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.

Show generally

Question: Henry VIII was over 300 pounds through much of his reign. Why was Jonathan Rhys Myers not padded more realistically to portray him?

Answer: While he was obese for much of his life, Henry VIII didn't gain significant weight until after the death of Jane Seymour when he fell into a deep depression and succumbed to the pain of a leg injury he obtained from a jousting accident. He should've been heavier but he wasn't obese for his whole life, especially during his younger years. He was known to be 210 pounds, standing at 6'2", and to have a 32" inch waist for much of his life.

Answer: Although the series claimed to be historically accurate, there were many factual discrepancies throughout, including the extent of Henry's physical health and morbid obesity. As to why this was changed, the creators apparently felt they could better dramatize the story with a more physically fit and mobile Henry. In the real Henry VIII's later years, he was so incapacitated by weight and other maladies, that he literally had to be carried around by attendants.

raywest

Show generally

Question: Did humans at any point on the show ever reverse engineer any of the alien technology?

Question: The Lima produces surges that disrupt electronics. Why isn't the Lima affected?

Question: Why did Cmdr. Gifford (John Wayne) give Ens.Caldwell a bad look when he said it was the first time he had seen a sub knocked off?

Answer: Exactly as she said - in the 50s it was near-universal for husbands to work and be the sole breadwinner/handle finances, while their wives stayed home and managed the house, including cooking.

Jon Sandys

The Enforcer - S2-E13

Question: Why send only one enforcer? Hera surely know what he can do so why not send a dozen to be sure? She can't have been that arrogant.

Rob245

Answer: It's a matter of plot. Having multiple characters who basically would have the same purpose, to kill Hercules, complicates and confuses the story line. It would lose the focus on the characters themselves and the interaction between them. In film and literaturea, characters, plots, scenes, etc. have to be crafted in a way that serves the story in an understandable and satisfying way for the viewer.

raywest

Question: Why doesn't Ralphie's father realise he's the one who unintentionally taught his son how to cuss, much less buy his lame excuse?

Rob245

Answer: Because it's a funny look at real life. It's common for parents to cuss around their children, then be shocked when the kids start using the language themselves.

Exactly right. My parents cussed quite a bit when I was a child, but the first time I ever swore in front of my mother, she thought I learned it from watching The Real World with my sister.

immortal eskimo

True. I'd forgotten I learned how to cuss from my folks.

Rob245

Answer: I think he did know. When he tells Ralphie to get in the car after saying the bad word, he kinda laughs to himself. It's only after Mom razzes him about taking too long to change the tire that he decides to share that Ralphie swore.

Question: How can Jason go into the lake in Parts 6 and 7 if he's afraid of water due to drowning? He'd freeze up from the sight right?

Rob245

Answer: Jason being afraid of water is not portrayed consistently throughout the series. Continuity between sequels was not a major concern when making this series.

BaconIsMyBFF

Answer: I think that Jason is actually afraid of unpredictable situations with water. He is familiar with Crystal Lake after living in the forest for so long. He might be less hesitant to enter this lake sometimes.

Question: When the Joneses crash land the plane they stole from the zeppelin and steal that guy's car, where are they? Turkey? Hatay?

Brian Katcher

Answer: It's never stated, but they must be somewhere close to, or in, Hatay, since in the next scene they are with Sallah and are going after the Nazis, who are already en route to the Holy Grail. Pretty lucky, considering Indy just booked them on "the first available flight out of Germany."

Question: The movie's called Critters yet they're referred to as Krites. Which name is correct and why the two names?

Rob245

Answer: "Krite" is the official name of the creatures, but "critters" is an apt explanation of what they are. The audience would have no idea what a "krite" is, because it's a made up word. So the title of the movie is "Critters" because they are disgusting little creatures. The fact that "krite" sounds similar to "critter" is wordplay on the part of the film-makers.

BaconIsMyBFF

Question: Did George Patton really change the time which the mess hall was open and closed like he does in the movie?

Answer: Yes, Patton did change the mess hall times. Chester B. Hansen, who was General Omar Bradley's aide, kept a detailed personal wartime diary. In it he wrote about Patton, and regarding the mess hall Hansen described it this way, "When Fredendall was the corps commander, the II Corps people generally went to breakfast at about 9 o'clock in the morning. When Patton came, however, he changed all that, and in Fairlana they stopped serving breakfast at 6 o'clock in the morning. Therefore it was necessary for us to stumble out of bed at about 5, hurry down and grab a breakfast. It was quite cold at that time in the morning..." After the war, because of his detailed diary Hansen was the ghostwriter of Bradley's war memoir, A Soldier's Story, which was one of the resources for this movie's screenwriters.

Super Grover

Did Patton change the mess hall times in order to discipline his troops?

In short, yes, it was part of Patton's stern discipline and strictly enforced regulations, which he believed essential. Following the disastrous defeat at Kasserine Pass, when Eisenhower had Patton promoted and appointed the new commander of II Corps, it was because Patton was the perfect choice. Just as Scott215 mentioned Patton's helmet requirement and the wearing of shirt and tie, this was all part of one of Patton's top priorities - the dress code and the strict adherence to it, and the strengthening of morale and fighting spirit. Eisenhower himself had later written, "Morale in II Corps was shaken and the troops had to be picked up quickly. For such a job Patton has no superior in the Army... General Patton's buoyant leadership and strict insistence upon discipline rapidly rejuvenated the II Corps and brought it up to fighting pitch...the troops...had a much higher appreciation of the value of training, discipline, and speed in action."

Super Grover

Answer: As the commanding Corps General, Patton did, indeed, have the authority to change not only the opening and closing times of the mess hall, but many other areas under his command, like the helmet requirement. He even required his officers to wear shirt and tie while in combat zones, so he did call the shots. His command, his rules.

Scott215

Question: Why does Ann blame Ginny for her mother leaving? She should be angry with her father and Ginny's mother.

Rob245

Answer: Like all spoiled and mean girls, she blames everyone around her for her problems, when in fact it has nothing to do with her. She wants what she wants, her perfect family with her as the center of attention. The only daughter.

Answer: Like many high school kids, he chose popularity over her. He was getting lots of attention.

Question: When they fire the test missile it appears to come out of the sail. That would be incorrect, no? (00:49:30)

Answer: The movie is correct on this. The early Soviet ballistic missile subs like this one had the missile launcher in the sail, carrying 3 missiles. Missile tubes integrated into the hull, and the ability to fire while completely submerged, didn't come til later.

Question: What did Nicky mean when he said some of the diamonds he was fencing had "n*****s in them"?

Answer: He wasn't referring to the diamonds. He was talking about sending the gems to Las Vegas. He says he has several "sand n*****s" out there, meaning fencers, and clarifies that they are Arabs.

raywest

But BEFORE that he did say "some of these stones have a lot of n*****s in them", look it up on youtube.

Before that they're talking about the quality of the diamonds and whether or not there are any flaws (n*****s) in them that affect their value.

raywest

He's referring to "dark inclusions" or imperfections, which, of course, reduce their value.

Answer: This is just one of many plot holes in the film. Whether she was at the edge of space or actually beyond the atmosphere, she shouldn't have had enough oxygen to remain conscious.

Originally, he wasn't supposed to take her into space, but into the skies high above Metropolis.

Answer: He knew that if he impressed Ian, he and the Chipmunks would become rich and famous. When they froze, he looked like a lunatic who thought animals could talk, making him appear foolish in front of a man who already had little respect for him.

Brian Katcher

Question: Since Hades guides souls into the underworld, who takes over after he goes down?

Rob245

Answer: I don't think Hades guides souls into the underworld - I think he rules over it. For instance, part of the mythology is that Charon ferries souls across the river - I don't think Hades was a part of this process but simply welcomes the souls at the end of their journey.

Question: Do magnetically-sealed rooms serve any purpose other than repelling blasters?

Phaneron

Answer: Outside the convenience as a plot device, it could also be explained as a way of preventing inadvertent damage caused by compacting something explosive. Remember, it's not just the door that was magnetically sealed, but the entire compactor.

kayelbe

Answer: It could be a security measure to keep anyone/anything from opening the doors, or it could be a way of preventing anything from escaping the room (clearly live things get in there).

Answer: There are a lot of fan theories around this, but the most common theme is that Pikachu had another trainer before Prof. Oak, who gave him to Ash. Pikachu didn't appreciate being handed over.

Ssiscool

Answer: Well he had just caught him in the wild. Didn't even catch him with a traditional poke ball but like tied him up with a rope. So I would imagine so, yes.

Quantom X

You would imagine yes what? What are you talking about).

Sorry, I misread the question. I thought you were asking "DOES" he dislike Ash, not Why. It's been a while since I've seen the full episode. But from what I recall, Pikachu was wild, and Ash caught him through unconventional means without a pokeball. Tying him up with rope and stuff. So that's a good reason for any animal to not like someone when forced into a captive state in such a way.

Quantom X

That doesn't answer my question.

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