Question: How did the big, black vampire die? I know that he melted after Harvey Keitel ran him through with the shotgun, but I didn't see anything used that would actually "kill" a vampire. There was no holy water, crosses, etc. used on him.
lionhead
25th Jun 2021
From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
25th Jun 2021
General questions
On movie and TV sets, what position is typically the "boss" - who has the final authority on decisions or changes?
Answer: That would be the director. Although technically the boss of the director is the producer (who pays the bills) but they are hardly on set.
Question: When Smeagol first sees the ring, its power drives him insane almost instantly, leading him to kill his own friend and not feel any guilt afterwards. Later it changes him physically as well, turning him into the shrivelled up creature Gollum. When Bilbo Baggins however acquires the ring it doesn't cause him to go insane or commit murder, even after he's had it for some 60 years. Frodo Baggins also holds onto the ring for a good amount of time without ever losing his mind to it. Why the difference?
Answer: The Ring's power affects everyone, but not the same way or at the same pace. We really don't know much about Smeagol or what he was like before he found the Ring, so his personality/character may have been more immediately susceptible to its influence. We do know Bilbo and Frodo are, in general, kindhearted and innocent, so they "hold out" longer before succumbing to the Ring...they both DO lose their minds to it at certain points, albeit briefly (Bilbo transforms into a monster in front of Frodo, and Frodo, spoiler alert, later claims the Ring as his own in Mt. Doom).
Answer: Smeagol was greedy for the fish that Daegol his cousin caught which had the ring in its belly. The Ring influenced him to kill Daegol and run from his home into the caves. He was the guardian of the ring for almost 600 years, so he is quite crazy when Bilbo meets him, with even the Ring warning Gollum not to touch it. Bilbo on the other hand was wholly ignorant of the Ring's influence and kept it in his pocket and only using it to hide from his relatives. Bilbo, being a bit wealthy and a Hobbit didn't have greed in him so the Ring had very little to work with. Frodo, being raised by Bilbo was the same, being more interested in smoking, food and other Hobbit activities. He was chosen by Elrond to bear the ring because it had no real effect on him or his people, given their innocence and lack of desire for power. The Ring kept Bilbo alive for over 130 years with no issues. Frodo is only overcome at the forge in Mt Doom, as Sauron's power is literally everywhere in that place.
Most of this is completely made up.
2nd Jun 2021
Bruce Almighty (2003)
Question: After losing his temper on TV, Bruce is being thrown out of the building because he was fired. Why, later in the movie, would Bruce be allowed back in since he no longer works for the news studio?
Answer: They most likely called him and invited him back in to get the scoop. Before another network gets him.
28th May 2021
Bruce Almighty (2003)
Question: Aside from it being a funny scene, is there any reason why the people at the news station would keep the feed on Bruce during his tirade at Niagara Falls instead of switching back to the studio?
Answer: I think they are all just stunned about what they are seeing, and perhaps a little curious.
24th May 2021
Equilibrium (2002)
Question: Why would they need to authenticate the Mona Lisa painting at the beginning? Wouldn't a replica yield the same punishment for whomever is in possession of it?
Answer: They need to know they got the real one because that is the one that is so revered and protected. Not a replica.
Answer: I'm not sure who "they" refers to, so I'm giving a general answer. They need to ascertain the monetary value of the painting in order to know how to proceed. Obviously, an authentic painting (perhaps worth millions of dollars) has a much greater value (selling price) than a fake painting (which could be produced at a small fraction of the cost plus would not hold the same cultural or historical significance). The "punishment" (sentence) that could be imposed may vary with jurisdiction, type of sentencing system, monetary value, and the offender's prior criminal record (if any). Although it may be possible somewhere for the replica to carry the same punishment that is attached to the authentic painting, the extreme difference in value between the two paintings is likely to separate them into different classifications or grades of the offense (felony/misdemeanor or grand/ petit larceny). In general, the grand theft of an authentic painting worth millions carries a heavier sentence.
The plot of this film is that all emotions have been outlawed, as are anything that can stir up emotions (art, literature, music, etc.) Anyone that violates this law is put to death. So someone that has a replica of the Mona Lisa would be executed just the same as someone that has the real thing. Monetary value doesn't factor into the equation, because the police force in the film incinerates all contraband.
Thanks for explaining why my general answer does not apply and is thereby "dead wrong." I know I saw "Equilibrium" but I didn't remember anything about it; it obviously didn't have a lasting impression on me. I should have at least looked it up before giving a general answer. Now I am wondering what the specific answer is... Good question.
22nd May 2021
Batman Begins (2005)
Question: When training Bruce, why did Ducard say that the deaths of Bruce's parents was actually Thomas' fault? If anyone's to blame it was Joe Chill.
Answer: First, he follows it up by saying it's because Bruce's father failed to act against Joe (to try to stop him), implying that his father was weak and a coward. But overall Ducard's stance was crime cannot be tolerated. "Criminals thrive on the indulgence of society's understanding." The League had tried to destroy Gotham before with economics, but men like Thomas Wayne tried to help the poor and he was killed by the same people he tried to help. In Ducard's mind, had Thomas Wayne not tried to help the poor and criminals, he wouldn't have been shot.
Answer: He was trying to get Bruce angry, so he can learn to control it and use it whilst fighting.
22nd May 2021
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Question: In the final fight scene, why were the Avengers trying to get the gauntlet to the van? What were they planning to do with it?
Answer: The van had a quantum tunnel which they could use to get the gauntlet away from Thanos forever. It was a last ditch effort to prevent Thanos from obtaining it.
20th May 2021
Joker (2019)
Question: When the ambulance rams the police car Arthur's in was this accidental or intentional? If intentional how'd the guy driving it know Arthur would be in it?
Answer: I think they intentionally rammed a police car, not because Joker was in it but simply because it was a police car.
Answer: I think the guy stole the ambulance and intentionally rammed the police car because they were rioting against the police.
9th May 2021
Deepwater Horizon (2016)
Question: What happens right before the well blows up? Like almost like a premonition of what is about to happen?
Answer: I'm afraid you are going to have to be more specific. Several things happen before the well blows, several things that happen at once and are crucial to the well blowing out.
9th May 2021
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Question: Is it really possible that the guards left Andy's cell completely unchecked after his deal with Norton? I mean, no all round inspections, structural maintenance or even repainting - anything that would have revealed his escape plan at once - for 20 straight years?
Answer: The prison is known to be corrupt and thus maintenance would be at a bare minimum. Prison guards rarely actually go into the cells unless there is concrete information of a smuggled item etc. Andy was well liked by most of the inmates so no-one would really snitch on him. He was also working for Norton so his cell had a lot of things a prison cell should not have - books, the poster, the rock collection, a table etc. Red narrates that Andy worked for so long to escape, working in small increments, chipping away bit by bit and dumping the dirt outside. Guards, managers etc would change over 20 years and nothing happened that would warrant a renovation.
Answer: Well they probably did do inspections, but of the common things like the mattress and toilet. They don't check behind the poster, I think most try their best to ignore it. None of the guards expected he was making a hole behind it, since that's not possible, in their eyes. I hardly doubt they paint (or plaster) a cell that's occupied by an inmate. And the construction work is so expensive and time-consuming, they don't do structural maintenance unless it's really necessary (meaning when something falls off).
7th May 2021
The Sixth Sense (1999)
Question: Is the kitchen ghost woman the mother of gunshot boy?
Answer: Highly unlikely. The ghosts are there because they have unfinished business regarding their deaths. The woman you see is raging about having a lousy husband, she was probably abused and possibly killed by him. That has nothing to do with the boy that shot himself.
She killed herself. Remember, she shows her slit writs and says 'Look what you made me do!'
6th May 2021
X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
Question: How did Quicksilver manage to get the arcade game, the table tennis and what looks like a sound system in the basement? They are very heavy and even with his speed would be impossible to move.
Answer: There could be a basement door, so he wouldn't need the stairs, and with a hand truck, even the heavier objects would be easy to move.
He's able to move several people out of the Mansion when it is destroyed, so perhaps his powers allow him to move things that big quickly. He can also push a cart or trolley at speed, remember.
Answer: He doesn't have to steal the actual heavy items, he can steal money and buy the heavy items and have them delivered. His mother is a single parent so it wouldn't be very difficult for him to arrange delivery of items while she is working. Mom also appears to be completely aware of Peter's crimes and doesn't really seem all that concerned.
And his mother wouldn't have found that suspicious? Or the movers? He's a teenager.
His mother seemingly already knows that he steals stuff. It's her house after all. She thinks the heroes are the police when they first show up to talk to him, and she visits him in the basement in the next film, and would have seen all the stuff he has down there. As for the movers, I used to work for a moving company, and not once did we ever ask a customer where they acquired something we were moving. They would be there to do a job.
That totally doesn't make any sense. The idea is that he stole these items. Would he call a moving company to steal an arcade game out of an arcade hall? How does he get the arcade game in the first place? Does he leave it on the curb of the arcade hall (or shop) so they can pick it up and drop it off at his house?
He most likely stole money and legit bought all those things. He likely helps his mother with the bills and stuff, so she doesn't ask him how he does it. Pietro is not known to be some master criminal with bad character, so he likely doesn't steal from ordinary people. The way he broke Magneto out of the prison, it seems he knows his way around a vault.
How he gets the arcade game is another question entirely. Maybe he stole it from a gas station or a restaurant that was near an apartment complex, but was still far from his home, and arranged to have it picked up at the apartment complex, so it would look like he lived there and was moving it to a new place. Alternatively, he could have had friends help him load it onto a truck.
30th Apr 2021
Blade: Trinity (2004)
Question: Hannibal tricks three, "DNA-modified" dogs to chase him, dodging the dog's attack to send them crashing through the building's high-rise window. The result is the three dogs falling to their death on the street below (you hear terrified screams as the dogs make impact). Why did the dogs die though? Wouldn't a vampire, however infected or changed, survive a fall from a great height?
Answer: Vampires may be very resistant to a lot of trauma, but they aren't indestructible. If they fall from such a height the entire body will just explode and though they could theoretically regenerate (very far fetched) if their head is still attached, the dogs would be dead not much later anyway.
27th Apr 2021
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)
Question: When they're trying to escape the locker, Jack starts running on the deck of the ship whilst pretending to see something. Why didn't he just say "We need to roll the ship over, lets run from side to side to make it rock" instead of just leaving everybody guessing?
Answer: Well first of all it's comedy, but perhaps he felt like it was too hard to explain to some crew (who are not all that intelligent) so he just thinks up something that gets them to go along with it and get the desired result faster.
Answer: To be fair, Jack is already a very strange, eccentric person - doing something like that rather than just explaining it is something he would do just by virtue of his character. He's also gone a bit nuts being stuck in the locker, and is a little weirder than normal throughout the film. And I also agree with the other answer - doing that might just be an easy way to get the crew to go along with him.
26th Apr 2021
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Question: If John is so concerned about how the Terminator kill humans, why he didn't add "don't kill anyone" to its directives before sending it back in time?
Answer: Because only young John Connor is concerned about that, not the future John Connor that sent the terminator back. Future John Connor wants the terminator to do everything it can to protect his younger self.
Answer: Older John Connor lives in a universe where most of humanity is dead but the survivors are all united against Skynet. He likely knew that humans in the past might even side against the Terminator, so he did not reprogram it not to kill, as saving his past self is priority. The T-1000 was also a human infiltrator so the T-800 had to get ready to kill something that looked human. Also, according to side canon the T-800 was sent back immediately after the T-1000 was sent as Tech Com finally defeated Skynet, so there might not have been time to fully reprogram the T-800 beyond its mission.
22nd Jul 2010
Iron Man 2 (2010)
Question: Can someone please tell me why Stark brought strawberries when he visits Pepper in her office? He knows that she is allergic to them and we know that he likes/loves her, but it was a spiteful and mean thing to do. Not to mention insensitive. If he did that just to get the model, couldn't he had done it differently? The whole idea just doesn't make sense to me.
Answer: He wanted to do something nice for her, but since he is a pretty self-absorbed, shallow multi-billionaire, he forgot about her allergy. He remembered that there was SOMETHING about her and strawberries, but misremembered and thought it meant she really liked them. He makes a simple human mistake, not out of meanness or spite, but because he honestly does not remember.
Answer: I've only watched this movie once but I think he got the strawberries from the man on the side of the road, and he just didn't want them. The man did just place them on the seat of Tony's car.
He stopped on the side of the road to get the strawberries. The man didn't throw them into his car as he drove by.
15th Oct 2018
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Question: How are Captain America, Black Widow, and Black Panther talking to Proxima Midnight through the Wakandan cloaked shield? What's she looking at? Trees?
Answer: It's not a cloaking shield. It's a defensive barrier. There would be no need to have a cloaking shield within the city because anybody that's inside the city would seemingly already know that Wakanda is hidden.
The cloak is to hide the city. If Cap flew in and only saw trees...what is the Black Order looking at and talking to?
The cloaking shield is what hides the city from overhead view, so aircraft that fly over can't see that there's an advanced city hiding within what is believed to be a third-world country. The barrier around the palace is to prevent enemies from attacking. That's why the "space dogs" are being torn apart when they try to go through the shield. When it becomes apparent that they can get through the shield when they attempt to do so in large numbers, Black Panther orders a section of the shield to be opened in order to bottleneck the forces in so that they can't surround the palace and penetrate the shield from a side that's not as well guarded.
This wasn't an overhead view. They were flying low and in a straight line into trees that on the other side hid buildings that were the same height. They weren't looking down.
Irrelevant. The simple fact of the matter is the Wakandans build that shield, and they can do anything they want with it. Perhaps the cloaking part is discarded to boost the shield's defensive capabilities.
That's an illogical answer: they can do what they want. Perhaps? Where is that in the movie? These are guesses not answers.
Are you saying they don't have full control over their own shield that they designed and can manipulate very specifically, as seen in the movie?
"Perhaps the cloaking part is discarded to boost the shield's defensive capabilities." - where is that in the movie? This website would not exist if every response was "they can do whatever they want".
It is when we are talking about future technology in advanced civilizations. This entry is also a question, not a mistake. There is a simple explanation for it, so that is the answer.
This is a theory not an explanation. An explanation would be backed up by facts from the movie.
There isn't an in-film "explanation", but that's a distinction without a difference. If in a movie we see someone in one place and then several scenes later we're shown them somewhere else, there isn't an "explanation" for how they've got there, but there might be plenty of perfectly reasonable theories about how - drove themselves, got a ride, took the bus, etc. This is a wholly fictional technology and the "facts from the movie" are that people can talk through it, just like they can choose to open specific narrow sections. So we take at face value that it's possible, because there's no in-film reason to assume it isn't possible.
9th Apr 2021
Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade (1989)
Question: When Indy's father is shown in flashbacks at the beginning of the film, why is his face never shown?
Answer: Most likely because they wanted his voice but not a different actor. So he is supposed to look younger and back in those days making an actor look younger was harder, cruder and more expensive.
22nd Mar 2021
300 (2006)
Question: How accurate is this film in relation to the actual Battle of Thermopylae?
Answer: Remember that even in the film, it's not really treated as a true story. It's Dilios telling a propaganda tale meant to boost the spirits of his fellow Greek warriors at Plataea.
Answer: It's based on Frank Miller's comic 300, rather than Herodotus' recounting of the actual battle. Almost nothing is accurate beyond Leonidas leading 300 Spartans to the Hot Gates and fending off Persians until Ephilates (not a hunchback) exposes the goat path. Xerxes is certainly not a tall Latino man, the Persians never used elephants, rhinos and explosives or mutants and Leonidas' former co-king actually sided with the Persians after getting kicked out of Sparta. In addition, 1000 Thespians also stood beside the Spartans and also died besides them. The Persians also did not have an 'inside man' in the Spartan government nor did they pay off the Ephors to tell Leonidas not to march; in reality it was a religious festival so the army had to stay home. Gorgo was also an accomplished wrestler and charioteer and would not have been raped so easily, especially by a politician.
Answer: According to the director it is 90 percent accurate. But in reality there are many things going on in this movie that are totally fantastical. One of the biggest problems are the costumes, diplomacy and tactical situation of the actual battle (the 300 did not in fact stand alone). Also, the movie includes elephants, which the Persians did not use in that battle, and certainly not rhinoceros. Also, Xerxes' portayal is completely fictional.
Answer: Well Keitel turned the shotgun into a cross. So he touched the cross and melted.
lionhead