Answered questions about specific movies, TV shows and more

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Question: How could Fred and George fly into the Great Hall to set off fireworks when they were in the Great Hall taking their OWLs?

Answer: Fred and George were not in the Great Hall during the O.W.L. exam (specifically the Theory of Charms exam), which is only for 5th years. Fred and George are in their 7th year (they've already sat their own O.W.L.s, 2 years prior). Note at the start of this scene there's a closeup of the board, and it reads, "O.W.L. examinations -Year 5" (time code 01:35:45).

Super Grover

Question: Why is the Princess called Peach instead of Toadstool and why is the main villain called Bowser instead of King Koopa?

Answer: "Princess Toadstool" was used in the original English-language manual, but she was Peach in the original Japanese, and that name continued in later versions, being combined with Toadstool. Bowser was originally called "Kuppa", but presumably the English-language version resonated more with people, plus removed any confusion of "Kuppa, King of the Koopas", so the English version stuck.

The One Where Rosita Dies - S7-E13

Question: When Phoebe meets Earl she says that her mothers name was "Pearl", but every other time Phoebe's mothers name is mentioned her name is "Lilly". Is Phoebe trying to relate her life more to Earl's? Or is this just a mistake?

Answer: Phoebe rushed to Earl's office to talk him out of killing himself. She told him about her own mother's suicide and deliberately lied that Lily's name was "Pearl" (rhyming with Earl) hoping to establish a personal connection with him. She stumbles a bit on the name, saying P-earl, as she makes it up "on the fly."

raywest

Show generally

Question: In nearly every episode there are two bailiffs standing in the back of the courtroom, a blonde white guy and a black man with glasses. They also appear hanging out in the cafeteria, walking in the halls, etc. However, I don't think they ever had a single line during the entire series run, even in episodes that prominently featured the building's entire bailiff staff. Any reason they made an effort to keep these two extras for the entire run, but never had them say anything?

Brian Katcher

Answer: Most likely, they were stand-ins for members of the main cast. When lighting sets, rather than have the main actors stand around while they adjust the lights, they will get someone with similar physical characteristics to fill in. Since they are already on the set and have nothing to do during the actual shooting, it is more convenient, and probably cheaper, to also use them as extras.

Answer: Most likely it was about money. Actors who have speaking parts, even if it's only one word, are paid more than "extras", who do not have any dialogue. As the two characters played no part in any of the plots, there was no reason to have them speak lines. Therefore, they were paid less money.

raywest

So why hire an extra to play a messenger or bailiff from another courtroom when that pair was already on the set and could have easily said the lines?

Brian Katcher

What lines? Your question specified that they never spoke any lines and you wanted to know why.

raywest

Lines that other extras playing bailiffs said.

Brian Katcher

If an actor speaks any dialogue, they are billed as "co-stars" and paid at a higher rate than "extras" (also known as Background Actors), who are uncredited. The two you mentioned were regulars who were merely silent background characters used to "dress the set", making the courthouse look more realistically populated. Extras often have no acting ability and are unsuitable for speaking lines. Some people work exclusively as extras in various TV shows and movies and do not actually act or have dialogue.

raywest

Question: The Bond films have traditionally hired English directors to helm all the films (much to the annoyance of many American directors like Steven Spielberg who would love to direct a Bond film). So why with this film did they decide just once to break tradition and hire a New Zealand born director instead. I'm truly baffled.

Gavin Jackson

Answer: I'm not sure about the idea that Bond films traditionally only hired English directors. Tamahori wasn't even the first New Zealander to direct a Bond film. Martin Campbell is a New Zealander who directed "GoldenEye" in 1995 (and "Casino Royale" in 2006). The first Eon Bond film, "Dr. No" was directed by Terence Young who was Irish, who directed 2 additional Bond films. Technically, Roger Spottiswoode is Canadian, but has dual citizenship. The first non-Eon Bond film, which had 5 directors credited, had 2 Americans, a German, and a Scottish director. And the 1983 film, "Never Say Never Again" was directed by Irvin Kershner who was American. And following Tamahori, there have been Swiss and American directors of Bond films (Marc Foster and Cary Joji Fukunaga).

Bishop73

Question: When did the Vinyards have to move into the apartment? Had Derek taken over the mortgage after his Dad died? So when he got locked up the payments stopped?

Answer: Bail, lawyers and court costs are very expensive, they most likely mortgaged, sold and borrowed what ever they could for his defense.

Question: How many injections does Jekyll need to take to prevent himself from turning into Hyde? The first time Jekyll speaks with Nick, he feels himself about to transform but takes a serum to prevent it but, later, when Jekyll's talking to Nick again, he feels himself about to change again and tries to take another injection.

Answer: As many as needed, Mr. Hyde was asserting himself, trying to take over. Like "Blade," he needed to take more and more injections of the serum, because the vampire blood was getting stronger and stronger.

Question: I'm a bit confused by the end of the movie. When Jake takes off with Keri, where was he taking her? Was Jake going to start a new life with Kari somewhere else or, was he going back to heaven and decided to take her with him?

Answer: He said he came back for her, only in a new face. So, yes, like in the old westerns the hero rode off into the sunset with his lady love.

Question: Who is the girl in the beginning in the helmet?

Answer: Her name is Alison Faulk. She was one of the movie's choreographers.

Question: Near the end of the movie, George and Lorraine say that if it hadn't been for Biff, they never would have fallen in love. Shouldn't they really be thanking "Calvin 'Marty' Kline" for getting them together?

Answer: I agree with you, but the idea is that, if George hadn't rescued Lorraine from Biff in the parking lot, they wouldn't have fallen in love. It's dark as hell to wax nostalgic about an attempted r*pe, but there you go.

Totally agree with your answer. Would add that Lorraine already knew who George was but was unimpressed and had mostly written him off as a goofy nerd. It was George saving her from Biff that totally changed Lorraine's perception. Otherwise, Marty's attempt to push them together probably would have failed.

raywest

Answer: Something he made up.

Question: In one of the scenes after Toomey stabbed Dinah, the color of her clothes changes from a saturated version of her pink outfit to a very obvious green. I was wondering if this color change was intentional, a mistake, or a request from one of the actors?

Answer: It was a continuity mistake. Whilst the characters appearances do start to look a little washed out over time, colours don't change, and if they did, pink wouldn't change into green.

Answer: There have been many reasons they maybe didn't want to come back for a sequel. Or sometimes actors are too busy working on another movie and it interferes with their filming schedule.

Question: Something I've always been confused about is the layout of Zavits' apartment. When his neighbor knocks on his door asking if she can use his phone, Zavits goes to answer it, but the door he opens is looking down from above at his own front door where he also notices Reynolds' men waiting in the stairwell below. Does he live in a duplex unit or something like that?

Answer: The men are downstairs, his neighbor is on the same floor at the 2nd entrance to the unit. Many apartments / condos have 2 entrances to meet code.

Question: Who is the porn star in the video Mich's wife is watching?

Answer: Julie Meadows.

Question: Why did the tech company that manufactured David stay based in Manhattan? Considering that it's flooded. Seems a little impractical.

Jack Vaughan

Answer: The owner/inventor of the company may have kept the doors open in Manhattan to see if any of his products would return 'home'. He seemed to be very pleased that David had returned and was interested in finding out why. I got the feeling the AI's creator was hoping for a sign that the instinct to return was something novel and not just a predictable result of their original programming.

Answer: Felix Serrano was the biological son of Antonio Vargas, the leader of Durango Cartel. Miguel Rojas (has 2 priors in cocaine distribution, and he launders money), was a Lieutenant with the Durango Cartel, and he worked with Felix Serrano. As for the motive, Miguel shot Felix (his actual target) because they had a falling out, which was presumably drug related, and the four other men at the poker table were just collateral damage (Miguel attempted to make it look like robbery). Later, when Miguel was in Antonio's car wired up with the FBI body cam, Antonio states, "Felix said that things were not going well between the two of you." So Antonio knew Miguel murdered his son Felix. At the end of the episode, after Rina's press conference, note one of the reporters even asks, "What was the motive for the 5 murders?"

Super Grover

Show generally

Question: In what season/episode did the officers show a store owner how to hang clothes with coat hangers so they are difficult to steal? They alternated the coat hangers so each one pointed in the opposite direction. The would-be thief couldn't just garb the garments and run. Thank you.

Answer: Adding to the previous answer, this is S3xE10 "Public Affairs DR-14" of Dragnet. At timecode 00:18:40, Friday talks about the clothing hangers on the storeroom suit rack in Daltons.

Super Grover

Answer: That was a Dragnet when Friday and Bill educate store owners how to avoid crime. No empty milk crates that can be tossed through a window, nightlights left on inside etc. The clothing rack was outside a store.

Question: At the very end, Arthur's body is being carried away on a barge, with three women standing above him. Are those three women the fates?

Answer: They were the Goddesses of Avalon. A group of women who each have a specific magical power. They were the makers of Excalibur, healed King Arthur's wounds from his first battle and took him to his final resting place, readying him for the day he would be needed again.

Most Arthurian myths attribute elves as making "Excalibur", and also "Clarent," King Arthur's other magical sword.

raywest

Answer: Or possibly they were attendants of Arthur, who would set the ship on fire, then have the option to die with their king, or to try to swim to shore. The Vikings did stuff like that. Why not imagine that the Brits did too?

Answer: Not the fates, but enchantress fairies. The Lady of Lake, who took back Excalibur at the end, was such a fairy.

raywest

Question: When Dr Connor (Lizard Man) is planning to turn everyone in the city into lizards, what are people going to do when they're lizards? Are they still going to continue their lifestyle, still eat human food, and do other hobbies and activities that humans do?

Trainman

Answer: Connors believes that humans are too weak and flawed, and that if he transforms them all, he'll create a better, smarter and more powerful species. Presumably, given his motivations are to "improve" humanity, he also believes that society itself will also evolve into something "better" (even possibly utopian) once everyone has transformed. As for all the minutiae like what people will eat, hobbies, etc.? I don't think Connors has really thought about that. His obsession is very surface level, and basically starts and ends at "If I turn people into powerful hybrid beings, everything will be better!" Realistically? There'd probably just be a lot of panic and chaos, a lot of people might hurt or kill themselves when they realise they've changed into another species, and society would probably collapse for a while before slowly rebuilding itself over the course of years.

TedStixon

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