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: The doctor is asking the mother questions about E.T. near the end. One of the questions he asks is "are the children okay?" The children are right there. Why does he ask her?

manthabeat

Answer: He's asking if the kids have any symptoms they aren't completely aware of themselves or they might be dishonest about.

BaconIsMyBFF

Question: How did the pirates trick the crew into thinking they would keep their promise when they make a deal to release Phillips in exchange for giving them their leader back?

Answer: They didn't exactly "trick" the crew, they just never intended to follow through on their promise. The crew has nothing to threaten the pirates with, the pirates have all the guns.

BaconIsMyBFF

Foreign Affairs - S9-E17

Question: At the end of the episode we can hear a truck reversing with a signal beeping and drill whirring, gear grinding - what was going on with Joe and Bonnie?

HEK_98

Answer: It's just a joke about what an ordeal it is to move Joe around when he's not in his wheelchair.

Bishop73

Answer: It's an exaggeration of using electric sex toys because Joe can't have regular intercourse because he's numb from the waist down.

Answer: Joe and Bonnie are getting intimate here I believe. It's showing what an ordeal it is for Joe to have sex, since paraplegics basically can't.

Answer: The laboratory is the same set used in the 1933 movie.

Leicaman

Answer: It mostly borrows from the Karloff film rather than the book. However, it is not a remake but a sequel and a broad spoof of the 1930s Frankenstein movie and is set years later. Dr. Frederick Frankenstein is the grandson of Victor Frankenstein, the scientist who reanimated the dead. Frederick had disavowed his grandfather's work, calling him crazy. However, after discovering Victor's secret lab, he becomes intrigued and recreates the experiment, making his own monster. The similarities included him using the same lab and the same techniques, has a hunchback assistant, steals corpses and uses an abnormal brain to create the same kind of monster. He starts to become a bit crazed himself. The monster also escapes and roams the countryside, and like in the original film, he is befriended by a blind priest and also encounters the young girl. In the DVD interview, Gene Wilder says the film was based on Frankenstein (1931), Bride of Frankenstein (1935), Son of Frankenstein (1939) and The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942).

raywest

Question: Because the film has gun violence, some mild cursing, and a bit of drug use, should it have a PG-13 rating instead of PG?

Answer: There was a lot of complaints over the PG rating and many people felt the smoking should have made the MPAA give Rango a PG-13, or even an R, rating. The gun violence seen was not deemed intense, most likely since it was animated animals. Profanity is allowed in PG movies if they do not use "sexually-derived" expletives. It seemed the MPAA decided the film was not glorying smoking. The MPAA seems to allow tobacco use in a PG film if the film's setting is one where smoking for adults is the "norm", such as films set in the 50's where it was common for adults to constantly smoke, even at work (for example the film "Hidden Figures" was rated PG despite smoking being seen). Since the animals seen smoking in Rango are considered to be adults (it would be different if it were teenagers or children seen smoking) and smoking was common in the old west, it was granted a PG rating, although I was unable to find anything were the MPAA defended the PG rating status. (And while Rango is set in modern day, it's an homage to an old western were the animals in the town are living as if it's still the old west).

Bishop73

Question: Why is it necessary for Commodus to order the deaths of Maximus and his wife and son? Why and how is Maximus a threat?

Answer: After Commodus murdered his father, he demanded Maximus' loyalty, which the latter refused. This I think made Commodus realise Maximus was aware of his late father's wish. So he decided to get rid of the threat by ordering for Maximus execution including his family.

Answer: Emperor Marcus Aurelius told his son, Commodus, that Maximus would be his successor and the next Emperor instead of his son. This angered Commodus and he killed his father before the Emperor could name his successor. Commodus then ordered for Maximus to be executed, partly out of hatred and fear that Maximus may have already been told that Marcus was going to name him as his successor. Out of jealousy, hatred, and anger, Commodus also ordered Maximus' wife and son to be killed. In real life, Marcus granted Commodus the rank of Imperator and made him co-Emperor before his death and there was never a question who the successor would be, plus General Maximus is a completely made up character and never existed in real life. So this hatred of Maximus and fear of not being Emperor was made up just for the movie, so it's hard to say exactly what threat Maximus may have been if left alive.

Bishop73

Question: Why did Jonas steal Bill and Jo's idea? I remember the movie very fondly and I don't think it ever explained why he did.

Answer: He didn't steal their "idea", he stole their machine and method for getting sensors inside a tornado. He stole it because it was a good design, better than the one he had, and apparently Bill and Jo were too wrapped up in chasing twisters to patent it.

Answer: I don't think Jonas stole the their idea. In some scenes, Jo gives Jonas information on the weather. Without Bill around, it's quite possible Jo shared information with Jonas on how to build Dorothy. She didn't care about copyright because all she wanted to do/cared about was getting those things inside the tornado. Think of it like a surprise gift to all of meteorology.

First, Jo and Jonas aren't seen sharing information. Jonas had offered her info hoping to get some intel in return, but she denied sharing any. The most likely thing is that Jonas probably got word that Jo's team was developing this instrument pack and used his corporate resources to build a better version. If you look at Dorothy compared to DOT3, Dorothy looks like the type of pack that was built from scratch using random parts whereas DOT3 is a more refined version.

Question: After Hansel saves the children, where do they go? Do they just run into the forest, trying to get back to Augsburg?

Question: When the brothers make their big entrance at the concert, why are the crowd silent - is that explained anywhere?

Answer: Because they were enjoying the show already-Cab Calloway just brought down the house with Minnie the Moocher, and they have no idea who these two are. So they have no reaction, and wait to see if the brothers are any good. And as we see, they quickly get back into it.

Question: If Edward is now part of the team, does Hansel know that he saved Gretel from Berringer and his goons?

Answer: Yes.

Question: Would the plan John used to help Laura escape really have worked? If not, then please explain why?

Answer: John's plan to help Laura escape would not have worked, because he would not have been able to plan ahead like he does in the movie. He would to know where Laura would be transported, and when and if she would be transported there. He would not have know any of that as the information is kept secret from the prisoners, and the public.

Even if he did find out Lara was in hospital, Lara would have been transferred to another hospital.

The movie attempts to cover this up by having him send fake diabetic results to the jail. This would not work because jails and prisons do not accept diabetic results from outside labs.

Question: I don't understand this, if Donkey's true love is the dragon, why did he turn into a steed instead?

Answer: He turned into a steed. The director said that she turned into a Pegasus.

Greg Dwyer

Answer: The potion says that both the one who drinks the potion and their true love will "be fine" So Donkey and Dragon were both changed. Although we don't see her until the end It is said that she turned in to a Pegasus.

Question: In real life, can you really get away with anything if you have diplomatic immunity?

MikeH

Answer: In short, diplomatic immunity would prevent a host country (such as the United States) from charging a diplomatic agent or diplomatic staff member with any crime (if they've been granted immunity). However, the agent's home country may waive immunity if the crime is deemed serious enough or the home country can prosecute the agent themselves. However, the host country can still expel a person with diplomatic immunity from the country and ban them from returning. And while diplomatically immuned people have committed serious crimes in the past, diplomats are usually seasoned and respected civil servants in their countries and can damage their careers if they cause any embarrassment while visiting a host county and tend to comply with local laws and customs out of respect.

Bishop73

The host country can also ask the Diplomat to leave, and the Diplomat's country may also recall them. Https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/2018-DipConImm_v5_Web.pdf.

Question: At Thunder Road, how old is the woman that starts the race? She looks about 50.

Answer: I believe you are asking about Cha Cha, who was played by Annette Charles. Annette was 30 (or about to turn 30 if her scene was shot before her birthday in March). It could have just been the make-up she was wearing that made her look older. And if it seems weird to use someone that old to play a high school girl, Olivia Newton-John was also 29 at the time of filming.

Question: Why did the first sail boat the ship hit explode? (01:38:20)

Answer: There is no logical reason for it and it is purely for cinematic theatrics. It's a movie myth that cars, boats, etc. immediately explode upon impact. In real life, explosions rarely happen that way.

raywest

Question: What song is sung at the Oscorp festival?

Answer: My Nutmeg Phantasy by Macy Gray.

Bishop73

Question: What is the significance of the birds?

Answer: Peace.

Question: What was Conker's reason for killing the baby dinosaur? The little guy did nothing to him.

Answer: The baby dino was just a sacrifice to the Dino god statue and had to be killed. Although in the game Conker seems to know the slab will kill the baby dino but didn't know he was sacrificing him for a reason. And the player only performs the sacrifice because of the in-game clues given about what to do, but no explanation seems to be given why Conker apparently kills him without knowing why.

Bishop73

Question: What does Thomas mean by "There are some children who are pillars of flame that burn everything they touch and there are some children who are just pillars of ash that fall apart when you touch them. Me and Victor, we were children born of flame and ash."

Answer: He's basically saying that Victor is strong and standoffish and he is weak and sensitive.

Greg Dwyer

Question: What's the soundtrack that's heard in the mess hall, when Elgyn picks up a rifle and hears the Xenomorphs killing the Auriga crew?

EK8829

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