none of the spaceships entering this atmosphere show any signs of heating as they pass through it?
Answer: It's most likely to do with the fact that the ships in the films enter the atmosphere in a highly controlled manner, unlike our ships, which, to all intents and purposes, simply fall through the atmosphere, using atmospheric friction to slow themselves down, causing the intense heat buildup - Star Wars ships don't need to do that. The other factor is that the majority of ships in the Star Wars universe have shields of one sort or another - these may have some effect in dispersing any possible heat buildup.
Answer: I don't think we ever see a ship in the actual moment it penetrates a planet's atmosphere, it's always shortly before or after.
Question: I'm slightly confused about the naked couple and their role in movie making. Are they the nude scene body double stand-ins for the actual actors, or are they there to prepare lighting and camera angles before the real actors come in and film the scene?
Answer: They are standing in for the actors while the camera angles and lighting are set up, so that the real actors don't have to sit around for a long time while everything gets ready. When the actual filming begins, the doubles swap with the real actor/actress.
Question: How come Bobby wasn't hurt when Rogue kissed him?
Answer: Rogue is developing some elementary control over her power, but it's not completely effective by any means and is still strongly tied to strong emotional states. So she can hold off for a little bit on the first kiss, but later (with more intense emotion) she starts to drain him.
Question: I was wondering if anyone could tell me what the words are to the song in the Duloc information booth? I have been trying to figure them out for ages, but the words aren't clear enough, and I can't check subtitles because I have the tape, not the DVD.
Answer: Welcome to Duloc, such a perfect town. Here we have some rules, let us lay them down. Don't make waves, stay in line and we'll get along fine. Duloc is a perfect place. Please keep off of the grass, Shine your shoes, wipe your ... face. Duloc is, Duloc is, Duloc is a per-fect plaaaaaaace.
Question: Is there any truth in the rumors that there is a subliminal message in the movie for American Express?
Chosen answer: Well if there is it's too subliminal to notice - so no.
Question: There is a humorous scene in which we cut to a classroom and Beatrix's name is called, to which she responds she is present. I thought it was funny, but what was it's significance? Where was it from? Was it an homage shot, or just a joke?
Answer: It is just to show that Beatrix Kiddo really is the name of "The Bride". It would not have the same effect if the teacher had called the name and you would see an unknown little girl answer.
Answer: It's homage to the Woody Allen movie, Annie Hall. He plays a comedy writer who reminiscences about his childhood classmates. In the flashback, he is his adult self in a classroom of children.
Question: What happened to Kelly and Jessie in the episodes with Tori? Can someone explain what went on there.
Answer: As far as I can tell Jessie and Kelly decided to leave the show because their contracts were up and they wanted to pursue other things. But there were still episodes of Saved by the Bell left to tape so Tori came along to fill that void. Jessie and Kelly were supposedly still at Bayside, but they were "off-screen." The Graduation episode was filmed before Kelly and Jessie left the show.
Question: In the lift, when the Tech Support guy is explaining to Tom Cruise what happened to him, we see scenes from several movies. Which movies are they? Was one of them "To Kill a Mockingbird"?
Answer: Yes, one was "To Kill a Mockingbird." The other was "Jules and Jim," a French film from 1961.
Question: After Donnie has gone back to the start of the loop, he lets himself be hit by the jet engine, presumably to save Gretchen, Frank and everyone else whose life he screwed up in the alternate future. What I don't understand is, since he knows what's going to happen and can see the path (literally) in front of him, why doesn't he try to change it? If he knew what was coming he could save Gretchen without dying himself.
Chosen answer: There are a couple reasons. One, the whole timeloop where Gretchen dies is the result of him surviving the jet engine incident. If he were to survive it, everything will happen again including Gretchen's death. He gave himself up for her. The other reason could be, that he is happy and not sure if it is a dream, so he just lets it happen (this is said in the commentary).
Question: When Stanley is driving the old banger of a car he got while his was being fixed, it is running very badly, but you see it keeps braking and the tyres screech. Why would the car keep braking like that?
Chosen answer: Its just a sound effect. A car can brake like that if it has worn, uneven pads.
Question: Is this movie related (ie producer, director) to the Austin Powers films? The main character's name is Scotty, and the old lady in the confessional is from Austin Powers.
Answer: There doesn't appear to be any significant overlap. Scott is hardly an uncommon name and seeing an actress from one film in another isn't exactly uncommon either - neither implies any greater link.
Question: Do Rose and Cal ever sleep together? I've heard that they don't, but in one scene Cal says something like, "There's nothing I won't deny you if you don't deny me tonight," and we don't see how she responds. And in the scene where Cal blows up at her at breakfast, he says "You're my wife in practice if not yet in name, so you will honor me." That's pretty suggestive.
Chosen answer: When he says at breakfast "wife in practice" he's saying that yes, they indeed sleep together which is also why she isn't hesitant about sleeping with Jack so quickly. She obviously was not a virgin.
Question: I have seen the movie three times, and I still don't get it...why does Mort Rainey try to hide the fact that he smokes?
Answer: Mort doesn't smoke, but Shooter does.
Answer: Actually Mort does smoke He does it when he's stressed out.
Answer: Particularly in America, within one generation smoking has moved from a very widespread convention to a habit viewed as filthy and unseemly. Thus, many people hide their smoking from others to avoid this prejudice.
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Answer: The American version was cut a bit more heavily during the "88" scenes. Additionally, the Black and White is absent in the Japanese version.
Sol Parker