Question: Why was Hannibal Lecter so interested in Clarice's past? How would it benefit him?
KeyZOid
26th May 2010
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Answer: Also, he loves psychiatry and analyzing people. He is bored in his cell and this is a chance to do something he enjoys a lot.
Answer: Clarice's answers also enable Lecter to assess her honesty/ integrity and sincerity, as well as ascertain if she is trustworthy - or even worthy - enough for him to reveal certain kinds of information.
Answer: I remember a scene where he seems to roll his eyes in a kind of ecstasy as he comprehends, then thanks her, and shortly after touches her hand as he passes the folder. "People will say we're in love."
9th Mar 2015
Good Will Hunting (1997)
Question: Why did Will lie about having twelve brothers? What did he think it would achieve? And why would someone as smart as Skylar believe it?
Chosen answer: It's just part of his personality. He had become used to keeping people at a distance and made up stories so they didn't know what he was actually like. There's no reason for Skylar not to believe him at first. Large families with ten or more children are not unheard of, particularly if the parents have been married more than once.
Answer: The judge pointed out that Will "went through several foster homes." Whether the foster parents had their own biological children and/or other foster kids, Will could have easily had twelve "brothers" who were the functional equivalent of biological brothers. Using his own operational definition of "brother", Will had twelve, so was not lying. However, using a more common definition of "brother", Will was not exactly telling the truth. Will can be said to have told her a "white lie" - only telling her what he wanted to and omitting the details. This can be a type of defense mechanism, giving her the impression that he - like almost everyone else - grew up in a family with his siblings. In a way, he was protecting himself by hiding the way in which he was raised. Because it wasn't typical for Will to become attached to whatever girl he was seeing, he saw no need to reveal his past (although, unknown to him at the time, this relationship would turn out differently than previous ones).
Why would she think that he was making up something like how many brothers he has? Not only did Will go through the names of his twelve "brothers", he was able to convincingly repeat the twelve names after she asked him to. IF he had not been able to quickly repeat a sequence of twelve boys' names, it would have been a giveaway that he was lying. Common sense was more significant than intelligence in discerning whether or not Will was telling the truth. (But common sense often does not match reality).
3rd Aug 2020
Fright Night (1985)
Question: What was the picture of in the stained glass window?
Answer: As you are already aware, it is difficult to see! As far as I can tell, the large inner circle contains flowers - perhaps one large sunflower at the top and several smaller red flowers (such as tulips or roses) elsewhere plus a deer (or wolf or werewolf) smelling or eating a pumpkin or flowers/grass. The outer two concentric circles appear to be the artist's geometrical designs.
13th Oct 2020
Grease (1978)
Question: Why didn't Sandy immediately telephone Danny when she found out she and her family were not going back to Australia, and that she would be attending his high school?
Answer: Perhaps Sandy didn't know the high school she would be going was the same as Danny's, so she didn't think to call him already, but wanted to do it later. It's all very vague about where it all come from. The point is she never thought she would see Danny again, just like Danny thought he would never see her again. With that in mind they might indeed not have exchanged phone numbers anyway so no way to contact each other.
Answer: Maybe they didn't exchange phone numbers.
Answer: Again, he had his reputation as a Ladies Man, he didn't want the gang to know, he was wimping out and had fall in love. Remember the song, "Summer Lovin" He told of scoring with a hot babe, while Sandy sang of true love.
Answer: More than likely, based on Sandy's demeanor and adherence to etiquette, she would not have exchanged her number with a boy. She even said to Rizzo at the lunch table that she went to the beach to see a boy she met so most likely she and Danny would have made plans in person to meet up like they did.
Answer: I had an exchange student LIVE in my parents house for a month when I was in high school in 1990. I liked her a lot. We were the same age. We got along. I did not have her phone number when she left. Why? Because there was no way my father was letting me call France "long distance" in 1990. In 1959, I'm going to say that calling long distance was probably not on their radar as a viable option. Not to mention - realistically, when you're 17, and you never think you're going to see each other again because you're separated by continent, what would be the point of exchanging numbers?
This was a nice story, but has nothing to with answering the question. Sandy didn't live with Danny, so they would have exchanged local numbers, or at least Danny would have given Sandy his number if she didn't know the number where she was staying so they could call each other during the summer. For your story to be slightly comparable, the exchange student would have had live somewhere else. In that scenario you certainly would have given her your number and she wouldn't give you her number in France but where she was staying.
21st Oct 2020
Scream (1996)
Question: Stu asks Randy, "What are you saying, that I killed her?", referring to Casey. Randy says, "It would certainly improve your high school Q." What is a "high school Q"? (I Googled this but did not find an answer).
Answer: I don't know if the letter "Q" was used or if you just heard what sounded like "Q", but "Queue" - pronounced like "Q" - is British for "line." People can be said to stand in queue [line], meaning in a row. Where one falls on the queue, in this case, would indicate his/her ranking in terms of popularity.
Answer: He means his status, Stu is considered the outcast. The school weirdo.
Was Stu really an outcast? He had a girlfriend, Tatum, and he hung out with Billy, Sidney, and Randy. He also hosted a party, and I got the impression that it was not the first party at his house. I think he was the "cool slacker dude" type, before being revealed as a killer.
Answer: I believe it's a reference to "Q scores," which is a marketing industry term used to measure the familiarity and general appeal of a subject. The higher the Q score, the more familiar people are with it and have a positive opinion of it. It was a catch-all term that could be used for individuals (such as celebrities), brands, products, movies/shows, etc. The term "Q score" seems to be used less now than it was in the 90's, so I understand it being confusing.
14th Sep 2017
Home Alone (1990)
Question: Why was Kevin's family so mean to him?
Answer: I think it was a way to make leaving him "home alone" more realistic and understandable as opposed to absurd. Being perceived as a brat/pest and annoying to be around, it is (somewhat) conceivable that none of the family members would be eager to have Kevin by their side. This "frees" all of them from noticing that Kevin isn't with them. Everyone would just assume that Kevin is somewhere among them and each be glad they didn't have to sit next to him on the way to the airport or during the long flight.
In addition to this, the movie is partially about Kevin learning to have more respect for others. He appreciates his family more as he spends more time without them.
Answer: The ones who were mean just saw Kevin as a brat. However, it's not uncommon in situations of being in an overcrowded house to easily lose one's patience and temper and become frustrated with small, but irritating things; which seems to happen to his mother. Buzz just has that general big brother contempt for his kid brother, but obviously still loves him, along with everyone else in the family, at the end when he finds out Kevin is safe.
Nuts to that. They all could've tried a little harder, that's one lame excuse for treating someone like garbage and I come from a good sized bunch who've done the same to me. You also forget his uncle didn't care about him regardless of the situation.
Like it or not the answer is perfectly valid. Families have different dynamics. Kevin is something of a brat (he calls his mother "dummy" and openly wishes he didn't have a family), as are his brothers and sisters, especially Buzz. I for one have TWO uncles in my family who behave just like the uncle in the movie. We don't invite them over, but we've had similar situations to what's depicted in the film.
Hey I've had three uncles, father's older brothers, he hated all three of them, cared only when they started dying. Yeah the dynamics and all, my mother has stated "You ruined this family" though this bunch didn't need my help in being messed up. My sympathies to you Mr Hoffman, your uncles Dustin and Philip Seymour must be/been terrible, just kidding only on the famous names there, no offense meant.
It's just a movie! The characters are fictional and were given contrived, exaggerated, over-the-top personalities to fit the comedic plot. It's pointless to compare them to real-life family dynamics.
Also, it's a movie from a child's point of view. Kevin is supposed to be the "victim." As a 35-year-old, I have more sympathy for the adults and older kids. The movie is about Kevin learning to miss his family and be more considerate of others.
18th Apr 2019
RV (2006)
Question: How did they get the RV out of the lake?
Answer: In the world of "make believe", they used "movie magic" to zap the RV out of the water and on to dry land - with no mechanical issues resulting from being submerged. In the real world, someone called a tow truck - perhaps AAA - and the RV was pulled out of the water and it suffered water damage and needed some repairs. This movie was presented as being "real life." Bob left on a bicycle to "try to find help." Near the end of the movie, Carl said that the RV "spent two days under water and they had to fish it out." He didn't say who "they" were. A fishing pole would not be strong enough to reel in a large RV, so I think it is safe to conclude that a tow truck was used to pull the RV out of the lake.
It should be noted that "fish it out" is a common phrase to mean pull or take out, especially after searching. When people use the term, they're never taking about using a fishing pole. But often when people post questions like this, they're asking for an in-film explanation in case they missed (or didn't understand) something. If no in-film explanation was given, a reasonable speculation can be given. You don't need to remind people the movie is a movie. If the in/film explanation is uncharacteristic to real life, then one can point out that in real life it wouldn't happen that way.
6th Jan 2005
Frailty (2001)
Question: Little Adam is looking in a grass-filled jar at the beginning of the movie which has a label on it that says "Curtis". At the very end of the movie, grown up Adam (as a sheriff) has a man working for him whose name is Curtis. What is the connection here? There is obviously one.
Answer: According to the Director's Commentary with Bill Paxton, the "pet in the jar" was a millipede and was named "Curtis" by Matthew McConaughey simply enough after Bill asked, "What should we call it?" Later when the other Curtis appears Paxton comments that "This guy's name is Curtis and people go 'Wow, why is that guy's name Curtis and the pet Curtis?'" But he fails to actually answer the question. In the Producer's Commentary they also reference the dual names, but again have no explanation other than to point out the fact that it seems to catch the attention of viewers.
Answer: I think it is spurious. The two may appear to be related but are not.
29th Jun 2004
Frailty (2001)
Question: The dad says Fenton is a demon, but demons were only people who have killed other people in their past, and Fenton hasn't killed anyone yet. It is later in the movie he kills his dad, so how did his dad know he was a demon?
Chosen answer: Paxton is obviously mentally deranged so he can call anyone a demon and find a way to justify it.
This answer is entirely incorrect. If you watch the film, you realise that it is only Fenton's belief that his father is insane. In the reality of the film, everything his father has told him is true. He is in fact a "demon killer." Since there is no explanation in the film as to what actually makes someone a demon, it's safe to assume the angel knew Fenton would grow up to become a serial killer. The father refused to believe his own son would be a demon, and so tried to force him to "see" the truth.
It really isn't "in the reality of the movie" - it is in the dad's psychotic mind (his warped sense of reality). What sane father, for example, would subject his children (preadolescents at that) to chopping people up with an ax, have them help dig graves and bury those killed, lock his 12-year-old son in a "dungeon" with no food and only one cup of water a day, check on his son after a week but nail the door closed again for another (apparently long) period of time? And I don't think Fenton became a serial killer - Adam was the serial killer (maybe of demons in his warped mind). The father seemed to assert that Fenton was a demon because he was not supporting him in killing people ("destroying demons"). Why didn't the father view Adam - who could be viewed as killing his own mother during childbirth - as a demon? Adam, being younger and more impressionable, agreed with the father but was also told they were like "superheroes" - what young kid could rationally discern the difference?
The cartoon shown on TV ("Davy and Goliath") offers additional evidence that the father was not destroying demons. "Davy" asks his father about God, and his father tells him that "God doesn't make you do anything" and wants you to decide. Even IF God or the angel sent someone a list of demons to destroy, it would be up to the person to decide whether or not to destroy the people. I know that the purported acts of the people that were killed were revealed when the dad (or Adam) put his hand (s) on them, and that viewers were then supposed to believe that they really were destroying demons, but the view that they were just hallucinating is still valid.
I think the movie allows the viewer to make his/her own conclusion - is the father really destroying demons or is he a cold-blooded murderer? There is sufficient reason to believe the father had a psychotic breakdown or something similar and, instead of destroying demons, was a serial killer. There was no evidence of any others being chosen by God to destroy demons, no indication that the world was coming to an end, and no reason to murder the sheriff who was leaving and said he didn't believe one bit of what Fenton told him about the killings. Besides, wouldn't God protect the father from the sheriff if He protected Adam from being detected by the FBI agents and cameras? For what it is worth, I disagree with the comment by Jason below and think your view is more accurate.
There are several important factors that show the father (and son) are actually fighting demons: The "help" they frequently receive, like ALL of the surveillance tapes not showing Adam's face when he's hunting a demon (This can hardly be dismissed as coincidence, as they all look fine except wherever Adam's face would be visible), the FBI agent at the end who inexplicably can't describe Adam and doesn't recognize him when they meet again, the fact that the victims are stunned after the father or Adam touches them with a bare hand to reveal their sins, etc.
I'm aware of all of those things, but videotapes used to do that - maybe if the FBI agents tried fixing the alignment his face would show. Adam looked different to me, too - his hair looked redder than when he was at the FBI office. Of course victims would be stunned and scared when a lunatic grabbed them. I do understand what you are saying, but I still don't think it is enough. Surely there were far more "demons" out there; the number of killings was relatively small. And, again, Davy said that God doesn't make anyone do anything - He wants the person to decide.
The point with the video tapes is that they say ALL of them are like the one, with the image only messed up across his face, and only when his face is visible. I suppose this is just an agree to disagree issue. You don't see these things as enough, while I see them all combined as more than enough. Interesting discussion of a good movie either way.
I was thinking of writing something like that to you! And now I can agree with something you wrote!
19th Apr 2004
Donnie Darko (2001)
Question: What is the point of the chinese girl? I've watched the film and can't quite figure out what she does with the plot, especially when Donnie grabs her face and says "Everything will be better for you".
Answer: Throughout the film, themes of alienation and disillusionment are prominent - an illustration of the alternate universe plotline. Cherita is that theme manifested in a very visible sense - people make fun of her, reject her, and she obviously doesn't fit in.
Answer: Cherita's seemingly small role has larger implications and can be used as a contrast effect to Donnie. Cherita liked (loved?) Donnie, but she could never be with him because they are from two "different worlds." But this does show that people with "mental problems" can be and often are attractive to others. Many teens feel alienated but for different reasons. Cherita and Donnie didn't fit in well. Cherita was teased/bullied by teenagers who went to a private religious school. Surely they have heard the expression "do unto others..." Why is this bullying behavior not viewed as mental illness while some other behavior is? Donnie told Cherita things would get better for her. After the teenagers graduate and mature, they will outgrow the behavior and the teasing should cease. Cherita doesn't need to change in order to have a better future. The same is not true for Donnie - he is not likely to outgrow his mental illness, and unless there are major changes in him, he will have no future.
28th Jul 2020
Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005)
Question: How does Mrs. Smith get to know that her husband is the shooter?
Answer: She notices that he shakes his right leg twice after peeing, just like her husband.
Answer: It comes down to a deleted scene. And I remember it as clear as day from when I saw it at the cinemas. There is a scene where Jane is brushing her teeth at the basin. John walks into the large bathroom and begins to take a leak. As John finishes up, Jane looks over her shoulder at him, just in time to see him lift one leg and give it a couple of sharp shakes. Later in the movie, after the ailed assignment/shootout in the desert, Jane is watching the footage of the other assassin doing the very same memorable action. Right as she is in the middle of replaying it back a couple of times, John turns up at her building, and one of her agents who has answered the intercom says, "Jane, it's your husband." And that is when the penny drops! For some bizarre, unknown reason, they removed that very important key bathroom scene from every TV and DVD release, leaving people who did not see the theatrical release at the box office asking the question of how Jane realized it was her husband.
Answer: From the way he stands and moves, height, weight and general mannerisms.
Answer: They worked for different agencies and were unaware that they had been given the same target (Diaz?) to kill in the desert. Mrs Smith initially thought that Mr Smith was a civilian that just happened to interfere with her assignment. She was given 48 hours to identify and eliminate (kill) the "witness." While reviewing the videotape of the scene, all Mrs Smith could see was the back side of the "civilian." While still looking at him, a secretary or similar employee yelled from outside the room that Mrs Smith's husband was on the phone and was back from his trip to Atlanta. By the secretary saying, "It's your husband" during the time Mrs Smith was looking at his back side on the tape, plus the information that he was back from Atlanta, it became obvious to her... and she wondered how she could have been so stupid to not know before this time.
29th Sep 2019
August Rush (2007)
Question: Did August's dad know he had a son? And did August figure out who his parents were at the end and did he see them at the concert?
Answer: The answers, in order, are: "No", not initially but "yes" later; "Yes" and "yes." Their plan to meet the next day didn't work out, so August's parents ended up having a "one-night stand." When August's father - as well as his mother -heard the music that August was conducting, they were drawn to it like magnets. With his back turned against the spectators, August got the feeling that his parents were there. When he turned around to look, he saw his mother and father. The mother and father instantly knew that August was their son and August knew they were his parents.
11th Oct 2020
The Goonies (1985)
Question: How did Brand knows where to find Mikey and The Goonies at the abandoned restaurant?
Answer: Brand didn't know specifically where the Goonies went, but he got on the bike and went searching. Viewers didn't get to see how many places Brand looked before he found them at the restaurant or how much time it took him, but he probably biked down the one road in town until he spotted their bikes and then looked nearby. The fact that Brand apparently found the Goonies within a short amount of time suggests that there were relatively few places that they could have gone, probably because they lived in a small town that was at least semi-rural. Other than old houses, there were only a few landmarks (including the restaurant and lighthouse). There may have been spots that kids tended to gravitate toward and Brand might have had a good idea as to where they most likely went.
2nd Mar 2018
Predator (1987)
Question: Why did the Predator laugh after activating its self-destruct?
Answer: Note that he had just learned to laugh from Billy (after hearing the silly joke of Hawkins). Maybe he misinterpreted the situation or redefined the sense of laughing for his purpose.
Answer: The predator began laughing knowing that he was about to kill himself and his greatest rival.
Answer: Dutch may have won the battle, but he lost the war. Even though Dutch beat the Predator, the Predator - by blowing up both of them - was the ultimate winner. The Predator was telling Dutch, "Got ya!" - despite your strategies, persistence, and effort, they were all in vain. But the Predator wasn't around to see that Dutch was able to flee in time and save himself. (Now who is laughing?)
28th Apr 2020
Panic Room (2002)
Question: Why would 911 put them on hold?
It does happen in real life, and it is sadly a common occurrence in big cities. Living in Los Angeles, I've had to dial 911 a few times. I was on hold for 5 minutes once, and I've read articles about people who have been on hold for way longer. With this film being set in New York city, this did not surprise me. Even Meg and Sarah don't seem too surprised by it, and they opt to call Sarah's father instead.
Answer: There could be a serious major event happening nearby where all the resources needed to be sent ASAP. The 911 operator had to prioritize and assumed the current caller's emergency - whatever it was - was less urgent. There could have been a shortage of operators for whatever reason.
4th Jun 2020
Silver Bullet (1985)
Question: Why did Marty insist on shooting the firework at the werewolf? It took him far less time to turn the bike round and roar away than it did to light the rocket it and aim it.
Answer: Simple fight or flight response. His first thought is to fight whatever is stalking him. Once he discovers it's an actual werewolf he takes off.
Answer: He might have been hoping that the sudden loud bang and/or flame would scare the beast (werewolf) away - most (if not all) wild animals respond to noise and are afraid of fire.
10th Jun 2020
Cursed (2005)
Question: Who was the werewolf who killed Jenny? It couldn't have been Joanie as she was seen as having dark brown fur when she turned into a werewolf and the one that killed Jenny had dark gray fur.
Answer: I assumed it was Jake based on what transpired in the previous scene and his face was the last one shown before the elevator door closed. Jake told Ellie he didn't want to lose her, they had something "special", and asked if she would bear with him until he overcame some difficulties. Jake saw Jenny as a pest as well as someone who could ruin his still-developing (blossoming) relationship with Ellie. Jenny confronted Jake about not calling Becky anymore. Jake responded that he put himself "off the market" (was no longer available because he was pursuing Ellie), to which Jenny responded that she was "bummed" (disappointed because Jake was not free to pursue her). Jenny also put her hand over Jake's shoulder, which Jake did not like because he was not interested in her and was afraid that Ellie would see (which she may have). To top it off, Jenny kept following Jake around the room when he was talking to other people. Jenny was clingy and persistent - so had to be eliminated.
31st May 2017
Hoot (2006)
Question: If the bus driver saw Dana choking Roy on the bus, why didn't she say or do anything about it? Also, if Roy got in trouble for breaking Dana's nose, why didn't Dana himself get in trouble for choking Roy?
Answer: A straightforward answer is because these events happened in the context of a movie and the writer simply did not have the bus driver respond or Dana get in trouble. Only the writer could tell you why. If these events happened in the real world, there are several possible answers. The bus driver's job description may not have a provision to discipline students. Her primary duty is driving the bus in a safe manner to get the kids home safely. A driver must watch the road and traffic, not passengers. Her quick glance in the rear view mirror would not enable her to see all that transpired. To take action would involve stopping the bus and getting off schedule; the kids would get home late and their parents would be worried waiting for the bus. Maybe she just didn't want to get involved. She could get injured if she tried to intervene. Bus drivers might get fired if they hurt a student even when breaking up a fight. She may have thought the kids need to stand up for themselves.
Why didn't the bully get in trouble? Maybe because the adults/ school officials thought the broken nose was enough punishment for his behavior. Maybe the bully is a persistent problem and trying to discipline him would only make matters worse. Maybe his parents are just as bad or worse and the school didn't want to deal with them. Maybe no-one reported that the bully started it and was choking Roy because they were afraid of him and didn't want him to retaliate. The bully looked like the victim, not offender. Maybe others thought the bully's home situation was awful and he already had a difficult life and a lot of stress. Maybe the bully has a psychiatric disorder and/or takes medication that increases his aggression. Maybe the adults also think the kids need to work out their differences amongst themselves. Maybe the bully is already under the supervision of the juvenile probation office and - one more offense - would be certified to the adult court and get even worse.
31st Aug 2020
War of the Worlds (2005)
Question: Manny replaces the starter motor on the car Ray steals, and it works fine. Once the engine is running it doesn't need the starter motor, so how did all the cars suddenly stop if all the aliens did was fry the starters? Any cars already running wouldn't have been affected. Yes you could argue that it affected their ECU's, but not all cars have ECU's and some still rely on good old mechanical engineering.
Answer: I got the impression that all the cars had dead batteries. There are even some people who have their vehicle's hood raised and appear to be checking their batteries. Ray asked Manny, "What is it? They dead?" Manny replied, "All of them. Everything. Look at this. The starter's fried." Having dead batteries does not mean that all the cars had fried starters or bad solenoids. Conversely, having a fried starter does not necessarily mean that the battery is bad/dead. Since Manny was working on the vehicle, the vehicle was not running - this may have prevented the vehicle from also having a dead battery. Maybe the bad solenoid was not at all related to the attack - it was just the reason it was at the garage to get fixed. Once the solenoid was replaced, the car would now start because the battery was spared because the motor was not running during the attack. (I'm not sure if my answer makes sense; I never heard the word solenoid until I watched this movie!).
12th Jan 2016
General questions
There is a movie about a girl who is raised by the murderer who killed her parents in a car accident. Then she married him, I am not sure about the marriage part. I am trying to find this movie, can anybody please help me?
Answer: If the girl had a younger brother and the man had a physician/addict wife, it is probably The Glass House (2001?). The man made sexual advances towards the girl and set her up to look guilty and making false reports, but there was no marriage.
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Answer: Knowing about her past gives him an advantage in how he can manipulate her - he understands her fears, weaknesses, strengths, and so on. A psychiatrist normally deconstructs a patient's psychological make-up to better understand and help them, but in Lecter's case, he uses this knowledge against his victims. However, as he learns about Clarice, he becomes sympathetic and protective toward her.
raywest ★