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Question: Is it known why the TF followed the orders of Palpatine (when he looks like the emperor)? I believe that they set-up the blockade and invasion to try to get Amadala to sign the treaty to joint he TF. But still why would they do it just on his orders?

Craig Bryant

Chosen answer: Palpatine (or Darth Sideous as the TF call him) is a master of using people to further his plans. The leaders of the TF are greedy and unscrupulous. Palpatine needs to destabalise the workings of the Senate enough to maneuver his way into being elected as Chancellor, so he presents the TF with a chance to make a lot of money by exploiting Naboo, knowing that the resulting conflict will generate sympathy for him in the senate, as a Naboo.

roboc

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)

Question: What is the relationship between the Trade Federation and the Senate? I mean I know that the Senate is supposed to be made up of representatives from planets in the Republic. But the TF also have representatives there. But the TF isn't just one planet is it? I thought that it was a company/organisation as such that encompassed lots of different planets (like the Federation in Star Trek)?

Craig Bryant

Chosen answer: The Trade Federation started out as a loose confederation of merchants and shipping providers who banded together to ensure that they had effective control over trade routes throughout the galaxy. Under the leadership of the Neimoidians, they took precautions to maintain that control, including a substantial military to protect their interests. This ultimately gave them enough political clout to achieve representation in the Senate at the same level as a member world.

Tailkinker

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)

Question: Is Senator Palpatine the Senator of Naboo? If he is is he a native born 'Naboo-ian' as such?

Craig Bryant

Chosen answer: He is indeed the Senator from Naboo and according to the official Star Wars databank, was born there.

Tailkinker

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)

Question: How did the droid in the beginning of the film know that Qui-gon and Obi-wan were both Jedi?

Craig Bryant

Chosen answer: Because word had arrived that two Jedi were arriving to handle the peace negotiations. When the two delegates then arrive, and both of them are wearing the distinct Jedi robes, with lightsabers in their belts, it is not exactly a difficult conclusion to draw.

Twotall

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)

Question: I have read that this film was not received well among SW fans. I first saw this in the cinema and thought it was great and even now I still consider it a really good film and I love all of the films as a whole. I am just wondering why it is considered not as good as the rest?

Craig Bryant

Chosen answer: A lot of people felt that the more political nature of the film was inferior to the more swashbuckling feel of the original trilogy - after all, a trade dispute isn't inherently as entertaining as a rebellion against an evil Empire. They felt that the dialogue was rather clunky and delivered in a somewhat wooden fashion, which is in many ways a not unfair point, although the scripting accusation applies equally to the original trilogy (Lucas simply isn't a good writer of dialogue). In the end, the main problem was that, over the years, the original trilogy have gained an almost mythical status and have a substantial nostalgia factor, to the extent that a number of fans at the time were quoted as saying that the release of a new Star Wars film was to be a defining moment in their lives. The expectation levels were so high that it would have been impossible for any film, no matter how good, to live up to them - disappointment was inevitable.

Tailkinker

The Bourne Supremacy (2004)

Question: How did Jarda, the last treadstone agent (besides Bourne) set off the silent alarm in his house?

Jason Riley

Chosen answer: While it's not explicitly spelled out, it's suggested that he was suspicious from the moment he entered the house (which is why he quickly goes for the gun in the fridge), so what he entered on the alarm keypad when he came in was not a disarm code, but was instead some sort of emergency code which called for backup.

Tailkinker

Meet the Fockers (2004)

Question: Does Sodium Pentothal really erase memories of events that happened during and after you take it?

Jason Riley

Chosen answer: It doesn't exactly erase your memories, rather it causes a form of apnea and drowsiness, causing you to be semi-concious or not fully awake, similar to blacking out. This causes you to not remember events that took place during your dosage and during the course of time it is in your bloodstream. Since it puts you in a physical and mental state where the easiest things to do are all you can manage the mental strength to do, it is used as a truth serum, since lying is much more complicated than telling the truth. Because of these properties the drug possesses, higher doses can also be used for Euthanasia, Medical Induced Comas, and even Lethal Injections.

Jazetopher

The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

Question: Who sings the song Crazy (originally performed by Seal) in the scene with the photo shoot?

Chosen answer: Alanis Morissette.

CocoCami

Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves (1997)

Question: Near the beginning, what does Wayne mean when he says "Nothing like the smell of 2-part apoxy resin"?

Chosen answer: Epoxy resin is sometimes sold in two seperate tubes. You have to mix the contents of both for the epoxy to harden into plastic. It also shows how weird he is, as epoxy tends to smell pretty foul.

Grumpy Scot

National Treasure (2004)

Question: I recently saw a photo of the Liberty Bell, and the Independence Hall tower is visible through a large picture window right behind the bell. Wouldn't Ben have been directly in Ian's sight when he (Ian) was facing the Liberty Bell? Wouldn't a man running across the roof next door have drawn his (and others') attention?

Chosen answer: Not really. Ian was concentrating on the Bell, trying to figure out the riddle. He could easily have missed Ben (or assumed he was some kind of maintenance worker) under the circumstances.

Grumpy Scot

Closer (2004)

Question: I don't understand the scene where Alice and Dan break up at the end, and why Alice says that she "would have" loved Dan forever. Did she do this because he tried to trick her into revealing that she slept with Larry, when he knew about it all along?

Chosen answer: In a nutshell Alice broke up with Dan because she knew Dan wouldn't be able to get over the situation with her sleeping with Larry. The statement about loving him forever was more that she loved him but his insistency on knowing the real truth was never going to change. It didn't really have anything to do with tricking her as she had already revealed she didn't want to be with Dan. The fact that he had had to hear it from her probably confirmed her feelings he wouldn't be able to get past the affair.

Lummie

He said to her something like he wanted her to lie to him.

24 (2001)

Season 6 generally

Question: If Jack and Graem are brothers, why has there never been any mention of their relationship before, even in passing? And I'm talking beside the fact the producers didn't make them brothers until season 6.

Cubs Fan

Chosen answer: There really wasn't any need for us to know he had a brother before - for all we know, he could have more than one brother but the need for us to know isn't there...just like there isn't any mention of his mother - who, for all we know, could be the mastermind criminal behind everything. Bear in mind over the near 10 years in the show's time that have elapsed over the 6 seasons, we've only spent 6 days in Jack's company - no reason his brother would have come up.

Sam Johnson

Noises Off... (1992)

Question: After the burglar comes in and is carrying on a running monologue as he continually enters and exits, he says something about it being time to hand over the ammonia bottle to a younger man. I don't understand the reference about the ammonia bottle - could someone enlighten me?

Chanteuse66

Chosen answer: I have the script/play and the reference is merely a part of a continuous ranting dialoge that the burglar is riffing on about being so digusted in being a burglar that he laments quitting the 'job' and "handing over the ammonia bottle" to a younger man. Passing on the 'family business" as it were. The ammonia bottle refers to what burglars use in their trade.

CCARNI

The Prestige (2006)

Question: What significance do the melted hats have on the field outside scientist's lab?

Jason Riley

Chosen answer: They weren't melted. They were duplicated hats and they were there because the transportation machine Tesla was working on worked more like a fax machine instead of a mere transporter, creating a duplicate in another location.

Phixius

Crank (2006)

Question: Is there really such a thing is the "The Beijing Cocktail"?

Jason Riley

Chosen answer: No. I'm sure something similar could be created, but it would not have the same properties as shown in the film.

Phixius

Rosemary's Baby (1968)

Question: Was Dr. Hill a witch?

????

Chosen answer: No, Dr. Hill was not a Satan worshiper. He was just Rosemary's first obstetrician, referred to her by a friend. However, her neighbors, the Castevettes, later convince her to instead go to their friend, Dr. Abe Sapperstein, who is a warlock.

raywest

Gone with the Wind (1939)

Question: I read in the trivia section that something falls out of a tree while the letters "Gone with the Wind" go across the screen. I watched the movie and it's true, but does anyone have any information about it? (Was there any controversy? What was the object? Did they try to edit it out? etc.).

Movie_Freak 1

Chosen answer: It looks to me like a bird flying from the tree to the ground. Nothing controversial there and no reason to edit it out.

ChiChi

Back to the Future (1985)

Question: There's an all black band playing at an all white school in the 50's - is that likely?

AidanN

Chosen answer: Why not? Even though segregation was in effect, we never see them do anything but play on the stage. They even take their break outside, away from all the white folks at the dance. They are never shown using any of the "white" facilities, or fraternizing with any of the students. In fact, when they are "on break" at their car, it is behind the building, where there are no other cars, or even any people, anywhere around at all.

Jazetopher

Rome (2005)

Season 1 generally

Question: Who is the mother of Pompey's children? His new wife can't be their mother, since they are too old compared to Niobe's son who's an infant when the show starts. And they can't be Julia's children, since Pompey is worried Caesar might kill them, and Caesar wouldn't murder his own grandchildren.

Chosen answer: According to wikipedia, Pompey's children are all from his third wife, Mucia Tertia. Julia is his fourth wife. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pompey#Marriages_and_offspring

Myridon

Titanic (1997)

Question: What religion were the first class passengers practicing in the church scene? If it were Catholic, it would be in Latin in 1912.

Chosen answer: The services on board a ship are all non-sectarian so that all who wish to worship can come.

Boobra

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