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, at the theater house, everyone was watching "Faust or the Devil's Bargain." What was the deal that Faust made with the devil?

Answer: 1. To serve Dr. Faustus for as long as he should live, 2. To provide Dr. Faustus with whatever information he might request, 3. Never to utter an untruth to Dr. Faustus. The Devil agreed to these particulars, on the condition that Dr. Faustus would promise that after twenty-four years to surrender his body and soul to the Devil, to confirm the pact with a signature written in his own blood, and to renounce his Christian faith.

pross79

Question: This question applies to most of the Star Wars films: why do Light sabres turn themselves off when they are dropped, thrown etc?

Answer: Normally the on/off switch is pressure sensitive. So when someone lets go of the switch, the blade shuts off, for safety. However, most lightsabers also have a lockable switch, meaning the switch can be locked in the "on" position, so someone can thrown the saber to cut things (with the blade on). Of course, they are also Jedi, so they can use the on/off switch with the Force.

Bruce Minnick

Question: I've always been bothered by the pronunciation of Raoul's name. Based on the spelling, I would have thought that it would be pronounced "Ra-ool", but for the most part in the movie, it's pronounced "Ral" (like 'Ralph' without the 'ph'). Which way is correct?

Answer: It all depends on the native language and dialectual region of the person with the name. In Spanish, the name would be RA ool, but in other regions, it's rowl, ral, and other things. As another example, Ralph is pronounce rAfe in many regions.

Myridon

Answer: It means that Phoebe now has control over Monica and Rachel. If they were in jail, Monica and Rachel would now be something akin to Phoebe's slaves.

Guy

Answer: This is a reference to one of the oldest prank-call jokes known - young people calling up a tobacconist's and asking if they have "Prince Albert in a can," (Prince Albert being the name of a moderately famous brand of loose tobacco). If the shop owner replies positively, they then say "Well you'd better let him out, he's suffocating!" or the like.

Rooster of Doom

Question: Why is the director credited simply as "McG?"

Answer: Joseph McGinty Nichol is his real name. McG is most probably a nickname.

Grumpy Scot

Question: Bishop is killed in Alien Vs Predator, so why is he alive in Alien 3 at the end of the movie? Alien 3 is supposed to take place many years after Alien Vs Predator (in Alien 3 Bishop claims not to be a robot).

Answer: He isn't Bishop in Alien vs. Predator. The Alien series takes place many, many years after Alien vs. Predator, the character in Alien 3 is just a descendant of the character who looks like him in Alien vs. Perdator.

Nick N.

Question: At the party Joey says to Bianca, 'Come on, we're all congregating around Mr. Guervo.' What does that mean?

Answer: Actually it's Mr. Cuervo, as in Jose Cuervo tequila. They are all gathering around the tequila bottle.

Guy

Question: What is Mystique's real name? I've heard it before but I can't remember what it is.

Answer: Mystique's original name was Raven Darkholme, but she also spent many years masquerading as Mallory Brickman.

Myridon

Question: Directly before Wallace is beheaded, he sees his dead wife in the crowd. Is this meant to be her ghost or is he imagining it?

Answer: I prefer to think that her spirit is actually there to welcome him to the afterlife.

Its all left for us to figure it out.

lionhead

Answer: He is imagining it. He is trying focus on the fact he will see his wife again soon, in the after-life, rather than the pain of torture and his impending death.

Mark English

Answer: No, it's an urban legend. Mythbusters did a really good bit on it. Look on Discovery.com for the DVD.

Grumpy Scot

Question: Was the number 1138 hidden somewhere in the movie? If so, does anyone know where?

Matty Blast

Chosen answer: One of the commanders of the clone army has 1138 as his uniform number.

shortdanzr

Question: This movie wouldn't be anything special at all in these days; now they put everything into the computers and voilà. So, could anybody tell me (with direct examples) how did they make the interaction between Toons and humans without any CGI?

Answer: They used a lot of practical trickery. In the bar scene where Roger is smashing plates on his head, they had a robot arm with a suction cup that would grab a plate and smash it on a metal rod where the head would be. The Weasels' guns were suspended by wires (watch the guns as they carry them. The movement is more characteristic of being hung than held). They had a robot arm that they could place a drink in to make it look like Roger was drinking a shot of whisky. This was used in Maroon's office (while Roger is sitting on the chair), and in the bar (when Eddy pulls the whole "You don't"/"I do" trick). Watch the scene where Roger takes the drink in the bar. Right after taking the drink and before the cut, his arm very conspicuously stays in a somewhat unusually rigid angle. They had to keep the arm there to cover up the robotic arm. They also had a little buggy for Bob Hoskins to ride around in when he was in Benny. The wheel that Hoskins holds was useless on the buggy and the vehicle was controlled by someone else.

Garlonuss

Answer: There was also a giant sized doll of Roger Rabbit, Bob Hoskins would use it as a reference point or as stunt doll when he had to grab Roger. Charles Fleischer, the voice of Roger Rabbit, would stand off camera in costume saying his lines.

Question: Who is the Jedi Syfrideous (sic) that is mentioned in conversation between Obi Wan and the prime minister of the cloning community?

Answer: Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas was a respected member of the Jedi Council. Secretly, he was becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the Jedi policies, and foresaw a future where an army will be required. Encouraged by his Jedi comrade Count Dooku (who was, by this time, quietly learning the ways of the Sith), he asked the Kamino cloners to prepare the clone army, based on the template that Dooku (under the name Tyranus) recruited. He was then eliminated by Dooku to prevent the Jedi from finding out about the army before the time was right.

Tailkinker

Question: When Rico goes into that place with the big robot, is it me, or is the bloke behind the counter the person that plays Minty in Eastenders?

Answer: No, it is not Minty, but Ian Dury, as in Ian Dury and the Blockheads.

Mad Ade

Question: I've heard that the kidnappers names are Carl and Gaear. Where in the film is this fact established?

Answer: At the beginning of the movie when Jerry meets them both in the bar to discuss the kidnapping. Carl introduces himself and Gaear to Jerry.

Tina Gilliam

Question: Where in the movie does Marvel's Stan Lee make his cameo appearance?

Answer: He did not make a cameo appearence in this movie.

T Poston

Question: How can Sabertooth take so much damage from Wolverine and still be fighting fit throughout their confrontation? He takes at least two deep stabs in the chest from Wolverine yet seems almost totally unaffected. Can Sabertooth regenerate like Wolverine?

Answer: Yes, Sabertooth regenerates like Wolverine. In the comics, he has at times been presented as Logan's father, although at other times other writers have disagreed.

Carl Fink

Question: During Wallace's execution, he stares at a child in the crowd, who stares back and smiles. What does the child symbolise?

Answer: I think the child symbolizes purity. Overall, Wallace is a pure man in the sense that he's uncompromising and fights for his convictions without wavering. He's not tainted with compromise, politics, and other things that other men succomb to. By seeing the child, he's reminded that he has to stick to his pure ideals of freedom, and not crack under the strain of torture.

Krista

Question: Where exactly is Castle Dracula located? Is it somewhere within Transylvania or in some unknown place?

Answer: If you are interested in the true location of the real Castle Dracula, you should visit http://www.infohub.com/forums/showpost.php?p=152&postcount=3. It gives you are clearer answer than you can find in the movie itself.

Mortug

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