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: Is the footage right at the beginning of the film (black and caramel-ish colour) real footage of the ship from 1912 or just made to look like real footage from 1912?

Answer: Its part of the filming that's made to look older. If you notice later on you will see the same footage in black and white, but mirrored.

pierpp

Question: Where would Kahn learn a Klingon proverb? He was marooned on a planet, and before that he was in hibernation.

Answer: Given Khan's heightened intellect, he'd undoubtedly be an information junkie - he's had plenty of time, either on the Enterprise before his marooning or afterwards on the Reliant, to read up on the current state of the galaxy - he presumably found the proverb in some datafile somewhere.

Tailkinker

Question: Why is Brego, Eomund's horse, upset in the scene where Aragorn first meets him? Is he upset because Eomund is dead?

Answer: That would seem like a pretty plausible answer, yes. Brego's been in the middle of what was close to a massacre, with men (including his master) and presumably other horses cut down around him - enough to upset anyone.

Tailkinker

Question: Who are the actors that play Gil-galad and Isildur? They are never mentioned in the "making of" specials. Isildur has a very big part compared to other characters that were interviewed. Also, why is Hugo Weaving (Elrond) never interviewed for the DVD? He has an extremely important part.

Answer: Gil-galad and Isildur were played by Mark Ferguson and Harry Sinclair respectively. Why would they be mentioned - Gil-galad appears in about one shot and Isildur appears for a few minutes at the beginning and has only one line (and even that is actually voiced by Hugo Weaving). They're very minor characters - when there are so many larger characters to deal with, no reason to include them. As for Hugo Weaving, who knows - maybe he wasn't available, or preferred not to be interviewed for some reason. You have to remember that despite his part being important, he's not actually on-screen all that much during the trilogy, certainly compared to many of the other characters.

Tailkinker

Answer: Countermeasures refer to objects of varying types that would be used to distract missiles or torpedoes away from their intended target. So, in the case of a submarine being chased by a torpedo that's homing in on the noise made by the sub, they eject effectively a drum full of compressed air, generating a lot of bubbles, which seems like a valid target to a pinging torpedo.

Tailkinker

Question: Why was there a big emphasis when the girls came out of the van in the jumpsuits? Everyone in the theatre was cheering, but I didn't get it.

Answer: Because they are 4 really pretty girls in really tight clothing. Duh.

Grumpy Scot

Answer: Four beautiful women wearing tight black leather outfits would make anybody cheer.

Question: At the end of the film, why are the two 'goons' waiting for George Clooney and Co. nearby? Are they now involved with them as perhaps some sort of bodyguards, or are they just keeping an eye on him on behalf of the casino?

Answer: They have been assigned to watch Clooney by Andy Garcia because Garcia still suspects that Clooney had a role in the robbery. They're waiting for an opportunity to either gather evidence against him or simply beat him up some more.

Phoenix

Question: Does anyone know if Gambit (had a stick and threw playing cards) will be introduced in the new X-men film and can anyone explain why he hasn't been introduced yet? I always remember he was a major character in the cartoon.

Lummie

Chosen answer: Rumor has it he will be in the third film. Nothing definite yet. There is no reason he hasn't been introduced yet. Why hasn't Archangel, Beast, Bishop or Forge been introduced? Why not the Sentinels? Why is Rogue starting out as a good guy? The movies will not exactly follow the comics or cartoon.

Grumpy Scot

Question: As Harry and Hermione are going back in time, after Ron has left the room, there is a part where it looks as though a number of people are unwrapping someone to the right of the screen. What is happening then?

Answer: Exactly what it looks like - a person is being unwrapped from full body bandages. It's a hospital ward and they are just showing things representative of Harry and Hermione going back in time. It's just supposed to be something that happened earlier that day that they are "passing" by.

wolfchild

I thought it was the cast being put on Ron's leg?

It's the moment someone is covered from head to torso in bandages.

lionhead

Question: This encompasses all the Bond films: which Bond movie is it that, in Q's lab, Q replies to some sarcastic comment of 007's: "It [the gadget] has not been perfected after years of careful research for quite that purpose, 007"?

Answer: In Goldfinger, Q says "It has not been perfected, out of years of patient research, ENTIRELY for that purpose, 007. And incidentally, we'd appreciate its return, along with all your other equipment, INTACT for once, when you return from the field."

Myridon

Question: Why does the narrator say, 'Tyler, listen closely, my eyes are open' just before he shoots himself?

Answer: Tyler says that he was created because there were issues in Jack's life that Jack could not resolve. Revealing that Jack was capable of everything Tyler did, Jack realized that he didn't need Tyler at all anymore. He assimilated Tyler's teachings and knew that he was strong enough to stand and figure his way through life on his own. Therefore, he symbolically eliminated the Tyler personality.

Phoenix

Question: Who plays the cab driver at the beginning of the movie? He looks familiar but I can't put a name to the face.

Answer: According to IMDb, his name is Mark Curry. Check his filmography at http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0193104/.

Phoenix

Answer: He had a TV show in the 90s called Hanging with Mr. Cooper.

Weekend at Burnsie's - S13-E16

Question: Does any one know what the song is called in the episode "Weekend at Burnsies?" It's the episode with Homer on marijuana, and the song I'm referring to is the 70's sounding one, heard while he's shaving and rainbows come out of his beard.

Answer: It's "Incense and Peppermints" by Strawberry Alarm Clock - 1967.

Myridon

Question: In the scene when Logan intrudes on a briefing while looking for the diamond, the policemen mention something like the P-30 or something to that effect. What is it?

Answer: The P-30s they were discussing were the department-issued guns the cops had. They were complaining that they were not good to use and since Logan was lead detective, they made him decide what to do with the issue.

T Poston

Question: A follow-up from a previous question: OK, Best Costume is an Oscar category. However, would the "Costume Designer" for Shrek 2 be eligible to win - given that they didn't design any real costumes, just parts of the animated 3D models?

Moose

Chosen answer: Probably not. As stated in the rules (see below), there must be a costume designer who is recognized as such by other costume designers. The Shrek artists are not likely to be considered costume designers. From the official Oscar rules at www.oscar.org: "To be eligible for the Costume Design Award, the costumes for the picture must have been conceived by a costume designer. It is the intention of this rule to recognize the designing of costumes for their special use in motion pictures. Eligibility shall be determined by the costume designer members of the Art Directors Branch present at a meeting called specifically for that purpose prior to the mailing of nominations ballots."

Myridon

Question: What is the name of the song that plays at the beginning of the movie at the funeral when the girl gives William a flower?

Answer: It's called "A Gift of a Thistle" and it's on the soundtrack conducted by James Horner. Incidentally, the tune is a recurring theme throughout the film's music, and appears in several other songs on the soundtrack as well. Also in relation to the song, the flower was a thistle.

Krista

Question: OK I'm gonna be dumb and ask, what on earth is Franck's nationality and accent?

Answer: Martin short once claimed in an interview that Franck is just a combination of several different nationalities that he combined for the character. Like Bronson Pinchot in Beverly Hills Cop, part of the humour is not knowing where he came from.

Gavin Jackson

Question: Was the song "Perfect Day" written for this film, or did it exist previously?

Moose

Chosen answer: "Perfect Day" was originally on Lou Reed's album "Transformer" released in 1972.

Myridon

Question: How is David able to make Michael see the maggots and worms in the Chinese food, considering Michael hasn't yet drunk his blood at this point?

Gavin Jackson

Chosen answer: Many legends give the vampire certain rather hypnotic abilities - this is presumably along the same lines.

Tailkinker

Answer: I always assumed it was because the joint they passed was dusted.

Question: What is Michael Myers' curse, and why does it involve him killing his relatives?

Answer: The other answer is based on a novel and not on the film itself. According to this film (and the alternative Producer's Cut), the curse of Thorn is an ancient druid curse that must be fulfilled - a chosen one is picked from every "tribe", and made into an almost superhuman figure. This chosen one will then be forever compelled to sacrifice and kill-off his or her own family on the night of Samhain (aka, Halloween night) every year until the curse is either stopped or passed onto another.

TedStixon

Answer: I read the movie tie in book after the first Halloween came out. As I remember it, a boy with a crippled leg was in love with his own sister. During the Samhain (harvest end/halloween) festival, he killed his sister and her soon to be husband with a knife. The tribe tore him apart, and the chieftain cursed his soul to forever repeat his crime forever, etc. The book or following books in the series described Michael Myers' grandfather or great-grandfather losing his mind at a dance and killing a dancing couple. Every other generation or so the soul takes over a decendant, leaving enough people alive to continue the curse.

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