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: Isn't it revealed in the book that Dumbledore is gay? If so, why did they leave this out?

Answer: No, it is not stated in any of the books that Dumbledore is gay. When asked about his romantic history, Rowling stated that she "always thought" Dumbledore was gay. But that's as specific as it gets.

Phixius

Question: Just regarding the entrance to the great hall. In Deathly Hallows Part II it is shown that the double doors of the dining hall lead out straight to the courtyard area (where Harry's final battle with Voldemort takes place in case it needed clarifying). This is all on the same level (i.e. no stairs going up or down a storey). However, in earlier films, e.g. Philosopher's Stone, when the new students arrive they are all shown walking up some stairs and then waiting outside the hall entrance (the same place where young Voldemort and Dumbledore talk over the future of the school in The Chamber of Secrets). Having also visited Christ Church college at Oxford (filmed at this location) I know that there are stairs, so basically (and finally!), my question is whether anyone can explain why Hogwarts seems to have changed. I can't work it out, either decision by the producers/directors/etc. or I've failed to recognise/remember some detail. Either way, any help would be very much appreciated! P.S. (Sorry for the essay).

Answer: Hogwarts has changed because it's been torn apart by the battle! That entrance hall (and the stairs) is still there, but now it's missing walls and a ceiling.

Phixius

Question: Did Narcissa Malfoy know that Harry was still alive when she goes to check the body after Voldemort "killed" Harry? The Malfoys all seem a bit nervous and afraid afterwards when Voldemort has Hagrid carry Harry's body to show everyone that he "defeated" Harry.

Answer: Yes, she could feel his heart beating. If Harry had answered no, to her question of whether or not Draco still lived, Narcissa likely would have told Voldemort Harry was still alive. But as Draco survived long enough to have a chance to be saved from Voldemort, and Harry was the only one who could defeat him, Narcissa lied to aid Harry, ultimately for her son's benefit.

Phixius

Question: Is there any particular reason as to why Lisbeth is dressed like a punk in the courtroom?

Gavin Jackson

Chosen answer: That is how Lisbeth prefers to dress, and she refuses to change for anyone or anything.

Phixius

Chosen answer: A reckoning is like a judgment day, exacting retribution for one's actions. Doc was very well educated and had a very large vocabulary. He was correctly pointing out the subtle difference between revenge (to make Wyatt feel better about losing Morgan and about Virgil's crippling injury) and the fact that Wyatt was bringing about a judgment day (or reckoning) for each of the men who hurt his family.

MovieFan612

Answer: I've spent a lot of time thinking about this very question, and here's what I've come up with. I think there are at least two differences between revenge and a reckoning. First, I think it has to do with the scale of the response to an offending action. Revenge, in my mind, is an eye for an eye, i.e, "You killed my brother and wounded another, so I will inflict the same action on your family (or group, gang, whatever). " A reckoning is less a measured response to an offending action and more of a full-scale punishment, i.e, "You killed my brother and wounded another, so I will now slaughter your entire family-including those who were not directly responsible for the offending action." Second, I think there is also a difference in motivation. Revenge tends to be a very personal response to something, whereas a reckoning tends to be more of a response fueled by a need for justice. In Wyatt's case, it was both. He was enraged by what happened to his family, but was also a lawman.

Franklin Vaughn

Thank you for this response! I've only seen Tombstone a million times and asked the same question every time. It's hard to separate the difference between the two but I believe you nailed it. Well done.

I'm thinking the opposite in terms. Revenge is "Reflexive" and is generally any means necessary (out of an abundance of pain or rage) to hurt the other party. "Revenge is a dish best served cold." If one is exacting justice there's no need to be cold hearted. Therefore, Reckoning is (to me) a fair balancing of the "scales" hence "an eye for an eye." Not only consequences of actions as it were but a corrective action to an incorrect circumstance. Just my understanding.

The problem with that theory is there is no difference in the end because the end result was the same...the killing. True reckoning could have only been achieved though the apprehension and punishment by trial and jury, anything other than that is simply revenge.

Question: When Adam Sandler is shooting with the nail gun, he hits Mr. Larson's head with the nail gun with the construction hat on. But in the tournament when he sees him again, the hat off but the nail is still in his head? How did he take it off without damage?

Answer: Although the premise of having the nail still in his head after so long is a little far fetched. But the hat would have been 'cut apart' to expose the nail by itself. Probably in a hospital ER.

XIII

Question: How could Harry have known what floor the terrorist leader was going to get off on during the hotel chase sequence?

jbrbbt

Chosen answer: He didn't really. Harry just knew he was heading up. He pressed the top floor to get the elevator moving and kept an eye on him on the way up. If the terrorist's elevator suddenly stops, Harry can press the button for that floor to stop his elevator.

XIII

Question: Is the scotch trick Kevin Spacey played on Jason Bateman a nod to "Hopfrog" by Edgar Allen Poe? To those of you who are wondering, Hopfrog is a deformed dwarf Jester who is forced to amuse a tyrant by being forced to drink wine because "it excited the poor cripple to madness, and madness is no comfortable feeling." Hopfrog avenges himself that very night, but I was just wondering.

dizzyd

Chosen answer: I doubt that was a conscious decision - while it's certainly an interesting parallel, getting someone drunk to laugh at them is a common enough scheme.

Answer: According to IMDb.com, Ian Brennan, one of the "Glee" writers and producers, is listed as the uncredited narrator voice.

Michael Albert

Question: It is clear from the last scene that Kobayashi was not a made up character just his name, but what would have happened if McManus had killed him in the building? Surely that was not part of the plan. Also, was it Verbal at the start that killed Keaton? I saw the killer had a gold lighter, which may or may not be connected to the items Verbal later picked up upon leaving the police station. And if it was Verbal, then why didn't Keaton look for an exclamation because wouldn't Verbal have fooled them also with his "act".Did Verbal kill the other usual suspects?

Eimear

Chosen answer: McManus could have killed "Kobayashi", it's true, but any plan has an element of risk. By bringing in Edie Finneran to consult on the case, they're making it clear to Keaton that any deviation from their wishes will result in her death, relying on his feelings for her to get him to force the others to toe the line. Kobayashi then forces the issue further by revealing what he knows about their families, making it clear that, if they kill him, their loved ones will suffer. While much of the truth behind the film is a little fluid, it does appear that Verbal was indeed Keaton's killer - when he finally sees his attacker's face, Keaton's look of disbelief followed by resigned acceptance would seem to indicate that he's finally figured out what's been happening, that he's been manipulated from the start, but the realisation is too late for him to do anything. As for the other three "suspects", it seems likely from what's shown in the film that Verbal killed Hockney and McManus personally. Who killed Fenster is somewhat less obvious; most likely he was slain by "Kobayashi", or agents working for him, after he tried to run.

Tailkinker

One little note: close inspection shows Kevin Spacey behind the gun that kills Keaton.

It not, it's Gabriel Byrne. Dean Keaton.

Question: During the second movie we see many Autobots, Tex Two Idiot Robotwins and some Motorcyclebots. But now it are only nine Autobots again in the movie. Where did the other Autobots went? Did they got killed or went in hiding?

Answer: Mudflap and Skids (the two idiot robots I believe you are talking about) were removed from the film due to negative fan reaction. While we don't hear what happened to them in the context of the plot, no reason not to assume they were killed in fighting between the movies. Arcee and Chromia (2 of the motocycles) were killed in the last film.

Answer: No, Sentinel killed both of them in the comics.

Question: How did they clone pteranodons? Technically, they aren't dinosaurs. They are prehistoric birds.

blonddude207

Chosen answer: Irrelevant if they were birds or dinosaurs. Just the same as in the first movie, if a mosquito happened to have taken blood from one and been caught in amber, they can clone it.

GalahadFairlight

Answer: Birds did not evolve from pteranodons but from true dinosaurs.

Noman

Question: Why not just try every way possible (physically or spiritually, for example, pour holy water on them) destroy all of the tapes. Thus ending the cruse forever? Will that just make things worst?

Titanic

Answer: Destroying the only copy won't work because Samara can make copies with her supernatural powers. If destroying the copies could work her father would already had done it before.

Chosen answer: Destroying the only copy of the tape would prevent the curse from spreading, but the last person to see it who didn't make another would still die seven days out.

Phixius

I think this is the best answer. Also, at the end of the Japanese original movie, it says " - you have to copy it and show it to someone else within one week. And this someone else has to do the same. - So it never ends? - That's right, it goes on and on. But if you don't want to die, you'll do it, won't you?" This last sentence is so well said.

Question: Why did Rango's eyes never work independently from each other like a normal Chameleon? I think it would have added a bit more humour to the movie.

Rayza

Chosen answer: For the same reason he can talk and wear clothes: To make him identifiable to the audience, especially kids. Independently working eyes would have been funny, but would work best as a side or supporting character than the main character. It's important for the audience to identify with the hero, so they make him as human as they need to.

Garlonuss

Question: On their helmets were two torches (flashlights). The bigger light had two options, an LED cluster and a standard bulb. Wouldn't the battery have lasted longer if they chose the LED option?

Rayza

Chosen answer: Being someone who uses the PETZL Duo headtorch (the light used in this movie) I can say that yes, the LED option lasts MUCH longer than the standard bulb.

Braddles

Question: Optimus refers to two autobots called "wreckers". Are these two autobots Bulkhead and Wheeljack? There aren't mention by name, so I was wondering.

Carl Missouri

Chosen answer: No. In Dark of the Moon, the Wreckers are the three NASCAR Autobots. Their names are Roadbuster, Leadfoot and Topspin.

GalahadFairlight

Question: If the shields on the collector were down while Data was flying the Captain's Launch, why not use that ship to destroy the collector?

jbrbbt

Chosen answer: Probably because the best he'd be able to do is damage the collector, not destroy it.

JC Fernandez

Question: Why does Sully get surprised at the end of the movie when he sees Boo?

Answer: He's not as much surprised as he is pleased to see her. She's going to be a little older than when he last saw her because it took Mike so long to rebuild the door. So if he's surprised, it may be at how much she's grown in that time period.

MovieFan612

Question: *Spoiler* What is the weapon that Sentinel Prime uses to kill Ironhide? It seems that all of the other Transformer weapons fire explosives or bullets, but his seemed to disintegrate Ironhide after he shot him.

Answer: the weapon is called an "Acid Rust Blaster" which seems to be similar to the cosmic rust seen in the animated series. the rust eats away at the Transformer's metal body.

Question: Why is Charles okay with Mystique joining Magneto's side? They're supposed to be brother and sister but he doesn't even attempt to talk her out of it.

THGhost

Chosen answer: He's not okay with it, but he knows that Erik's views appeal strongly to her. To all intents and purposes, she's already made her decision - to try to stop her would likely only lead to an argument, which is not how he'd want them to part. Plus there is the somewhat major side issue that Charles has just been shot, so it's not really the right time for a discussion on conflicting mutant philosophies.

Tailkinker

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