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: In the film 'Jesus Christ Superstar', in the song 'Peter's denial', Peter sings: "You've got the wrong man, lady, [.], and I wasn't where" etc. All the websites with lyrics say the line after the word 'lady' is: "I don't know him", but that is not at all what I hear on the CD of the film version. I know some things changed when the show was turned into a film, and I suppose this is one of them. Can someone help? I am an English teacher and I would like to use these songs for an English lesson before Easter.

Answer: Just looked this song up on YouTube, from several versions including the 1973 film, and the lines are always performed as the lyric sites say.

Phixius

Waldorf Salad - S2-E3

Question: Basil asks the American male guest (Mr Hamilton) if they have palm trees in California. The American replies that, "They say Burt Lancaster has one, but I don't believe them." The DVD then appears to cut prematurely to the next scene. Is there a hidden or subliminal joke here that I'm missing?

Answer: A possible explanation can be found here: http://tviv.org/Fawlty_Towers/Waldorf_Salad Quote: "This is, of course, sarcasm, as southern California in general and Los Angeles in particular is famous for its palm trees".

Mortug

Chosen answer: Because Ripley would warn the other crew members about the Special Order, namely that the company's mission was to collect the alien (to use as a biological weapon) and that the crew was expendable. The company assigned Ash to carry out the plan, and being a robot, his only intent is to follow their orders.

raywest

Chosen answer: No. Monica's middle name is never revealed other than the middle initial is E.

Question: I think I have figured out the answer to this question, however, I would like further verification. After Jack sends Will onto the Flying Dutchman and Will is captured, Jack is watching through his telescope and Davy Jones sees him then suddenly they are right in front of each other. Did Davy Jones and his crew transport onto the Black Pearl and leave Will and the other prisoners on the Flying Dutchman?

Answer: That is correct. Davy Jones and his men have a supernatural ability to transport themselves from one location to another. That is how Bootstrap Bill first arrived to deliver the Black Spot to Jack Sparrow.

raywest

Question: When The Jackal ambushes Whiterspoon and Koslova, why he doesn't kill her first?

Answer: He shoots her last so she will live long enough to deliver his message to Declan.

raywest

Question: I have seen the film Twilight four times now and I still don't understand why Edward doesn't just turn Bella, it is obvious that they are in love with each other (which I don't blame her) but he is still reluctant, I was just wondering why this was, because if Edward truly loved Bella he would turn her and they could truly like a very happy eternal life together.

Answer: Because Edward (and the other Cullens) are deeply moral and caring. They would never have chosen to become vampires and know the hardships that life incurs. Edward wants Bella to live her life and fully experience being human. He fears she will be cursed and lose her soul if she is turned. You do not wish that on someone you love. It would also inflict severe emotional pain on Bella's parents, who'd be losing their only child.

raywest

Answer: Edward can't read Bella's mind because she has a "mind shield." It blocks out any mental or psychic power. In the last Twilight movie, Volturi can use use their minds to bring pain to others. Bella can use that shield to block it. She learns how to protect others and herself.

Answer: Probably. He is sadistic and seems to enjoy watching her suffer.

raywest

Question: When Clemenza is explaining to Michael how to shoot Sollozzo and McCluskey why does he keep on telling Michael to 'drop the gun' when he's finished. Why can't he bring the gun home?

Answer: For one thing, Michael isn't going home. The plan is for him to immediately be taken to a ship headed for Sicily. Secondly, the last thing a murderer wants is to be caught with the gun he just killed someone with. Clemenza tells Michael the gun is "cold," meaning it cannot be traced to any owner. The handle and trigger had also been wrapped in a special tape to prevent leaving fingerprints. Even if police had detained Michael, they could not tie the gun to him, and the Corleone family could buy off any witnesses.

raywest

Question: Edmond was imprisoned for 13 years, yet he was gone for 16 and was only on the ship for 3 months. What happened to the rest of the time?

lisabit

Answer: When Mercedes confronts Edmund, in his bedroom, she asks, "Where have you been?" He responds, "For 13 years prison, then everywhere else.

Chosen answer: Edmond traveled during the intervening years, creating a new life and identity for himself with the treasure that he found. That is how he became the Count of Monte Cristo. Edmond could not exact his revenge without this power and influence behind him.

raywest

Question: This question pertains to New Moon and Eclipse: When Billy is telling the story of the Quileutes and the "cold ones", he says the cold ones can only be destroyed completely by fire. We've seen James and Victoria be destroyed that way, but Laurent and Riley were killed by the wolves. Was fire not necessary in their deaths (there was no evidence that the female vampire in the story was further destroyed by fire) or is it really not the only way vampires can be destroyed completely (according to Stephaine Meyer at least)? It seems unlikely Jacob and the rest of the pack would have matches or lighters with their clothes every time they remembered not to phase with them on.

Answer: In the books, fire is the only way and the parts of the vampires are gathered together after the battles and burned. In the films, a mere beheading seems to do the trick, so while Billy's story in the film stays faithful to the books, in actual practice the films do not.

Phixius

Question: When the animals go to tell the dwarves about the witch trying to kill Snow White, why is Grumpy all of a sudden concerned about her? He's the first one to say that they have to go rescue her and then is leading them back to the cottage, although up to that point he hasn't liked her at all.

Answer: He's oppositional, sure, but that's just who he is. It doesn't mean he doesn't like her.

Phixius

Question: Is it ever explained how Beckett knew of Jack's compass? We know Jack had it in the first film when he used it to find Isla De Muerta and we learn a little later in this film that Jack got it from Tia Dalma. Could it be possible that Jack already had it when Beckett branded him as a pirate?

Answer: No, it isn't, although, as you so rightly say, Jack and Beckett appear to have a considerable history between them. Beckett presumably learned about the compass during those encounters.

Tailkinker

Question: In the last scene where Bond has finished confronting Vespers ex-boyfriend, what is Bond implying when he tells M "Congratulations you were right about Vesper". What about Vesper does Bond now see that he didn't before and M did?

jford

Chosen answer: That she really loved Bond, though he had previously refused to accept it, believing it to have been a ruse in order to acquire the money.

Phixius

Question: Shang's voice actor B.D. Wong is an accomplished singer, why was Donny Osmond brought in to sing Shang's song instead?

Purple_Girl

Chosen answer: Name recognition. Donny Osmond's popularity had recently resurged at the time this film was produced, and Disney wanted to cash in.

Phixius

Question: This is the 6th iteration of Matrix and Neo succeeds in killing Smith by unbalancing the equation. But doesn't the equation get unbalanced when the previous 5 Neos don't succeed and die?

Answer: Smith's being "set free" by Neo is something new to this iteration of the Matrix. The previous iterations simply ended and began anew, as was the machines' plan.

Captain Defenestrator

Question: During the snow scene, someone says, "Have we missed the kick?" (I can't remember who said it) What are they talking about?

Answer: "The kick" is what wakes them up from the current dream; they are wondering if it failed to wake them up.

Phixius

Question: Why does Fischer Jr. start to cry when he sees a pinwheel in his father's safe?

Answer: It represents a fond memory from his childhood and he is overcome with happiness to see his that father cherished it as well.

Phixius

Question: This is a question for all the films, what do wizard children who have lived with wizards and witches all their lives go to primary school because they must need to read and write?

Answer: They are typically taught "the basics" at home, as per Rowling.

Phixius

Question: After Snape escapes when Harry reveals himself to him in the Great Hall, Voldemort uses his powers to speak to everyone and tells them he wants Harry. Just before he speaks the room gets dark and a few students start to scream. Did they sense something was happening before anyone else and why wasn't anyone else screaming. I know that later when Voldemort summons Harry to the Dark Forest, Hermione covers her ears.

Answer: They scream because the room growing dark startled them. Hermione covers her ears in a vain attempt to muffle what Voldemort is saying; it's something she doesn't want to hear and in her highly stressed and fatigued state she resorts to ineffective measures to "hide" from what is happening.

Phixius

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