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.

CSI: NY (2004)

Season 9 generally

Question: Why in season 9 do so many of the episodes follow many of the characters on their days off?

brianjr0412

Chosen answer: Probably to broaden the scope of the show's plot and give the audience a chance to see the characters in a different setting, People act differently at home from the way they do at their workplace. By the ninth season, the characters would have become overly familiar and predictable. It gives the writers a chance to do something different with them.

raywest

Iron Man (2008)

Question: What is the name of the American flag artwork at the base of the stairs going into Tony Stark's garage/workshop? It looks like a puzzle with the pieces intentionally rearranged, and it looks cool.

Chosen answer: It's John Higgins' Stars and Stripes series.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

Question: Does Gandalf have a home of his own, and if so where is it?

Chosen answer: Gandalf originally lived in Valinor in the West. He was sent to Middle Earth to aid those who opposed Sauron. While there he had no specific home. He returned to the Undying Lands after Sauron was defeated.

raywest

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

Question: Why does Saruman have the orcs cut down the trees to make the orcs, when it looks like the orcs are being "born" out of mud sacs...what's the significance of what the orcs are doing down in the hole in the ground?

Chosen answer: In addition to "birthing" the Uruk-hai (the enhanced orc soldiers), Saruman's orcs were also forging armour and weapons for the army of Isengard, which is why they were cutting down the trees to use as fuel. They were underground as the Uruk-hai process seems to involve the earth or ground in some way.

Sierra1

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Question: Why does Dolores give Professor Snape a hard time during her inspection of his teaching? Shouldn't she, like Lucius Malfoy, be under the impression that he is loyal to Voldemort (not knowing that he is actually pretending)?

Chosen answer: Umbridge isn't working for Voldemort. She is truly just that evil and therefore would inspect Snape the same as any other teacher.

kristenlouise3

The Parent Trap (1998)

Question: How old are Nick and Elizabeth? Hallie says that Nick's fiancee, Meredith, is young enough to be her sister. This would imply that Nick is at least sixteen years past Meredith's age, twenty-six. That would make him forty-two, so he was thirty or thirty-one at the time the girls were born. However, Meredith left Nick because they were "so young" and didn't get along. The early thirties years are not usually considered young ages for getting married and having children.

Chosen answer: It depends on your point-of-view. Youngsters often consider people in their 30s as being "old" while more mature adults over the age of 40, would consider someone in their early to mid thirties as still being very young. Everyone matures at a different rate, and some people in their early 30s still think and act like they're much younger.

raywest

Frozen (2013)

Question: Why didn't grandpapa troll tell Anna about her earlier accident when she is with Kristoff and the trolls? All memories of magic are removed from Anna after her sister accidentally freezes her head. Later on she states that she had been best buddies with her sister, but then suddenly one day her sister shut her out and she didn't know why. There was a perfect chance to have grandpapa troll tell Anna about the first accident which would not only explain why she was shut out, but that it was because her sister loved her and was trying to protect her. Instead the movie ends with Anna not finding out the truth - although Elsa probably would tell her later.

Chosen answer: I don't think the trolls were thinking of that at the time because they were focusing on the problem of Anna's frozen heart.

Lily Harrison

The Last Samurai (2003)

Question: Who is the soldier who gave the order to stop shooting? Is it Yutaka Takenouchi?

The Last of the Mohicans (1992)

Question: At the fort they cover their cannons with sheepskin. Why?

Chosen answer: During inclement weather, dry sheepskins were used to keep rain from entering the barrel. During battle, wet sheepskins were used to cool down the barrel to decrease the likelihood of the powder exploding prematurely.

Greg Dwyer

The Thief Who Came to Dinner (1973)

Question: When Webster whistles David, he puts his fingers about a centimetre away from his lips, like people do when they whistle but they put their fingers in their mouths, so this does not make sense, why bother putting your fingers near your mouth at all?

kh1616

The Godfather (1972)

Question: In the Vito Corleone funeral scene at the grave site, the family is sitting before the coffin, Fredo is absent, where is he?

Chosen answer: Freddy had been sent to Las Vegas after the Don was shot, not only to learn the casino business but also because he was emotionally traumatized by the murder attempt. He was also severely affected by his brother Sonny's death. Attending his father's funeral would have been too much for him, becoming overwrought and making a scene. Michael, now head of the family, would not have wanted this.

raywest

The Living Daylights (1987)

Question: In the hotel scene where Timothy Dalton meets Pushkin, why does he rip the girl's dress off?

Chosen answer: Pushkin pushes a button on his watch to summon his bodyguard, but Bond sees him do it. He rips Ava's top off so the incoming guard will be "distracted" by her semi-nudity, allowing Bond to take him out.

Sierra1

Serendipity (2001)

Question: At the end of the movie when Jonathan is lying in the middle of the rink, you can see the skaters skating around him. However, everyone is wearing roller blades, not ice skates. I was under the impression that this was an ice skating rink, not a roller skating rink. Am I wrong about that, or is this another blooper?

Chosen answer: It is not a movie mistake. The scenes were filmed at the Trump Skating Rink (formerly called the Wollman Rink) in New York City's Central Park. The arena has traditionally been used for multiple venues throughout the year including ice skating, roller skating, concerts, carnivals, etc.

raywest

Star Wars (1977)

Question: When C-3PO meets Luke, he says that R2-D2 claims that they are both the property of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Since both of their memories were erased at the end of Revenge of the Sith, how could R2-D2 remember belonging to Obi-Wan but C-3PO doesn't?

Chosen answer: Only C-3PO's mind was wiped - if you listen to the dialogue, the order given specifies "the protocol droid" for memory erasure; R2-D2's memory remains intact. That being said, as neither droid in fact ever belonged to Kenobi, it's fairly clear that Artoo is simply being devious in the hope of being taken to the intended recipient of the message that he's carrying, a lie that he could have told quite readily even if his memory had been wiped at some point.

Tailkinker

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Question: At the beginning of the film, when some of the monsters introduce themselves, what does the clown say after he takes his face off?

Chosen answer: "I am the clown with the tear-away face, here in a flash and gone without a trace."

Sierra1

Hairspray (2007)

Question: Why is it that Tracy's hair keeps getting more and more highlights through scenes?

Dakota Shea Gregory

Chosen answer: It's common for filmmakers to subtly alter a character's appearance throughout the film to reflect how the character changes. In this case, as Tracy comes out of her shell, her personality becomes brighter, stronger, and more pronounced, and that is shown by her increasingly lighter hair.

raywest

The Usual Suspects (1995)

Question: What does Verbal Kint leave the police station with?

Chosen answer: He had been arrested and was released on bail, so he was collecting his personal effects from the property officer, which were a gold watch, a gold lighter and packet of cigarettes.

Sierra1

Forrest Gump (1994)

Question: The scene where Jenny tells Forrest to run, and his leg braces tear apart, how did they manage to do the scene? Was it visual effects?

Vinitha Chandran

Chosen answer: There were actually very small charges placed in the joints of the braces. They could therefore detonate them at the right times creating the illusion that the braces were breaking due to the improved strength of his legs.

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)

Question: Where were the children when the house was burning?

Ashlee Ambuehl

Chosen answer: On the beach, where Mr. Poe comes to inform them of the fire as the movie starts.

The Simpsons (1989)

The Man Who Grew Too Much - S25-E13

Question: There is an epilogue revealing that Edna Krabappel has died, due to the passing of Marcia Wallace who voiced the character. Is there any in-story reason given for the character's death?

Chosen answer: While no cause of death is mentioned, Mrs. Krabapple's passing is indicated in the series. Nine days after Marcia Wallace's death, in the title sequence of Season 25 - "Four Regrettings and a Funeral" - Bart wrote "We'll really miss you Mrs. K." once on the chalkboard. Later in season 25, At the end of "The Man Who Grew Too Much", Ned recalls a joyous time dancing with Edna. He then looks at the picture of her next to one of Maude, expressing sadness at missing her laugh. The black armband Ned is wearing is an indication of mourning, confirming that Edna had, indeed, died. (Source: Simpsons Wiki - http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/Edna_Krabappel).

Michael Albert

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