Questions about specific movies, TV shows and more

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Question: Why does Slevin tell Lindsey where Goodcat is going to shoot her? I take it that he wants to save Lindsey's life because he loves her, but if Goodcat wants to leave no witnesses, why would he disclose to Slevin where he would shoot her?

Heather Benton

Chosen answer: Goodkat didn't say "hey, Slevin, I'm gonna shoot her here and here. Y'know, FYI." Slevin has been trained by Goodkat. Slevin knows where Goodkat is going to shoot Lindsey because that's where Goodkat always shoots people when he's assassinating them.

Phixius

Question: Eric spent the last 10 years in prison, completely cut off from the outside world. How does he know everything about the Sentinel project and Trask? How does he know that Azazel, Banshee, Emma, Angel and many other mutants were tortured and killed?

Answer: It's possible Azazel, Banshee, Emma and Angel were captured before Magneto, so he knew of their fates before he was imprisoned. He may have been captured trying to rescue them, or tortured alongside them. And Wolverine could have told them about Trask and the Sentinel program.

Sierra1

Question: How does Briony know when and especially how Robbie died, because he was obviously left behind in the abandoned factory on the beach and never came "home."

Answer: Robbie died at Bray Dunes, but he was found dead by Corporal Nettle, so presumably his body was later recovered and either buried at Dunkirk or repatriated to Britain. His family would have been informed of the circumstances of his death by the Ministry of Defence.

Sierra1

Answer: Though not seen in the movie, Corporal Nettle would have taken one of Robbie's dog tags with him and submitted it along with a report of Robbie's final observed disposition and location, upon Nettle's return to England-as military personnel are trained to do. The Red Cross or other wartime aid organization would have recovered Robbie's remains along with his remaining ID tag, and eventually repatriated them.as these aid organizations did for all sides of the conflict. Military and aid organization info on Robbie's disposition, etc. would have been provided to Robbie's family, and kept within wartime casualty records, either of which Briony might gain access.

Rocket

Question: This question is for the book as well as the movie scene. I don't understand why Severus agrees to make the Unbreakable Vow. Narcissa and Bella did visit his house behind Voldemort's back and discuss a matter that Voldemort told Narcissa not to speak about. So if he had declined, they wouldn't be able to complain. In fact, he could have gone to Voldemort and reported what they did.

Answer: Like any secret society, the Death Eaters have their own internal politics and power games. By agreeing to the Vow, Snape is "proving" his loyalty to the cause, while gaining something on Narcissa and Bellatrix. (He also knows he's safe because he already knows Dumbledore is dying and the two of them have already set up their ruse to make it look like Snape killed him).

Captain Defenestrator

Question: While the De Winters are watching their honeymoon photos, the girl says "I suppose that's why you married me, because you knew I was dull and gauche and inexperienced, and there would never be any gossip about me." Maxim stops the film and, looking like death, says "Gossip! What do you mean?" She says "I don't know. Don't look at me like that. What's the matter? What have I said?" Maxim says "It wasn't a very attractive thing to say, was it?" She says "No. It was rude, hateful." Now, why did she say that? And why did Maxim say what he said? All she said was "There won't be any gossip about me." What's the problem with that?

kh1616

Chosen answer: Maxim was previously married (unhappily) to Rebecca, who died tragically and under rather mysterious (and suspicious) circumstances, sparking rumors. Maxim thinks his new wife is referring to that, but she knows nothing about it and was only making an innocent remark, unaware of the rumors. The "rude, hateful" part probably refers to the "dull and gauche and inexperienced" comment - she probably thinks that is what caused his reaction, rather than the "gossip" comment, given she doesn't know the rumors. She is very young and naive and feels inadequate as the wife of a wealthy man. Maxim is older, intimidating her somewhat, and she was confused by his angry outburst.

raywest

Question: Draco tells Harry and Ron, when they are disguised as Crabbe and Goyle, that his father wouldn't tell him who opened the Chamber of Secrets. Why wouldn't his father want him to know?

Answer: He knows Draco wouldn't be able to resist boasting about it and would mock Harry and Ron about it. His involvement might then find its way back to Dumbledore or someone in the Ministry who'd take it seriously, would discover that Voldemort is on the verge of coming back, and that the Death Eaters are gathering to him again before they're ready.

Captain Defenestrator

Question: If characters of respective games are revived when they die, why were Taffyta and every "meanie" worried about being executed by Schweetz? Or how was she going to execute them?

Answer: We learn at the beginning if a character dies outside their respective game, they don't revive. So they would be executed outside the game. King Candy didn't revive because (SPOILER ALERT) he was really Turbo, and thus outside his own game.

Bishop73

Question: After Pippin touches the Palantir and he is lying on the ground, is he dead then brought to life by Gandalf? I was under the impression he was dead at first because he is lying with his eyes open then Gandalf closes his eyes with his hand. Why is he lying with his eyes open? Why does Gandalf put his hand over his eyes?

mir92

Chosen answer: He wasn't dead, only stunned. It happened so fast, that his eyes remained opened when he was knocked unconscious. Gandalf is just closing his eyes to protect them. Leaving eyes exposed could cause permanent damage,.

raywest

Question: Hagrid says "There isn't a wizard alive today who's not half-blood or less." But what about Ron, Draco, Neville, and several other characters who are described as purebloods?

Answer: Hagrid is speaking hyperbolically about the declining number of pureblood wizards.

Greg Dwyer

Answer: "No More Mr. Nice Guy" by Alice Cooper; this scene directly mirrors a scene from "Dazed and Confused", music and all.

zendaddy621

Question: Why would the clones receive brains? Why not just leave them in a coma-like state? If you would replace the owner's brain, then the owner wouldn't be the same person, even if you'd rewrite it. You could say that you could replace part of the brain only, but even in that case, the clones could be kept in a drug-induced coma.

Answer: Merrick explains (albeit briefly) that the clones needed "human emotion...life" or the organs failed.

Friso94

Question: Robbie's soldier friend (I think his name was Nettle) was so calm and compassionate with him. He said that the hiding place was in reality the beach cottage and he protects Robbie from the angry soldiers. Did he do that because he saw how sick he is and probably knew, deep inside, that Robbie will not survive the night until the evacuation, and wanted to give him a peaceful end? Why does he take Robbie's letters and pictures with him?

Answer: I think he realizes that Robbie most likely won't make it. He takes the letters so that he can get them back to his loved ones. He probably knows that there is a last goodbye to someone (his girl/his mother) in them. And, if nothing else, even if his body doesn't make it back to them, they have a piece of him to cherish.

Question: Possible spoiler: is Robbie's fatal septicemia caused by the wound in his chest or the general lousy hygienic conditions during their march to the beach and on the beach itself?

Answer: Robbie's death is caused by the wound as it caused the septicemia. So yes.

Question: The scene in the factory in which the lady washes Robbie's feet, was this real? I know that the woman represents his mother. But does he confuse this unknown woman with his mother, or is the whole scene just a illusion?

Answer: It is an hallucination, most likely brought on from fever due to his wound becoming infected.

Question: If Truly Scrumptious' father is 'Lord Scrumptious', then as his daughter, why isn't she 'Lady Scrumptious?'. If I remember correctly, she is referred to as 'Miss Scrumptious'.

Lavender

Chosen answer: By rules of courtesy titles in the United Kingdom, Truly Scrumptious would inherit no title. Her parents being Lord and Lady Scrumptious, she would be simply Miss Truly Scrumptious. However, if her father were a baron, she would be called "The Honorable Miss Truly Scrumptious." Were her father an earl, duke or marquess, she would THEN be the "Lady Truly Scrumptious." But again, children of a lord and lady do not receive a title. When the lord dies, his oldest son inherits his father's title of lord. If there are no boys, it might pass to the eldest daughter. In this case, only upon her father's death would Truly become "Lady Truly Scrumptious."

Michael Albert

Question: When Sam meets the subway ghost, he is told that the subway ghost got pushed onto the tracks. As Sam leaves, he stops in front of a subway billboard for some kind of huge company. After he looks at it, he turns to where the subway ghost was with a shocked look on his face. What was on the billboard that made Sam react that way?

Answer: The poster is an ad for Market Security Bank & Trust, the bank that Sam (and Carl, who had him killed) worked for. Seeing the poster gave Sam an idea how to use Oda Mae and his knowledge of the bank to expose Carl's criminal activities.

Sierra1

But how is the subway ghost connected to the billboard?

The subway ghost has nothing to do with the poster.

Chosen answer: He "searched his feelings" as Vader instructed; he reached out with the Force and felt the truth of the statement.

Phixius

Answer: The vision Luke sees in the cave on Dagobah is a clue to this. Luke is realizing he has a lot more in common with Darth Vader than the idealized father he'd always imagined. When Vader tells him he's his father, Luke doesn't want to believe it, but he simply can't deny that it feels much more true that his father would be someone passionate and reckless like himself rather than someone who exemplifies a noble Jedi, which feels like an obvious myth in hindsight.

TonyPH

Question: True or False: once a missile has been fired at you it's locked on to hit you and no way that banking hard would evade an incoming missile, unless you use countermeasures of flare and or chaff?

TShep81

Chosen answer: False. Missiles are fast, but they are not as agile as most fighter jets. One of the problems the first Sidewinder missiles encountered was that the target planes could simply out turn them (which is explained as the purpose of Top Gun in the movie). Missiles have gotten better, but so have the planes. In close quarter combat, like shown in this movie, fighters could potentially turn away from a missile.

Friso94

Answer: To clarify, there are different types of missiles with different types of seekers. IR (infrared), also known as heat seeking - these are used in close range and track the target aircraft's heat from its engine. To defeat this, the targeted aircraft would use a combination of maneuver and flare (designed to be a hotter heat signature than the engine). SAR (semi active radar) - medium range, where the firing aircraft uses its own radar to lock the missile onto the target. Once the missile has enough tracking fidelity of its own, it takes over its own guidance and the firing aircraft can maneuver away from the target. To defeat, the targeted aircraft uses a combination of maneuver and chaff (metal particles designed to trick the incoming missile into thinking that is the airplane). AR (active radar) - medium to long range, the missile uses its own radar system to track, acquire, and seek. It's defeated the same as SAR missiles.

CUAviator

Chosen answer: The post credits scene from "X-Men: The Last Stand" showed that Xavier transferred his consciousness into another person (who was revealed to be his twin brother by the writers) and the final shot in the same film showed Magneto was gaining his powers back, indicating that the cure wasn't permanent.

Phaneron

Question: Could somebody tell me once and for all why every mutant in these films have nicknames?

Gavin Jackson

Chosen answer: Because just like in the comic books, all super heroes and villains have names that are a representation of either the abilities they possess, paraphernalia they use, their personalities, and/or the circumstances of their origin. Magneto is a much more compelling and memorable name for a character than simply calling him Erik. Presumably it also avoids confusion if there are several mutants with the same "regular" name, to have a unique nickname for each one.

Phaneron

Answer: In addition to what was said, the nicknames also provide the individual mutant a way to identity more closely with the fact that they are mutants. As Mystique said in "X-Men: The Last Stand" when addressed as Raven, "I don't answer to my slave name." Many mutants are rejected by their parents when they find out they're mutants, so the "nickname" serves as a way to distance themselves from those that rejected them. In addition, at times their nicknames are called "code names." In this case, it would be a way to address a mutant without using their real identity, in essence a secret identity that's common in almost all superheroes and super villains.

Bishop73

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