Answered questions about specific movies, TV shows and more

These are questions relating to specific titles. General questions for movies and TV shows are here. Members get e-mailed when any of their questions are answered.

Question: Would it really be possible to get a fingerprint off glass using the method Ben uses in the movie?

Answer: Simply put, yes, but that would be the easy part...it is doubtful that a simple ink impression would be able to fool a fingerprint scanner of the sophistication of the one at the National Archives. Most importantly, high-end scanners don't just read the print, they measure the ridges and minute imperfections, which a 2-D impression on a rubber glove wouldn't provide. Some even measure the user's pulse rate and can detect the difference between actual skin contact and "dead" tissue (e.g, a rubber glove). So, it's a mix of real technology (used often in law enforcement, etc.), and Hollywood magic to advance the plot.

Question: Why did Wendy just wave at Squints instead of getting up and walking over to the fence to talk to him?

Answer: She was the lifeguard on duty.

kayelbe

Answer: In addition to being on duty, girls/females during that time period were not likely (or as likely compared to now) to approach and/or initiate conversations boys/males.

KeyZOid

Question: What did Mac say right before he exited the stairwell to shoot at the chopper with Roth and the others onboard?

Answer: "Go get it." He was just pumping himself up.

Bishop73

Answer: "Hear You Me" by Jimmy Eat World.

Bishop73

Question: What happened to the baby brother? I know that he died but how?

Answer: Henry caused his younger brother's death by drowning, just like he was planning to kill his sister, Connie.

raywest

Question: Why does the probe even wish to talk to humpback whales?

Rob245

Answer: It's stated by Spock in the movie, even if he is just speculating. He mentions that humans are not the only intelligent special on Earth, and that it's human arrogance to assume that the probe's signal, "Must be meant for man." The point is, the aliens were communicating with the whales, and when that communication stopped, they sent the probe to find out why.

wizard_of_gore

Answer: There is a hypothesis by Spock that the probe was perhaps sent to find out why they didn't hear the whale song any more.

Answer: It was never explained, but as whales are highly intelligent animals capable of communicating with one another, the visiting aliens somehow were once able to establish contact. Perhaps the alien's form of language was more compatible with the humpbacks.

raywest

Answer: Wouldn't you if you could?

TonyPH

Question: How many scenes were removed from this film?

Answer: Will need a bit more information to answer accurately. Are you referring to a TV broadcast? A web stream? The standard DVD release? The extended dvd release? The VHS release? Netflix version (in the UK at least) is around 11 mins shorter than the 1 disc DVD release for example.

Ssiscool

Answer: Probably to save on costs of filming the same scene. In the reused shots they have always morphed so you can't see the actors. They just have to pay them to do voice-overs rather than the entire scene.

Ssiscool

Answer: A sequel is still possible, but PIXAR and Disney say there are no current plans for one. They are open to the possibility but claim to be moving away from a sequel-heavy slate to instead focus on original projects. Although it received good reviews, Onward under-performed at the box office, though that was partially due to the COVID pandemic. A sequel is doubtful, or, if there is one, it could be a straight-to-video DVD.

raywest

Answer: It's hard to say for certain, but any movie that ends up making a lot of money is pretty much guaranteed nowadays to get a sequel, as it signals to the studio and producers that they now have a recognizable and lucrative IP.

Phaneron

Answer: In the comics, Hobgoblin's true identity was kept a mystery for a long time intentionally and while many fans deduced it was Kingsley, and creator Roger Stern was leaning that way, Stern left the series in 1984. In 1987 Hobgoblin's identity was revealed to be Ned Leeds and then Macendale became Hobgoblin. It wasn't until 1997 that Sterns wrote the mini-series "Hobgoblin Lives" and retconned Kingsley as the original Hobgoblin.

Bishop73

Answer: I could be wrong, but I believe the Hobgoblin in Marvel Comics around the same time this show was airing was also Jason Macendale. I have a Hobgoblin trading card from around 1992 or 1993, and it identifies him as Jason Phillips Macendale when listing his real name.

Phaneron

Question: Why was Gandalf so afraid of Moria that he refused to speak about it?

Answer: He knew about the Balrog. Or heard rumors of it, Durin's Bane it was called. He had guessed its nature.

lionhead

Answer: They have fingers. It's just artistic license how their hands are drawn.

Brian Katcher

The same way they don't have proper feet. Just shoes on the end of their legs.

Ssiscool

Question: Was Arnold Epstein drafted into the army?

Answer: No.

Question: How, after tearing apart the Lincoln while looking for drugs, are they able to get it back together with no damage and hand it back to the Frenchman, including welding in the door panels towards the end of the movie? (02:00:00 - 02:45:00)

Answer: This has been asked and answered before. It's not the same car, it's a replacement of the same make, mark, and color.

Question: Who kills Nick and shoots at Patrick when they invade that crack house with Remy? (01:02:50 - 01:03:45)

Answer: It is not actually shown who shoots at and hits Nick, so it is necessary to make a deduction based on what is known. The shooter was behind the front door and shot at Patrick when Patrick was trying to aid Nick. Patrick retreated to the side of the house and returned fire. When Patrick entered the house, "Bubba" was seen lying facedown on the floor with a gunshot to his shoulder, apparently dead from Patrick's blind shots. No one else was in the front room, so it seems safe to conclude that Bubba killed Nick and shot at Patrick. "Fat Lady" Roberta emerged from a back room and Corwin Earle was in the upstairs hallway, so - even though they were in the house at the time - neither was likely to have been the shooter behind the front door.

That's not Bubba laying on the floor, that's the old man who resides at the house - Leon Trett. Bubba was Patrick's good-guy kingpin buddy, played by the rapper Slaine.

Show generally

Question: In different episodes a mug can be seen in the ice machine section on the outside of the fridge, which changes colors and patterns from episode to episode. Is there any significance to it?

Answer: Ice makers were a new invention, advertisement purposes.

Question: What was the message that Dr. Thurman was trying to say to Rose? She said she needs to talk to Rose for some reason. Why?

Answer: I think I can recall enough to answer. Dr. Thurman's most recent therapy session with Donnie resulted in her assessment that Donnie's condition had quickly deteriorated and he was (or might be) in imminent danger of hurting himself or engaging in some type of dangerous or violent or self-destructive behavior (or doing something bizarre, such as attempting time travel). Under hypnosis, Donnie admitted to Dr. Thurman that he "did it again" (flooded the school), burned down Cunningham's house because he had "kiddy porn", that "Frank" was going to kill someone, and the "sky was going to open up"; Donnie was also crying. Dr. Thurman wanted Rose to be aware and, undoubtedly, keep a close eye on Donnie and inform her immediately of any changes or behaviors of concern. Why Dr. Thurman would leave a telephone message under these circumstances and fail to immediately intervene or take preventive measures does not speak highly of her competence. I think showing the party before Dr. Thurman leaving the message left some viewers in the dark.

KeyZOid

Question: In the scene where the pilots are receiving their initial briefing, the officer in charge is a Lt Colonel, but in a later scene where the alien ship is approaching area 51, he is a captain. Is this the same officer or is this a mistake?

Answer: This is indeed a mistake. The character is played by Bill Smitrovich and is listed as playing Captain Watson, but in the briefing scene he is wearing collar insignia for a Lt. Colonel.

lionhead

Question: Roughly 12 minutes in during the sidewalk gunfight a person is whacked with a gun after the fight. There is white text that flashes on screen shortly after. What does the text say?

Atestmonkey

Answer: I think the scene you're referring to happens about and hour and nine minutes in. An Indian is knocked off the horse by a union soldier. I couldn't see any text flash on the screen. There are white signs with black letters in the background that belong to the general stores. Maybe you saw the flash of a horse or saddle?

Bishop73

You're right on the time mark. My mistake. I watched an HD version and it wasn't there. Is the one that TCM aired maybe different than the hd version? I wasn't the only one watching who saw it. There were others.

Atestmonkey

You probably just saw the name of the station airing the film. The sidewalk scene with 4 soldiers takes place in the middle of the movie. When you rewind a non-recorded show on a DVR, the minute mark is often how many minutes past the hour it is or how long you've been on that channel. 12 minutes into the movie is when they're turning themselves over to the Union before being slaughtered, a little prior to that is the opening credits and fighting montage scene, but no sidewalks around. Most DVR remotes allow frame by frame and slow motion playback (pause then use the fast forward or rewind button).

Bishop73

It wasn't the name of the station. The text was several lines long from top to bottom in the middle of the screen. You're time mark is right. No text on screen in the HD version I watched. TCM aired the one with the text, don't know if it's different in some way.

Atestmonkey

If you're watching it on a cable channel, it could be their logo that they're flashing on the screen, rather than something that was part of the movie. I see this all the time on movies and other programs I watch on cable.

raywest

I screen captured it! Could not get it all. Reads at bottom LEFT RIGHT CH 7,8 - English. (?) LBY EDIT 342. 1/23/ (?) TMC.

Question: Is it Rudy's friend Jim who makes the catch on the halfback pass thrown by Vince Vaughn, Jamie near the end of the Georgia Tech game?

Answer: No.