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.

Answer: While their backstory is never explained, they were once in a band together, so probably met while hanging around with other local musicians and singers at nightclubs and other musical venues.

raywest

Answer: It's never explained properly. However, As both Ali and Lisa are bridesmaids for Sophie, they must be very good friends.

Ssiscool

But didn't Sophie grow up on the island?

Answer: Thank you.

Rob245

Answer: It's tricky to say, as the films have contradictory explanations, and there are different "timelines/universes" in the series. But in the context of this film, Michael is for some reason compelled to kill his family for reasons unknown. Presumably he's just finishing the job he started by killing his sister Judith decades earlier. (They try to give a more concrete explanation in the movie "The Curse of Michael Myers," but it's... flimsy at best. And is contradicted by the following film).

TedStixon

Answer: Because he's a psychopath. And purely and simply evil.

ChristmasJonesfan

Question: Is there a scene where Reid turns into a hose to dose Doom?

Smoke

Answer: Yes... at least in one version of the film. In the theatrical version of the film, Thing merely uses his foot to channel water towards Doctor Doom. However, in the version released on home video, Reid turns his body into a "hose" of sorts to channel the water towards Doom. Evidently, they couldn't quite finish some of the effects (such as Reid turning his body into a "hose") on time for the theatrical version, but finished them for the DVD/Blu-Ray. The DVD/Blu-Ray version also has a few other minor tweaks, such as the music is also slightly different in the final battle. (It is important to note that confusingly, the theatrical version was released in some territories on home video and is also used on some streaming platforms - notably Netflix used the theatrical version).

TedStixon

Question: Is there supposed to be any significance to the elevator being out of order in the building Bruce is sent to?

Answer: Also, Bruce needed to learn a little humility.

Brian Katcher

God recognizes that Bruce is expecting things he hasn't earned and is attempting to teach him about the importance of hard work and earning things. Bruce has to climb the stairs (harder than taking the stairs) and God asks for his help mopping a very large floor (hard, but satisfying work).

Answer: It's just the idea that using the stairs is better for your health, so God forces him to use it.

lionhead

Answer: Inspector Grim later told Inspector Fowler that "a credit card belonging to you has been used to hire a car which was subsequently deployed in a drug deal", which implies the cards were taken prior to the morning briefing. As Fowler had been out before work to buy a present for the Queen, it's plausible he lost his card (s) then.

Neil Jones

Inspector Fowler stated that his wallet was stolen from him at the morning briefing.

Answer: A courtroom trial that has been terminated prior to its normal conclusion. A mistrial has no legal effect and is considered an invalid or nugatory trial. This often happens when there is a lack of Jurisdiction, an incorrect jury selection or, as seen in many of the episodes, a hung jury, i.e. some jury members finding the defendant guilty while the other members of the jury will find the defendant not guilty and all jury members won't change their decision.

Answer: I was once a juror on a trial where the defendant started crying and talking about how his son would suffer if he went to jail. The judge became furious, decided that he had prejudiced the state's case (we were now thinking of his family, rather than if he were actually guilty), and declared a mistrial.

Brian Katcher

Answer: In short, any time a trial ends and is declared void before the jury delivers a verdict or a judge issues a decision. Generally a mistrial is caused by a jury not being able to come to unanimous decision or the prosecution does something that would make the trial unfair to the defendant.

Bishop73

Question: How is Rogers alive at the end? Shouldn't he have died of old age?

MikeH

Answer: It's safe to assume that due to the treatments he received that gave him his super-powers, he also ages a bit more slowly compared to other people. At least that's the way I took it.

TedStixon

Answer: While he may not really look like it in the film, based on information dates given in the film, Rogers would be 106 at then end. While not a common age to live to, it's certainly obtainable as non-super enhanced people have lived past that age (122 years old being the verified record). Also, it should be noted, people don't "die of old age." Being old doesn't kill you, disease, illness or injuries do.

Bishop73

Question: What did Arthur mean when he said "They couldn't carry a tune to save their lives"? What does singing have to do with their deaths?

MikeH

Answer: The 3 men on the subway started singing 'send in the clowns' moments before they attacked Arthur. He is making a joke about their deaths, by saying their singing was really bad and that's why he killed them.

Answer: It's just an old metaphorical expression (not literally about singing) meaning someone is incapable of doing something properly or solving a problem.

raywest

Question: With all of his access to Elysium, why wouldn't Spider have cured his crippled leg?

Answer: Only citizens of Elysium can use the machines that cure them so it wouldn't work for him anyway. He just waits for the moment they can go and become citizens.

lionhead

Answer: She's not angry. She realises how serious the situation is, and is considering the difficult task Dumbledore has suggested he wants her and Harry to do.

raywest

Not to mention that what Dumbledore is suggesting is illegal under wizarding law and highly dangerous. She knows what could happen legally and physically if problems arise.

LorgSkyegon

Answer: For one thing, they're kids, and Hermione knows Harry is ill-equipped to handle this and he will just run off in a blind rage with no thought about what ti do. Hermione is methodical and always thinks before she acts and follows the rules. She wants Harry, who is impetuous, to do the same, and for them to work together.

raywest

Question: Gerard already must have doubts as to Richard's guilt because Richard is investigating the one-armed man. Since there is that doubt, why would Gerard try to shoot Kimball in the chest to kill him?

Answer: Simply having doubts does not lessen Gerard's duty to apprehend Kimble. He does not know whether or not Kimble is guilty, if he is armed, or how dangerous he is. As a U.S. Marshal, Gerard's sole duty is to capture a fugitive and return him to custody, using force as necessary.

raywest

Answer: Yeah, Gerard's doubts aren't enough to change the course of his expected actions as U.S. marshal when Kimble is a fugitive who was officially found guilty in the murder trial. The only thing which would grant Gerard the ability to get away with not trying to capture Kimble would be if Kimble had a whole new trial and was now found innocent, which obviously didn't happen yet. So until then, Gerard would be shirking his duties if he decided to not capture Kimble just because of doubts and there being no new innocent verdict, and that would even possibly cost him his job.

Question: Ames was in prison for 10 years and after that time he was executed? Why after 10 years?

Answer: The appeals process for capital murder cases is long and arduous, and it is also automatic in most jurisdictions. It typically takes years for those on death row to actually be executed.

BaconIsMyBFF

Question: Why is Carmichael on her divorce papers when her name is Smooter or Perry?

Answer: After moving to New York to start her fashion career, Melanie changed her maiden surname from Smooter to Carmichael, and that became her legal name. She initiated divorce proceedings without any intention of resuming her old life, which embarrassed her and she tried to hide. Like many women, she did not use her married name (Perry) after ending her marriage and may never have used it. Also, using "Smooter" on her divorce papers would have exposed her lie.

raywest

It did not embarrass her, Melanie never wanted to return to Pigeon Creek if her and Jake were over, she kept hoping they would get back together. That's what annoying, people assumed she was ashamed but as the meaning of the film is 'Home is where the heart is'. That feeling of where she longs to be never left even when she was in New York and obviously that was to be with Jake.

Have to disagree. Her previous humble life and Southern trappings did embarrass her, and she felt inferior to her New York social circle, and tried to hide it. She may internally still felt her heart was still there, but she buried those feelings for many years.

raywest

Question: Being unable to believe Paul's existence, Clive attacked Paul by gripping his throat in the RV. Then Paul said "That's my fucking jorph. Get your fucking fingers out of there! If I get a jorph infection, you're dead!" What exactly does jorph mean? Where does the word come from?

Answer: Since Paul is an alien, his race would probably give their body parts names that are in their own native language. To humans, we have throats. To Paul's race, jorph is their word for throat.

It cannot be a throat as it is an opening, it is more likely an opening that acts like a human ear.

Question: I found it odd that Slim's real name is never revealed. Why does she have this nickname, with no explanation as to why she never tells anyone her real name? Was there a deleted scene?

Answer: From memory her daughter says "I don't even think you're that slim" making a dig she's not that skinny, maybe it's due to her being thin?

Answer: I wonder if the nickname is related to the difficult times in her life. Her father was not around. She and her mother did not have much money. Maybe she felt that she had a "slim chance" of life getting easier.

Question: As the monster is breaking free from the crate, Wilbur snaps out of the hypnosis that Dracula placed on him. When Wilbur sees Dracula and the monster ready to leave, he immediately pretends to still be hypnotized and unable to move. Since he only pretended to still be hypnotized so as to not alert Dracula and the monster, as soon as Chick, McDougal and the insurance agent showed up why didn't he immediately run to them screaming for help? Why was he acting like he was still hypnotized?

Answer: He's a rather simple-minded guy. He was scared and had become so overly-immersed in pretending to be hypnotized that it took time for him to act normally. Also, it's a movie. They're going for comic effect.

raywest

Question: Was Robinson Crusoe On Mars scientifically plausible when it was made in 1964? Aged eight, I watched this movie on release. Even then I knew it was a movie, not a scientific documentary. Nevertheless, I understand that it was once seriously believed there were canals on the surface of Mars. (I even had a children's pictorial encyclopaedia which showed Mars criss-crossed by canals.) After crash-landing on Mars astronaut Kit Draper (Paul Mantee) discovers that the Martian canals were made by intelligent, technologically advanced beings millennia ago. Could anybody in the scientific community have believed this in 1964? Kit Draper discovers ways of creating oxygen, so he does not suffocate; he then finds water sources, vegetation he can eat and a coal like rock that burns to make fires. He witnesses extra-terrestrial aliens visiting Mars in space ships. Was this, by any stretch of the imagination, regarded as even remotely credible in 1964? Or was it pure Hollywood hokum?

Rob Halliday

Answer: This is pure Hollywood fiction, never meant to be science-based fact, and was typical of sci-fi films of that era such as: War of the Worlds, Invaders From Mars, The Martian Chronicles, and others. Many were based on early-to-mid-20th century science-fiction novels when little was scientifically known about any of the planets. Authors imagined what Mars was like purely to entertain readers. After the 1960s, as more was scientifically known about Mars, films became more realistic, although the 2012 Disney film, "John Carter," was a deliberate throwback to that earlier genre. Also, scientists never believed that there were canals on Mars. In the 1870s, Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli was mapping Mars through a telescope. He described the long, trench-like geographical features as "canali," (Italian for channels). American astronomer Percival Lowell misinterpreted this as "canals" and believed they were of intelligent origin, though other scientists debunked that. Sci-fi writers of the time (H.G. Wells, Edgar Rice Boroughs, et al) incorporated Lowell's published theories into their stories.

raywest

It should be noted "John Carter" is based on the 1912 novel "A Princess of Mars."

Bishop73

Answer: There's really no reason for it not to. Predators are hunters that hunt for both sport and for honor. It likely saw hunting humans in an urban setting (especially one as chaotic as LA is portrayed in the film) as a potential greater challenge, and thus a greater reward.

TedStixon

Note: Cities are sometimes compared to jungles. So for the predator there is hardly a difference.

lionhead

Answer: The Predator kills humans for sport and wants to kill as many as possible (for fun and status). There is "critical mass" in cities (urban areas are heavily/densely populated) but relatively few people live in or are found in jungles. The Predator went where he was most likely to encounter MANY people and thereby maximize his head count. (Why spend all day waiting to see if you can find a human in the jungle when you know there are hundreds of thousands - even millions - of people in major cities/urban areas?).

Answer: Changing the location from a jungle to an urban setting is a way for the filmmakers to keep a film franchise from becoming repetitive and predictable.

raywest

Answer: I believe the reason was, it was looking for the ultimate challenge. In the first movie, it was the first time they had ever been defeated. They considered humans nothing more than animals to be hunted for sport. Now humans had evolved to the point, where they learn to fight back. So the Predators went to the city looking for someone who was smart, tough and shows no fear. He was studying Danny Glover, following him and taunting him.

Question: Can anyone explain the airlock that the Queen gets sucked out of at the end? The location for the activation levers seems ridiculous. Ripley gets pulled in by the Queen, then starts climbing out and pulls a lever to open the outer door, then has to climb out to the top to close it. This seems like an insanely dangerous design.

Jen Hen

Answer: The airlock was probably designed to drop out cargo in space to be taken to another ship or a space station or for astronauts to go on space walks or make repairs to the outer hull of the ship. Maybe to quickly get rid of something dangerous or deadly, like a bomb or alien monster.

Answer: The simple fact of the matter is she overrides the safety protocol of the airlock by opening the outer door manually whilst the inner door is still open. This of course is highly dangerous but necessary given the circumstances. For dramatic effect though she then climbs out of the airlock to close the inner door instead of closing the outer door first. It's possible though she can't close the outer door anymore because she overrode the system (or the outer door is now damaged) and she closes both doors at the same time after climbing back up.

lionhead

Join the mailing list

Separate from membership, this is to get updates about mistakes in recent releases. Addresses are not passed on to any third party, and are used solely for direct communication from this site. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Check out the mistake & trivia books, on Kindle and in paperback.