Question: When Will says, "Well, I haven't quite figured that part out yet," is he answering Achoo's question or referring to his botched attempt at sheathing his daggers? I'm inclined to believe that it's the latter; it seems to fit both of them.
Zwn Annwn
7th Apr 2009
Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)
3rd Jan 2009
Armageddon (1998)
Question: Why would NASA spend weight and expenses on making the cabin of the armadillo pressurised?
Chosen answer: The cabin of the armadillo was always going to be pressurized. A person really can't perform the work needed in a space suit. Therefore, they presurize the cabin.
3rd Jun 2008
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Question: Gandalf doesn't need his staff to do magic, or does he?
Answer: This is difficult to answer. Tolkien, in the books, appears to tie the use of magic to the staff. There are several times that staffs are lost or broken and it is inferred that the Maia (the race, if you will, of wizards) is lessened by it. However, Gandalf is able to defeat the Balrog after he lost his staff at the chasm in Khazad Dhun. To do that, he needed his powers although he died in the process. So it doesn't seem that he absolutely needs his staff to do magic, but it certainly helps.
8th May 2008
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)
Question: Can someone tell me what the movie was that the McCallister family were watching in the hotel right before they received the call about Kevin being found?
Answer: They were watching "It's A Wonderful Life" in Spanish. It's a play on Home Alone 1, when they were watching the same movie in French while waiting to hear about Kevin.
8th May 2008
Iron Man (2008)
Question: When Tony gets the shrapnel in the chest, he first pulls apart his shirt, then pulls apart something black and sees the holes in his chest. Is the black thing an undershirt, or some sort of bullet proof vest?
Answer: It's a flak jacket that didn't work as well as he would have liked.
23rd Feb 2008
Smokey and the Bandit (1977)
Question: What did the trooper mean when he said, "Didn't you know this ain't Saturday"? It always makes me wonder.
Answer: The trooper on the motorcycle had just landed in the water. In older days, the typical day to take a bath, wash hair, etc. was Saturday. The trooper in the car (once he saw the motorcycle trooper was okay and wet) just made a joke about him taking a bath.
Answer: I think the trooper makes this joke in reference to Evel Knievel, a popular performer of the day. His shows, which prominently featured motorcycle stunts (particularly jumping) usually occurred on the weekends (i.e. Saturday).
18th Feb 2008
Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
Question: Is it actually explained in the movie why Willard Whyte is in hiding?
Answer: If you mean by hiding - why is he never seen normally - then it's because he is a recluse and doesn't like to be seen in public (like Howard Hughes was). If you mean by hiding - why was he not seen during the movie - then it's because he was being held captive by Blofeld and his minions. Spectre didn't want him out and about ruining their plans.
6th Mar 2007
The Mask (1994)
Question: Is it true that Cameron Diaz's bra was stuffed with tissue paper (or other material) to make her chest look bigger?
Answer: She's never admitted to stuffing the bra but it is known that she had a significantly padded one from Frederick's of Hollywood to make her look curvier.
28th Jun 2007
The Illusionist (2006)
Question: Can you see the gemstones missing from the royal sword after Eisenheim holds it and secretly steals them? If you can still see them then Sophie must have taken them when The Crown Prince was passed out in the stable but I don't know which it is without seeing the scene.
Answer: You never see the sword closely enough to notice if Eisenheim took them during the performance. It is likely that he did not since this was a bit early in his planning (if he had started at all) and the Crown Prince could easily have noticed and replaced them or investigated that they were stolen. It is more likely than Sophie took them after the Crown Prince was passed out and then planted the green one in the stable and the red one in the folds of her dress.
Answer: I'm no expert but I honestly thought the sword was wedged in a gap in the floor by the tip of the blade and slight pressure of foot on the floorboards would have clenched 2 boards together around the sword tip and then when the pressure released the sword comes out but the 2 sides of the floor boards slice one of the jewels off! Lol when you look at the floor with the tip of the sword there's a kind of optical illusion with the woodwork pattern but I'm probably completely wrong but I thoroughly enjoy the film it is truly magic the whole thing for me anyway. Greetings from Middle Earth.
20th Dec 2007
The Illusionist (2006)
24th Jan 2008
Independence Day (1996)
Question: When Julius and David are in the White House on their way to meet the President, Julius is mentioning he should have worn a tie. He then said he looks like a "schlemiel". What did he mean by this? What is a schlemiel?
Chosen answer: Essentially a shlemiel is a clumsy bungler or an inept person according to the Yiddish on-line dictionary. It's saying since he is not wearing a tie, he looks inept or dopey in that situation.
16th Jan 2008
General questions
A film made in the 70' about a man whose leg get cut off with a machine on the farm. He goes on to becomes a high jumper with one leg.
Chosen answer: The movie is "Crossbar" - made in 1979 starring John Ireland and Brent Carver.
3rd Jan 2008
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
Question: Am I mistaken or does Malfoy mean Bad Dragon?
Answer: According to Language Realm - Malfoy can be taken as "mal" and "foi" or translated to "bad faith or evil belief". Draco, of course, is akin to the Greek "drakon" for dragon. So where Draco refers to a dragon, the name Malfoy itself, does not mean Bad Dragon - but Bad Faith (which in itself makes sense in the Rowling realm).
15th Dec 2007
The Karate Kid (1984)
Question: This is in regards to the tournament in this movie and in part 3. Is it compatible to tournaments in real life? In real life, are they physically hitting each other or do they pull back on their punches? What do they do in the tournaments in both movies that is not allowed in a real life tournament?
Chosen answer: Without knowing the exact style of karate, it is impossible to answer. I perform in martial arts tournaments but we wear various protective gear and are prohibited to strike at targets like knees (as in the movie) but are also prohibited from "excessive" contact on legal targets. My brother-in-law, though, does another style - and he won a match by kicking a person so hard he broke ribs and the other participant couldn't continue - so my brother-in-law won the match. Different styles differ. Back in the 70's and 80's "Point sparring" was very popular. This is where the contestants pull their punches only making light contact. This was considered a good skill to have as it taught one control their punches and to learn distance. It was very boring to watch and with the development of safer protective gear point sparring pretty much went away.
1st Aug 2007
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999)
Question: So did Frau convert to lesbianism through the time after being straight with Dr. Evil?
Answer: It appears so since she was with Dr. Evil in 1969 and was with Unibrow (the female golfer) in the present time. She does say (after the time with Dr. Evil), that she would never love another man again - to which he replies - "That's right", referring, of course, to her future sexual preferences.
12th Aug 2007
The Andy Griffith Show (1960)
Question: In "Barney's First Car", what was the thing that came out of the steering wheel?
Answer: It is supposed to be part of the steering column. It was actually put there for comic relief.
16th Sep 2007
Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
24th Aug 2007
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Question: I heard somewhere (quite possibly on this site) that there were references to the chapter names of the book in this movie. Could someone tell me where these references are?
Chosen answer: This is from the Encyclopedia of Arda: At least three of the chapter titles from the book have made it into the film, as part of the dialogue. Look out for 'a long-expected party' (the title of chapter I 1), 'a short cut to mushrooms' (chapter I 4) and 'the bridge of Khazad-dûm (chapter II 5). Gandalf also uses the phrase 'riddles in the dark', which is the title of the chapter in The Hobbit that sees Bilbo acquire the Ring.
12th Aug 2007
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Question: How did Gollum know Bilbo's name and where he lived ("Shire! Baggins!") when Bilbo just picked up the ring in Gollum's cave? In "The Hobbit" Bilbo meets Gollum, they talk (Bilbo reveals his name and where he lives), and then Bilbo takes the ring after playing a game of riddles with him. Are we to presume that the game of riddles has taken place when Bilbo finds the ring in this movie?
Chosen answer: Bilbo finding the Ring in "The Fellowship" movie is a flashback to happenings from "The Hobbit." Bilbo actually found the Ring and had the riddle game with Gollum about 50 years prior to the happenings in "The Fellowship". Therefore, Bilbo didn't actually find the Ring in "The Fellowship of the Ring" story.
28th Jul 2007
Sahara (2005)
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Chosen answer: The latter - he hasn't figured out yet how to sheathe his daggers without cutting his belt holding up his pants.
Zwn Annwn