MikeH

1st Aug 2017

Gladiator (2000)

24th Jul 2017

Hacksaw Ridge (2016)

Continuity mistake: When the Japanese man at the end stabs himself in the stomach, in one shot we can see there's no knife in his stomach.

MikeH

Revealing mistake: When we see a close-up of a knife being pulled out of a man's stomach, it's obviously a prop knife where the blade goes into the handle, as we can see the end of the blade while it's being pulled out. (01:19:50)

MikeH

7th Jun 2017

Star Wars (1977)

Question: What's wrong with Greedo shooting first? I agree changing it is pretty pointless, but what difference does it make? How does it affect the movie?

MikeH

Chosen answer: This has already been asked and answered on this site, in the past few weeks in fact. But again: It doesn't affect the movie, but it affects the character of Han Solo and how he is meant to be perceived by the audience. If he shoots first, he's an outlaw, a rogue, and, in the classic Western tradition, quicker on the draw than Greedo. If Greedo shoots first, Han is just killing in self-defense, which does nothing for his character and makes the whole scene superfluous, other than establish that people want to kill him.

Answer: Also, Han shooting first places doubts about his motives in the viewer's mind early on. It establishes Han as ruthless, willing to do whatever it takes to survive. Might he turn Luke and Ben over to the Empire if he decides it's in his best interests? But having Greedo shoot first turns Han in to just another generic good guy.

Answer: I mostly agree with the other answers about Han, but his shooting first is integral to the plot and not about showing any ruthlessness. Greedo cornered Han and intended to turn him over to Jabba the Hut to collect the bounty on Han's head. Greedo told Han, while holding him at gun point, that he wanted the money Obi Wan was paying Han, then implied he was going to kill Han before turning his body over to Jabba for the reward. Han's only option was to kill Greedo right then and there. He basically is shooting Greedo in self-defense (or for self-preservation). As well as establishing what his character is like, the scene also serves as exposition that shows Jabba had put a price on Han's head, Greedo was a deadly adversary, that Han leads a dangerous and illegal life, and he was desperate to resolve his dilemma of living under a death sentence.

raywest

As a child of the 70's, I grew up with the notion of Han shooting first. Never gave it much thought, to me he was in a situation of kill or being killed. The debate seemed over a moot point to me.

7th Jun 2017

Raging Bull (1980)

Chosen answer: No. But Jake's paranoia and possessiveness had consumed him to such a degree that he was convinced that he (Joey) had, based on Vickie's impulsive remarks.

19th May 2017

Spy (2015)

Continuity mistake: When the man has a hole burned through his throat, in one shot he has one hand on his stomach and the other by his side, but in the very next shot both hands are on his throat.

MikeH

12th May 2017

Modern Family (2009)

Haley's 21st Birthday - S6-E10

Plot hole: The family mistakenly believes Hayley will be having her first drink. However, there were several instances in earlier episodes where they saw her drinking or drunk, or she admitted she'd been drinking. For example, in the episode "Arrested", the family drove down to bail her out of jail for underage drinking, and they saw the video footage, and the family members who didn't go were informed of the situation.

MikeH

27th Feb 2017

Fargo (1996)

22nd Feb 2017

The Dark Knight (2008)

Question: Why did Gordon say he wanted Lau alive but The Joker either way? Shouldn't they try to take them both alive and only kill them if they resisted?

MikeH

Chosen answer: Because Lau has information about the mob, the battle against which is still the first priority of the Gotham Police Department; the Joker is, as Harvey Dent later says, a mad dog let off the leash. Gordon isn't telling his officers to murder the Joker in cold blood, he's simply saying that Lau is more important to them, and he would rather have him for further questioning/testimony.

20th Feb 2017

Taken 3 (2015)

19th Feb 2017

Hacksaw Ridge (2016)

Question: Why did the Japanese man at the end kill himself?

MikeH

Chosen answer: Japan's culture is complex and has a long history of ritual suicide ingrained within it. For Japanese, this practice was often expected of someone who had somehow failed, shamed, or otherwise dishonored themselves, their family, their country, and so on. Historically, suicide was also committed by servants after their master died, by Samurai widows, or when people were defeated by their enemies. At the end of WWII, many Japanese soldiers and civilians committed suicide rather than surrender.

raywest

16th Feb 2017

Shooter (2007)

Continuity mistake: In the opening scene, when Mark Wahlberg shoots a driver, a bit of blood splatters onto the rear windshield of the car he's driving. But in the very next shot, there's much more blood.

MikeH

16th Feb 2017

Gone Baby Gone (2007)

Question: How could Amanda have gone to school or even left her house? She was supposed to be dead.

MikeH

Answer: A real life problem with abducted children, especially those abducted at such a young age, is that after a short period of time they begin to grow and look drastically different than when they were abducted. Amanda could have been home schooled for some time and passed off as the adopted child of her abductors to the general public after a relatively short amount of time. Unfortunately, the average person would likely not even recognize Amanda if they saw her out in public.

BaconIsMyBFF

16th Feb 2017

Gone Baby Gone (2007)

Question: Why wasn't Patrick arrested for killing the child molester?

MikeH

Chosen answer: Even though he executes an unarmed man, it is doubtful given the circumstances that he would be investigated with much fervor for his actions. One police officer has just been shot and killed so Patrick's actions could easily be described as self-defense in the eyes of an investigator. Anyone making a claim to the contrary would risk having to stand up for a child murdering cop killer.

BaconIsMyBFF

Answer: Many/most people think child molesters are evil, disgusting, utterly loathsome, and irredeemable - they don't deserve to live - so a dead child molester is one less child molester. Even worse, Corwin Earle was also a child killer (although he claimed "it was an accident"). Many people, including police, would believe he deserved to die and Patrick did the right thing. Others, of course, would assert that "street justice" is not justice at all, but there would be little, if any, evidence that Patrick's shooting was not a justifiable homicide. IF Patrick were charged, his attorney would raise a defense that would most likely result in a "not guilty" verdict. Besides, this was a movie, and the audience needs to feel that justice has been served.

KeyZOid

16th Feb 2017

V for Vendetta (2005)

Continuity mistake: In the final fight, when V slices a man's chest twice there's no blood on his face, but in the very next shot, there is.

MikeH

15th Feb 2017

V for Vendetta (2005)

Continuity mistake: When Gordon is on the ground after being knocked down by the door, in one shot his left hand is above his head, but in the very next shot, his left hand is below his head.

MikeH

15th Feb 2017

V for Vendetta (2005)

Other mistake: In the final fight, V slices a man's right wrist, but blood only comes out of his left arm.

MikeH

13th Feb 2017

Boogie Nights (1997)

Question: Why was Little Bill so casual about seeing his wife cheat on him? I know he was furious, but he was still unusually calm, he just acted like he caught her holding hands with someone else, not like she was having sex with someone else. And why was his wife so casual about it too? She acted like she did nothing wrong.

MikeH

Chosen answer: SPOILER ALERT: It was the 1970's. Loose morals. The era of free love. Little Bill and his wife were active in the porn industry. It's likely that his wife presumed, but never discussed with her husband, an "open relationship." Bill, stunned by his discovery (but, perhaps, suspecting it all along), was simply trying to maintain his composure and not seem pathetically unhip by what would be perceived as an absurd overreaction. Clearly, however, he was suppressing a great deal of internalized rage. Ultimately, but very calmly as always, he eventually shoots and kills his wife and her gentleman caller mid-coitus, and then eats his own gun, at Jack's New Year's Eve Party, 1980.

Michael Albert

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