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 final battle scene, Jack was protected from death because he had possession of a single gold coin from the Aztec loot. If possession of a single gold coin could turn Jack into an invulnerable, living skeleton under the moonlight, how did the curse not affect Elizabeth after she had in possession the medallion for so many years? I believe she should have been turned into an undead person as well, since her gold coin was indeed part of the loot.

hotch0c

Chosen answer: Elizabeth was unaffected by the curse because she never removed the coin from the Aztec chest. Neither did Will Turner, who Elizabeth took the coin from, then hid it. It was only those who stole a coin from the chest who were cursed. Losing it, having it stolen, or giving to someone else does not pass on the curse to the new recipient. Jack delibertately took a coin from the chest, therefore cursing himself, albeit to protect himself so he could defeat Barbossa.

raywest

Question: What was the whole thing about Clyde's house being broken into? Was it just a home invasion or something to do with his CIA past?

willieboy78

Chosen answer: Just a random break-in.

Phixius

Question: When Gilbert and Arnie first meet Becky they tell her that Arnie's birthday is in 6 days. It is indicated that Mr. Carver dies and is buried sometime in between then, but if he died say two or three days before the party normally it would take about a week to plan a funeral. Are funerals planned quickly in smaller towns in the real world or is it just for the film?

Answer: I don't know where you are from but here in the Northeast United States, funerals are planned and completed in 3-4 days. The Jewish bury their loved ones within 36 hours.

MovieFan612

Season 5 generally

Question: I read in the Buffy section of MovieMistakes that when she dies in the end of the fifth season, no slayer is brought about. I think the episode is Lineage- When a slayer, Dana is found, how is she a slayer? Wouldn't Faith have to die?

buffy4angel

Chosen answer: Yes, Faith technically would have had to die. But while it is never seen on screen, Dana was actually activated in the Buffy episode "Chosen", when Willow used her magical powers to channel the essence of the Slayer scythe into all of the Potentials around the world.

Cubs Fan

Question: There is a scene where Sarah Connor is pulling out bullets from the back of the T800. My question is how did they achieve this effect? Rubber pliers was my first thought, but you cannot see any bending at all as they are forced in and twisted, plus as the pliers go in, you can see quite a depression in the skin of the T800, it looks rather rubbery and flexible. So the body looks like a fake, but it's Arnie's head on top, but it's difficult to tell. I would love an answer or opinion on this as it has got me stumped.

kazara1001

Chosen answer: They've artificially built out Arnold's back. This allows them to press the pliers into holes the prosthetic and have plenty of room before hitting his back. If you look carefully at the base of his neck and around his shoulders, you can see where they've blended the prosthetic into his normal skin. A good job, but not 100% perfect.

Garlonuss

Question: What is the relevence of the time 8:49pm that appears at the start of the film?

Answer: I don't think the time is particularly relevant, except that its exactness is in stark contrast to the temporal and locational vagueness of the next statement which is "...Somewhere in the 20th century".

Sierra1

Season 1 generally

Question: In one episode (I think it's My Balancing Act) Dr Kelso is trying to scare the interns, so he pulls his face off and 'becomes' a guy with crazy ginger hair and a very annoying loud voice. I'm a Brit so that's maybe why I don't recognise this guy. Is he supposed to be someone famous?

Answer: This is an American comedian called Scott Thompson, more widely known by his stage name of "Carrot Top".

Tailkinker

Question: In the scene where Ginny asks Harry to zip up her dress, George come into the kitchen in the middle of Harry and Ginny's kiss and says "Morning". What is that's sticking out of his ear hole/bandage?

kkaattiiee

Chosen answer: It's his toothbrush. He's brushing his teeth when he comes into the room, and sticks it in his ear for effect.

Xofer

Question: When Cal says to Rose,'I should have kept that drawing it would be worth a lot more in the morning'. What does this mean?

Marko1215

Chosen answer: Cal sarcastically means that he expects Jack Dawson (who drew the picture Cal is referring to) will die when the Titanic sinks. It is a morbid fact that, historically, an artist's body of work becomes more valuable "after" their death, even doubling or tripling in value. Cal is saying Jack's drawing would be worth more once Jack is dead.

raywest

Answer: Personally, I always also highly suspected that, given Rose's answer a moment later; he meant that since the drawing was made on the Titanic and dated the night of its sinking; it would be very valuable given its historical connection then.

Question: There's a quote that I don't understand: "The fact that you prevented it from happening doesn't change the fact that it was going to happen." I immediately thought, "Yes, it does change the fact that it was going to happen." If Witwer hadn't put his hand there, it would have happened. However, he did, thus "changing the fact that it was going to happen," right? Isn't this the point of the whole movie: determinism is foolish and that different actions produce different consequences?

Answer: No, he didn't change the fact that it was going to happen. He prevented it from happening. But until he stopped it, it was going to happen. And no matter how many times you look back at that sequence, it was going to happen. Up until a point, it was going to happen. It was just prevented.

Garlonuss

Answer: The statement involves the idea of arresting people who did not commit the crime yet but are going to. Until the precogs tell someone to change things, the idea is that it will happen. If Anderton had rolled the ball and the other guy was not watching, it was going to fall. The only way to change it would have been for Anderton to say something. Things will happen unless the future is changed. Ultimately the idea is proven sketchy at the end at best.

oldbaldyone

Question: When David is in the Hamill's house, David stabs Peggy Hamill in the neck with the knife that was already en-lodged into David's hand by Peggy's son. Peggy's blood should have seeped into David's hand wound; Why doesn't David get infected?

43vrmoto

Chosen answer: Because he's naturally immune to the disease, just like all of the other survivors at that point.

Phixius

Question: If the character's nicknames (Columbus, Tallahassee, etc) come from their destinations, how come Witchita & Little Rock have different names, when they're sisters and are coming from - and heading to - the same place?

Answer: The names come from their hometowns, not their destinations. Witchita is much older than Little Rock; she could have spent the majority of her childhood in Witchita before her family moved to Little Rock where her sister was born. She still considers Witchita to be her "hometown".

Phixius

Question: Why were the Nazis so desperate to get Captain von Trapp into their navy? Austria hadn't had a navy since the end of the first world war, so his skills weren't exactly up to date.

Answer: True, but a decorated and highly respected command officer, particularly one with proven wartime experience, is still a major asset. While he might not be directly familiar with the current equipment, naval tactics wouldn't have altered to any great degree and his ability to lead and inspire those under his command would remain the same.

Tailkinker

Question: How does Superman know who Zod is when he is in the bar with Lois and the President makes the emergency broadcast?

Answer: Superman was well educated regarding his home planet's history. All this information was left for him by his parents at the secret installation at the North Pole.

raywest

Question: When Bond ejects the guy, strangling him into the underside of the jet flying above, why exactly does the latter jet end up exploding?

DEvans

Chosen answer: According to the script, the other jet is hit by the two heat-seeking missiles it had previously fired, although that's not very clear in the film and it looks like it explodes when hit by the co-pilot.

Sierra1

Question: Given that Logan's body (skin, bone, muscle, etc) is what "regenerates" quickly, and Adamantium is absolutely fixed once it is solidified, Logan would now have two permanent holes in the front of his skull from the bullets fired into his brain to destroy his memories at the end of the film? Unlike the skin, muscle, bone and brain tissue, the Adamantium would not "heal over" or regenerate, so the two vulnerable bits of bone would remain, a bit of a vital vulnerability in a dangerous area of the body.

Answer: That would indeed seem to be the case. Granted, it would have to be an extremely lucky shot to find one of those holes under his flesh, but, yes, it is an apparent vulnerability.

Tailkinker

Question: Nikolai comes across the colorful plant, which Edwin identifies to be poisonous, and he even knows its scientific name. But if the plant is known for Edwin, then it must be native to Earth, since there is no reason to believe that the doctor has studied extraterrestrial flora. Why is this plant growing in there? Have the predators maybe prepared the planet to be more "interesting", by adding some toxic plants from another worlds in there?

Pietu85

Chosen answer: Indeed, it's an interesting question, and not one to which any answer is given. In the absence of any other information, your speculation that the predators have taken various plant species from other worlds to study and just make their hunting environment more interesting is as good an explanation as any other.

Tailkinker

Question: When Fabrizio finds Jack, Rose and Tommy and the bottom of the main stairwell after they have been told they cannot get up that way, why when Jack is informed that "the boats are all gone" and then told by Fabrizio that there is an exit, why does Jack not go that way?

yaboo100

Chosen answer: Fabrizio says "There is niente this way." Meaning, there is nothing. He doesn't say there's an exit.

Jennifer30

Question: At the end of season six, Grace told Robert E she was pregnant. Throughout this series finale, which is fast-forwarded three years, there is no such child. Do we assume she miscarried?

oprlvr33

Chosen answer: We could assume that, but more likely the writers decided that adding a baby to the show did not serve the plot that well.

raywest

Question: Is that man with the pirate code Jack's father? He sure looks like it and Jack asks "How's mum?" but it's a very hard tell/guess.

wolf8265

Chosen answer: Yes, he is. This is Captain Teague, Jack's father, played by Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones, who was one of the primary inspirations for Depp's performance as Sparrow.

Tailkinker

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