Question: Why does Christine unmask the phantom at the end of singing "Past the Point of No Return"?
Sereenie
23rd Sep 2011
The Phantom of the Opera (2004)
14th Dec 2010
General questions
I'm looking for the name of a movie that, forgive me it's all I can remember, a horse being divided by several sheets of glass which spread apart and the horse is still alive. Does anyone have any ideas?
Chosen answer: The Cell, starring Jennifer Lopez and Vincent d'Onofrio. See http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0209958/.
21st Nov 2010
General questions
Trying to remember a movie, hope you can help. I only ever saw the movie on TV, I believe in the 80s, it was usually showing on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Set in a huge mansion with very ornate decor (lots of wood, chandeliers and thick carpeting). Guests who are very peculiar have been invited for an overnight dinner. I don't think they know who invited them. They arrive two by two, couples or maybe even a mother/daughter, and they settle into their individual rooms. House may be haunted but it's not scary at all, more of a dark comedy. It's not until dinner they see who the host is. The characters are very over the top, odd and exaggerated. They might even be thinking someone is going to murder them, or someone was murdered and they don't know who it was (this is only a vague recollection, might not be right). I believe the entire movie takes place over just one evening. I can't think of anything else that sticks out and I can't remember anyone who's in it. I think it was really long but that may just be my memory of it. Don't know if any of this can help name the movie.
14th Aug 2010
Inception (2010)
10th Aug 2010
Les Visiteurs (1993)
Question: Béatrice is speaking a peculiar French accent (copied also with another actor on Les Visiteurs II). It sounds like extreme version of Canadian or Swiss Geneva region French. Which accent is this and why was it so important to carry on tio the sequel?
Chosen answer: Valérie Lemercier's accent sounds nothing like Canadian French. It is a posh bourgeoisie accent such as would be heard in towns like Neuilly.
19th Jan 2010
The Phantom of the Opera (2004)
Question: This question might sound odd, but how has La Carlotta become so successful if a lot of people don't like her voice very much (as seen when she sings "Think of Me" before Christine tries)?
Answer: The fact that the "in the know" people don't like her doesn't mean that she doesn't have a huge public and make a killing at the box office. On top of that, she was their "Diva." She may not have necessarily had many fans (in some versions they comment that there were no refunds, with Christine singing). Therefore, it can be assumed that given that she was the Diva if she didn't get her way, things would be bad on their end. Likely why her husband (who also did not sing well, due to his deep accent) was another main role in all the operas. They may have also thought there was nobody else who could handle the main roles. It takes a strong person to take on so many lines. And you need to project your voice, which heaven knows she had a loud one.
30th Nov 2009
2012 (2009)
9th Oct 2009
The Phantom of the Opera (2004)
Question: The Phantom refers to himself as Christine's "angel of music" in the song called "The Mirror". How did he know that Christine thought her father would send her an angel? Did he know her father?
Answer: As shown in the movie, Christine has spent time praying in the chapel as a child. It would not be unexpected for a child of such a young age to literally speak to her dead father in such situations, mentioning his promise in the process, thus allowing the Phantom to hear about it. In the book, though, it is understood that Mr. Daaé and the Phantom knew each other. By sending his daughter to the Opéra populaire after his death, he might have wanted the Phantom to look over her.
8th Sep 2009
The Phantom of the Opera (2004)
Question: What does the Phantom mean when he refers to Raoul as a "slave of fashion" (in the scene before the "Phantom of the Opera" song)?
31st Aug 2009
The Phantom of the Opera (2004)
Question: Madame Giry has history with the Phantom but she still seems to be frightened by him and wont let Meg go to his lair. Would the Phantom actually harm either of them?
Chosen answer: Mme Giry is afraid of him because while she is his friend and his willing means of communication with the outside world, she knows full well of what he's capable. But unless she betrayed him, it's unlikely he'd harm her as she's the only friend he's ever known. And he would have no more reason to hurt Meg than he would anyone else: if she doesn't get in the way of his plans, she's safe. If her mother prevents her from going to the lair, it only because of the violence that will take place there momentarily.
Answer: I have always thought it was because he has set many automatic traps along the passageway, which only he knows fully how to avoid. The "hand at the level of your eyes" warning was to prevent automated nooses from capturing you.
27th Aug 2009
The Time Traveler's Wife (2009)
Question: Why can't Henry save his mother from being in the car crash? Couldn't he have warned her when they met on the subway?
Answer: He could have had Claire distract her long enough to delay her car ride and miss the accident.
Answer: Of course not. Why would she listen to him? He's a total stranger. And if he tells her he's her time-travelling son, she'll think he's a nutjob to boot. It's well-established in the book that he tried everything to save her but could never do so, which made him recognise a well-accepted convention of time-travelling lore: big past events can never be changed. Diana Gabaldon wrote an excellent and extensive essay on time-travelling laws, which is probably still available somewhere on the Internet.
31st Jul 2009
The Phantom of the Opera (2004)
Question: Why did the Phantom always ask for Box 5 to be open for him? I know he wanted to watch the play from it, but if someone wanted to find him (after the trouble he causes to make Christine the star of the plays), they would know exactly where to look for him during any play.
Answer: In Gaston Leroux's novel, box 5 has in its wall a secret passageway with special acoustic properties that allows him to watch shows without being seen while remaining hidden. That is why he picked that box and no one ever sees him in it. Legend even has it that a column in box 5 of the actual Opéra Garnier rings hollow when you knock on it.
29th Jul 2009
General questions
14th Jun 2009
The Phantom of the Opera (2004)
Question: How does the Phantom get his salary? I know he tells Firmin, "Send it care of the Ghost by return of post," but what exactly does this mean? And also, what does he do with his salary?
Answer: Mme Giry acts as the intermediary. She brings the notes, so sending the money by return of post means the money should be given to her to pass it on. As for what he does with it, the luxury of his clothing and lair bears witness that he doesn't pile it. He spends it on anything that will bring beauty around him, whether it's a wig, a mask, clothes, furniture or anything else. And it wouldn't be surprising if a few bribes weren't given here and there.
6th Nov 2008
Timeline (2003)
Question: When Kate and Chris are in the tunnel (in 1357), Kate tells one of the monks to go tell Arnaut. When did Kate know of the existence of Arnaut, as they had yet to meet?
Answer: Kate is an archaeologist who,d been studying the castle's history for quite a while. She knows the protagonists and who's in charge.
6th Nov 2008
The Ninth Gate (1999)
Question: Would the gas station still be called Shell and not the French word? Also, do they drive on the same side of car and street in France?
Answer: Shell is a Dutch petroleum company that may be better known in Europe than in America - its logo is the same worldwide. French cars have the steering wheel on the left, and you drive on the right in France.
26th Feb 2008
Death Note (2006)
Question: Does anyone know when the release date for the DVD is in the UK?
Answer: According to AnimeonDVD.com, there is still nothing planned, though the first volume of the manga is coming out on April 28. See http://www.animeondvd.com/forum/showpost.php?pid/311465/ for further DVD release updates.
10th Feb 2008
National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007)
Question: Why was Thomas Gates' name on that page?
Answer: Gates' name was added by Wilkinson to get Ben to do all the work in finding the treasure (as that would prove Thomas's innocence).
I disagree, Gate's name was always on the page. Presumably the investigation of the page would have revealed that it was a recent addition not a contemporary part of the text if this were not the case. Perhaps a simpler explanation is just that the conspirators needed to consult gates due to his deciphering skills, hence his name on the page, which explains the name "mastermind" as well.
Thomas Gates was on the page listed as "Artifex" which just means a practitioner of a craft. Mitch tries to say it's a "mastermind" but that's not 100% true, it could be but also just an expert at something. The museum curator who says, "we'll have this authenticated" was paid off by Mitch, so Mitch could very well have added the name and the curator lied.
Mitch says in the movie that adding Thomas's name to the page was the only thing he could think of to get Ben "in on the hunt." He says it at the end of the movie when he is apologizing for smearing Ben's "great great granddaddy's" good name.
Why does finding the treasure prove Thomas Gates' innocence anyway?
10th Nov 2007
General questions
Why are there no images of the french film actress Cecil Aubrey available anywhere?
Answer: It's because her name is spelled Cécile Aubry. Plenty available if you search by that name.
12th Aug 2007
The Simpsons (1989)
Question: In one of the episodes with clip shows, Troy McClure said that there would be a little green alien that only Homer could see and hear. I know this was a joke, but has the alien ever appeared in any other episodes?
Answer: No, this refers to "The Flintstones," in which Fred occasionally saw such an alien.
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Chosen answer: Because at that point, as unlikely as it seems, pretty much everybody else thought that was still Piangi (whom the Phantom killed just before replacing him). Since Christine has been used as a lure, she had to show the others that he was there.
Sereenie