Question: Why do the weasels go to heaven after they died laughing? They wouldn't have because they're villains.
Brian Katcher
31st Aug 2020
Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
20th Aug 2020
Bruce Almighty (2003)
Question: Is there supposed to be any significance to the elevator being out of order in the building Bruce is sent to?
Answer: Also, Bruce needed to learn a little humility.
God recognizes that Bruce is expecting things he hasn't earned and is attempting to teach him about the importance of hard work and earning things. Bruce has to climb the stairs (harder than taking the stairs) and God asks for his help mopping a very large floor (hard, but satisfying work).
Answer: It's just the idea that using the stairs is better for your health, so God forces him to use it.
8th Sep 2010
Rat Race (2001)
Question: I remember a couple of scenes that were not in the version I just watched. One was when the girl had to poop out of the car window. I remember her screaming at her dad instead of speaking calmly. I also kind of remember the highway girl showing her full front instead of just side-boob. I'm not positive about the second, but I distinctly remember the first. Was this deleted or am I just imagining it?
Chosen answer: You're imagining the frontal boobs. I have the DVD and none show this as a deleted scene or otherwise cut out of the movie.
Answer: There was no full-frontal shot from the highway girl at all. Kimberly wasn't speaking to Randy calmly. She was angrily telling him she hated him because he wanted her to defecate out the window.
Answer: You were probably watching the movie on television. It's been formatted/edited to fit the usual two-hour time slot for the network. Kids might be watching it too.
Answer: The girl screaming at her father was in the version I saw, however.
20th Aug 2020
Law & Order (1990)
Question: What is a mistrial?
Answer: A courtroom trial that has been terminated prior to its normal conclusion. A mistrial has no legal effect and is considered an invalid or nugatory trial. This often happens when there is a lack of Jurisdiction, an incorrect jury selection or, as seen in many of the episodes, a hung jury, i.e. some jury members finding the defendant guilty while the other members of the jury will find the defendant not guilty and all jury members won't change their decision.
Answer: I was once a juror on a trial where the defendant started crying and talking about how his son would suffer if he went to jail. The judge became furious, decided that he had prejudiced the state's case (we were now thinking of his family, rather than if he were actually guilty), and declared a mistrial.
Answer: In short, any time a trial ends and is declared void before the jury delivers a verdict or a judge issues a decision. Generally a mistrial is caused by a jury not being able to come to unanimous decision or the prosecution does something that would make the trial unfair to the defendant.
25th Oct 2018
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)
Question: After finishing the game, did Spencer, Fridge, Bethany, and Martha still have detention or did changing the timeline prevent them from their punishment?
Answer: They still had detention. The only thing that changed was Alex. But since they had become such close friends, detention would hardly be a punishment for them anymore.
It seemed like they just simply walked out of detention. I mean, did they finish their detention or did they have to continue on a Saturday?
The movie doesn't explain. But regardless, it also really doesn't matter.
They probably didn't go back on Saturday. When they go back to school, Spencer acts like he hasn't spoken to Martha since their adventure, while Bethany says she's been texting Martha 'all weekend'.
3rd Aug 2020
The Sixth Sense (1999)
Question: How come Malcolm could realise he was dead, but none of the other ghosts could?
Answer: Ghosts can't move on until they've completed some unfinished business. Malcolm felt guilty for not helping the kid who shot him. By helping Cole control his powers, he was finally at peace and realised the true state of things.
To add: the little girl Cole helped uncover her murder definitely knew she was dead.
Why do you say she knew? I didn't see any evidence. Cole says ghosts don't know they're dead. The girl wasn't after revenge, but to protect her younger sister, who the mother had started poisoning.
She is one of the few ghosts aware that she can use Cole to help her out. Leading him to the evidence of her murder shows to me she knew she was too late for herself. At the end of the movie it is even revealed that these ghosts probably unconsciously approach Cole for help, so they can move on. They can't do that unless they are aware, or if Cole makes them aware of it. For Malcolm it was even necessary for him to know he was dead before he could say his goodbye. Cole just needs to tell them.
Answer: On top of it, Malcolm only realised he was dead when we saw his wedding ring drop from his wife's hand (he would have had it on him except if he were gone) and he saw her cold breath; these two things together helped him put all the pieces together (that we are shown in the movie) to show that she was grieving and mourning from his death and not that they were growing apart because he was wrapped up in a case (or to put it differently, he was so wrapped up in Cole that he did not notice that he hadn't had a conversation with his wife or even another human being for goodness knows how long - dead people see what they want to see).
Answer: Malcolm didn't realise he was dead until much later in the movie. By then he had a strong relationship with Cole, and being a psychiatrist, wanted to help him understand and cope with his ability and no longer fear it. Being a psychiatrist helped Malcolm analyse his own situation and work out that he had died. Once Cole was comfortable with his ability, Malcolm was able to move on. Also, as Cole noted, ghosts only saw what they wanted to see. Some were unable to come to terms with their deaths and therefore remained among the living.
3rd Aug 2020
Return to Oz (1985)
Question: Why do we see Nurse Wilson being taken away in a jail cell at the end of the movie?
Answer: The fire made the authorities discover the abused patients they'd locked in the basement.
3rd Aug 2020
The Mask of Zorro (1998)
Question: Why was Montero looking for Zorro in the prison?
Answer: Zorro was the one person he feared, and wanted to make sure that he was dead or broken and hadn't escaped during his exile.
10th Jun 2020
The Simpsons (1989)
Warrin' Priests Part 2 - S31-E20
Question: Is there a reason Bart was so conspicuously absent from these two episodes? Homer even asks where he's been.
Answer: He was probably irrelevant to the plot so he was not included.
It's called lampshade hanging. By drawing our attention to it the producers are letting us know they are aware it is an issue.
Yes, but even when the family is having dinner together, he's not there.
16th Jul 2020
Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines (1969)
Question: Why exactly was Dick Dastardly so anxious to capture Yankee Doodle Pigeon?
Answer: During the First World War, pigeons were used to carry messages across the battle lines. Yankee Doodle is carrying some sort of American orders or intelligence.
15th Jul 2020
Coming to America (1988)
Question: How did both Akeem and Semmi get a job at McDowell's without Akeem's parents noticing? Also, wouldn't Mr. McDowell have noticed in doing Akeem's pre-employment background checks who Akeem really was vs finding out when the parents arrived? (00:44:08 - 01:29:34)
Answer: How would Akeem's parents know what they were up to? They think he's taking an American vacation, and in the pre social media days, it was hard to keep track of people. As for McDowell, what sort of background check did you expect him to do on a fast food employee in the 80s? McDowell seems like a guy who would cut corners anyway.
There aren't exactly a lot of people lining up to work at McDowell's, so Cleo gives the applications a once over and hires them on the spot. I'm in my 40's and I've had plenty of jobs that didn't even call my references, let alone perform a background check.
6th Jul 2020
Frequency (2000)
Question: Why did John's house suddenly alter so drastically when Jack's hand was blown off in the past? Did this one event somehow turn John into a better interior decorator?
Answer: Because the house is no longer John's. In this universe, his parents still live there.
Or he lives there and his wife redecorated.
I always took the scene at the end with Julia and Frank getting in a packed car with an older looking Elvis as them moving and leaving the house for John. And as I said above John's wife must have moved in and decorated.
Answer: The house changed because John's life changed, with both his parents alive to nurture and guide him, he became a different person. Different lifestyle and attitudes.
22nd Jun 2020
Skyfall (2012)
Question: In the opening action scene, while Bond is fighting the terrorist on the top of the train, Moneypenny says "I do not have a clean shot." She has already been communicating with him on radio, why doesn't she just tell him to get out of the bloody way?
Answer: Because Bond is fighting to the death with a man who's trying to throw him off a train. He can't exactly step out of the way.
30th May 2020
Matilda (1996)
Question: Why would Matilda interfere with the FBI investigation? Wouldn't she want her father to go to jail?
Answer: At the end of the day, he's still her father, and she's a young child. It would be difficult for her to give the FBI the smoking gun.
Answer: No. She didn't get along with her family, but she was a basically kind girl who still looked out for her father.
Answer: Kids generally like to see the best in the people closest to them, and while Harry and Zinnia were mean and neglectful, Matilda still had a little bit of love for them (and/or sympathy for how stupid they actually were) and didn't want to see them go to jail. Part of it might have also been because she knew they wouldn't survive very long in prison. And besides, she got what she wanted. To be with Miss Honey.
And besides, she already got what she wanted. A life with Miss Honey. An actual loving family/relationship.
29th Aug 2004
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Question: In this movie, Saruman says that orcs were elves once, and were mutilated by the dark forces, but when reading the book I saw no evidence of this. What exactly is the origin of the orcs?
Answer: Orcs are believed to be corrupted elves, but it happened so long ago that they wouldn't mention it in the Ring trilogy. It would most likely be discussed in The Silmarillion.
Answer: In the books, Treebeard says something about Trolls being corrupt Ents, just as Orcs are corrupt Elves.
15th May 2020
Charlie Bartlett (2007)
Question: What exactly is wrong with cameras? It's a public area. They have no privacy either way.
Answer: It is debatable if there is anything wrong with using cameras, but I can think of some possible answers to "what exactly is wrong with using cameras" at a school yard. Cameras symbolize authority over and oppression of students by the principal (and other authority figures). Cameras are indicative of a lack of trust of ALL students, but usually there is only a small percentage of trouble-makers. The use of cameras unjustly undermines the maturity of most students and makes the students resent the school authority figures. Cameras make the assumption that all the students are engaging (or might engage) in unacceptable behavior, which is offensive to the majority of students who follow the rules. Cameras are contrary to our value of "freedom" and that Uncle Sam does not have a right to constantly monitor citizens. People should not be videotaped in a free society if they have done nothing wrong. Many people simply do not like being videotaped. Cameras can record embarrassing acts.
That doesn't answer the question.
9th Oct 2017
Seven (1995)
Question: How did Doe manage to kill Mills' wife? He says "this morning" in the last scene, but that morning he was already in jail.
Answer: He had a busy morning. It is a bit far-fetched, but Somerset did express appreciation for how "methodical, exacting" John Doe was. So it's not totally unbelievable that, 1) Mills leaves for work - maybe even earlier bc he picks up Somerset, 2) John Doe arrives at Mills', maybe he even bought a box the night before to save time, 3) He finds a delivery guy, gives him the box plus $500 - good chunk of $ in 1995 (even more in 1986), 4) Hails a cab, to the police station. My question is...what was the cabbie thinking? Guy is covered in blood and asks for a ride to the police station.
Well, the guy wanted to go to the police station. He probably told the cabbie he'd been the victim of or witnessed a crime he needed to report immediately.
Answer: The events of John Doe arriving at the police station and the last scene where Mills kills him takes place on the same day.
What about the 7:01 am time?
When? where do you see that? What is the significance? Would be nice if you could give that info so I won't have to search myself.
It was 07.01pm. You will remember at the end of the film Mills was in the police car at night. If it was 07.01am more than 12 hours would elapse before Mills was picked up. Highly unlikely.
7th May 2020
My Cousin Vinny (1992)
Question: How did the witnesses think that it was Bill and Stan who committed the murder? Didn't they even see the faces of the other killers after them?
Answer: This is actually fairly common in real life. It goes something like this: the witness sees two men in a green car fleeing the scene of the crime. Later they learn two men driving a green car have been arrested for the crime. In their minds, they saw these two men, and as time goes on they subconsciously "see" them in their memory of the event. This is addressed in the film. Vinny even questions one witness about that, asking if it's possible that they just saw "two guys in a green convertible, and not necessarily these two guys."
Answer: The witnesses saw two young men in a very similar car to Bill and Stan's drive off. The prosecutor made a compelling case that they were the murderers, while Vinnie initially bumbled. In cases like this, it's somewhat easy to convince someone to believe they saw what they want to believe, especially if they feel they're doing a civic duty or if it makes them feel important. See the play 'Twelve Angry Men' for an example of this.
Answer: One more thing to add: At the end, when Sheriff Farley announces that the real killers have been apprehended, he says they look just like Bill and Stan.
Answer: They saw hardly anything at all, but they are convinced somehow that they saw these 2 boys and not someone else.
7th May 2020
Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985)
Question: When Pee-Wee offers gum to Francis and Mr. Buxton as a peace offering, what was it with the gum that caused Mr. Buxton to scream?
Answer: It was some sort of gag gum (popular in the past) that either had hot pepper/cinnamon or simply tasted terrible.
7th May 2020
Friends (1994)
The One With Frank Jr. - S3-E5
Question: When Monica's bathroom floor just got redone by Joey, Chandler wants to use it. Monica asks, "What are you doing?" Chandler says, "Want a number?" What does that mean?
Answer: He's asking if she wants to know if he's going 'number 1' (urinating) or 'number 2' (having a bowel movement).
Answer: Who knows how Toon afterlife works? Cartoons are for children, and hell would be frightening, unless played for comedy.
Brian Katcher