When scenes take place in restaurants, a character will occasionally order something like "the chicken", "the salmon", or "the steak." In my experience, most restaurants have more than one option that involves chicken, steak, etc. Is there a reason for doing this on-camera, or have I just not found such a restaurant?
raywest
17th Apr 2024
General questions
Answer: Totally agree with the other answer but would add that movie scenes are filmed multiple times over many hours or even several days to get the best result. In a restaurant scene, if an order is being served, it's easier with simpler food, like a T-bone steak, that won't make a mess, spill, smell, or wilt under hot lights. It also keeps the audience from being distracted by hearing some fancy menu item being ordered and then wondering what it is. Realistic-looking prop food may also be used, so simpler is better, easier, and more efficient.
21st Apr 2024
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Question: On Cloud City, why did Vader surprise Han and the others in a dining room? Lando says that the Imperials arrived before Han's group. But they've had time for Leia to change clothes, change her hair style, and for her to ask people about C3PO when he is missing.
Answer: No answer is given. Maybe Vader needed more time to negotiate with Lando and wanted to ensure the group would feel "safe" and then be caught off guard. It's more about plotting, though. The scene is constructed to build suspense and doubt. Han thinks the friendly and charming Lando is trustworthy, but Leia is wary, especially after C3PO disappears. The group, and the audience, are lulled into believing Lando is an ally, then are taken by surprise when Vader is revealed and Lando's true character and motive is exposed.
21st Apr 2024
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Question: Ron's wand gets broken, and for the rest of the year, he has to use it even though it doesn't cast spells properly. Why doesn't the school just get Ron a new wand? His parents can't afford one because of how expensive they must be, but surely one of the teachers could take him to Ollivander's and help him get another one.
Answer: I agree with what RayWest said. Another possible factor is that Ron damaged his wand when the flying car crashed into the Whomping Willow, which upsets the Hogwarts staff and Ron's parents. I can imagine Mrs. Weasley wanting him to deal with the consequences of his actions for the rest of the school year.
Good point, and Ron, in addition to being in trouble with the school, also got his father into hot water with the Ministry of Magic over the flying car. I can't imagine, after all that, Ron asking for a new wand. I doubt he even told his parents that he broke it, which would further anger them.
Answer: It's not the school's responsibility to provide equipment for students. It can be humiliating for a student and the family to receive charity. It also sets a precedent for Hogwarts having to supply any number of things for students, and creates a situation where they could be taken advantage of. Realistically, this is a book plot point. It may not be logical, but the story would not play out and end as it does if Ron had a proper wand.
21st Apr 2024
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Question: Han wants to leave the Rebels because Jabba the Hutt still has a bounty on him. Why not stay and be protected by a large group of friends? Safety in numbers, basically.
Answer: There may be safety in numbers, but Han is not going to put his comrades' lives in danger to protect himself. He also doesn't want the bounty hanging over his head, or be constantly on guard for an ambush. The longer he waits to pay it off, the greater the consequences, which is what eventually happened. He wanted to pay it and be done. This also shows Han choosing to come back and help his friends win the battle.
21st Apr 2024
Jaws (1975)
Question: In real life, would it have been possible for a fully-grown great white shark to smash through the metal cage that Hooper was in like it does in the movie, or is that just Hollywood nonsense?
Answer: Most shark cages are reliably safe and strong enough to withstand sharks chomping the bars or butting into them. Of course, individual cage quality is an issue and there have been instances of sharks getting jammed into the cage and destroying it as they attempted to free themselves. In the movie, the fictional premise is that "Jaws" is an exceptionally large and powerful shark that can demolish a cage other sharks could not damage.
17th Apr 2024
The Village (2004)
Question: Ivy says some people have a colour. Do you think Noah had a colour and she knew it was him in the woods? If so, did she intentionally let him die knowing he may have killed the man she loves?
Answer: Don't disagree with the other answer, but Ivy could have sensed it was Noah. While Ivy claimed to "see" someone's color, more likely she recognized people by their individual sounds, smells, movements, etc. which she interpreted as their "color." She knew Noah attacked Lucius and, in his unstable state, might kill her. She knew the "monsters" were fake and no-one else had a motive to harm her. I don't think she intended to let Noah die. She was protecting herself and could do little to save him once he fell into the pit.
Answer: From what I recall, there's nothing in the movie to indicate that this is the case.
8th Apr 2024
The First Omen (2024)
Question: In The Omen, it is stated that Damien's father is Satan and his mother was a jackal. However, in this film, it is shown that his mother is Maragaret Daino and she was impregnated by some demon-jackal hybrid. Am I missing something, or is this an inconsistency?
Answer: You're not missing anything. The original film was almost 50 years ago. The modern-day filmmakers just changed plot details to suit the prequel story and create the character and backstory of Damien's birth mother. This is not unusual for a film franchise or relaunch. It's different directors, writers, and producers who have a different vision or change things to fit a different time.
19th Mar 2024
General questions
What exactly is the "lowest common denominator" audience? I've heard people say this when they think a movie or show is bad - that it was made for the "lowest common denominator." But why would studios/networks deliberately make something that the majority of people will not like?
Answer: It's actually the reverse - the lowest common denominator audience is meant to be the simplest, least demanding, lowest-expectations audience. Basically an audience that might want some special effects or a generic sexy plot, without being that bothered about creativity, artistic merit, etc. The broad idea is that that covers quite a large section of the population, just not a "highbrow" section. It's often applied to films or shows that might have a high commercial appeal (but not always) but get low critical ratings. Some/all of the Transformers films might fall into this category, for example. The people who like them really like them, but a lot of people don't, and they don't get good reviews, but still make a lot of money.
There is also a segment of "guilty pleasure" viewers. Unlike the lowest common denominator, they claim to be aware that a movie/show is poor quality, however, they get a smug satisfaction from watching. Low-budget thriller movies and "trashy" reality shows are good examples. Many people will watch those "ironically" and believe that they are superior to the audience ("I'm smart enough to know better"). Networks probably have these viewers in mind, too.
Totally agree with your assessment, but would add that many moviegoers often prefer familiar and predictable plots because they think they've figured everything out, know "who did it," who gets the girl or boy, that the hero will save the day, and so on, without realizing it's the same story over and over. I have friends who prefer one or two types of movies (romantic comedies for women and action/superhero movies for guys) where they don't have to think too hard about the plot and want a predetermine outcome. Hollywood knows what audiences like, do test screenings for audience reaction, often change endings based on feedback, and formulate what makes the most money. Familiar plots are continually rehashed, knowing what sells to the widest audience. It's unfortunate as creativity and innovation is squashed for formulaic, profit-motivated projects.
27th Mar 2024
The Patriot (2000)
Question: Kind of a weird and random question, but is there any significance to when Colonel Tavington takes off his helmet in the church?
Answer: It's unknown, but even though he enters the church on horseback to intimidate the people inside, he may believe it's respecting God. It may also be something that a military officer automatically does when indoors. Also, men usually remove their hats once inside a building, mostly as a curtesy. A hat is protection for the outdoors, so once inside, no real reason to keep it on. He may be more comfortable talking without the chin strap, or he wants to be seen by the people he is threatening. It could be any number of reasons.
I've done a bit of research about the "not wearing a hat/helmet indoors" rule, since I've been curious about it before. People actually can't agree on single original meaning of this. One popular belief is that keeping your hat on makes it seem like you don't want to stay there long. It's polite to act like you are in no hurry and would love to stay a while. Or, keeping a hat on might create a feeling of distance, as if you want to be emotionally/mentally separated from the others.
26th Mar 2024
Finding Nemo (2003)
Question: Just out of curiosity, but if the rotating fan would be jammed in a fish tank in real life and the tank would get dirty, would the fish still be able to breathe? Especially if it took a day or two to get the filter fixed? Could they even survive in a filthy tank? I hope this makes sense since I don't know how these things work, nor have had one in my life.
Answer: Algae is just a natural plant and isn't harmful to fish. It even adds to the overall tank health, though most aquarists prefer a "sparkling clean" look. What is dangerous is if the aeration in the tank is cut off. The fish will quickly suffocate. Goldfish are hardier and can survive longer, but tropical saltwater fish would likely die within a few hours.
26th Mar 2024
Forbidden Planet (1956)
Question: With such an advanced ship and a crew of highly trained specialists, why would they need the services of a human cook? Wouldn't an automated chef do the same work and save the resources required for such an unnecessary position?
Answer: This is a lightweight, unsophisticated 1950s sci-fi movie with little thought to scientific accuracy. Space travel wasn't possible at this time and most people had little knowledge of what that would entail. Screenwriters just "improvised." The movie was meant as pure entertainment with a humor-infused plot. The "cook" is just a comic-relief character.
21st Mar 2024
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993)
Question: Whenever Clark uses his X-ray vision, why does he lower his glasses? Lowering them when he uses heat vision is understandable but there's no need to do it when Clark uses X-ray vision.
Answer: I don't recall if it was ever mentioned in an episode, but it's possible that the frames and/or lenses of his glasses are lined with lead, the one compound his X-ray vision can't penetrate. Speculative, of course, but it likely would have been done at a point in his youth when he wasn't in complete control of his powers.
21st Mar 2024
The World, the Flesh and the Devil (1959)
Question: Why isn't one dead pigeon, dog, or other wildlife shown in the streets of New York? And at the end, the three survivors walk away and a flock of birds flies off. Where did the birds come from? It's doubtful they were underground or in a shelter.
Answer: If some humans survived, then animals could as well. Birds, being able to fly, could have escaped the radioactive cloud before it became inert. For the rest, IMHO, this is a 1950s, low-budget movie. Cheap production values, little attention to detail, and no CGI made for a "no frills" set design that lacked realistic things like dead animals or human corpses. There were also stricter rules and standards about what could and could not be shown in movies. Showing rotting corpses may have been considered unsuitable or distracting. It could also be argued that the filmmakers wanted to create a visual image that humanity is restarting from a "blank slate."
12th Mar 2024
Blood Diamond (2006)
Question: Why did the rebels drug the child soldiers?
2nd Mar 2024
Midsommar (2019)
23rd Feb 2024
Ronin (1998)
Question: What is the most likely explanation for what was in the case?
Answer: There's no way of knowing what was in the case. It is a plot device called a "MacGuffin," a term coined by director Alfred Hitchcock. It doesn't actually matter what the object is but is just something that drives the story. It can be any type of object or device such as a "secret formula," "enemy war plans," a "nuclear weapon," a "treasure map," and so on that the characters are either searching for or protecting. There was never any intention to reveal what it was. Its purpose is to motivate the characters' actions and tell the story. Most likely it was intended to be a McGuffin just to keep the audience guessing and thinking about the movie long after it ends.
27th Feb 2024
Gilmore Girls (2000)
Question: Loreli got pregnant at 16 and takes off for a long time. Why didn't Emily and Richard report her as a missing person? If not, go find her yourself. Or even just check up on her if she is safe wherever she is. They had money, also a private investigator maybe?
27th Feb 2024
Hulk (2003)
Question: Is it true that Nick Nolte had problems with alcohol when making this movie?
Answer: Yes. While making the movie, he was arrested for drunk driving.
Answer: To add to the other answer, this is from Wikipedia: Nolte had struggled with substance abuse for the majority of his adult life and had begun abusing alcohol at an early age. After remaining sober for nearly 10 years, he resumed drinking in the late 1990s. Following his 2002 arrest, he again stopped drinking.
27th Feb 2024
Matlock (1986)
27th Feb 2024
Troy (2004)
Question: Why did Diane Kruger dislike Peter O'Toole?
Answer: Someone ordering food isn't particularly interesting. "I'll have the t-bone steak, medium well, with a baked potato—hold the chives—and broccoli" would slow down the movie's pacing more than "I'll have the steak."
Brian Katcher