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 1984 part of the movie the older boys who stole young Ricky's football who was the boy with the bandana that the camera focused on. It seemed that he would be important in the story later the way the camera stopped and slowly revealed his face when he caught the ball.

Answer: It symbolizes that he used to be a football player just like Rick wanted to be at that age. But probably due to the cards he was dealt he gave up on that dream. When they emphasize the man in the feel its like showing empathy to the kids because he sees himself in Ricky, thus giving the ball back.

Answer: The character is Mad Dog, played by Lexie Bigham. He was the one that gave the ball back to the boys. I haven't seen the film in a long time and don't recall if he hangs out with Doughboy in the present.

Bishop73

Question: There may not be an explanation to this, but did Exley know what the DA and Chief were talking about in the end when he is being interrogated and they ask him why he is smiling. When he answers and says "A Hero?", I presumed he was simply thinking like they did and that when those that were interrogating left the room, he overheard a bit of their conversation and just put two and two together. The reason I ask, was there any evidence he was able to hear them (like the door was slightly open or somehow he knew how to hear them even in the interrogation room).

Lummie

Answer: He was always thinking ahead, after the shootout, he predicated what the fallout would be and how to cover it up. Saying, "A Hero" was his way of answering the question of what knew what they needed to do it.

Question: Why did the government soldiers shoot down Doc Smith and burn them at the end? Was he infected?

Trainman

Question: After Hans kills Ellis he starts shouting over the radio at McLane saying "Where are my detonators?" The Police were listening in on the radio calls so why didn't they figure out that something was going to be blown up?

Answer: Simply knowing that Hans is looking for detonators doesn't really give the police any information they don't already have. He's got hostages and is threatening to kill them if the police don't do what he wants. Knowing that Hans has explosives doesn't mean that he's planning on using them to make his escape, he could just as easily want them to threaten the hostages.

BaconIsMyBFF

Question: Would the volcano eruption destroy the entire island, or would some buildings escape unscathed?

Answer: It would depend on the severity of the eruption. But given how it looks in the film, with large scale ash ejection and lava flows. It's probably all the buildings.

LorgSkyegon

Answer: As it's a relatively small island, it's most likely every building would, be destroyed, if not immediately. Hot lava tends to creep slowly but steadily, causing buildings and vegetation it touches to catch fire and then spread.

raywest

Question: Why did the people on the modern side not want to cross the border?

Answer: If you mean the security staff, they were not permitted to ever enter enter the area, being told it was an experimental nature preserve. They are only employees and follow orders, which was to patrol the perimeter and keep anyone from entering. The head security man apparently knows what is inside, but his subordinate staff do not, though the one guy, after meeting Ivy, now has an idea that people are living inside. The preserve is privately owned by the Walker Corporation, and the security staff work for them.

raywest

Question: Right in the end, before Damon enters his flat where he is shot, he tries to pet the neighbour's dog but the lady-owner moves the dog away from Damon and gives him a scornful look. Why does she do that? Damon's guilt is not known to the general public, is it?

Answer: I think it encapsulates his fall from grace.

Answer: The realtor told him he would be upper class by Tuesday, even though he is a "lowly state trooper" who can't afford that kind of place on his own. It is likely that the neighbor is just a wealthy snob and finds Sullivan beneath her.

Answer: His guilt isn't known to the general public at all. Petting a dog without first asking the owner is considered rude to some pet owners.

BaconIsMyBFF

It's also seen by some as either they never really liked him and shown as a symbol of Damon hitting rock bottom or that they fell out with him because they are nosey and didn't like that he hurt his pregnant young girl enough for her to leave him and move out. Make of it what you will. There doesn't seem to be a right answer.

Question: At the end, the cheerleader teams are competing. Before they have the two teams compete for Rhianna, how did Crenshaw Heights change into the street clothes so fast?

Question: Why did they transfer Jason who was put to sleep to Camp Crystal Lake? I think Lori talked about this in the van, but I'm afraid it didn't make much sense. Why was it again?

Bunch Son

Answer: Since Freddy is using Jason to bring himself back, they want to put Jason back to sleep. Since he sleeps at Crystal Lake, that is where he would go when he finally does. Bringing him there also minimizes the chance for collateral damage and deaths and puts Jason on his home turf for the fight.

LorgSkyegon

Answer: It doesn't appear she was. Samantha was sexually adventurous and experimental to just about any type of relationship and had briefly sworn off men. She may have liked Braga, but she was too controlling and overbearing for Samantha, and ultimately, she only preferred men.

raywest

Question: There's a scene when Gail is walking through the studio lot and there's a car in the background that looks like the car from The Karate Kid movie. Is this the same car and why is it in the scene?

Question: Mel Brooks consciously and deliberately filled Blazing Saddles with anachronisms, this was part of the film's humour. But one thing has always niggled at my mind. Blazing Saddles is set in 1874. Quite early on in the film the whites ask Cleavon Little/Bart why African Americans are not singing work songs. The African Americans then begin acapella harmonised version of Cole Porters "I Get A Kick Out Of You" (written for the 1934 musical "Anything Goes"). But in October 1974, shortly after Blazing Saddles had its UK release, an otherwise unknown Australian singer called Gary Shearston had a top ten UK hit with a cover of "I Get A Kick Out Of You." Was there any connection? Did Blazing Saddles revive interest in the song?

Rob Halliday

Answer: Thank you for that. So there was no direct connection. Maybe the song was going around in "the collective consciousness" (whatever that might be) in late 1974. A small bit of extra trivia: Cleavon Little/Bart sings the line that mentions cocaine. When Cole Porter wrote "I get a kick out of you" for the 1934 stage musical "Anything Goes" he wrote the line "some get a kick from cocaine." When the musical was adapted for the 1936 movie the Production Code Administration objected to references to drug use in popular songs, so Cole Porter re-wrote the line as "some like the perfume in Spain." Cleavon Little/Bart has redressed the balance in "Blazing Saddles."

Rob Halliday

Answer: By the time "Blazing Saddles" used the song, Cole Porter's "I Get a Kick Out of You" had been covered literally dozens of times over the decades, so much so that it was a well-worn standard. In other words, it didn't really need reviving. There is no indication that Australian folk singer Gary Shearston was directly inspired by the song's use in "Blazing Saddles," or he probably would have admitted it for the sake of promotion. When asked about his eccentric cover of the Cole Porter song on the 1974 album "Dingo," Shearston simply replied that he "did it for fun," without elaborating. The acoustic guitar of Shearston's cover seemed more inspired by George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord," and Shearston's vocals were described as "laid-back," while his stage performance of the song (which was a huge hit in the UK) was notable for Shearston's "deadpan" delivery. Shearston also either bungled or deliberately altered the lyrics in places, and he ended the song muttering about his girlfriend, by name. So, Shearston very much made the song his own, and the timing of his cover following on the heels of "Blazing Saddles" would seem to be pure coincidence.

Charles Austin Miller

Question: How did the inmates on rooftops manage to get their hands on beer?

Answer: It was given to them by the guards.

lionhead

But isn't beer banned in prisons?

Guards can be bribed to bring in contraband.

raywest

Part of Andy's agreement with Hadley for helping him with his taxes is that the prisoners working on the roof are given some beer as a reward.

Phaneron

Andy gives Hadley (the head guard) financial advice on how to keep a large sum of money, which he (Hadley) received as an inheritance. Andy, being an accountant, offers to do all the necessary tax work, in exchange for three beers apiece for his fellow inmates. Hadley agrees, and arranges for the beer to be delivered and given to them. (All of this is shown in the scene immediately prior to that in which the inmates are drinking beer).

Answer: Under all but rare circumstances, alcoholic beverages are not allowed in US prisons, which was also the case in 1949, when this scene takes place; the significance of this scene is to establish that Andy began to enjoy special privileges while incarcerated, which is also how he eventually got the warden to allow him to establish the prison library.

zendaddy621

Answer: The movie doesn't appear to be set in a particular decade, probably to give it a more timeless appeal. Styles seem to range anywhere from mid-to late-20th century.

raywest

Question: Greg helps the Renegades. How does he learn their routine so fast? It was after midnight. The competition is the next day.

Answer: Some people have a photographic memory and can memorize instantly. Realistically, unless he had this type of ability, or had some previous knowledge of the routine, it's unlikely he could learn it so quickly.

raywest

Question: How did Bishop end up with 2 guns during the robbery of Quiles? I'm assuming they edited out of the part where Bishop probably took Quiles' gun from behind the counter. He was holding the 2nd gun in his left hand when they were hiding from being seen by the cops in the store. What do you think?

Answer: Bishop held his second gun when Bishop found Quiles' gun in his convenience store (when Quiles pulled his gun while Bishop and Radames' gang first altercation scene).

False. If you look at the movie again, Quiles' gun was a long nose revolver, Raheem gun was a snub nose. This is A Blooper. It happens in movies.

That would explain how Bishop fired much more than 6 rounds when chasing Q in the finale. You can't reload a revolver that fast while running.

Answer: He was probably sick of it by that point. He has complained many times about roommate agreement regulations.

Question: When Kirk and Scotty first enters the Enterprise, the hatch is numbered 5. But the computer announces that a travel pod is available at Cargo 6. Would that be considered an error?

Movie Nut

Answer: Possibly, or there could also be another travel pod that is available at Cargo 6, and that is what is being announced.

raywest

Question: After Jack hits his shoulder Nate starts crying, and says they left it in his hands. What is he talking about?

Answer: As I understood it, Nate is feeling the burden of making sure the team won and feels his injury prevented that. "They" are the coaches and players that died in the plane crash. Nate is saying when they died, they left the responsibility of the program in his hands. Jack (his new head coach) replies that they "just left", meaning even though the died, they didn't leave the responsibilities on Nate.

Bishop73

Answer: There is no logical reason. Any normal person would notice these type of absences. The show employs a "suspension of disbelief," which is a literary device where the movie audience or a book reader accepts that certain things are unreal for the sake of the story to be told. It is similar to no-one noticing that Clark Kent looks exactly like Superman because he wears glasses.

raywest

Answer: Thank you.

Rob245

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.