Answered questions about specific movies, TV shows and more

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Question: Rachael made a copy of the videotape that kills people and gives it to Noah to watch. That means there are now two killer videotapes. Even though at the end of the film when she destroys the original, why didn't she destroy the copy that she made? With both tapes destroyed there would be no way for Samara to come back and kill more people. Granted Rachael still would have been killed, but she would also be saving a lot of lives.

Answer: Rachel is safe, since she has passed the tape on, but Aiden now needs to pass it on. If Rachel destroyed both copies, Aiden would have no way to do this, and would die. Also, based on background material, doing this wouldn't stop Samara: she can regenerate the video, either the same way the original one was created, OR at any point when somebody who has previously passed the tape on appears on a video camera.

Moose

Question: In one scene, Hugh Grant and his crazy roommate are talking, the roommate says something about Pandora's Box. He then goes on, "I knew a girl called Pandora, never got to see her box." I understand the no seeing box joke but what is 'Pandora's Box'? I've heard it mentioned before.

Answer: It's a tale from mythology. Details can be found here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandora's_box.

Tailkinker

Question: When we see four astrodroids fixing the ship trying to get past the blockade one of them is R2-D2, but out of curiousity, what are the names of the other three?

Answer: There was a set of astromech droids included with the Naboo Royal Starship Playset from Hasbro which named two of the others: R2-B1 and R2-R9.

Sierra1

Question: Five ships survive the destruction of the Death Star: Vader in his custom TIE, Han and Chewie in the Millennium Falcon, Luke and Wedge in their X-Wings, and a Y-Wing. Who's in the Y-Wing?

Phoenix

Chosen answer: The "X-Wing" computer game implies that the pilot of the surviving Y-Wing is the game's lead character, Keyan Farlander.

Sierra1

Question: Before the last battle between the Predator and Dutch you see them both preparing for themselves and their equipment for battle. Why does the Predator shine his laser on his knives which makes them glow red? What's this supposed to do?

Answer: He's sharpening them.

Grumpy Scot

Not Sharpening but Tempering as the lasers heat up the wrist knives thus making them stronger.

Question: Is there any truth to the breathing fluid used in the high pressure suit? Is that a technology actually used and is it really possible to breath and survive like that?

Answer: The technology does exist, yes. Read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluid_breathing for details.

Tailkinker

Question: Do the holes in the shower-room wall serve any practical purpose, other than as a plot device? I've never seen a real shower with them.

Answer: They are not supposed to be there - they were drilled by someone so they could look into the girls' shower.

pross79

Question: Why does Yoda seem so "childish" when Luke first meets him in the swamp? I mean in comparison to Episode III when he seemed much wiser. Is there any reason for this?

James Ollier

Chosen answer: Yoda was testing Luke. Luke was looking for a great Jedi warrior and expected to find this great man or creature, not a short, little, funny, "weak", creature. Yoda knew Luke must get past preconcieved ideas and conceptions of what it takes to be and become a Jedi. Luke failed this initial test.

Mark English

Answer: It's a trope popular with many of the Asian films (and some fantasy books) that inspired Lucas' original trilogy. The powerful master is often encountered first as a seemingly harmless (or meaningless) person only to unveil themselves later to the protagonist's surprise. In many respects, it's like Obi-wan's first appearance in A New Hope.

Question: In this movie we see a shot of a mechanical arm placing Darth Vader's helmet onto his head. But in ROTJ, removing Vader's helmet & mask made him die according to Luke. Is this because in ROTJ it was his helmet *and* his mask being removed, while in ESB it was just his helmet?

Matty Blast

Chosen answer: Removing the mask alone would not make Darth Vader die. He stil had breathing help built into his suit. Vader was already dying when Luke took his mask and helment off in ROTJ, due to injuries sustained by Luke and the Emperor's force lightning. Anakin (Vader) just wanted to see his son Luke with his own eyes, before he died.

Mark English

Question: Something I wasn't quite sure of was about Padme's death. Now I know throughout the film Anakin senses that she will die and must rescue her, but was her death a certainty or more a result of Anakin's turn to the dark side? I ask because I know the Jedi can sense the future, and was wondering if it was meant to be a vision of what was going to happen with his descent to the dark side.

Lummie

Chosen answer: The future is not always set in place, according to Yoda, especially when clouded by the Dark Side. As Anakin's fears for Padme increase the more dependent he becomes on the Dark Side to try and stop the events of Padme's death in his dreams. What he didn't see was that he was indirectly responsible for causing her own death by turning to the Dark Side. Although Padme could have survived injuries caused by Anakin's force grip, her will to die rather than live without him is what caused her death.

Mark English

Question: What happens to the clone army between episodes III and IV? I assume they are not the same as the Imperial forces in the original Star Wars movies (unless they got new ships, uniforms, etc.).

killin_kellit

Chosen answer: You assume incorrectly, I'm afraid, it's the same army. Their equipment has evolved over the twenty-year period between the films, as you would expect to happen. The main change to the ground forces is that the stormtroopers from episodes 4 to 6 are conventionally recruited troops rather than clones (which may account for their apparently decreased effectiveness) - very few, if any, of the original clone troopers would still be alive, given the levels of combat that they've seen and their accelerated aging process. The only faction where only the original clones remain is the 501st Legion, otherwise known as Vader's Fist. They were the clones who helped Anakin overthrow and destroy the Jedi Temple.

Tailkinker

Question: I know practically nothing about submarines, so this seemed a bit strange to me. When there's that huge storm, why do they keep staying at the surface, only going down for an hour at a time?

Answer: U-boats also travelled much faster on the surface...about 18 knots, vs only 8 knots or so beneath the surface.

Answer: Because that's what the U-boat was designed to do. Unlike modern nuclear boats, they didn't have the capacity to stay submerged for long periods - basically just as long as the air lasted; there wasn't atmosphere control equipment. They would 'snorkel' near the surface, recharge the batteries with the diesel engines, and then dive for a few hours at most before having to come back up and repeat the process.

Rooster of Doom

Question: Is Il Muto an actual opera? I rather enjoyed it and thought I would try to see it.

Answer: No. Andrew Lloyd Webber created it for his show's purposes.

Sereenie

Question: In the battle of Hoth, when Han and Leia are at the command center, we hear a voice saying "Imperial troops have entered the base" but this happens before General Veers has destroyed the power generator. How is it possible for them to enter when the shield is still up?

killin_kellit

Chosen answer: The shield prevents ship from landing close to the base and stops any orbital bombardment; it's not designed to prevent actual entry to the base. As such, the Imperial Walkers were landed a long way out, then they simply walked in under the shield, much as the probe droid did earlier. The ground troops simply came in with the walkers, disembarked and entered the base - the shield wasn't in their way.

Tailkinker

It got corrected on the 4K release.

Question: One thing I'm unsure of in the transition between episodes III and IV involves R2D2 and Obi-Wan. In Episode IV. Obi-Wan says "Strange, I don't remember owning any droids" when he meets C3PO and R2D2. Now technically yes, he never OWNED the droids, and he has been in hiding for 19 years, but after all, he and R2 went through in the past, you'd think he'd be more pleased to see him. He barely even recognises him. Any theories anyone?

Answer: Actually it was Anakin whom R2 accompanied during the events of the new trilogy. Obi-wan spent most of his time with R4-P17, and that was (as you've said) because he was essentially part of his cruiser, not because he owned him. So upon seeing R2 that many years later, it's understandable that he would not strike him as a droid he ever "owned."

Matty Blast

Question: Is there a reason why Lucas chose the number 66 to be the "code" for the clones to kill the Jedi? According to an article on msn.com, it is something Biblical; however, as the article was nonspecific, I am still not sure if it is an actual textual reference, or if it's just referring to the fact that the Bible contains 66 books.

Answer: Here is a site that contains several of the 66 references in and about the Bible: http://www.greaterthings.com/Word-Number/66.htm. There's no confirmed reason for George Lucas' decision.

Bruce Minnick

Question: When Shrek, Donkey and Puss find the "Happily Ever After" potion on the glass-enclosed shelf in the Fairy Godmother's factory, Puss uses one of his claws to cut the glass and get the bottle out. But I've heard that the only substance that can cut glass is a diamond. Were Puss' claws made of diamond? Or was this just for dramatic effect, since it's a fairy tale?

Answer: It was just a dramatic effect, since it was a fairy tale.

Disney-Freak

Question: This question applies to all three Harry Potter movies. Why is no one allowed to say Voldemorts name?

Answer: There's no actual law preventing it, it's largely traditional, left over from when Voldemort was previously active. He was considered so terrifying that people were frightened simply by the power of his name, so it became the norm to use an alternate method of referring to him if it was necessary to do so. Despite his apparent fall, the tendency remains. Later on, when Voldemort rises to power once again and gets hold of the ministry, a taboo is placed upon his name. Meaning that those who speak the dark lords name will immediately be attacked by death eaters. Some speculate the taboo was placed so as to find Harry more easily, as after Dumbledores death he was the only one brave enough to speak the name.

Tailkinker

Question: Why didn't Luke just stay in the cave and wait until the next morning to contact the Rebel base? Isn't the cave just as adequate a shelter as what Han dug for him?

Matty Blast

Chosen answer: There's still a very large and annoyed Wampa in there, and there could easily be others in the depths of the cave. Running out into the cold may not be the most sensible move in the world, but it's reasonably understandable.

Tailkinker

Question: After Jo's truck is destroyed and they have to use Bill's truck to load two of the Dorothys in, what do they do with the top that was over the bed of Bill's truck?

Tiffany

Chosen answer: I imagine they just left it at the house where they loaded the Dorothys. You only need a couple of wrenches to remove a camper top.

Grumpy Scot

They were not at a house.

Answer: It was most likely placed inside one of the other vehicles, the most likely being Dusty's "Barn Burner," which would've had ample space for it.

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