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: Just a thought. If the Mattsons chose to file a complaint against Abel, would his history of unethical behaviour on the job make his superiors more inclined to take the complaint seriously? It just seems odd to me that accusations of inappropriate behaviour against a policeman outside the job would be dismissed so easily when he has a long history of questionable behaviour on the job.

Movielover1996

Answer: The department may want to cover up Abel's behaviour to avoid bad publicity or accusations about police brutality and corruption. Most likely, it would result in an investigation by Internal Affairs, which they may have various reasons, aside from Abel, of wanting to prevent.

raywest

Question: Why is Maude dressed like a viking maiden in the Dude's dream sequence?

Rob245

Answer: She looks like one of the Valkyries, a Nordic female spirit that guided brave warrior souls to Vallhalla. This may foreshadow Donny's death.

raywest

Question: After removing the safety protocols from Chucky, why did the employee kill himself?

Answer: The employee's bosses overworked and abused him. He was depressed, had emotional issues, and probably felt his life was hopeless. Before committing suicide, he wanted retaliation against the company for making him so miserable, so he disabled the safety protocols on the "Buddi" doll's computer chip. Mostly, it's a convenient plot point to explain how Chucky came about.

raywest

Question: When Felix Ravenstill was declared dead, why did Dr. Gaul think that the way to get back at the Districts was to kill off the remaining tributes in the "rainbow of destruction"? If you were chosen as a Tribute, you basically were already dead before actually dying. That's pretty much the essential nature of the Hunger Games. Wouldn't the government announcing a retaliatory missile strike have made much more sense?

Answer: Doing something unexpected and even more violent during the Games sends a warning but also adds a "shock value" that "thrills" Capitol viewers, keeping them engaged and increasing TV ratings. Launching a missile strike would be an extreme and counterproductive move that only causes extensive and expensive damage, disrupts the districts' productivity and adversely affecting Panem's commerce, directly hurting the Capitol and its citizens.

raywest

Question: When Lucy Gray tells the peacekeepers to "give her a minute," why do they all back off and let her sing instead of carting her off to the train? The police basically take orders from her, and I'm pretty sure singing would have been classified as rebellious behavior. Was it because she had to have protection now that she was one of the chosen Tributes?

Answer: The Peacekeepers were likely a little subdued because a large crowd is watching and everything is being aired on live TV. They would not risk inciting a riot. The Peacekeepers are low-level Capitol servants, so they may be concerned about the repercussions to themselves if they are overly rough with a female tribute. Allowing her to sing also makes for better TV, and the Capitol is trying to increase viewership.

raywest

Question: Surely there's some violation of ethics of nurses when Rachel starts sleeping with her patient's husband while she's still alive, right? That, and how could she be considered nice, given what she did helping Anna's father cheat on his wife?

Rob245

Answer: It is a serious ethical violation for a nurse to have a sexual relationship with a patient's spouse. It could lead to the nurse's license being revoked. The "nice" part is more subjective, but sometimes good people, driven by their passions and desires, have lapses in judgment.

raywest

Question: How did Ian know the "Declaration" would be in the basement? If Gates had not stolen it, the "Declaration" would still be on display, protected by all that security.

Answer: I did some reading on this. The Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, all stored at the National Archives, are lowered nightly from public viewing displays to a basement vault. Ian would know about the routine and plan accordingly. It's still inconceivable that any document could be stolen, considering the high security guarding them, but it's a move, after all.

raywest

Answer: The Declaration was moved to the basement some time before the party, plenty of time for someone with as much money and connections as Ian to find out it had been replaced by a replica and moved to the other location.

Show generally

Question: Why does Captain Peacock always ask a customer if they're being served as soon as they get out of the lift? The customer has just arrived, so Captain Peacock is already aware they haven't been served yet.

Answer: It's just a turn of speech, a very prim and proper way of asking "Do you need any help?" Being such a stuffed shirt, and in a store as old-fashioned as Grace Brothers, Captain Peacock would naturally affect an air of superiority and high-class language when speaking to customers.

Answer: It typically goes by the name "pizza saver", but it's often called a pizza stool or pizza table (some have 3 legs and some have 4). When Carmela Vitale was issued a patent, she called it a package saver.

Bishop73

Question: Has there ever been any explanation as to why Freddy was killing children?

Answer: In the book version of the first three movies, he took a saying from his abusive foster father: "Children are useless." He made it "Children are better off dead." He also killed one trying to rob him and felt a rush of adrenaline from it that he didn't want to lose, so he got addicted to killing.

Rob245

Question: Why doesn't Porter demand more money? Sure, his cut was $70,000, but since he's a crook, why not demand more?

Rob245

Answer: Quote, "A work man is worthy of his hire." In the original version, the Mob Boss asked, "why are you doing all this?" He replied, "I want my money." It's as simple as that. He did a job and wants his payment.

Answer: Porter only wanted what he was owed and had been cheated out of, and nothing more. He is a former Marine, so probably still adheres to a certain code of honor.

raywest

Question: Other than plot convenience, why did Gennaro speak to Rogastno?

Answer: No other reason, except to provide exposition for the plot. It gives the audience information they otherwise would not have.

raywest

Question: When Oliver crawls under the tables to escape from the workers, why were the other boys kicking Oliver?

Answer: Because they're cruel, ignorant bullies who were probably abused when they were younger, have an established pecking order, and pick on weaker victims to feel superior and for amusement.

raywest

Question: Why did the FDNY respond to a hostage situation?

Answer: Firetrucks and firefighters are quite often dispatched to non-fire emergencies. They're typically well-trained in emergency and medical aid, and also very quick and efficient, so a lot of the time, they will arrive at emergency scenes before police and paramedics.

TedStixon

Answer: In a hostage scenario, there's always a high probability of injuries and other situations arising that police are unable to handle. Paramedics are part of the fire department and tend to medical needs. Firefighters respond to any possible fires, explosions, gas leaks, etc. They may also have to cut off water to a specific building, extract hostages, or carry out other rescue operations. Fire departments regularly work hand-in-hand with police.

raywest

Question: Would a toaster really knock someone unconscious if you hit someone with it, like yellow T-shirt guy did?

Answer: It's possible, if it hit a certain way and with enough force. However, movies tend to exaggerate physical altercations. For example, it's often shown how someone is repeatedly punched in the face with little effect, when in real life a person's jaw would have been broken with the first blow.

raywest

Answer: Not every military vehicle looks or is built exactly the same, even if they perform similar functions. Different defense contractors would have their own particular designs. Newer vehicles often have improvements or additional capabilities added.

raywest

Answer: Are you referring to the AT-DP? Those are similar to the AT-ST, but have an entirely different mission use.

kayelbe

Question: Why are all the men dressed in their best clothes for the physically demanding, dirty job of a barn raising? The "Town Men" in particular are in suits and ties.

Answer: No realistic reason. It's a movie artistic choice to contrast the more genteel townsmen with the rugged Pontipee brothers. The active dance sequence emphasizes the rivalry between the two groups, and the different costumes make it easier for the audience to identify the men who are vying for the girls' affections.

raywest

Question: If Stryker hates and wants to kill all mutants, then why does he let Deathstrike work for him?

Answer: That was temporary. He later tries to kill all mutants with Dr. Xavier's power, so that would have included Deathstrike.

Answer: As we see in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Stryker has a long history of working with mutants. So, although he grew to hate them, he recognizes that they can serve a purpose for him, as he tells Xavier when giving Lady Deathstrike another dose of the mind control serum.

Phaneron

Show generally

Question: Whenever Kevin talks to Mack, Kevin calls him "Mack Daddy." Mack always responds with "Don't call me that." What is the reason Mack doesn't like to be called "Mack Daddy"?

Answer: "Mack Daddy" was a 90s phrase meaning "Ladies man," and Mack simply doesn't like the stupid nickname.

Brian Katcher

Question: Boggarts take on the physical form of whatever scares people. Neville is afraid of Snape, so the boggart turns into Snape. But, what would a boggart turn into if someone's fear has no physical form? For example, if someone was afraid of getting lost. What kind of form would the boggart take?

Answer: The boggarts seem to come up with some image that represents a non-physical fear. For example, in the fifth book, Molly Weasley finds a boggart that takes the form of her dead family members and Harry, since her biggest fear is losing them (She had begun to think of Harry as family).

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