Question: What is the alternate ending and start to this film as shown on the DVD version?
Chosen answer: In the alternate beginning, Richard is sitting in front of the large Buddha statue when a taxi driver stops and prompts him to take a ride with him. He explains that they celebrate New Year's by spraying each other with water guns, and gives one to Richard. While riding in the taxi, Richard sprays others and gets sprayed, having a lot of fun. It ends when Richard enters the "mall" where he will eventually meet the guy who offers him to drink the snake blood in the regular movie beginning. In the alternate ending, Sal turns the gun on herself and commits suicide. It ends by having a large ship rescue all of them when they're stranded at sea, banned from the island. The final words by Richard are something to the effect of "I have a lot of scars," which from what I recall is the actual ending of the novel by Alex Garland.
Question: Throughout the film you can see that Tank, played by Dave Power, has funny-looking thin black scars on both cheeks. Was this a makeup effect for the character (and if so, why did they do it), or does the actor really have these scars on his cheeks (and if so, what from)?
Answer: The scars you see on Tank's face are fake, pure makeup. They wanted the character to have a gritty look.
Question: When they are walking through the airport after the near crash, what song and what version of that song is playing in the background?
Chosen answer: "Tiny Dancer" by Elton John.
Question: How, in the year 2000, did this film manage to secure a PG rating? The graphic violence of the final death shown during the vortex scene near the beginning was verging on R-rated.
Answer: There was no actual blood or graphic display.
No graphic display? A man is shown on camera being violently torn to several pieces by high G-forces, and there was indeed blood visible. There's also a scene later in the movie where shrapnel completely pierces the palm of a man's hand, complete with a zero-gravity blood spurt.
I remember watching it for the first time thinking it was a pretty graphic death scene for a PG rated film, but I think it's a stretch to say it was verging on R rated. There isn't that much blood, the guy is in a space suit, and it happens very fast. Studios can lobby the MPAA for what rating they feel the film deserves, and it is likely Disney argued for a lower rating than PG-13, and the MPAA agreed.
Well, by "verging on R-rated," I meant that even in a PG-13 film, that scene would have been pushing the envelope. I would imagine there were a lot of parents at the time who took their young children to see the new Disney film about going to Mars and were not pleased with that scene.
A PG rating does not mean family friendly. A "Parental Guidance" rating warns there may be strong language, sexual content, violence, or graphic images. No one should expect a G-rated Disney film. I watched the "twister" clip on YouTube and wouldn't say it's gruesome. It's not a close-up shot of the rapidly spinning body being pulled apart; it's rather blurred, and there wasn't much blood. I realise it's a matter of opinion regarding what is considered too violent.
Yes, but you're also an adult, and you watched the clip having an idea of what you were about to see. If you read the comments on that clip, you'll see a lot of people saying that scene traumatized them as children. Violence like that from earlier PG films is why the PG-13 rating was later invented, and it just struck me as odd that that was able to get a PG rating in the year 2000.
My point is that parents were (or should have been) aware of the PG rating before taking their children to see it and that it might be unsuitable for younger audiences. It falls upon them to make sure they do not take their children to a film that could contain disturbing scenes. By 2000, movie violence had become far more graphic and mainstream.
Question: This film is called something else in the UK (Deception) because Reindeer Games isn't a phrase used in the UK - what does Reindeer Games mean?
Chosen answer: Originally from the line in the Christmas carol "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer," it has come to mean both (a) any activity from which one is intentionally excluded and (b) tricks undertaken with the point of irritating or harassing the subject - as in: "Oh, they want to play reindeer games with me, do they? Well, I'll show them."
Question: Were the scenes that took place in Mexico actually filmed in Mexico?
Chosen answer: According to the IMDb, there were three Mexican filming locations used, and they are: Tijuana, Nogales and Mexico City.
Question: When Maddie leaves Abe's bedroom (after they shared a quick kiss), he rushes back out and calls her. Why does he call her back? If he wanted to say something to her, why not say it when she was in the room?
Answer: Because he apparently had to work the courage up to say whatever it is he wanted to say. He was conflicted in his feelings for Maddie. He's a priest and isn't supposed to 'want' her the way he does. Catholic priests take a vow of chastity and he was trying to deal with his feelings as a man and his vows as a priest.
Question: According to the IMDB, Peter Tork has an uncredited cameo in this film. Does anyone know where in the movie his cameo is?
Answer: He's in the wizard-looking costume as the suits walk into the studio sound stage.
Answer: He's reportedly in the background during the scene where Kirshner, Harris and Van are discussing the Monkees' Hawaii concert tour.
Answer: The mayor is resistant to any change and tries to subvert any influence that threatens its traditions.
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