Question: How is Marty able to play a 1980s videotape on a 1950s television set? Is this just another example of Doc's ahead-of-his-time inventiveness?
Captain Defenestrator
23rd Aug 2009
Back to the Future (1985)
Answer: Video tape system back then could output an NTSC video signal, just like broadcast at the time, and up to HD in the 2000s. Usually there was a switch on the video device to change the output frequency between channels 3 or 4. Depending on what was an open channel in your area.
15th Aug 2009
General questions
I wanted to submit this to the general questions page, since it is about more than one Disney movie. Has anyone ever explained why several Disney characters have deceased mothers (Belle, Snow White, etc.)?
Answer: Partially, it may be attributed to feelings of guilt over the death of Walt and Roy Disney's mother of carbon monoxide poisoning in the house they'd just bought her a month previously (For more on that, check http://www.snopes.com/disney/waltdisn/mother.asp), however, it's also a trope of children's literature to have the protagonists be orphaned or without one or the other parent, the better to go off on adventures without anyone worrying about them.
28th Aug 2008
Highlander: Endgame (2000)
Question: If this is supposed to be the end of "the game," what happened to Methos? Is Duncan the last immortal? Did he win the prize?
Answer: It's the end of the game for Connor. The other immortals go on.
1st Aug 2009
Ghostbusters 2 (1989)
Question: It seems like the character of Winston (the fourth Ghostbuster) has very little screen time in this movie. He was in a few scenes in the beginning, then kind of disappears for a while, then shows up again after the court room incident. Was there a reason why his character wasn't in the movie more?
Chosen answer: Winston was an employee of the other Ghostbusters, not a "professional paranormal investigator" like the other three. When they're looking into Dana's problem, they're doing it not in a professional ghostbusting capacity, but as a favor to a friend. Once the judge lifted the restraining order and they were back in business, they were able to hire him back.
28th Jun 2009
Doctor Who (1963)
Question: What caused the sixth Doctor to regenerate into the seventh? Is it ever stated?
Chosen answer: Injuries sustained by having his TARDIS yanked out of the Time Vortex by The Rani.
12th Aug 2009
Torchwood (2006)
Question: If Owen and Toshiko were already working for Torchwood's Cardiff branch before Torchwood One collapsed, what were they doing in London at the time of "Aliens of London"? Surely there must have been another medic in the region.
Chosen answer: As long as Jack's been in charge of it, Torchwood Cardiff has had a different agenda than Torchwood One. Tosh and Owen were there to watch for signs of the 10th Doctor, however, it was the 9th that showed up when the ship crashed in London.
31st Jul 2009
Family Guy (1999)
Question: When Brian went to see his ex, Tracy Flannagn, and Tracy announces Brian has a son, why does Stewie start chanting, "Jerry! Jerry!"? Is that a reference to something or what?
Answer: It references "The Jerry Springer Show" a "trash TV" talk show where people are often confronted with unknown children, their partners' secret lovers, etc. The crowd often chants the host's first name during the show.
11th Jul 2009
Ghostbusters 2 (1989)
Question: What exactly happened to the Ghostbusters between the first film and this film? Why was a restraining order taken out against them?
Chosen answer: After the initial high of saving the city from Gozer wore off, they were blamed for causing the danger in the first place and sued out of business. The restraining order was additional insult to injury.
10th Jul 2009
The Simpsons Movie (2007)
Question: How could the citizens of Springfield breathe with a dome over their town?
Chosen answer: There were still trees in town to create oxygen, however, in all probability, the EPA meant for everyone to die off eventually.
10th Jul 2009
Doctor Who (2005)
The Sontaran Stratagem (1) - S4-E4
Question: Why did the Sontarans specifically choose to invade Earth? Why not one of the other billions of planets in the universe?
Chosen answer: They wanted a good mix of pollutants to turn the planet into a giant cloning facility. Something humanity was well on its way to doing for them.
10th Jul 2009
The Prisoner (1967)
Question: What exactly was Rover? Was it some sort of automated robot?
Chosen answer: We're led to believe Rover is some kind of robot in the series. According to books on the show, Patrick McGoohan was looking for an unusual guardian for the Village, looked up at the sky, and saw a weather balloon, which was what Rover was.
4th Jul 2009
Doctor Who (1963)
Question: If The Master had closed the CVE it would have resulted in the total destruction of the universe. Would he have really closed the CVE if the peoples of the universe hadn't responded to him? Isn't that the complete opposite of what The Master wants, i.e. complete control of the universe? Also, if the universe had been destroyed, who and what would he have left to control?
Chosen answer: The Master is insane. If he can't control the universe, he'd rather see it destroyed.
4th Jul 2009
Doctor Who: The Movie (1996)
Question: How could The Masters' trial and execution take place on Skaro when it was destroyed in "Remembrance of the Daleks"?
Chosen answer: They don't specify at what point in Skaro's history it took place. Only the passage of time on Gallifrey is absolute.
4th Jul 2009
Doctor Who (2005)
Last of the Time Lords (3) - S3-E13
Question: Why does The Master fear The Doctor forgiving him? What's he forgiving The Master for exactly?
Chosen answer: The Master knows that deep down, he deserves death for the crimes that he's committed throughout his life, and since he regards The Doctor as his arch-foe, he expects it to be at his hands. The fact that The Doctor is still willing to forgive him after everything the Master's put him through hurts him more deeply than death would.
4th Jul 2009
Doctor Who (2005)
Question: If Davros created The Daleks from his own cells then why don't they fully trust him? He's been shown to manipulate The Daleks on the genetic level, so couldn't he use that to some way make them more obedient?
Chosen answer: When Davros created the Daleks, he conditioned them to hate everything that was not a Dalek. They decided that although he was their creator, he was not one of them.
2nd Jul 2009
Full Metal Jacket (1987)
Question: Why was Gunnery Sergeant Hartman so mean to Leonard Lawrence AKA Private Pyle? Why was he always mad at him?
Chosen answer: A Drill Instructor is always mad at the recruits in order to forge discipline. Private Pyle was the biggest screwup in the unit, thus creating more work for him.
Answer: It also promotes unity and brotherhood against a common enemy, the drill instructor.
30th Jun 2009
Fanboys (2009)
Question: Was there anything illegal about Windows' relationship and attempted rendezvous with Rogue Leader? Would he have gotten into any serious trouble had her parents decided to take any legal action?
Chosen answer: It would depend on what they'd discussed online and his intent. If they'd planned to meet for sex, then yes, that would be illegal and charges could be pressed. Since we didn't learn the details of their conversations, we can't be certain.
29th Jun 2009
Doctor Who (2005)
The Sound of Drums (2) - S3-E12
Question: Why was Lucy so willing to go along with The Master's plan of murder and world domination?
Chosen answer: Because he'd driven her insane by showing her the future and humanity's fate. (There's also the possibility that she might be The Rani in human form, but that's all speculation right now.)
26th Jun 2009
Red Dwarf (1988)
27th Jun 2009
Doctor Who (2005)
Utopia (1) - S3-E11
Question: The Doctor says that if a Time Lord were to absorb the energies of the time vortex they would become a vengeful god. Why exactly would they become vengeful?
Chosen answer: Given that their entire race was wiped out by the Daleks in the Time War and the Daleks are still around, I'd say that a Time Lord would have something to be vengeful for. That much power would go to anyone's head.
Answer: The video camera was in the DeLorean. With the right kind of adapter, which was common enough in the 80s that Doc might've had it on the camera or been able to jury-rig something in the 50s, it would have been possible to connect it into the antenna screws in the back of the TV like an old Atari and play it directly from the camera.
Captain Defenestrator
TVs in the 50s had a two prong antennae connection (two screws in the back that you put a prong antennae into) TVs in the mid 80s also had this. The coax connection (the one wire that screws in) was starting to become common, but, the two prong connection would have been more likely on any given TV at the time, so, whatever wire they used to preview recordings probably had that. very convenient that Marty brought those cords with him.
An old Atari 2600 RF Adapter would be how one would link a video camera to an old-fashioned television. A simple-enough part that Doc could probably make one with 1950s technology.
Captain Defenestrator